Gospel Commentary (from the Ordinary Calendar)

The Age of the Woman
Gospel Commentary for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

By Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap

ROME, NOV. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- This Sunday's Gospel is the parable of the talents. Unfortunately, in the past the meaning of this parable has been habitually distorted, or at least very much reduced.

Hearing talk of talents we immediately think of natural gifts of intelligence, beauty, strength, artistic abilities. The metaphor is used to speak about actors, singers, comedians, etc. The usage is not completely mistaken, but it is secondary. Jesus did not intend to speak of the obligation of developing one's natural gifts, but of developing the gifts given by him. On the contrary, sometimes it is necessary to curb this tendency to focus on one's own talents because this can easily become careerism, a mania of imposing oneself on others.

The talents that Jesus is speaking about are the Word of God and faith: in a word, the kingdom proclaimed by him. In this sense the parable of the talents stands alongside that of the sower. The different outcomes of the talents given correspond to the different fates of the seeds cast on the ground by the sower -- some produce 60%, some are buried beneath thorns or eaten by birds.

Today faith and the sacraments are the talents that we Christians have received. The parable thus obliges us to examine our conscience: What use are we making of these talents? Are we either like the servant who made them bear fruit or like the one who buried them? I would compare it to a Christmas present that one has forgotten and left unopened in a corner.

The fruits of natural talents become irrelevant to us when we die or, at best, pass on to those who come after us; the fruits of spiritual talents follow us into eternal life and one day will gain us the approval of the divine Judge: "Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful in small things I will give you authority over greater things. Enter into the joy of your master."

Our human and Christian duty is not only to develop our own natural and spiritual talents, but also to help others develop theirs. In the contemporary world there are people whose job it is to be "talent scouts." They are people who can pick out hidden talents -- in painting, singing, acting, sports and so on. They help those with the talents to cultivate them and find them sponsors. They do not do this for free or for the love of art, but to get a percentage of the earnings of the talented people they discovered, once they succeed.

The Gospel invites us all to be talent scouts, not for the love of gain but to help those who are unable to begin developing their talents on their own. Humanity owes some of its geniuses and best artists to the altruism of the friends of these people, who believed in them and encouraged them when no one else did. One exemplary case that comes to mind is Theo Van Gogh, who supported his brother Vincent financially and morally his whole life, when no one believed in him and he was unable to sell any of his paintings. They exchanged more than 600 letters, documents of great humanity and spirituality. Without Theo Van Gogh, we would not have the many paintings of his brother that everyone loves and admires.

The first reading invites us to reflect on a particular talent that is both natural and spiritual: the talent of femininity, the talent of being a woman. This reading contains the famous praise of women that begins with the words: "A perfect woman, who can find her?" This praise, which is so beautiful, has one defect, which does not come from the inspiration but from the epoch in which it was written and the culture that it reflects. If we pay attention, we see that the praise has entirely to do with what the woman does for the man. Its implicit conclusion: Blessed is the man who has such a woman. She makes him nice clothes, brings honor to his house, allows him to hold his head high among his friends. I do not think women today would be enthusiastic about this laud.

Putting this limitation aside, I would like to underscore the relevance of this praise of women. Everywhere there is the demand to make more room for women, to value the feminine genius. We do not believe that "the eternal feminine will save us." Daily experience shows that women can lift themselves up, but also that they can let themselves down. They also need Christ's salvation. But it is certain that, once she is redeemed and "liberated" by him, on the human level, from ancient subjections, she can help to save our society from some inveterate evils that threaten it: violence, will to power, spiritual aridity, scorn for life, etc.

After so many ages that took their name from man -- from the ages of "homo erectus" and "homo faber," to the age of "homo sapiens" today, we might hope that there will finally come, for humanity, the age of woman: the age of the heart, of tenderness, of compassion. It was devotion to the Virgin that, in past centuries, inspired respect for women and their idealization in literature and art. The woman of today, too, can look to her as a model, friend and ally in defending the dignity and the talent of being a woman.

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]

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Father Raniero Cantalamessa is the Pontifical Household preacher. The readings for Sunday are Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31;1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 25:14-30.

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And FYI, here are some sites with more information about the Tridentine liturgical readings:

Missale Romanum (Liturgical Readings in the Roman Missal prior to the Second Vatican Council)

Traditional Liturgical Calendar:Following the Rubrics of Pope St. Pius X. For the Universal Calendar of the Church

News from Inver Grove Heights

I feel like I've been in a haze lately. Well today there really was quite a haze - a fog advisory in fact. Is it August? Reallly? I look at my calendar and I swear I'm hallucinating.

I recently moved to a new apartment and am now a resident of Inver Grove Heights, MN. It is basically West Saint Paul however, which is home of my roommate's and my favorite mexican eatery, El Taquito. If you are in the area, I would check it out. Their burritos make chipotle weak at the knees.

After the moving frenzy was over, things have been quite enjoyable in the new locale. The cats also seem to have adjusted well and they are content with the ample window sill areas. I think overall my favorite part about the new location is that I am now a whopping 7 minutes from St. Augustine (never mind the 30 min commute to campus ;-)).

So my summary of the past few months:
- Recreating when ever possible
- Wild raspberry hunting and picking
- Quartets, weddings, singing, oh my (love this)
- Riverboat cleanup
- An Alaskan Adventure with the 'Rents
- Attempting to tie up the final objective of my research
- Trying to remain involved in activities church and otherwise
- Staring at my thesis draft
- Writing my thesis when inspiration and motivation hit at the same time
- Summer Olympics

Coming up soon:
- More wedding music-ing, yay
- St. Augustine Fall Festival
- Minnesota State Fair
- Winning tickets to see Brad Paisley at the State Fair (that would be nice!)
- Posting 1000s of pictures i've been meaning to post
- Finishing graduate school
- Finding a job!

check out relevantradio.com - they are having a pledge drive this week.

Welcome Pope Benedict XVI!

From Catholic youth groups and schools in the Archdiocese of Washington.

Scroll down to "Papal video contest" and click on "St. Michael's School, Ridge, MD."

Seriously, the cutest thing I've seen in a loooong time. I'm smiling from the inside out!

I couldn't have said it any better. Welcome, Holy Father!

Perspective

I saw this article in the news today and it reminded me of an eye-opening (and emotionally-wrenching) documentary called "Born into brothels." I recently learned this film won an academy award for best documentary feature. If you are a comcast cable subscriber, it is currently in the Independent movie category of Free Movies OnDemand. I would highly recommend watching it. A photographer travels to the red light district of Calcutta, India, where she befriends several children of broken families, torn apart with addiction, verbal and physical abuse, and the cyclic desperation of prostitution. The children affectionately call their teacher "Zana Auntie" and through their pictures you suddenly see their lives from the perspective of a child with unbelievable potential, spirit, and maturity. With all odds against them, it takes the determination of this woman to push for their education - jumping all sorts of legal hurdles - in order to give them a future they might hope for. In a short 84 minutes, I felt like I knew these kids - and hit me with the harsh reality of poverty more than one hundred of the commercials you have seen on TV. What is missing in those commercials is the incredible personalities of these kids - their voices, their humor, creativity, and imagination! These are not just nameless faces, these are human beings, to whom you have more in common than you might think. We must see this connection in order to move past generalities and statistics. God bless people like Zana Briski and Rachel Rosenfeld who've truly shown what it means to love as Christ loved.

Divine Mercy Sunday: March 30th

Source: RelevantRadio.com --- Jesus further asked that this Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena of Chaplets to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. Say one chaplet each day following the novena intention. In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her: "On each day of the novena you will bring to My Heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls. By this novena I will grant every possible grace to souls." (Diary 1209, 796)

First Day "Today bring to Me All Mankind, especially all sinners and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me." Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins, but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Second Day "Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave Me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind." Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service, that they may perform worthy works of mercy, and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in Your vineyard - upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation, and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Third Day "Today bring to Me All Devout and Faithful Souls and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought Me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were that drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness." Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in the great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely. Eternal Father, turn Your Merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Fourth Day "Today bring to Me Those Who Do Not Believe In God and Those Who Do Not Yet Know Me. I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy." Most Compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Fifth Day "Today bring to Me the Souls of those who have separated themselves from My Church and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is My Church. As they return to unity with the Church My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion." Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son's Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your Own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Sixth Day "Today bring to Me The Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of Little Children and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is capable of receiving My grace I favor humble souls with My confidence." Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said, "Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart." Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy, and they are the heavenly Father's favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls and upon little children, who are enfolded in the abode of the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight you take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Seventh Day "Today bring to Me The Souls Who Especially Venerate and Glorify My Mercy and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death." Most Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the greatness of Your Mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward, confident in Your Mercy; and united to You, O Jesus, they carry all mankind on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy will embrace them as they depart from this life. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your greatest attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are full of deeds of mercy and their hearts, overflowing with joy, sing a canticle of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God: Show them Your mercy according to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in them the promise of Jesus, who said to them that during their life, but especially at the hour of death, the souls who will venerate this fathomless mercy of His, He Himself, will defend as His glory. Amen. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Eighth Day "Today bring to Me The Souls Who Are Detained in Purgatory and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only know the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice." Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated. Eternal Father, turn Your most merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded, manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Ninth Day "Today bring to Me The Souls Who Have Become Lukewarm and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy." Most Compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love let these tepid souls, who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love; and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Diary, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, Divine Mercy in My Soul (c) 1987 Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception, Stockbridge, MA 01263. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

For news on the Pope's Visit to the US

Go to the USCCB Papal Visit Site.

Only 21 days to go!

Triduum at St. Augustine

So a lot has happened between my last post and now. I am on Spring Break, but between all the catching up I said I would do during this class-free period, art projects, and Triduum preparations, I feel more busy than ever.

But.....I was just informed.....Fr. Z, yes, the ever-inspiring Fr. Z, will be subdeacon for Fr. Altier on Holy Thursday, and celebrant for Good Friday and Easter Vigil! I'm soooooooooo excited. In 3 days, I will be most excited to sing 'Gloria!' and celebrate Jesus' rising from the dead - but it will be very cool to do so with Fr. Z. :-D I will be in the choir loft, however, so hopefully I will be able to see everything(and hear..and smell...)!

The Easter Triduum in the extraordinary form of the Mass, in my opinion, is definitely the most beautiful celebration of the year, and rightly so, as the highest point of the liturgical calendar (many still believe it's Christmas- which is also beautiful, but not the MOST beautiful, liturgically speaking). The Triduum IS the foundation of Christianity! We contemplate the sacrifice Jesus made - out of pure love for us - to save our souls. In the next 3 days we will share in the last supper, wait with Him in the altar of repose, walk the road to calvary, suffer with Him the agony and suffering He bore on the cross, and await His glorious resurrection. May we be renewed with fervor, comtemplating the Paschal mystery. May we realize the profundity of this mystery, the incredible gift of the Eucharist - that we, though unworthy, are invited to the Lord's table every time we attend Mass.

I have this problem thinking too much sometimes (those of you that know me well - well, you know) to the point where I overwhelmed with fear that there's too much to know and understand, that I'll never the time and energy to unravel all these questions I have about God's mysteries.

Then I realize that some of the best spiritual nourishment comes from the simplest of meditations - to just think for 5 minutes about how Jesus is present in the Eucharist, and how He remains with us in the tabernacle - or in perpetual adoration around the world. How incredible it is for the God of the Universe to love us so much, that he would want to be with us this way. The thought of the intimacy He offers to us if we choose to take it...wow, it gives me shivers.

Fr. Z visits my parish !

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2008/03/a-field-trip-to-st-augustines-in-s-st-paul-mn/

...and mentions my other favorite church in the twin cities, St. Agnes.

If I only knew he was there...

I was sitting on the left side middle...

:)

Chuck Norris on "Oprah's New Easter"

An insightful commentary, on Oprah's latest BookThatWillChangeYourLifeForever promotion. As the mouthy publicist in Mr. Woodcock so delicately put it, "This is Oprah! She farts on a book and it magically sells a million copies." Pardon the bathroom humor, but in all seriousness, it's a true phenomenon that continues to baffle me. So far, since Oprah's official touting of Tolle's 'Miracle solutions' over 3 million copies have been sold, and over half a MILLION people around the globe have signed up for the 'Webinar' in which she and Tolle will discuss the ways you can Find Your Inner Peace. All these books seem to have the same formula: ecumenical and friendly, appealing to both "religiously-oriented" or more frequently used "Spiritual" types and humanists, who perhaps felt the sudden urge to formalize the Meaning of Life in some non-confrontational way. They also seem to feature "Steps" highlighting the simplicity and the freedom of the described method(s) so that one is not affronted by the possibilty of having to really overhaul feel-good stuff in their lives in order for the Method to work for them. Despite the overt relativistic babble, the fundamentals of what they say about Peace and Love and Honestly, etc etc (NOT all, but a lot) can be derived straight out of - you guessed it- the Bible. Yet the books are promoted loudly like the latest AsSeenOnTV gadget, promising that it's the latest and greatest thing we've all been waiting for.

To continue my rant, I am amazed that this whole thing is happening during the Lent and Easter season.

I cannot agree more with this:
"With this live webcast running through the very heart of one of Christendom's most sacred seasons of the year (including Lent, Palm Sunday, Easter and Pentecost), the queen of daytime talk is preaching from a primetime pulpit, from which she is heralding to the world community, "Get ready to be awakened!"But is it merely a coincidence that Winfrey's and Tolle's spiritual quest aligns with this special religious time of year?"

Norris puts it beautifully: "It is yet one more evidence of the paradigm shift in our culture from its moral absolute and Judeo-Christian basis to a relativistic worldview in which anything goes and everything is tolerated."

Just a curious thought: What do you think might happen if Oprah let's say, decided to endorse the writings of, say, St. Ignatius of Loyola?

What is art these days?

New York City Waterfront Reflections Series "A bit of red" Series
By G. Christeas

Interesting piece on abstract art.

I'll share my thoughts another time. Right now, I have try harder to focus.

Stephanie

Total lunar eclipse

...the next one isn't until 2010, so check it out if you can! http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/02/20/lunar.eclipse.ap/index.html

In North America (Canada & the US), the Total Eclipse takes place during:

Newfoundland ~ 11:30 p.m. - 12:21 a.m. // Atlantic ~ 11:00 - 11:51 p.m. // Eastern ~ 10:00 - 10:51 p.m. // Central ~ 9:00 - 9:51 p.m. // Mountain ~ 8:00 - 8:51 p.m. // Pacific ~ 7:00 - 7:51 p.m.

Courtesy of AmericanPapist

Water music (And I'm not talking about Handel)

Really one of the most amazing things I've seen in a while.

Black and White, and All the Shades of Grey

I'm going to go there and bring up this story, and I pray as I write this to express myself with charity. I feel that I ought to have some element of surprise when these pop up in the news, and I'm a little disturbed at the decreasing sensitivity in my reactions. I think it is because it follows so well with the ways that post-modern culture has re-defined Truth, Freedom, and generally what is Acceptable and Good decision-making. I could go in about a hundred different directions with this (and invoke a hundred different angry responses from the relativist' crowd). I think what is ultimately highlighted here is how abiding to one's feelings as Dogma, Morality begins to unravel, forcing us into another realm of 'What now?' where society places its efforts in assuaging the situation ex post facto, Ie, 'What's the most ethical and compassionate way to introduce your [alreadydeterminedtobehealthyandgood]'Open marriage' to your children? What are the methods of choice these days?' The solution from a psychologist: "I might say something like, 'Mom and Dad still love each other very much... but we have a need to be close to other people. Some people have relationship where it's okay to live with someone and also be close to other people." After all, the "...relationship can be different from everyone else's, and if it works for you in your heart, that's what you do." Or how 'bout "Even if you have an open marriage, and you go out swinging, it's not something you necessarily tell your children." Is it just me or is someone missing the pink elephant in the room here?! So what do they want us to conclude? I'm hearing this: 'By all means give yourselves the option to explore new realms [swing] if you must follow [Serve the God of] your heart [carnal desire], but don't tell your kids about it, it might be psychological damaging.....they're not ready to understand such 'nuances' of Adult relationships...give them time, and they will surely understand what love means eventually..."

Suppose now I said: The institution of marriage and family life is being shaken at its foundation!

[What a narrow-minded, backwards-thinking, religiously-righteous, itolerant and judgmental thing to say! How dare you! ]


The "Both of us are free to do whatever we choose" phenomenon of mixed-orientation marriages is effectively stripping the essence of the marital vow (Fidelity anyone? Is there going to be paperwork for the option of this - after Compromise was discussed? Maybe after the prenuptial agreement???????). What if in a mixed-orientation marriage, one individual wants to have children and the other doesn't ? Should she pursue IVF - or perhaps, given the stipulations of an Open relationship, another relationship in which to have a child? What role would the father have in the 'marriage' ? Should the spouse have any say in whether his partner can pursue having children 'outside of the marriage' ? What of the relationship of current children with new people their parents get involved with? Should this all happen only if they are getting serious about it? How serious can extraneous relationships outside the real marriage get? Should these issues be discussed up front or as they come along? ......Is it not curious that there always seems to be a backlash of about 1,000 "WHAT NOW" questions to address, leaving some with Deer in the Headlights looks -but proponents of any and all Acclaimed Expression of Freedoms will not be shaken by it.

Then the relativist brandishes his most prized weapon - the now fashionably quotable biblical verse from Matthew 7:1, "Judge not that ye be not judged!" It comes out almost as a reflex, as if it is the Shield Against Everything that is in disaccord with their personal lives. The commonplace misuse of this passage certainly doesn't match up in Matthew 7:6, 1 Cor 2:15, or Prov 31:9. And that's just to mention a few.

I digress for a moment to contemplate on a World Without Judgement:
-
Criminals of any kind - murderers, drug traffickers, rapists - all would wander about freely doing as they please.

No discipline of children, no guidelines for how to make decisions - apart from saying they should follow whatever they think is right.

Education systems could not be standardized or structured in any way. No one could be forced to be educated formally or at all. There would be no way to account for satisfactory performance.
----

How does this make sense if I am a believer in freedom of thought, speech, and religion?

I am simply challenging what freedom really means to society today, in our culture and around the world. Is it really doing anything and everything we want without regard for the consequences to ourselves or others? What are our judgements based on? Our feelings? Collective experience? Or something more than that? Are we all not seeking some fundamental element of purpose that connects all of humanity? Why do we even talk of 'humanity' or the 'human family' if there is not in fact something that unifies us?

---
What we need not is a cold acceptance of the world as a compromise, but some way in which we can heartily hate and heartily love it. We do not want joy and anger to neutralize each other and produce a surly contentment; we want a fiercer delight and fiercer discontent. We have to feel the universe at once as an ogre's castle, to be stormed, and yet as out own cottage , to which we can return at evening.
No one doubts that an ordinary man can get on with this world...[But] can he hate it enough to change it, and yet love it enough to think it worth changing?
-G.K. Chesterton
---

St. Valentine's Day

...has been distorted into a celebration of the over-sexed consumer-driven diamondsareforever 50Ksuprise recreational car gifting culture. Pardon my cynicism, I just get tired of hearing the advertisement for the new 8GB Ipod "now in Pink - just in time for Valentine's" (aka buyyoursweetie/currentlover an expensive toy or you won't get any tonight) Day. Even ads for White Castle are sexifying their burgers. Seriously.

Maybe some will categorize me as one of those bitter Catholic women who sadly has been brainwashed and bound under the feet of men, then forced to adhere to the mysogynistic and archaic doctrines of the Church - among these values -modesty and chastity- the active practice of which is considered in modern-culture to be peculiar and anomalous at best, and at worst, a sign of psychological disorder and an attack on the radical feminist movement (which is struggling to "liberate" us from stifling clothing and the chains of unwanted pregnancies).

What baffles me more, is the ultimate irony of the pro-choice ideology: that women empowerment is equated with unrestricted choice for what to do with their bodies. So, let's say, there is someone who is pro-choice and says they would personally never have an abortion, because they believe it is murder. If said person believes they would keep the child should they get pregnant, and yet supports others who would choose the alternative - to abort - the foundation of her conviction of human life at conception is shattered and broken. And thusly, her perogative to protect life is grossly limited to her own body- since by the Choice-credo, it would not be fair to mess with others' business. If she were really convinced that human life begins at conception, she would fight to uphold her belief, and protect it, irregardless if the life were in her womb or another's! After all, isn't murder...murder?

From modern relativist's perspective, the woman who chooses to abort, the woman who chooses not to abort, and the woman who lets others abort, can all live harmoniously in the world - living out their respective truths without any consequence on the other. If we all have an unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, this relativists' scenario is LOGICALLY impossible. When matters of morals are dissolved into watery pools of yours and mine, responsibility and accountability can no longer exist. What a scary world to live in - not being allowed to care what's going on - or justify doing anything about it - since of course, that would be an attack on freedom!!! The modern culture of today, with its impetus for 'Progress' is only furthering the objectification and exploitation of women, fueling the fire of discrimination, and denigrating the instrinsic value and meaning of Life.

"...If we try to hoard our love, we will end up with nothing, for love cannot exist in the same space as possessiveness, dependency, or selfishness. The very essence of love demands that we give it away."
-Woodeene Koenig-Bricker

RR needs support

Winter Pledge drive February 11-17.
Bridging the gap between faith and everyday life.

Operation Rice Bowl

A wonderful apostolate to remind us of the spirit of almsgiving.


Week 1: Guatemala

The first stop in our Lenten pilgrimage is the rural village of
Chanjule in Guatemala where we will meet Felipa Pérez. When
Hurricane Stan destroyed Chanjule's water system in 2005, it left the
villagers without clean water for two months. Community members such
as Felipa and her family helped build their new system from the ground
up, laying pipeline for distribution, constructing latrines, wash
basins, and the sewage system, and installing faucets in every home.

Bordered by El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras and Belize, Guatemala is
home to more than 12 million people  the largest population in Central
America. The country struggles with a high unemployment rate.
Approximately 76 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a
day. That makes it especially vulnerable to the effects of natural
disasters, such as Hurricane Stan, which took thousands of lives in
2005.

Pray

Lent has barely begun, and already we're reminded of the temptation
that snaps at our heels, even as we try to walk a journey of
repentance, self-sacrifice and prayer.  In Sunday's Gospel we heard
the familiar story of the temptation of Jesus in the desert, as the
devil seeks to weaken Jesus' ability to love God with his whole heart,
with all his soul and with all his might. In his earthly ministry
Jesus expressed his deep love for his Father through his deep love of
people, especially those whom society had forgotten.

Each year during hurricane season the world holds its breath as a new
batch of storms takes aim at coastal countries. With a new threat each
year, it is tempting to forget those still trying to recover from the
storms of previous years. But since the poor are hardest hit by these
natural disasters, it often takes them years to recover.

As you begin your Lenten journey, reflect on the temptations that
weaken your awareness and concern for people in poverty. Ask the God
of the poor to raise your awareness of poverty and its root causes,
and seek out ways to participate in God's healing work.

Fast

With the presence of well maintained public water systems in the
United States, it's easy to take the benefits of clean water for
granted. Water from the tap means no one must haul the family water
supply from the closest stream. Complex water purification systems
keep water-borne diseases at bay.  And yet this is a resource that can
be so easily compromised by overuse, by toxic run-off from our roads
and farm fields and by the chemicals that are dumped into streams and
oceans. It is a global system, and what we do to the water quality in
our own communities can harm water systems across the world.

In solidarity with all those whose water supply is in constant threat,
make a commitment to care for the water sources that you benefit from.
Limit overuse of water by installing low-flow shower heads. Don't
leave the water running when brushing teeth or doing the dishes. Don't
flush prescription medicines down drains or toilets. Use filtered tap
water instead of purchased bottled water to limit the pollution caused
by plastic packaging.

Learn

When the people of Chanjule wrote to Catholic Relief Services
requesting help to restore the village water system, CRS and its
partner Caritas responded with financial and technical assistance.
Creating accessible and stable supplies of clean water is a key to
strengthening community health, improving agricultural production and
increasing opportunities for women and girls, whose access to
education and work can be limited when they must spend so much time
hauling water from far-away water sources. Catholic social teaching
reminds us that "stewardship of the Earth is a form of participation
in God's act of creating and sustaining the world. In our use of
creation, we must be guided by a concern for generations to come."
(USCCB Administrative Committee, Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call
to Political Responsibility, p. 15).

Give

According to the University of Nebraska's water center, the average
American pays about $2 for 1,000 gallons of water. Five gallons cost
about a penny. The average American uses about 60 to 100 gallons a
day. Consider the work that the members of the village of Chanjule put
into restoring their own water system. Put $2 in your Rice Bowl in
solidarity with those who do not have the luxury of a 10-day stretch
of clean water piped into their homes.

Visit The Operation Rice Bowl Web Site

http://orb.crs.org/

Operation Rice Bowl is the official Lenten program of Catholic Relief
Services, and calls Catholics in the United States to reach out in
solidarity with the poor around the world through the traditional
Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, learning, and giving. By
participating in these four activities, we come to understand our call
to be a part of one global community.

The Third Jesus?

Another reason to be careful about the various new-age-esque 'Christian spirituality' books out there.

Excerpted from Deepak Chopra's latest book, The Third Jesus:

"...And finally, there is the third Jesus, the cosmic Christ, the spiritual guide whose teaching embraces all humanity, not just the church built in his name. He speaks to the individual who wants to find God as a personal experience, to attain what some might call grace, or God-consciousness, or enlightenment. "

Editorial Reviews:
"'God created man and woman in His image,'a biblical poet reminds us. Deepak Chopra has returned the compliment."

[WOWW, did he just say that?]

"Jesus can't be contained within stultifying Christian creeds and arid Church traditions that deify him. Yes, he is divine, for Chopra in the sense that he divines a way to Cosmic Consciousness. "

[ take what you like and toss the rest ]

"The message of Jesus was clear, simple and direct. But within a generation of his passion it was compromised in order to accommodate the widely conflicting views among those who claimed to follow him. "

[adjust, tweak, reform - everyone is happy]

"In contrast to a message originally intended to inspire people to the wonders of a world reborn in God, the emphasis nowadays makes it almost impossible to think of Jesus or even Christianity itself except in terms of the suffering savior who died to appease God's anger against us. The terrible toll this emphasis has exacted on the message is sensitively treated in a most compelling way in this very valuable new work."

[Collectors edition, shiny new special FX]

Why is the belief in Truth (yes, capital "T") so difficult for society to accept? Why is it deemed so radical and farfetched to claim Absolutes, yet so many EnlighteningNebulousEnergybalancediscoveringSoulseekingAstrologicallyfoundedKumbayaspiritsensingSecretsocietyCodebreakingEarthyorganic varieties of Religion are applauded and cheered on as Supreme forms of the purposeful life?

One of the things I have been struggling with lately is maintaining charity when I am relentlessly challenged by people who only want to argue for the sake of argument. I always find myself caught in a place where I would like to clear up misconceptions of Catholicism - if they are willing to listen - OR - I am trying my best to maintain composure (as they preface everything with "Well I know there's no God but..."). The problem I have is I get easily discouraged, as if I am losing the Battle for Souls, one fruitless argument at a time. I try to think about the words of St. Francis of Assisi: "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel, and use words if you have to." How can we fill others if we ourselves are not filled? St. Therese and her Little Way reminds me too that we can be witnessing every day in the simplest of deeds. Our lives are after all, composed primarily of many many little decisions and actions. If we can order every action firstly toward the glory of God, then to neighbor, and lastly toward ourselves, we will grow in holiness and realize where our Treasure lies (Fr. Altier - top ten 'say it as it is' Priests. I am slighly less intimidated by his frankness than I was a few months ago let's say -though I jokingly categorize confession with him as some kind of Mortification).

This Lenten ("Springtime") season, we should not be discouraged. This is a time for renewal - to emerge from the winter darkness of Sin, spiritually cleansed and refreshed.

Recommend:
Truth And Tolerance: Christian Belief And World Religions, Pope Benedict XVI
Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter
Lent and Easter Wisdom from G.K. Chesterton

Pray without ceasing

VATICAN CITY, 15 JAN 2008 (Zenit.org) - The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, traditionally celebrated every year from January 18 to 25, begins on Friday.
Lord Jesus, you prayed that your disciples might be united with each other,
in a unity grounded in your oneness with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
May your prayer for unity grow in the depths of the hearts and minds of all
Christians. May we be one in our words, that a single reverent prayer might
rise before you; may we be one in our yearning and pursuit of justice; may
we be one in love, serving you by serving the least of our sisters and
brothers. Lord, make us one in you. Amen.

Islamic Jesus?

"The bulk of "Jesus, the Spirit of God", which won an award at the 2007 Religion Today Film Festival in Italy, faithfully follows the traditional tale of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament Gospels, a narrative reproduced in the Koran and accepted by Muslims..."

...sans His Crucifixion.

I wonder what Mel's two-cents would be.

Comments are welcome.

A new year, a new blog

Look what the storm brought in: Stephanie has started a blog. A grad student should theoretically not have time for this, and honestly, if you don't hear from me in a while, it probably won't be for that reason anyway.

Contrary to what the layout of this blog might strongly suggest, the purpose of this journal will not be exclusively for disseminating and scrutinizing Catholic topics, news, and commentary, nor will it contain heavy discussion pertaining to politics, government, current events and the like. I am grateful for the myriad of brilliant writers out there in the Blogosphere who regularly contribute their words for us to ponder and further discuss among ourselves. I am grateful for the spiritually uplifting anecdotes, stories of real life saints, and reading commentary on such things that make me go Hmm. I believe that part of bearing witness to the faith is sharing what you've read with others. With that, I turn your attention to the list of links over there on the right.

I know what you're thinking. What ARE you going to talk about, Stephanie? Well, first of all, those of you that know me know that I have a bit of a random mind. I like to think about various things. I will be the first to admit that I can be (frustratingly, to some) unfocused. I like to believe that is part of my charm or something. We'll see. I'll probably complain a bit, since those rumors you hear about graduate school are for the most part true. Right now I am in the middle of data analysis for a GeneChip study looking at some interesting genes involved in a detox process. When you are all aching from curiosity, I will post a colorful visual graph of the results.

It's so BRRRRRRRRR in this State! This morning we thanked God for the gift of two-digits: a Feels-like temp of 11 degrees. Saturday we are not supposed to make it over zero. Tis the season for knee-high-outdoor-sport-wool-socks-layered over warmies-layered-over-warmies. Yes, I meant to write that last part twice.

Tonight I will be attending a lecture at the Cathedral:
Mary Model of Femininity
Dr. Rosemary Lemmons of the University of Saint Thomas Catholic Studies and Philosophy Departments
7-9PM.

This lecture is one of a three-part "Creative Genius" series hosted by the Cathedral Young Adults of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis-St.Paul. I'm so excited!