Wednesday, 23 January 2013

Poll update

I am glad that as of 23:21 GMT, 39 people have voted on the poll, but it really is not enough for me to change too many ideas for posts. I would like more feedback, please. The really interesting twist for me is the number of readers wanting more on the lives of the saints. Cool. And, important. And, I shall do more on the saints and martyrs........and stuff for the Millennials. And for guys...........and, and, and......

Vote, please.

Latin Mass in Washington DC thanks to Rorate Caeli

For those going to the March for Life this Friday, here is a tip from Rorate Caeli:

The parish that offers the only public traditional Latin Mass in Washington, D.C., will be the site of all the Masses: Saint Mary, Mother of God, church at 5th and H streets, Northwest. The closest Metro station is Gallery Place / Chinatown, using the 7th and H street exit and walking two blocks to Old Saint Mary's.

Here is a list of traditional Latin Masses scheduled to be offered there on Friday, 25 January, before and after the March for Life:

7 a.m. Low Mass

8 a.m. High Mass for the feast of the conversion of Saint Paul, with Saint Peter commemorated, in remembrance of, and for the respose of, the soul of Miss Nellie Gray. Organized by the Paulus Institute for the Propagation of Sacred Liturgy, the Mass will be offered by Father Gregory Pendergraft, F.S.S.P. The parish schola of men will chant the propers of the Mass, and a mixed choir will sing Josef Gabriel Rhineberger's "Mass in G" and polyphonic motets. Details may be found here.

After the 8 a.m. High Mass, it is likely that several visiting priests will offer TLMs at the three altars in the sanctuary. In the past, the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate and various diocesan clergy have offered traditional Latin Low Masses at the main and side altars on the morning of the March. "Concelebration" -- traditionalist style.

6 p.m. Pontifical High Mass to be offered by Bishop Joseph Perry of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Organized by JuventutemMichigan, a young adult group, this will be a Requiem Mass for the repose of the souls of Catholics who worked for the pro-life cause, such as Miss Nellie Gray. The parish schola of men will chant the propers and ordinary of the Mass, and a mixed choir will sing polyphonic motets. Father Gregory Pendergraft, F.S.S.P., will be the MC. It will be followed by an Italian dinner for young adults. Details may be found here.

Four Men in Black

From Fr. Z., blog

Vera Icon, True Image of God---Destroyed

I am thinking of St. Veronica today, the woman who braved the evil people surrounding Jesus to wipe His Holy Face.

I compare her to those who stand up against abortion, facing hostile crowds and jeers, in order to stand up for the victims who cannot cry out, except for vengeance to God.

Vera Icon, true image, which is what we are to become as children of God and heirs of Heaven.

Abortion stops that process of holiness. To me, the real evil of abortion is that all those infants never had a chance to be the great saints they could have been: an Augustine, or a Bernard, a Teresa, or a Veronica.

The true image was crumpled, stuck with scissors, vacuumed out, thrown into a bin. The true image was laid aside to die if coming into the world alive.

We, as Catholics in sanctifying grace, are becoming the truest image God has created us to be. We are becoming the person, body and soul, called into existence by God, Who, with the father and mother create the new being.

Vera Icon.

But so many.....

Destroyed.

How many great men and women would there be in America today, up to 55 million, who could have changed the course of history? New moral and genuine leaders to stem the tide of socialism and atheism...new musicians creating new symphonies and chants to God....new artists creating beauty to bring men back to God...new bishops and priests who would change the course of history by strong leadership...perhaps, even a new president or prime minister, if killed in Britain...all destroyed in agony and shame.

Vera icon. We are made in the image and likeness of God, but as St. Bernard says, we have kept the image but lost the likeness in sin.

Babies of abortion, forgive us.

Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord

Is 52:13-53:12

See, my servant shall prosper,
he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.
Even as many were amazed at him—
so marred was his look beyond human semblance
and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man—
so shall he startle many nations,
because of him kings shall stand speechless;
for those who have not been told shall see,
those who have not heard shall ponder it.

Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
one of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following his own way;
but the LORD laid upon him
the guilt of us all.

Though he was harshly treated, he submitted
and opened not his mouth;
like a lamb led to the slaughter
or a sheep before the shearers,
he was silent and opened not his mouth.
Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,
and who would have thought any more of his destiny?
When he was cut off from the land of the living,
and smitten for the sin of his people,
a grave was assigned him among the wicked
and a burial place with evildoers,
though he had done no wrong
nor spoken any falsehood.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.

Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
because he surrendered himself to death
and was counted among the wicked;
and he shall take away the sins of many,
and win pardon for their offenses.

An interesting article on how Evangelicals became pro-life

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/roe-v-wade-anniversary-how-abortion-became-an-evangelical-issue/2013/01/22/4224d0ec-64b1-11e2-9e1b-07db1d2ccd5b_blog.html

A good quick view on the Inaugural Address

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2109492133001/krauthammer-on-inaugural-address-obama-unbound/?intcmp=obnetwork

On laughter, again, in St. Benedict

A few months ago, I wrote on St. Benedict's Rule against laughter. Some readers responded that they thought this was extreme. Actually, the nuns taught us that as girls and women we were not to laugh out loud, but smile quietly if appropriate. It was a sign of a lady, but then my education was of the finishing school type, which I wish would come back.

Recently, being around some young women who were plainly laughing too loudly in front of young men, I realized the wisdom of his statement for the laity even more than before.

There is nothing wrong with smiling and laughing is a subdued way.

But, too much of what is laughter falls into these categories.

One, sarcasm which mostly is sinful. This is not the same as wit, but negative and hurtful.

Two, flirting, which is a sin.

Three, laughing at the expense of others.

Four, folly, which includes laughing at rude or unbecoming speech.

Five, just plain silliness or foolishness, which is a waste of time and energy.

Six, gossipy laughter, again a sin.

Seven, laughter which is cynical and against rules and regulations which are fair and good. This is serious. Cynicism is also a great sin and reveals a lack of humility and purity of heart. To be cynical is to lack Faith.

Eight, laughter can be connected to slander and other sins, such as deceit or a lack of charity in speech towards a person or persons. Calumny also may be sometimes connected to laughter and derision.

Nine, the private joke is too often a sign of pride, even among cliques. This is obvious.

Ten, loud laughter is just plain rude, but society has almost forgotten good breeding and manners.

The tenth step of humility is that he should not be ready and quick to laughter, for it is written, “The fool raises his voice in laughter".

It could happen here, and elsewhere, folks

catholic-schools-blitar-agree-provide-islamic-lessons.html

Catholic schools in Blitar agree to provide Islamic lessons

Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya | Headlines | Thu, January 17 2013, 10:55 AM and thanks to Spencer

A- A A+

Paper Edition | Page: 1

Six Catholic schools in Blitar municipality, East Java, have finally given in to a local ordinance and will provide Islamic lessons for their Muslim students.

The city ordinance requires all Muslim students to be able to read and write Koranic verses.

The head of the Religious Affairs Ministry’s office in Blitar, Imam Mukhlis, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that the six schools had finally agreed to provide Islamic teachers for their Muslim students.

“We met today [Tuesday] and everything is just fine and there is no problem. They are willing to carry out the city ordinance,” he said.

A representative of the Yohanes Gabriel Foundation confirmed the decision and said that the Islamic lessons would be delivered by competent teachers and conducted outside the schools.

The Blitar city administration previously threatened to close down Diponogoro High School, the Catholic Vocational High School, Santa Maria Kindergarten, Santa Maria Elementary School, the Catholic Elementary School and Yos Sudarso Junior High School for their refusal to provide Islamic lessons to their Muslim students.

The Blitar Mayoral Decree No. 8/2012 requires all Muslim students be able to read and write Koranic verses.

The decree is based on Government Regulation No. 55/2007 on religious teaching. The government regulation, in turn, is based on Law No. 20/2003 on the national education system.

Article 12 of the education law stipulates that every student in an educational institution is entitled to receive religious education in accordance with his or her religion, imparted by an educator of the same religion.

Article 55, however, allows community-based education to be held in accordance with the specific religious, social and cultural norms for the benefit of the community.

The law’s Article 12 is reiterated by Article 4 (2) of the government regulation while Article 6 regulates the provision of religious teaching at both state and private schools.

Article 6 (3) says that if a privately run school cannot provide religious teachers, the central government or regional administration is obliged to provide religious teachers for the school.

Commenting on the regulation, Aan Ansori, activist with the Islamic Anti-Discrimination Network and the GusDurian Network, demanded Blitar Mayor Samanhudi Anwar revoke his decree.

Speaking to the Post Aan posed the question, “If the regulation is upheld, will Islamic schools, which are more exclusive than Catholic schools when it comes to accepting students of different faiths, also be required to provide Buddhist, Christian or Hindu lessons for their non-Muslim students?”

He characterized the regulation as silly because it could not be implemented in Islamic schools.

“We also demand the government revise Government Regulation No. 55/2007 to bring it into line with the 1945 Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of religion and faith,” Aan said.

Separately, the Indonesia Ulema Council’s East Java chapter chairman, Abdusomad Buchori, said his institution would urge other regions in the province to issue similar decrees so that all schools, be they state-run or managed by Christian foundations, provide Islamic lessons for their Muslim students.

Check out the newspapers and blogs...on Cameron's speech

Nice to see on the blogs this morning in England a strong reaction for the implementation of a referendum NOW.

Money and business should not determine freedoms. Localized power in the hands of one's own government should. Either one is British or European, but to be European is not to be in control of one's own national destiny.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2013/jan/23/cameron-europe-speech-referendum-live-blog

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3302f580-6542-11e2-a3db-00144feab49a.html#axzz2InKhsPS6

The Labour Party is out of touch.

On the possible pull-out of Britain

Well, I was always against the EU.....losing sovereignty is not good. Never give up power to a larger, unseen, uncontrollable force. Period.

Cash, Eurosceptic on Cameron

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqXFz8vxlDw

Cameron's Speech on the EU and an Interesting Use of the Term Heresy

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/259ef844-653d-11e2-a3db-00144feab49a.html#axzz2InKhsPS6

From the Financial Times. I cannot reproduce the speech here, so go to the link.

IMO, not strong enough.....the referendum should happen now.

As I have made Wednesday fashion day

Do you think retro-futurism is modest?

Not the tight trousers and short skirts....of course. Women looking like machines?

Jane Jetson wearing trendy 2013 tights, no long sleeves, and short skirt. Tights are now called leggings.

Cartoons setting trends? Very European and could be less provocative...skirts are in, but way too short.

Girls and moms in church with leggings and nothing else but a large sweater form normal attire in Ireland. The women in Surrey have much better taste. Well, girls...cover up.