Pray for the Far East

Today is the memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Taegŏn, the first Korean priest and martyr and Saint Paul Chŏng Hasang, martyr, and their companions, martyrs.

Pray for Korea, split, as things are not good in that part of the world, either. Here is an interesting biographical sketch of the saints.

If I were ever martyred, I would probably be in the group "companions" and never known. Hmmm...

No Catholic Vote Among Latinos

Romney is behind Obama in Latino polls. In the last poll. Obama is ahead among registered Latino voters – 68% to 26%. This is the tally from impreMedia and Latino Decisions from September 17th. 

Therefore, there is no Catholic vote among the Latinos. How can they support this anti-life president? The pro-life message has fallen on deaf ears. I would like all the Hispanic priests in my old diocese to explain what they are doing to help their parishioners understand that to vote for such a man with the anti-life record and statements for civil unions is to support ideals which are positions against their religion.

But, maybe Latinos are not Catholic any more. 
 .
Why is the Latino community supporting civil unions?

I would like comments from Hispanic Catholics.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/09/19/romney-softens-tone-at-univision-forum/

Lower house in Australia votes down same-sex marriage

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-19/same-sex-marriage-bill-voted-down/4270016

Well then, some people believe in natural law down under.

Sadly, this press article is slanted pro. What is very interesting, is that one can easily read which
ministers voted yes or no.

Thanks to a reader from Australia for the heads up.

Of what did the saints dream?

Well, going into the convent for my trial period, I have few regrets but here are five.

One, I have never stood on the Charles Bridge in Prague where my Great Grandfather proposed to my Great Grandmother in the early 1880s.

I cannot imagine how romantic that must have been. I can see her beautiful little face looking up into his dark handsome eyes. I have their love letters still in a box in Illinois.

Two, I have never been to the Douro Valley to see the vineyards and taste the port, while wearing a new sun-dress, a straw hat and sandals.

For some reason, I like port and sunshine. Don't you?

Three, I have never been to Iceland, which for some reason I have always wanted to visit. Maybe I have Vikings for ancestors.

I have always wanted to fly into the northern lights. Is that possible? I have seen the northern lights in the Midwest, Canada and Alaska.

Are these different in Iceland?

Four, standing in the snow looking up at Fountains Abbey, my favourite place in England, is something I would love to do as I have only been there in the summer.

Fountains is my spiritual home.

However, one can forgo certain places and treats in order to pursue the inward life.


And, after all, we are here to prepare ourselves for eternity.

Five, I have never had a blue rose.

I am not sure how a glass of port in a comfortable spot at the edge of the valley on a hot afternoon, or trucking around glaciers and staring at the northern lights, or watching the lights reflect off the Moldau River, listening to strains of Dvorak, or holding a blue rose would get me merit in heaven. But, all is good in the Lord. 

Goodbye to all that.....and goodbye to dreams.

I must dream new dreams. 

I wonder of what the saints dreamt?

Do you think St. John Nepomuk dreamt of Prague?

Or did St. Thorlac Thorhallson dream of  the northern lights?

Did St. Elizabeth of Portugal ever taste port or dream of the mountainous valleys? 

Did St. Robert of Newminster dream of Fountains? I think he did. He planned Fountains.

New days, new nights, new dreams.

And a third post on St. Benedict's Rule today

To love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, and strength.
	To love one's neighbor as oneself.
	Not to kill.
	Not to commit adultery.
	Not to steal.
	Not to covet.
	Not to bear false witness.
	To respect all men.
	Not to do to another what one would not have done to oneself.
	To deny oneself in order to follow Christ.
	To chastise the body.
	Not to love pleasure.
	To love fasting.
	To comfort the poor.
	To clothe the naked.
	To visit the sick.
	To bury the dead.
	To aid those in trouble.
	To comfort the sad.
	To reject worldliness.
	To love Christ above all else.
	Not to become angry.
	Not to show temper.
	Not to keep deceit in one's heart.
	Not to make a false peace.
	Not to forsake charity.
	Not to swear, for fear of committing perjury.
	To speak the truth with heart and lips.

More from The Rule of St. Benedict: a reminder of heaven and hell

....brothers, if we want to reach the highest summit of humility, if we desire to attain speedily that exaltation in heaven to which we climb by the humility of this present life, then by our ascending actions we must set up that ladder on which Jacob in a dream saw angels descending and ascending (Gen 28:12). Without doubt, this descent and ascent can signify only that we descend by exaltation and ascend by humility. Now the ladder erected is our life on earth, and if we humble our hearts the Lord will raise it to heaven. We may call our body and soul the sides of this ladder, into which our divine vocation has fitted the various steps of humility and discipline as we ascend.

The first step of humility, then, is that a man keeps the fear of God always before his eyes (Ps 35 [36]:2) and never forgets it. He must constantly remember everything God has commanded, keeping in mind that all who despise God will burn in hell for their sins, and all who fear God have everlasting life awaiting them. While he guards himself at every moment from sins and vices of thought or tongue, of hand or foot, of self-will or bodily desire, let him recall that he is always seen by God in heaven, that his actions everywhere are in God’s sight and are reported by angels at every hour.

The Prophet indicates this to us when he shows that our thoughts are always present to God, saying: God searches hearts and minds (Ps 7:10); again he says: The Lord knows the thoughts of men (Ps 93 [94]:11); likewise, From afar you know my thoughts (Ps 138 [139]:3); and The thought of man shall give you praise (Ps 75 [76]:11). That he may take care to avoid sinful thoughts, the virtuous brother must always say to himself: I shall be blameless in his sight if I guard myself from my own wickedness (Ps 17 [18]:24).

Truly, we are forbidden to do our own will, for Scripture tells us: Turn away from your desires (Sir 18:30). And in the Prayer too we ask God that his will be done in us (Matt 6:10). We are rightly taught not to do our own will, since we dread what Scripture says: There are ways which men call right that in the end plunge into the depths of hell (Prov 16:25). Moreover, we fear what is said of those who ignore this: They are corrupt and have become depraved in their desires (Ps 13 [14]:1).

From The Rule of St. Benedict Again

	To despise one's own will.
	To obey the abbot's commands in all things,  even if he strays from his own path,  mindful of the Lord's command: "What they say, do, but what they do, do not perform"  ( Matt. 23:3).
	Not to desire to be called holy before the fact, but to be holy first, then called so with truth.
	To fulfill God's commandments in one's activities.
	To love chastity.
	To hate no one.
	Not to be jealous or envious.
	To hate strife.
	To evidence no arrogance.
	To honor the elderly.
	To love the young.
	To pray for one's enemies for the love of Christ.
	To make peace with an adversary before sundown.
	Never to despair of God's mercy.

These are the tools of our spiritual craft.

Roses and Colors

Those of you who have followed this blog know I love roses.

A friend gave me a bouquet of a dozen yellow and orange roses to enjoy in my last week here in London.

Yellow roses indicate friendship and orange roses indicate new beginnings and a journey.

How appropriate.

Keep up with Pat Buchanan

Here is a great site, Newsmax and an article about Pat Buchanan calling POTUS, the drug dealer of welfare.

We need to clone Pat as there is no one who speaks like he does. Here is a snippet.

“We used to have FDR talking about relief being a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit. We've got to get off this welfare, is what he said. And in that sense it’s a narcotic.”

Romney wants to avoid turning welfare into a narcotic, Buchanan says. “We believe in temporary help for anybody that’s in trouble. You should have a floor of decency under every family. Unemployment should be temporary. Unemployment benefits should be temporary. Food stamps should be temporary. What are we doing with 47 million people who permanently have to be fed by the government?”

Read more on Newsmax.com: Pat Buchanan: Obama a ‘Drug Dealer of Welfare’

Another record post day for Supertradmum. But, all good things come to an end soon....

New Media vs. Old Media

Well, it is statistical now. The Old Media is suffering from the stranglehold of the leftist, doctrinaire agendas and the blogosphere is taking over the New Media real politics journalism.

Romney is probably ahead but we would never know it from the mainstream media. Ron Paul has a sizable following among the young conservatives, yet we would never know it, unless we read online, independent news sources.

The reason for the rebellion online is simple. Too many people are tired of not having a voice.

Compare the independent media sites with the giants and one can hardly believe the difference.

Different news, different opinions, different facts.....hello! Check this out and keep looking at the real deals.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/09/18/Newspaper-Ad-Revenues-Collapses-to-1950-Levels

from France 24 on cartoons

http://www.france24.com/en/20120919-naked-mohammed-cartoons-fuel-muslim-outcry-france-charlie-hebdo-french-paper

A Poem for My Mother

I write lots of poetry. This is really my little loaf and fish gift from God. I love poetry and specialized in Medieval and Modern poetry at Notre Dame.

I share a "Found Poem" with you I wrote today. A "Found Poem" uses something which the poet has found, like a thing, or scrap of writing, or a photograph.

This is from an inscription carved into the side of a building in a private closed-up ancient alley in London.

I call my poem

Soul Propriete No. 3

As I stand at the large, half-opened window in the convent,
facing ancient bits of walls and new Victorian additions,
the voice of some clerk in London, whose duty was
to mark the beginnings and ends of properties
speaks to me in the sunlight.

His statement, etched in stone, until the last days of London,
clearly show the sole proprietor. 
"Half the Thickness of This Wall is in Paddington Parish" 
How exact the English were then, which they are not now.
How comforting was the Georgian mind for details.

1806, 1826, 1866, 1886, 1906, 1966, 2006, 2012
His voice clears the centuries with clear early 19th century
feet and inches. Does Paddington Parish really care about
half a thickness of wall? Taxes? Wall maintenance? Sole proprietor
of a closed alleyway which no one sees

Except me and a robin, clearly not interested in the mind of 
this maker. But, I am. Wondering at the great interests of
the new industrial world breaking into new views of walls
and ownership across England, those satanic mills
conquering small alleyways and arches.

There is still conquest in these words, an old lettering
a new idea of propriete mocked much later by Dickens,
who most likely walked this way at least once or twice.
Who knows? The footsteps of the past leading me, as 
I stare at a wall separating sole from soul.

My ideas are elsewhere, but the clerk's words ring out
reminding me of the little world I am leaving for awhile, 
a world I shall not miss that much, or at least that is
what I think today, listening to the cheeky robin
mocking the past and reminding me that even

The birds of the air have nests. I know Who is in charge.

Obama is targeting the video gamers for political support

http://cleveland.cbslocal.com/2012/09/18/obama-running-campaign-ads-on-video-games-in-battleground-states/

Hmm, all the gamers I know are Ron Paul supporters. This topic would make for an interesting survey. I have added another poll at the side.

Putin on Romney and Obama-worth a look

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/romney-at-least-hes-direct-says-putin/2012/09/17/3452a0b8-ff5b-11e1-8adc-499661afe377_story.html

This is my second night sky report for September

Four planets are up now and only now. However, you have to be looking at different times to see these beauties.

Starting at night, Mars and Saturn are visible at dusk here in England and in parts of America where it is dark about 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm. Both are up at sunset but can be seen if one is looking in the southwest. Tonight look for Mars next to the crescent Moon

Saturn will disappear in October so try and see it now.

Mars is obvious with its red tinge.

Venus and Jupiter start out from the morning sky clearly. I have seen these in the eastern dawn sky and the planets are worth an early morning view.

Earth from Mars, 2006

Look now, as the sky changes in October and I shall not be here to help you look. By the time I am writing to you again, even for a short while, my favourite, Strider, Orion, will be dominant in the December sky.

St. Januarius, pray for us.

This is one of the three days when the blood of St. Januarius liquifies. I, for one, have never been to Naples, but would love to go on this day and honour this martyr. Blessed Cardinal Newman could not deny the miracle of the blood.

I would also, of course, visit the museum. Here is a great link for a commentary on both.

May this powerful intercessor pray for all of us in the West at this time of confusion and turmoil. May he raise up men like himself to witness to the faith in season and out of season.

Covered Phial of the Blood of St. Januarius

From La Stampa-Vatican Insider

September 18th: an article from Vatican Insider indicates some interesting points which are in the air regarding the SSPX. No surprises.

Here is a section from the article.

Vatican Insider has learnt that Fellay’s much anticipated response should still be interlocutory and contain certain conditions. If these involve requests that are to do with pastoral matters or discipline, the Holy See is willing to take these into consideration. Some conditions were discussed following the July chapter. The first three were considered “absolute” and were to do with the “freedom to correct the promoters of the errors or the innovations of modernism, liberalism, and Vatican II and its aftermath.” The second condition involved the “exclusive use of the Liturgy of 1962,” whilst the third requires “the guarantee of at least one bishop.” Other less binding conditions included the possibility of having a separate ecclesiastical court of the first instance and the exemption of the houses of the Society of St. Pius X from the diocesan bishops.

Agreement can be reached on most points and the Holy See is prepared to discuss these and incorporate changes in the draft about the future canonical normalisation of the Society of St. Pius X. What are not subject to discussion are the doctrinal issues outlined in the preamble. Lefebvrians are required to accept the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. Therefore, although they will be allowed to celebrate mass using the old Missal (an extraordinary form of the Roman Rite), they will still have to recognise that the ordinary form was introduced as a result of the post-Conciliar reform, whose validity and lawfulness is unquestionable.

Cute Wednesday

New piggies in a photo taken by a friend on September 15th, 2012

Ah...not Iowa pigs, but owner is from Iowa.

Am I missing something......

here?

On the saints for pilots and more on dear St. Joseph Cupertino

Flying Saints: Who is watching over pilots?

Repeat from 2009

By ERIC CHANDLER, For General Aviation News

Like every cheapskate pilot on a layover, I grabbed the free newspaper, which featured an article about Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, the patron saint of pilots.

I was glad to find out who’s on my team. I safely finished my trip and decided to thank the patron saint of my profession by learning more about her.

Thérèse was a French woman from Lisieux who became a Carmelite nun at the age of 15 and died young from tuberculosis. She was known as the “Little Flower” and canonized very soon after her death. She felt she could best serve God with “the little way” — doing what she could for people in the small details of life. Mother Teresa of Calcutta even took her name to honor her. That’s all very interesting, but unsatisfying. I resolved to learn why she was connected to flying.

I got more than I bargained for. It turns out there are actually three patron saints of aviation: St. Thérèse, St. Joseph of Cupertino and Our Lady of Loreto. The latter two were a lot easier to figure out.

St. Joseph was an Italian Franciscan priest who lived in the 17th century. He levitated. Poking him with pins and burning embers wouldn't stop his soaring. “The Flying Friar” would only land when his superiors ordered him down. Like a lot of pilots, he was very dedicated to flight. Okay, St. Joseph, I understand why Pope Clement XIII gave you the nod in 1767.

Our Lady of Loreto also makes a good aviation saint. There is a humble house in the Italian city of Loreto that’s enclosed inside a cathedral. This house is supposed to be where the Annunciation occurred when the angel Gabriel told Mary she would bear the son of God. Angels reputedly carried this house from the Holy Lands through the air to Italy in 1294. All of these events, combined with some good lobbying by the Italian Air Force, made her a shoo-in to be the patron saint of air travelers by order of Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

Photo from The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. This oil on canvas painting by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo depicts “The Miracle of the Holy House of Loreto.” Our Lady of Loreto is just one of three saints looking out for pilots.

Our Lady of Loreto flies the highest of the three saints. Many references claim Charles Lindbergh carried her medallion across the Atlantic. Italian Umberto Nobile carried her medallion over the North Pole in the dirigible “Norge” in 1926. He visited Loreto to thank her and paid her back by helping put out a fire in the basilica while he was there. Astronaut James McDivitt carried her medallion on the Apollo 9 space flight in March 1969.

There is a chapel in Loreto that has a painting depicting American astronauts and an image of the angels bearing the Holy House of Loreto. This building is sometimes called the American chapel or the aviation chapel.

St. Therese even visited the cathedral of Our Lady of Loreto on her way to Rome to seek an audience with the Pope to plead her case to become a nun.

None of this gets me any closer to my answer about Thérèse of Lisieux. She describes herself as a “little bird” in her autobiography and she’s also the patron saint of the missions. In the early 20th century, flying would’ve been one of the ways missionaries traveled to the far-flung outposts of the church. Maybe that’s the reason.

I’d like to follow in the footsteps of previous visitors to Loreto, including Mozart, Descartes and St. Thérèse. Maybe the images of flight in the American chapel there would give me a clue about her link to the sky.

Lately, I fly military airplanes. While I still don’t know why St. Thérèse of Lisieux is a patron saint of aviation, I do know one thing: When it was a dark night over Iraq, I was glad there were three flying saints checking my 6 o’clock instead of just one.

Eric Chandler flies F-16s with the Minnesota Air National Guard in Duluth. He’s made two trips to Iraq with the 148th Fighter Wing Bulldogs. He has been on military leave from United Airlines since Sept. 11.