Letters. We get letters.

I don't usually do this, but someone used the comment section on my last post to pose an interesting question:

"How does something like that work in Rome for a priest who's not attached to a particular church -- do you need to schedule something ahead of time or can you just walk into a church and find an available altar and start setting up?"

Well, here's the way it goes.  Any priest may celebrate a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica.  There are certain "popular" altars that require a reservation (namely, the tomb of Pope John XXIII, the "altare alla tomba" which is downstairs on the grotto level of St. Peter's and faces the niche of the Pallia, the Clementine Chapel whose altar is the closest in actual proximity to the relics of St. Peter, and the Hungarian Chapel which houses larger groups who may have gotten bumped from the Altare alla Tomba by someone higher up on the hierarchical food chain (do I sound bitter?)).  But other than those, there are also roughly 25 altars set up for the celebration of private Masses.  Don't ask to celebrate Mass at the main altar under the baldacchino; Only the Pope, or someone delegated by him, celebrates Mass there.

How does a Priest do this?  He goes to the sacristy of St. Peter's sometime between 7 and 8am. If a reservation has already been made for one of the "primo" altars, then he reports to the desk to the right and informs the man sitting there that he has a reservation.  If any altar will suffice, he doesn't have to go to the desk.  In the sacristy he'll find all of the things necessary for Mass: vestments, a dressed chalice, and liturgical books in various languages (though each altar is equipped with a missal in Latin and Italian).  An altar server will take the Priest to a free altar.  On the way, they usually ask if you have a preference.  If you have a favorite altar (St. Gregory, St. Leo, The Transfiguration, St. Pius X, Our Lady of the Column, St. Josephat, Sts. Simon & Jude, St. Thomas, etc.), let him know.  Once he leads you to an altar, he'll usually make sure you're all set, and then leave you there.

Two things jump out at me at this point:

1. If you have any people with you in the Basilica who will go to your Mass, tell them to wait in the Basilica by the passageway to the sacristy.  The altar server who leads you tends to walk quickly, so tip your group off that, when they see you being led by the kid, be prepared to walk just as quickly behind you.
   
2. Even though there are Masses being said for the general public each morning in the Basilica, that sacristy door will become a hangout for people who want a Mass in a language other than Italian.  They will try to look at the cover of the missal you or the server is carrying, trying to catch a glimpse of what language books you took.  If they see no books, they assume you're celebrating a mass in Italian or Latin (the languages of the books already at each altar - remember?).  Some may ask you if they can follow you, but most do not.  They simply follow you.  Or, they wander around the perimeter of the Basilica, going from side altar to side altar, waiting until they hear a language they recognize.  These side altars all have a container with small communion hosts, for any Mass attendees you have.  But don't be surprised if someone shows up at your Mass well into the Eucharistic Prayer, but still expects you to give them Holy Communion.  Ugh!

Once you're done with Mass, bring the books, the chalice, and the carrier containing the cruets and finger towel, back to the sacristy.  They'll take the alb and chasuble from you and hang them up, as well as collect the cincture and toss the amice into a bin to be washed and pressed for tomorrow's private Masses.  Before you leave, sign the register on the desk, and at least once during your stay, drop some Euro into the offering box nearby, which helps pay for the hosts and wine used at these Masses.

If you have some time, hang around the sacristy afterwards.  Watch the reaction of the Vatican crowd as clergy come into the sacristy.  Priests are, so to speak, a "dime a dozen"; the only way for the sacristy gang to acknowledge you is if you do something wrong.  Monsignori?  Not likely to impress the sacristans.  A Bishop might get some sign of deference out of them (at the very least they have to act as if they're impressed), and so everyone is on the lookout for a ring or pectoral cross that is the tipoff.  Really, with the obvious exception of the Holy Father himself, only Cardinals can get the altar boys and sacristy staff to act like someone important is present and needs to be taken care of.   It's great to watch the group dynamics that go on in that sacristy; kind of the Church edition of "Wild Kingdom".

On a Sunday morning, a great thing to do is concelebrate the capitular Mass at 10:30am.  There's a schola and a big ol' pipe organ, and being in the procession up the center aisle of St. Peter's, around the Confessio, up towards the Altar of the Chair is alone worth the effort.  Simply show up in the sacristy about 10am.

I hope this answered the question.  I know it brought back some great memories.  It has always been a humbling and prayerful experience celebrating Holy Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, whether I was alone, with a Priest friend or two, or with a pilgrimage group.  Such a privilege.

Feast of St. Gregory the Great

This morning in the shower (I know, too much information), I remembered that I snapped pictures of the San Gregorio altar in St. Peter's Basilica.  It's one of my favorite altars, as well as one of the hardest altars, at which to say a private Mass.  Why?  It is the altar immediately to the left of the doorway, coming from the sacristy into the basilica, and as such it gets taken quickly by those who don't want to walk far.  But if you can get it, I mean, you're saying Mass over the bones of St. Gregory the Great!  Technically it's called the "Clementine Chapel".  A "chapel" even though it is not a separate room, and "Clementine" because it was built during the pontificate of Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605).  This fact is reinforced by looking above the altar, where Pope Clement's coat of arms can be found.

Anyway, here are my pictures.

The "chapel" of St. Gregory the Great.

The mosaic above the altar was created in 1772.

It depicts the story of the miracle which took place when Pope Gregory cut into a cloth which dripped blood after having been touched to relics of the martyrs.

A closeup of the tomb of St. Gregory underneath the altar.

His relics were placed here in 1606.

Recognizing Christ

Two things right from the start.  First, you may have noticed that, at daily Mass, we've shifted from plowing our way through Matthew's Gospel to Luke's Gospel.  Second, since yesterday's Gospel passage (Jesus in the synagogue in Nazareth), he has moved to the synagogue in Capernaum, some 20 miles away to the northeast.

So Jesus is in the synagogue.  The Messiah is in a place where prayers were constantly being offered for God to send, well basically, him.  Who recognizes Jesus in that synagogue?  Not the faithful.  The demon.

"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are - the Holy One of God!"

What did the demon see that these, probably, very devoted men in the congregation did not see?  Let's look at it from another point of view:  What "baggage" did the congregation have, that the demon did not, that prevented them from recognizing the Messiah in their presence?  Was it a low self esteem that made them think God wouldn't possibly send the messiah to them?  Like the gang in the Nazareth synagogue, was it an arrogance that made them believe that the son of Joseph the carpenter could not possibly be what he was claiming to be (namely, that he was the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy about God anointing him to bring good news to the poor, etc.)?

That's our task: recognizing Christ.  Recognizing him in the Scriptures.  Recognizing him in the Eucharist, at Mass and any place we find a tabernacle.  Recognizing him in the magisterial teachings of the Church.  Recognizing him in his Vicar.  He's there whether we believe it or not.  The reality of his presence does not depend on us consenting to believe it.  How arrogant can we be to think that, if I don't believe it, than it can't be the truth?

How many times have we been someplace (a mall, a street) where our eyes catch glimpses of hundreds of people.  Yet if one of those faces we subconsciously scan is a friend, something inside of us goes off, telling us that we "know" this person.  Let us ask the Lord to help us to know what to look for in recognizing Him.

Abp. Sheen on What's My Line

Thanks to Tom Peters at American Papist for discovering this:

Watch the last 2 or 3 seconds, when Miss Kilgallen (on the far left of the panel) actually kisses his ring as he greets her. The days are gone when celebrities saw themselves as "Catholics" first, and "famous" second.

Though we gotta say goodbye, for the summer

You know the summer is over when all the sunscreen goes on sale, and bags and bags of Halloween candy make their appearance in stores (as if anyone has the willpower to buy candy now and let it sit uneaten until October 31).

A Labor Day Thought

Some comedian one remarked that only in America would we have a day celebrating labor that we honor precisely by not working.

From the church's point of view, we already have a "Labor Day" holiday.  When?  May 1st, when we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.  But work doesn't cease, whether a job or the work done around the house.  A while back, I came across this neat little reflection of what it means to "sanctify" our everyday tasks, and I thought it'd be a great reflection for today (that is, if you get tired of the "Law & Order", "Star Trek", "Murder, She Wrote", "CSI", "America's Next Top Model", "I Love Lucy", et al. marathons on TV).  This comes from an information page entitled, "What is Opus Dei?", which can be found by clicking here.

Sanctifying work.  Sanctifying work means to work with the spirit of Jesus Christ, to work competently and ethically, with the aim of loving God and serving others, and thus to sanctify the world from within, making the Gospel present in all activities whether they be outstanding or humble and hidden. In the eyes of God what matters is the love that is put into work, not its human success.

I love that last sentence.

"Peter" to "Satan" in five verses!

This Sunday's Gospel is the continuation of Last Sunday's Gospel, from Matthew 16.  Taken together, it shows a drop in prestige and esteem that looks like the stock market crash of 1929.

In Matthew 16:19, Simon has been told that he is "Peter", the rock on which the Church is to be built.  Now, just five verses later, Jesus calls him "Satan".  Bad enough if Peter had dropped back down to being Simon again, but he seems to sink even further, down to the the devil.

What happened?  What'd he do?  For that, let's go back to the end of last week's Gospel.

Verse 20 tells us that Jesus "strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ."  He's let the cat out of the bag.  He confirmed what they may have suspected, but now they got confirmation.  They must've thought they had won "life's lottery": their longed for Messiah had arrived, and they were not just on the earth when it happened; they were part of his "inner circle"!  Woo-hoo!

Now, fast forward to today's Gospel.  While the Apostles are basking in their imagination of what it would mean to be a member of the Messiah's court, Jesus brings them back to earth with the reality of what his Kingship will mean for him: to "suffer greatly" and "be killed".  His "red carpet" is the Way of the Cross.  No "velvet ropes"; just the cords of a scourge.  For Peter and the other eleven, this was like being told they were getting a pony for Christmas, only to find a pile of pony-poo under the tree.

Matthew tells us Peter "took Jesus aside".  This is one of those little moments that really make no difference to the story itself, but gives us something that an eye-witness to the event (Matthew) would have remembered.  The other eleven guys saw Jesus & Peter talking quietly, and then hear Jesus rebuke Peter loudly.  They must've thought, "What did he say to Jesus?"

We know what Peter said.  "No such thing shall ever happen to you."  In other words, "I'll take care of it, Jesus.  You don't have to suffer.  You won't be killed."  Jesus has heard that before, a while back in the desert just after he was baptized by John.  Only then, it was the devil telling him something like that.  He recognized that this wasn't Peter talking to him; it was the devil talking through Peter to him.  Thus, the rebuke is not so much to Peter as, through Peter, back to Satan.

Perhaps it'd be a little easier for us to fight sin if we saw it coming a mile away.  But more often than not, sin comes disguised, packaged nicely.  Sometimes, the temptation to sin even comes from another person talking us into it.  Sometimes that "other person" is a friend, even our best friend.  The Devil is the master of knowing just what buttons to push in us.  He knows our weaknesses, whether chronic or momentary, and he waits for just the right time to move in for the attack.

How do we fight an opponent like that?  Like Jesus, we need to be able to identify Satan, even when he comes at us in disguise.  Nothing is better for building our confidence than getting a good "first punch" in, and nothing accomplishes this better than announcing to Satan that you can see through his disguise.

Sometimes we're going to lose those fights, but sometimes we're going to win them.  Cheer up, Peter.  You had a bad round, but it's a long fight.  In the wise words of Francis Albert, "Each time I find myself flat on my face, I pick myself up and get back in the race."

She had me at "hockey mom".

Feast of the Martyrdom of John the Baptist

Another sign of the "end of summer" is today's celebration of the Martyrdom of St. John.  It's also that time of year when seminarians are back in classes for another semester of studies.  This time of year, I especially think of the men in 1st Theology, who are going through a bit of a panic time right now, as they adjust to seminary life, wonder whether this was the right thing for them to do, and try their best to memorize the names of their new classmates.  We've all faced those "What the heck am I doing here?" moments, and if it gives any comfort to anyone in 1st Theology reading this, they never really stop happening.  Just because a loving God is the one giving us the test doesn't mean he's sharing the answer key.

I think that seminarians, in a special way, have a special affinity towards John the Baptist.   Seminarians, as "JB" did in being the hinge between the Old and New Testaments, do represent the "transition": guys who are not yet clergy, but more than just "regular" laymen.  In the seminary or in parish settings, they're constantly reminded that they are not yet Priests, and shouldn't act in a "clerical" way.  But when they're at home, family members and friends have begun acting differently in their presence, watching their language and asking them to explain anything remotely having to do with the Church that made the newspapers.  But they also face the heroic danger that John the Baptist faced: sometimes calling things as you see them can get you into trouble.  As in the days of Herod, telling the truth to power (say, for example, that the pastor to whom you've been assigned is insane and who, shall we say, "doesn't just have issues but a whole subscription!") runs the risk of imprisonment (in the case of a seminarian, being sent for counseling, or, perhaps asked to take time away from studies to "discern" their vocation), or even death (being dropped as a seminarian altogether).  Always remember the "magic pastor shield", which is the aura that settles upon someone when given the canonical title of Pastor (there's no such thing as a "magic administrator shield").  It means that no matter what happens in a parish between you and the pastor, the powers-that-be will begin their investigation with the presumption that the Pastor was correct.  

Enjoy your feast days, guys.  Take deep breaths.  Count the days until Fall Break.

Also...

On April 22, 2007, Pope benedict made a pilgrimage to Pavia, Italy, where St. Augustine's relics are entombed.  Here are some links to talks and homilies he gave, which give more insight into his Augustinian insights.

Homily from Mass in Pavia

Address at Meeting with Representatives of the world of culture

Homily during celebration of Vespers

Feast of St. Augustine (354-430)

Today, I betcha, there's punch and cookies in the papal Household.

St. Augustine of Hippo is, by far, Pope Benedict's favorite, well, you name it: Saint, Doctor of the Church, Theologian, Christian writer, etc.  You can bet there's a party going on in the Appartamento Pontificio (for as much as a party can happen there).  Want to know what B16 thinks St. Augustine has to offer us?  This passage comes from talk two:

"When I read St Augustine's writings, I do not get the impression that he is a man who died more or less 1,600 years ago; I feel he is like a man of today:  a friend, a contemporary who speaks to me, who speaks to us with his fresh and timely faith. In St Augustine who talks to us, talks to me in his writings, we see the everlasting timeliness of his faith; of the faith that comes from Christ, the Eternal Incarnate Word, Son of God and Son of Man. And we can see that this faith is not of the past although it was preached yesterday; it is still timely today, for Christ is truly yesterday, today and for ever. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Thus, St Augustine encourages us to entrust ourselves to this ever-living Christ and in this way find the path of life."

Amongst his Wednesday General Audience addresses, the Holy Father has dedicated no less than five of them to the topic of Sant'Agostino.  If you want a concise précis of St. Augustine, click on the following for the addresses:

Talk one - January 9, 2008 (Augustine's life)

Talk two - January 16, 2008 (Augustine's later life)

Talk three - January 30, 2008 (faith & reason)

Talk four - February 20, 2008 (Augustine's writings)

Talk five - February 27, 2008 (Augustine's conversions)

I just downloaded & printed them myself, and now I'm going to cram in preparation for tonight's homily at Mass.

Wednesday at the DNC

Has anyone else picked up on the fact that Bill Clinton is speaking at the Democratic National Convention, of all days, TOMORROW?

And tomorrow is whose feast day?  Monica's, of course.

No, not THAT Monica.

That's better.  St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine.

mint, dill, cummin, gnats and camels

Today's gospel is a continuation of Our Lord's opening of a can of whoop@$$ on the Pharisees.

"You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity."

To understand what the Lord was throwing out at them, you have to understand that everything growing from the earth was the subject of a tithe.  Both in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, it's clear that one-tenth of every bit of produce from the ground was,  technically, owed to the Levitical (priestly) class in exchange for the ministerial functions they performed at the Temple.

So what about mint, dill, and cummin?  These were not grown in any great quantity; certainly nothing compared to wheat or barley or any other food crop.  These were kitchen herbs, used not as a main food staple, but as something to spice up food.  As such, it was grown in small quantities, and not really thought to be part of the tithe-able crops.

But not so with the Pharisees, who prided themselves (and made sure everyone knew about it) on the fact that they did tithe on the little bit of kitchen herbs they grew.  This was their way of bragging that they kept the law to a meticulous (and some would say ridiculous) degree.

So what is Jesus saying to them?  He's questioning how, on one hand, they could be so meticulous about the smallest details of observing the Law.  But, on the other hand, they could also be so obstinate when it came to following the bigger precepts of the Law; things like judgment, mercy, and fidelity.

The other part of that passage is also great for the trivia value:

"Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!"

A gnat is an insect, and as such, an unclean animal (not kosher).  In fact, so is a camel (I mean unclean, not an insect).  Pharisees would often strain their wine through a cheesecloth kind of gauze, to make sure they didn't accidentally consume an non-kosher animal.  The "dig" Jesus is throwing at the Pharisees is that they went to great lengths to make sure they didn't eat a gnat, but had no problem gulping down a camel.  It reminds me about the statement he makes about ignoring the plank in one's own eye while calling attention to the splinter in someone else's eye.

Jesus knew how to hit the Pharisees in a way that would hurt them.  Uncleanliness.  Not in the way of being dirty, but more about being unclean and thus unable to worship God properly.  They prided themselves on a ritual purity that they believed set them apart from the common folk.  The very name "Pharisee" is literally translated as "separated ones", meaning they stay holy by staying separate from the rest of the profane world.

"You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence."

Pharisees believed that a cup or dish that was ceremonially unclean could not be used, but food that was obtained through theft or cheating was perfectly fine, as long as it was eaten in a ritually clean cup or dish.

What's it all about?  Obsession with the externals.  We try our best to make sure that we look, on the outside, to be good and upright.  But how do we look on the inside?  I remember part of a talk I heard once given at a youth group retreat, which spoke about the "3 views of me".  The first view is how we see ourselves, which tends to be the most unflattering (since we're overly critical about ourselves).  The second view is how others see us, and we spend a whole lot of time and effort making sure that others see us in a positive light.  The third view is how God sees us; that's the one we need to spend our time working on to make perfect.

Death to King Loooeeeeeeeee!

No, not really.  I'm just having a "History of the World - Part I" flashback.  Remember Cloris Leachman as madame Defarge?

Thinking as I was, today, about St. Joseph Calasanz, I started to ponder the other Saint whose feast day was today: St. Louis IX, King of France (1226-1270).  I got to thinking of him because of the church named for him in Roma: San Luigi dei Francesi.  It's the church designated for French nationals living in Rome, and is usually the titular church for French Cardinals, most recently the Cardinal Archbishops of Paris.  I often pass the church on my visits there, as I walk between the Piazza Navona and the Pantheon.  But, though the church is named for him, you need to go a little further away, to the Church of the Gesù, to venerate a relic of King Louis.

Should you visit the church, make your way to the chapel in the back left corner.  This is the "Contarelli Chapel", designated by French cardinal Matthieu Cointerel (1519-1585) as the place where he wanted to be buried.  Thanks to some mismanagement by artists, paintings above the altar and walls of the chapel ended up being painted by the great Caravaggio around 1600.  They are three paintings of St. Matthew (since Matthew was the patron of Cardinal Contarelli).  Bring some Euro coins with you to light up the chapel and get a good look at the paintings (or, if you've got time, hang around and wait for some group of art students to swoop in and pay for the illumination themselves.  Little buggers are just using their parents' money, anyway).

The most famous of these paintings is this one, called "The Calling of St. Matthew".  For a better image that will give you more of the details, click here.  Check out the look of Christ, with his hand extended, towards Matthew.  See how Matthew can't look Jesus in the eye, and only looks down at the coins he collected in taxes.  Imagine what's going through his mind: "Jesus, or these coins?  Which life do I choose?"  Remember when art in churches "spoke" to people?

OK, I realize that I'm not really talking about St. Louis, as much as I'm talking about the church named for him.  But it is one of those neat little treasures hidden away in Rome.  Definitely worth a visit.

Where have you gone, Joe Calasanz?

Today the Church gives us the option of celebrating the feast day of St. Joseph Calasanz, founder of the Poor Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools.  Whew, that's a mouthful; no wonder they shortened it to be known simply as the Piarists.  Calasanz was a Spaniard by birth, but founded his order and worked most of his life in Rome.  In fact, if you're in the Piazza Navona in Rome, you're just a hop, skip, & jump from venerating his relics at the Chiesa di S. Pantaleo e S. Giuseppe Calasanzio.  You can even see the rooms in which he lived (and died) if you make an appointment.

Calasanz is credited with creating the first free public schools in Europe, and he did it whilst working on educating young children.

Did you just let out a gasp?  I'll say it again: he spent his time ministering to the young.  If you did gasp, cough, or gagged so that your coffee came out of your nose a little, you're probably not alone.

How different a world we live in today.  A world that would probably never allow a St. Joseph Calasanz to function in this capacity.  Picture it:  It's 2008, and a Priest who came from another country visits with the bishop of a diocese, explains how he sees a need to start educating the young, and seeking permission to do so on church property.  How many bishops would have diocesan lawyers screaming at them, warning them what a liability such a place could possibly become?  How many benefactors would be reluctant to have their names associated with such a school, just in case something scandalous might theoretically happen down the road?   How many times would vocations to such an order be fingerprinted, background checked, probably even having DNA samples collected from them?  How many priests today shy away from being anywhere in proximity to young people because of the awareness that it would only take one accusation (true or not) from one of them to essentially end his priestly ministry?  How many teens have been so conditioned by the media that they fear any contact with clergy or religious?

Calasanz, Bosco, even Mother Seton.  Would Sainthood even be possible for them in 2008?

Today's Question

I just got back from the local CVS pharmacy, where I had to pick up a few things.

The section with all the condoms and stuff had a big sign above the aisle, advertising its location.  The sign read, "FAMILY PLANNING".

Shouldn't the sign read "FAMILY PREVENTION"?

Manning family karaoke

Obviously, all the talent genes got used up in athletics,  If anyone can decipher what song they're singing, I'd be curious.

Feast of St. Rose of Lima

Howdy-doo, there, readers.  I'm back from vacation.

I am constantly amazed that, depending on what I'm going through in my life, God sends me a message out there for the world, yet one that seems to be directed just toward me.  This quote comes from the writings of St. Rose of Lima, found in the breviary in today's Office of Readings:

"Our Lord and Savior lifted up his voice and said with incomparable majesty: 'Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation.  Let them know that without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace.  Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase.  Let men take care not to stray and be deceived.  This is the only true stairway to paradise, and without the cross they can find no road to climb to heaven.'"

Gone for the week

I'm about to take off for a few days of R&R with my mother.  But it's bugging me that I'll be away from my parish, and daily Mass with people, for some great feast days this week.  So, since my mother would never stand for me giving a homily at a Mass in a hotel room, here's my little thoughts for the Saints this coming week:

Monday: St. Jane de Chantal.  The foundress of the Visitation sisters makes me think of the Visitation Convent that used to be, until only recently, in Frederick, Maryland.  Seminarians used to go down for First Friday devotions, which always attracted a large amount of local families (not to mention the sisters behind the cloister grille).

Tuesday: St. John Eudes.  Could the founder of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary have considered that, after his death, they'd be known as "Eudists"?  I love telling daily Mass attendees this fact; in their half awake, 8:10am consciousness they think I say he was the founder of the "nudists".

Wednesday: St. Bernard of Clairvaux.  My first summer parish assignment as a seminarian was at a parish named for St. Bernard.  This was a guy with a great love for the Blessed Mother.

Thursday: Pope St. Pius X.  Papa Sarto.  Restoring all things in Christ.  Great motto for today.  Known most of all for lowering the age of reception of Holy Communion to the age that is commonplace today.  But not so well known is his encyclical on liturgical music.

Friday: The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The last day of an "octave" which began on the Assumption of Our Lady.  The principal patroness of my diocese (thanks to the fact that our founding bishop was ordained on this feast day back when it was celebrated on May 31, the end of the month dedicated to Mary.

Have a great week, everyone, and thanks for reading.

Decoration Withdrawal Syndrome

OK, so it's probably not a disease I can sue anyone for, but I can still consider myself a victim, can't I?

For the ten years of my Priesthood, I've always been assigned to parishes that had side altars to Our Lady.  So for the feast days, I enjoyed decorating these altars.  But now I'm in a place that neither has side altars, nor seems to have flowers in the church.  Since I've only been here for about six weeks, I promised myself I'd sit back and not do anything, waiting to see whether the parish buys flowers, or whether parishioners bring flowers themselves.

Last night and this morning I got my answer.  Neither happens, and I've got the shakes because I want to run to the store and get some flowers.  Of course, the shakes could be the 4-shot espresso iced coffee I'm chugging.

I miss simple piety.  One of my friends is pastor of a parish in Maryland.  Over the past few days, leading up to today, his parishioners bring flowers from their gardens (and probably more than a few supermarkets' flower departments).  They take a personal ownership in decorating Our Lady for her feast day.  Of course, I've also seen other places in which the attitude is, "What a shame no one decorated that statue.  Of course, I'm much too busy to do such a thing, but someone in the parish should do it."

I always liked decorating the altars.  For someone who'll never have biological children, I always felt it was something akin to what parents do when they put presents under a Christmas tree, and then wait to see their childrens' expressions of surprise when they see it all in front of them.  Some flowers here, a few candles there, the occasional reliquary, and -boom- Catholic joy!

Who knows?  Our Lady's birthday is coming up.  Maybe then.

The Solemnity of the Assumption

"It was necessary that she who had preserved her virginity inviolate in childbirth should also have her body kept free from all corruption after death.

It was necessary that she who had carried her Creator as a child on her breast should dwell in the tabernacles of God.

It was necessary that the bride espoused by the father should make her home in the bridal chambers of heaven.

It was necessary that she, who had gazed on her crucified Son and been pierced in the heart by the sword of sorrow which she had escaped in giving him birth, should contemplate him seated with the Father.

It was necessary that the Mother of God should share the possessions of her Son, and be venerated by every creature as the Mother and handmaid of God."

St. John Damascene, quoted by Pope Pius XII in today's Office of Readings.

CDW Letter - continued

A few readers commented that they would like me to post the letter I mentioned in the last blog.  I'm sure there was a way to do this, only I'm still learning my iMac.  Anyway, the gang at New Liturgical Movement has done me the service, so readers here can read the letter by clicking here.

"[God], I know you are near."

On Friday, a friend of mine sent me a copy of a letter sent out by Cardinal Arinze at the CDW to the Presidents of Bishops' conferences around the world.  Pope Benedict recently approved a directive which says that the literal Hebrew pronunciation of the name of God not be used in songs or prayers.

What is Rome talking about?  The "Tetragrammaton".  Confused?  We're talking about the four Hebrew letters yod, heh, vav, and heh (יהוה) transliterated in English as "YHWH", and found in some translations of the Old Testament as well as the occasional hymn as "Yahweh".  "Tetragrammaton" is a Greek word meaning "four letters", as in the 4 letters used to name God.

In books of Scripture written in Hebrew, the name is certainly written, but never pronounced phonetically.  Instead, the word "Adonai" ("God") is substituted, or even the words "Ha Shem" (literally, "The Name") are used.  For Jews, even to say the proper name of God would be a violation of the third commandment (or second commandment to Christians), taking God's name in vain.  The only time it was used in Judaism was once per year by the High Priest during Yom Kippur, when he alone had the privilege of pronouncing God's authentic name while offering prayers of atonement on behalf of the people.

What a great chance this gives us to reflect on our use of the word, "God", in our culture and in our own vocabulary.  Yes, lots of people come to confession and tell us that they've "used God's name in vain" (which is a sterilized way of saying they have a foul mouth), but in reality, most obscenities do not use the word, God, except for the one that most resembles, "Goshdarnit!" (use your imagination).  How many times do we begin a sentence with, "O my God, that was the best (food) I've ever eaten!", or, "I swear to God, I saw (proper name) at the mall with (another proper name)."  This is starting to look like Mad Libs, no?  You get the idea.

So what does this mean?  First of all, directive one says that the word "YHWH" is not to be used in liturgical celebrations.  This would affect hymns like "You are Near", and, "Sing a New Song" (which has the line in the first verse about Yahweh's people dancing for joy).  Honestly, I'm not shedding any tears in putting those songs out to pasture.  The second directive says that in future translations of Scripture into vernacular languages, the word YHWH be translated as "God".  It's hard to say what this will affect in the future, but looking to the past, I believe it is the New Jerusalem Bible that used "Yahweh" in translations of the Psalms.   In short, words like "God" or "Lord" should be used, rather than God's proper name.

"Koiné" Hebrew?

Today's New York Times has a story about the display of the Qumran (aka "Dead Sea") scroll of Isaiah in a special exhibit at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Israelis are flocking to read the Hebrew words first put to the parchment 2,100 years ago, some leaving in tears because of the connection they feel to the past.  No one uses Latin or Koiné (classical) Greek as their primary language anymore, but Hebrew is still in use.

But something else is becoming apparent.  Israelis are losing touch with "classical Hebrew", and as they attempt to read the scroll, they're realizing that they cannot understand ancient Hebrew prose.  Because it's a "living language", it has evolved, and continues to do so.  So much so, that it's becoming more difficult for a person fluent in Hebrew to read an ancient text.  

Could Hebrew be facing what has happened with the Greek language?  Read the story.

By the way, if you'd like to see the "Isaiah scroll" for yourself, the museum has it available online.  Click here, and remember, you're stepping back 2,100 years in history.

It was 30 years ago today...

...that Pope Paul VI died.

Remember this Servant of God in your prayers, especially this year, the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine.

You learn something every day

This came from the Orbis Catholicus blog:

Swiss Guards Souvenir Shop

Fridays, between 10 - 11 o'clock you can visit the Swiss Guard souvenir shop. Not many people know about it, but just show up at the Porta Santa Anna during that hour and tell the guard you came to buy something in the shop. He will let you into the foyer of the Swiss Guard barrack where the guard on duty will telephone the Swiss sister in charge of the shop. She will walk you into the barracks and show you what they have. They have calendars, CDs, DVDs, hats, shirts, etc. The best is the CD of their marching songs with the inno (anthem) of the Vatican City State played by thier band. Four years ago when I was there I got to see the guards on drill as they marched in as well as some of the nice 1930 frescos of guardsmen they have on the walls (such as in their canteen).

Not going to Rome (in the August heat who can blame you)?  Buy Swiss Guards merchandise from their new online shop.  Check it out by clicking here.

"Sing a new worship space into being"

Tired of churches that look like Pizza Huts on the outside?

Saddened by church design which seems to hold the choir and organ in more esteem than the Tabernacle?

Ever hear the response, "Oh, no one builds churches like that anymore."

Wanna see what can be built nowadays?

Click here and see photographs taken of the new Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Diocese of LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

Copts under attack

Today's New York Times has an article about the plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt, and the rise of violence against them.  Check it out.

Holy Brother

Yes, we're used to him as the Holy Father, but even he gets to have a family vacation in which he gets to be a "little brother" again. Not since the pontificate of John Paul I have we had a Pope with living siblings (Papa Luciani had a younger brother and sister).  For the record, Pope John Paul II had a brother, a medical doctor named Edmund, who died as a result of treating patients with Scarlet Fever.  He died in 1932, when Karol was 12.

The photo database of L'Osservatore Romano has these pictures taken today, as Pope Benedict enjoys his vacation in northern Italy with his brother, Georg (who is 3 years his elder).

Remember, these are not "publicity shots", per se.  L'Osservatore Romano also has the task of recording the Pope's schedule for the purposes of keeping a historical archive.  Those who have their photographs taken with Pope Benedict can order copies of the photos, but primarily those pictures are being taken for archival purposes, and not for the photographees.

"Oooh, look at us,

ve look like an Oreo cookie!!"

NB - Also, fellow "carers of the minutiae" will notice that the Pope is wearing a cassock, and not his usual simar.  No shoulder cape or half-sleeves.  You can tell he's letting his hair down on vacation.  Can water balloons be far off?

For those who complain, "The Church only cares about money"

This was part of an e-mail I got from my sister (yes, she said I could reprint this part).  For the record, she is Jewish.

I went to a temple here and talked with a rabbi about joining the congregation, which sounded nice, until she gave me the application to fill out which asked "would I be giving the standard $1700 fee and $600 additional to worship on high holy days?"  I decided that Judaism may have to wait until I'm much more monetarily secure.

Now, it's been a while since I've been at a Synagogue for Sabbath services, so I don't remember: Do they take up a collection?   Supposing they don't, I started doing the math:  $1700 fee per year, divided by 52 weeks a year, comes to $32.69 a week.  I don't think that's so bad, considering that people will shell out about 40 bucks for a night at the movies.  Priests who read this and know what their average giver gives in a weekend envelope can judge this accordingly.  But she's one person; do you think the "fee" is more for a family?  Also, the fee is paid up front, whether you're there or not.  Now a good many people do send in their collection envelopes, even when they're away on vacation.  But a good deal do not.

Also, a "$600 additional" to worship on High Holy Days?  Now THERE'S an untapped resource that we haven't considered in the support of parishes.  Can you imagine parishes charging $600 for a seat at Mass for Christmas and Easter?  OK, maybe not the Easter Vigil or Christmas Day, but we could have a ball charging for seats at the 4pm Christmas Eve, when everybody and their brother wants to come in and get Mass over with.

You can bet that this little tidbit is coming out of my mouth, the next time someone starts giving me "ugly face" about the Church being obsessed with money.

St. Peter Chrysologus, pray for us (preachers)!

Today's feast day, commemorating St. Peter C., may not have even been celebrated at the thousands of daily Masses that have already taken place, or will take place, today.  He's not one of the first Saints of the Church you think of, if you were asked to rattle off twenty-five Saints of the Church.

But I get the feeling Joe and Jane Catholic would demand a Mass on this feast day, if they knew more about Chrysologus.  I got this tidbit out of Butler's Lives of the Saints:

"We have many of his discourses still extant: they are all very short, for he was afraid of fatiguing the attention of his hearers."

A Patron Saint for short homilies at Mass?  Now do I have your interest?

Now, before you start running to the internet in a desperate attempt to find novenas to St. Peter Chrysologus, maybe even asking that a statue of the Saint be placed in your parish church (preferably right across from the ambo), let's remember that "short" is a relative term.  Some of the Church's best preachers would be up in the pulpit for hours; what is a short homily in comparison to them?  forty-five minutes?  a half hour?

It has been said that some preachers can preach for two hours and say absolutely nothing, while others can say something in one minute that blow you away!  Most of us are somewhere in the middle, but we can always use some assistance.

St. Peter Chrysologus, pray for us preachers.

Prot. n. 1464/06/L

The story has broken around the blogosphere about the "recognitio" (approval) granted by the Holy Father for the new English translation of the Ordinary parts of the Mass.  Rome has been pushing for years for one English language Missal for the entire English speaking world (meaning that, whether you attend Mass in New York, London, Ottawa, Dublin, New Delhi, Sydney, Manila, etc., you'll hear the same exact prayers).

In a letter from the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, dated over a month ago (June 23) and given Protocol number 1464/06/L, Cardinal Arinze (Prefect of the Congregation) wrote to Cardinal George (President of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops), saying that the release of this first part of the English translation of the Roman Missal (notice that it's not being called a "Sacramentary" anymore) will "provide time for the pastoral preparation of priests, deacons, and for the appropriate catechesis of the lay faithful."  Once all the parts of the Missal receive the recognitio, and the Missal is published, then Cardinal George will announce when use of it is to begin.  

In addition, it's also being released to that musicians can get to work composing musical settings for the new translations, so I hope liturgical musicians will be sharpening their pencils and getting busy soon.

A friend of mine sent me the translations, and I've given it a perfunctory reading, skimming it briefly.  Other blogs are commenting on the content abundantly, so I won't need to do so.  But I will say this:  There's much more of a change for the clergy than there is for the laity.  In attempting to read the Eucharistic Prayers out loud, I kept "messing up", jumping back into the current translation that has been burned into my memory.  So for those who say "The Pope is making it hard for the people", realize he's asking the clergy to take a bigger bite.  In short, "we'll feel your pain".

Make no mistake about it: there's going to be "turbulence" (to use a flying metaphor), as clergy and laity adjust to the new language.  We'll have some bumpy roads as we adjust.  Plus, I can't even imagine what will happen when the "Christmas and Easter" crowd comes to Mass after the translation change and end up competing with regular Mass-goers, for a blend of "And also with you" with "And with your Spirit", among other things.  I'm sure parishes and publishing companies will be busy making "pew booklets" (you can't call them "missalettes", because one publishing company owns the rights to that word) with the translations.

Randy Pausch Lecture

By now, you may have heard the news of the death of Professor Randy Pausch.  Pausch was diagnosed with terminal cancer just one month before he was scheduled to give a lecture at Carnegie-Mellon called the "Last Lecture".  The premise of the "Last Lecture" is this:  If you could give your students just one more lecture, what would you say?  For most, it was a theoretical exercise; for Randy, it was real.

YouTube has that lecture posted.  Out of curiosity, I watched it this morning (it's about 80 minutes long).  I'm not into motivational, self-help speakers that conclude their talks with a pitch to buy their CDs, DVDs, or books.  This guy gives you his own dreams growing up, how he achieved them, and what he learned from the experience that might help anyone else to do the same.

July 25: St. James and Humanae Vitae

Today is significant for two reasons:

1. Today is the feast of St. James the Greater, the patron of the first parish I was assigned to after ordination.  I spent five years there.  Since then, every Mass I celebrate on July 25 fills my mind with flashbacks of those years.  What's that Beatles song?  "There are places I remember, all my life..."

2. Today is the 40th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's Humanae Vitae.  How do you describe it, in a nutshell?  Remember the movie "Men in

 Black"? 

 Remember that teeny, tiny gun that Tommy Lee Jones gave Will Smith to use?  Remember how, when he finally shot that gun it had huge power to it?

THAT'S what Humanae Vitae has been in the life of the Church.

To begin with, the first thing that one notices is the size of the encyclical.  It's a short read.  My copy of it (purchased years ago from the Daughter's of St. Paul, back in the days before Vatican documents were available online) has only 15 pages.  Compare that to the 145 pages of Pope John Paul's Veritatis Splendor, 158 pages in Pastores Dabo Vobis, or 167 pages in Evangelium Vitae.  Fifteen pages, containing 31 paragraphs, that's all.

What is it the "center of the storm"?  Here it is, found in paragraph 11:

"... each and every marriage act (quilibet matrimonii usus) must remain open to the transmission of life."

Ladies and Gentlemen, you're looking at what was, in 1968, the rough equivalent of Plutonium in the life of the Church.  And, like any radioactive element, it's half-life continues to affect the Catholic Church today.

Here's what Pope Paul wrote in Humanae Vitae to Priests:

And now, beloved sons, you who are priests, you who in virtue of your sacred office act as counselors and spiritual leaders both of individual men and women and of families—We turn to you filled with great confidence. For it is your principal duty—We are speaking especially to you who teach moral theology—to spell out clearly and completely the Church's teaching on marriage. In the performance of your ministry you must be the first to give an example of that sincere obedience, inward as well as outward, which is due to the magisterium of the Church. For, as you know, the pastors of the Church enjoy a special light of the Holy Spirit in teaching the truth. And this, rather than the arguments they put forward, is why you are bound to such obedience. Nor will it escape you that if men's peace of soul and the unity of the Christian people are to be preserved, then it is of the utmost importance that in moral as well as in dogmatic theology all should obey the magisterium of the Church and should speak as with one voice. Therefore We make Our own the anxious words of the great Apostle Paul and with all Our heart We renew Our appeal to you: "I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment."

29. Now it is an outstanding manifestation of charity toward souls to omit nothing from the saving doctrine of Christ; but this must always be joined with tolerance and charity, as Christ Himself showed in His conversations and dealings with men. For when He came, not to judge, but to save the world, was He not bitterly severe toward sin, but patient and abounding in mercy toward sinners?

Husbands and wives, therefore, when deeply distressed by reason of the difficulties of their life, must find stamped in the heart and voice of their priest the likeness of the voice and the love of our Redeemer.

So speak with full confidence, beloved sons, convinced that while the Holy Spirit of God is present to the magisterium proclaiming sound doctrine, He also illumines from within the hearts of the faithful and invites their assent. Teach married couples the necessary way of prayer and prepare them to approach more often with great faith the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Penance. Let them never lose heart because of their weakness.

The "radioactivity" metaphor is poignant.  In the 40 years since it came out, some have treated the encyclical like it really was "radioactive", and avoided it altogether.  Others have been brave enough to draw near to it, knowing that, if handled properly, its power could be harnessed.  But for most people, Humanae Vitae, like nuclear power, is something they simply don't know enough about.

That can change.  Today, click on this link and read Humanae Vitae for yourself.  Remember the time it was written, 1968, and what the world was like at that time.

Read it and it may give you a new opinion about Pope Paul's courageousness and foresight.  Read paragraph 17 and decide for yourself whether, in 2008, Papa Montini could be considered a prophet because of what he wrote 40 years ago about what the consequences of a "contraceptive culture" would be.

Mary Magdalene and easter eggs?

This morning, in doing my preparation for Mass for the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, and in particular the homily,  I went to one of my normal stops on the net: Wikipedia.  In the entry for St. Mary Magdalene, there was this snippet:

One tradition concerning Mary Magdalene says that following the death and resurrection of Jesus, she used her position to gain an invitation to a banquet given by Emperor Tiberius.  When she met him, she held a plain egg in her hand and exclaimed "Christ is risen!" Caesar laughed, and said that Christ rising from the dead was as likely as the egg in her hand turning red while she held it. Before he finished speaking, the egg in her hand turned a bright red, and she continued proclaiming the Gospel to the entire imperial house.

Now, take heed: Wikipedia is a website that allows readers to add information on a topic, so you have to take these things with a grain of salt.  Usually I use the site for the "bare facts" of the life of a saint: year they were born, died, etc.  But this is the first I've heard of this connection between Mary Mag and Easter eggs.

See, you learn something every day.  Whether it is true or not is another thing.

Breaking with Pope John Paul's tradition of

handing out commemorative Rosary Beads,

Pope Benedict decided to "upgrade"

and give away live children.

St. Augustine, Pope Benedict, and the world's biggest lecture hall

Zenit has a story on Pope Benedict's use of his favorite Church Father in a catechesis on the Holy Spirit for the WYD pilgrims.  Imagine, treating teens and young adults as able to understand theology without resorting to using "shtick" to seem relevant.

B16 @ WYD 4

Click here for the text of Pope Benedict's homily at the concluding Mass of World Youth Day.  The Vatican website probably won't post his homily until Monday morning, and so this comes to us from Zenit and not the Holy See.

In addition, Fr. Z at WDTPRS has a commentary on the Pope's homily.

OK, so if you're borderline OCD and you want ALL your homily sources to be identical, here's the link to the homily on the Vatican website, which I added Monday morning.

Yeeeee-HAH!!!

For those who buy into the media and dissenter mantra, that young Catholics are only attracted to World Youth Day because of the "rock concert" atmosphere, check out this article from the secular Sydney Morning Herald.

A Tale of Two Gatherings

While the world's media is focused on Pope Benedict and the gathering of Catholic youths in Sydney, the Worldwide Anglican Communion's Lambeth Conference opened this past week as well.

Not much has been written or shown, certainly not in the United States media, about the gathering of Anglican (or "Episcopalian" in the United States) bishops.  Probably because this isn't going to be pleasant to watch.  The BBC has an story which explains the showdown expected to take place over issues such as homosexuality and the nature of authority within the WAC.

The world's media has been keen at doing stories about the "Pope Protests" that have come and gone during World Youth Day, complete with pictures of costumed protesters mocking the Catholic Church.  They do this every World Youth Day, scouring the crowds, looking for young people who will proudly announce their dissent from Catholic doctrine.  The media rarely have any luck finding any, much to their frustration (and not a little bit of surprise).  Stories of dissenters handing out condoms to attendees rarely tell you the kids throw them out at the first waste basket they find (thereby getting points for being both faithful to doctrine and courteous in not littering).  One story is worth passing on, as we seem to have found an untapped reservoir in the youth who give new meaning to "Church Militant" when it comes to protesters.  No, he didn't form a whip with cords, but there's always room for improvement.

Once WYD ends on Monday, let's see if the media turns its attention on the Canterbury conference.

B16 @ WYD 3

Click here for the Holy Father's address to the young people gathered for the prayer vigil at Randwick Racecourse.

B16 @ WYD 2

Click here for Pope Benedict's homily during the Mass with clergy, religious, and seminarians of the Archdiocese of Sydney.

B16 @ WYD

Click here for the Pope's address at the ceremony welcoming him to World Youth Day.

Daniel 3:59

Fr. Z. at What Does The Prayer Really Say has posted a great video clip of Pope Benedict being introduced to some of the natives of Australia who won't be attending World Youth Day. 

Fogeywear

Great T-Shirt, eh?

Have any of you ever eaten at a Buca di Beppo's restaurant?  Years ago, I was visiting Father C. John McCloskey, who used to run the Catholic Information Center & Bookstore in Washington, DC, when he suggested we go there for dinner.  I thought it was a local eatery with incredible Italian food.  Then, years later, with other Priests in Orlando, Florida, I was shocked to see another Buca's staring back at me.  In this Pauline Year, I suppose I should say I was knocked senseless off my horse (Yes, I know, there is no horse in the Scriptures, just relax).

Suffice to say, it's a great restaurant with great food and great pictures on the wall of Popes and Prelates.  In my previous parish, I was about 20 miles away from a location near Allentown, Pennsylvania.

As for the T-shirt, Buca's has recently started offering products for online sale.  You can get this shirt by clicking here.

On Quarterbacks and Vocations

First, let me start with a disclaimer: football is not my strong sport.  But there are names you know that become bigger than the game itself, and Brett Favre is one of them.

I've always had a soft spot for the Green Bay Packers, going back to the time when I was in the Boy Scouts, and my Scoutmaster was a genuine Green Bay fanatic.  Maybe it was natural; I mean, Vince Lombardi had his start in the NY metro area.  But whatever the reasons, we'd hear glory stories about Coach Lombardi as we were driven to camping trips in his beat up white car.

Last spring, Brett Favre announced his retirement from the NFL.  Here's video of the speech.  A very emotional moment, without a doubt, for Favre, his family and friends, Packers fans, and probably any fan of the game who watched his amazing career.

But now it's the mid summer, football training camps are about to start up, and Brett has changed his mind.  The Packers spent months coming up with plans for moving the team forward without Favre.  Now he has told them he wants to play again, and they're a little put off by it.  They still own his contract, and so right now, if Favre is going to continue playing, he has to play with the Packers, the team which he committed himself to by signing his name on a contract (and the Packers responded by giving him a lil' bit of financial compensation).

So now, Brett is singing this to the Packers.  Stay tuned for the saga to continue.

What is this doing on the blog of a Catholic Priest?  I bring it up because, like it or not, sports stars role models for society.  But perhaps they're also mirrors of our culture, as well.  Want to know why so many marriages end in divorce?  Or why so many young couples are NOT running to the altar and simply pretending they're married?  Or even why young men and women aren't giving their lives to God in the priesthood or religious life?  Our culture firmly believes that there is no such thing as the permanent commitment.

Was Favre lying when he gave his retirement speech?  Of course not; no one doubts his sincerity.  But now he thinks, "I used to feel that way, but now I feel this way.", and society applauds his decision to not live with the consequences of his actions.

Until we can restore personal integrity and the courage to live with our decisions, don't look for a lot of permanent commitments in our culture.  Yes, the Church still offers them in her vocations, but not a lot of fish are biting.

New Bishop of New Ulm

Today, Pope Benedict named Father John LeVoir as the next Bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm.  Fr. LeVoir is the author of the EXCELLENT "Image of God" series of books for religious education programs.  I was first exposed to the series as a seminarian, when I taught religious education to 6th and 7th graders on a military base in Maryland.  To me, it is the "no brainer", hands-down choice for what series to use if I was ever asked to run a religious education program.  He also wrote a bit on Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body, so it's great to see someone tuned in to that great body of teaching being elevated to the episcopate.

For those of you in my generation asking, "Where the heck is New Ulm?", let your imagination go back to growing up watching "Little House on the Prairie". The Diocese of New Ulm is in Minnesota, and the diocese's territory includes towns like "Sleepy Eye", "Mancato", and the granddaddy of them all: good old "Walnut Grove".

Congratulations, Bp. Elect LeVoir!  Treat yourself to some penny candy over at the Oleson's mercantile on me.  Just stay away from that nasty Nellie Oleson!

Reform of the Reform

A fellow Mount St. Mary's Seminary alumnus, Fr. Tom Kocik, writes for the New Liturgical Movement blog.  He had a great entry lately about what Young Fogey priests can do to bring some of B16's Hermeneutic of Continuity to parishes.  Check it out by clicking here.

Congratulations, Grandpa

The world is going ga-ga about the birth of twins to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

But I want to extend congratulations to Angelina's father, Jon Voight (seen here with Pope Benedict after a Vatican screening of the movie, Pope John Paul II).

When the movie was released, Jon graciously agreed to be a guest on my radio show.  You can listen to that interview by clicking on this thingamajig.

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Some questions I have

1. Do all Alitalia planes have this much legroom in First Class?  That's worth the price of upgrading, right there.  Back in Economy class, my knees get sores on them from rubbing up against the back of the seat in front of me.

2. Where's the screaming baby?  I thought the screaming baby was standard issue on every long flight.  Oh wait, maybe just the planes that I'm on.

3. Thank God he takes the window seat.  I mean, who has the guts to wake the Pope up from a nap so you can get by to go to the bathroom?  Maybe Bertone.

Thank you, AP, for the photo.

Tony Snow, RIP

Tony Snow died this morning after a long bout with cancer, leaving behind a wife and three children.  He was only 53 years old, but had an amazing resumé which included work in radio, television, print, and service in the federal government as a speechwriter for one President the the Press Secretary for another.

Here's your homework for the weekend: flip the channels and see if the mainstream media gives Tony's life the same airtime they gave Tim Russert.  So far it is only Fox who is giving this serious coverage, though MSNBC is carrying the story.  Is a media personality's death worthy of airtime only if the deceased used to work for Democrats?

In the meantime, those who may be inclined to do something can click this link to the Colon Cancer Alliance.

Cappa-phobia?

My pal Father Guy over at Shouts in the Piazza links to a great op-ed piece in yesterday's London Telegraph about people going freaky when it comes to the return of more traditional Church vesture.  If you think sartorial items such as grecas, amices, or Roman-cut Chasubles (or things like the return of a Tabernacle to the middle of a sanctuary) are a sign of the Apocalypse, then this isn't for you.  But if not, and you like the dry, English sense of humor, then check it out by clicking here.

"Let the pucks to come unto me and do not hinder them."

A friend of mine who was also a fellow hockey player in the Geezer Hockey League brought his camera to the rink on the day of the last games of our Spring season (which was also probably my last games played there due to my move).  Fortunately, my team did not play his, and so he took some photos of me in net.  Here are a few of them, and for the neophytes in the blogosphere, I'm the goalie:

Simplicity

Today was my first Sunday at the new parish.  A bigger parish means a bigger Mass schedule, and this weekend especially I wanted to be outside after all the Masses to "meet & greet" my new parishioners.  They were all very welcoming, and certainly very nice and kind.  The fact that I have the same name as my predecessor didn't hurt, either, when it came to name recognition.

The readings this weekend hit me.  Amazing how God does that, eh?  As I'm sitting in my room at the rectory, which looks like a tornado blew through because of the mix of boxes, papers, books, and plain ol' stuff, the Scriptures brought it all home of the need for simplicity in my life.

Zechariah spoke of the king approaching on an ass.  A reliable form of transportation, but hardly regal.  In the Gospel, Jesus praises God the Father for having revealed to little ones what has been hidden from the wise and the learned.  How many times have we heard that something is "so simple that a child can do it."?  We're good at being childish; child-like takes some practice.  The people at the Masses today weren't looking for my resumé; they wanted a smile and a "hello", and I kept giving it over and over.  You can't get much simpler than that!

I need more "simple" in my life, that's why I'm throwing stuff away.

Catholic roots to today's holiday?

I love being a priest on the 4th of July.

It's fun to approach the altar on the 4th, with everyone feeling all patriotic dressed in red, white, and blue, and say, "Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Elizabeth of Portugal.", and then ignore the civil holiday in favor of the Church's sanctoral cycle.  I do it once every few years to remind people that not every civil holiday needs to be "sanctified" in church.  I mean, we already make the Sundays of Mothers' and Fathers' Day into near-Solemnities.  Besides, what about the blatantly religious holidays, like Christmas and Easter, that secular society has, well, secularized?  There's gotta be some payback for that, no?

So what do I do on Independence Day in the other years, when I'm not getting accused of being a Tory?  Glad you asked...

Sometimes I give a homilette on the history of Roman Catholicism in the United States, trying my best to incorporate the early missionaries from Spain and France, the Calvert family (a.k.a. the Lords Baltimore) and the settlement of Maryland, the Carrolls and their relationship with Ben Franklin and how that led to John Carroll being named the Prefect Apostolic of the United States, the Sulpicians of France trying to find safe haven from the French revolution by coming to the United States which led to the first seminary and the possibility of training a native clergy, the arrival of Carmelites at Port Tobacco and the Visitation Sisters in Georgetown, all in 5 minutes.

Finally, sometimes I use this:  A few years ago, I came across a great article about how Thomas Jefferson was influenced by the writings of Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (who got it from Aquinas), and how our Declaration of Independence has its roots in Catholic moral teaching.  Yes, Jefferson saw Jesus Christ as simply a philosopher, and rewrote the bible to his own liking (taking out miracles and anything that made Jesus seem like God).  But the article is great at showing just who saw those "truths as self-evident" before the gang in Independence Hall.

Oh yeah, and then there was that one time when I was fighting the flu and took Nyquil nighttime formula instead of the daytime stuff, and ended up doing this:

But that's another story.

St. Thomas' finger

While still in a "Thomas" kind of mood, I forgot about the blog entry I did this past March, for the Second Sunday of Easter.  Click here for a picture of the relic of St. Thomas' finger, on display at the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Rome.

Greetings from Old Bridge, New Jersey

I'm now coming to you from another parish in my diocese.  As I wrote before, I have been transferred to the parish of St. Thomas the Apostle in Old Bridge, New Jersey.  I've been here since Tuesday morning, July 1st, getting myself unpacked and settled in.  Of course, in the world of the blogosphere, where I am doesn't really matter.  As long as you have the Young Fogeys web address, you can always find me right here.

Today is, whaddyaknow, the feast day of my new parish's patron!  Last year, I wrote about Pope Benedict's Wednesday Audience discourse about St. Thomas, so if you want to do a little spiritual reflection on the doubter, click here.  I have the 7pm daily Mass in a few hours, and I'm wondering what I'll end up saying in the homily?  I never quite know what's going to come out until it does, but that makes it exciting.  Some guys can be so God-awful boring, reading something they wrote word for word in a monotone voice.  Others rip something off from a "homily hints" subscription service, and read it for the first time when they're reading it to the Mass attendees (they're almost as surprised at what they've just said as the people in the pews!).

Well, I have to go back to unpacking now.  Right now my room resembles, well, do you remember that last scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark? The warehouse with rows upon rows of boxes?  You get the picture.