Just for the heck of it...

So much for false "ecumenism" or relativism

Acts 17:22-18:1 (Revised Standard Version)

Acts 17:22-18:1

Revised Standard Version (RSV)

²² So Paul, standing in the middle of the Are-op′agus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive 
that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I passed along, and observed the objects 
of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What 
therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴ The God who made the world 
and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man,²⁵ 
nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all 
men life and breath and everything. ²⁶ And he made from one every nation of men to live on 
all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, 
²⁷ that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is 
not far from each one of us, ²⁸ for

‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

               as even some of your poets have said,

‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

²⁹ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, 

a representation by the art and imagination of man. ³⁰ The times of ignorance God overlooked, 

but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has fixed a day on which 

he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has 

given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead.”

³² Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, 
“We will hear you again about this.” ³³ So Paul went out from among them. ³⁴ But some men 
joined him and believed, among them Dionys′ius the Are-op′agite and a woman named 
Dam′aris and others with them.


Two notes for us to think about from this reading of today: one, God does not treat the pagans the same after the
Incarnation as before. Now that they have access to the Truth, God will judge as noted above.

Two, sometimes, we just need to walk away from those who will not listen.

Confused about Ascension Thursday Sunday?

From the Knoxville Latin Mass bulletin, a short and good explanation of the TLM Mass and permissions for the Ascension Sunday Liturgy:

KNOXVILLE LATIN MASS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

"ASCENSION THURSDAY" SUNDAY?

The Ascension of Our Lord has historically been celebrated on the 40th day of Eastertide--that is, on Thursdayof the sixth week of the Easter season. This remains the date of the Ascension on the universal Church calendar and for its celebration in the Vatican, but most U.S. dioceses have transferred the OF observance of the Ascension to the following Sunday. And the EF calendar also makes provision for the celebration of first class feasts as "external solemnities" on the nearest or following Sunday; the Vatican has indicated that this is quite appropriate in agreement with local (national or diocesan) church calendars.  Note: In the extraordinary form, however, the Feast of the Ascension itself remains on Thursday (so the Mass and Divine Office of the Ascension can be celebrated then), even if for the spiritual benefit of the faithful the Mass of the Ascension is offered for them on the following Sunday (as in our case).

Thanks to Henry....

CatholicLisa on a roll

http://www.catholicleague.org/pubs-washington-d-c-contacted/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=catholiclisa

Not a good news day

http://www.lifenews.com/2014/05/28/belgium-euthanasia-deaths-skyrocket-as-doctors-now-kill-five-people-every-day/

True and I have met some--see my homeless series earlier this year...

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/28/-sp-struggle-housing-americas-mental-health-care-crisis-care

Thanks to CatholicBandita for the heads-up

http://liveactionnews.org/feminists-for-nonviolent-choices-excluded-from-peace-parade-for-being-pro-life/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=catholiclisa

Here is one person who did not get a job because of this

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/28/brown-hitsshaheen-obamacare-employer-mandate/#.U4X8Y-tQlzg.twitter

The employer told me she had to cut back on her employees because of the fines of Obamacare, and although she wanted to hire me, she could not.

Social engineering, folks...

Wonderful Mass for Pro-Life

JOHN SMEATON, SPUC DIRECTOR

Wednesday, 28 May 2014

Bishop Sherrington celebrates national Mass for pro-life groups

Last night I was in in Bedford representing SPUC at a national Mass for the work of pro-life organisations at The Church of The Holy Child and St Joseph. The principal celebrant was His Lordship Rt Rev John Sherrington, auxiliary bishop of Westminster, who also preached on the abortion crisis in Britain and on the work of the various groups labouring in the pro-life movement. He thanked Dr Sue Sarsfield, chairman of Bedford SPUC, which co-organized the event with the Keepers of the missionary image of Our Lady of Guadelupe. Our Lady of Guadalupe is known worldwide as the Protectress of the unborn.

Dr Sarsfield is pictured above introducing the event with Our Lady of Guadalupe's missionary image to the right and welcoming the many pro-life groups invited and present at this lovely event so beautifully supported by the parish, including a fine youth choir. After Mass Bishop Sherrington joined the congregation for a cup of tea and a bite to eat and I took the opportunity of thanking him for coming to celebrate the Mass and for his inspiring homily. Thanks are due also to Canon Seamas Keenan, the parish priest, for hosting the Mass, and who provides in his church the national shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

I was joined by Christopher Langley, a well-known pro-life leader in Luton, in saying the bidding prayers, and Ed Smith, of the Alliance of Pro-Life Students said the first reading. Other pro-life groups represented included leaders of the Helpers of God's Precious Infants and the Catholic Medical Association. The Knights of St Columba, of which I am proud to be a member, were also there in force.

The missionary image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is now going on mission to Leeds where it will be welcomed by the Helpers of God's Precious Infants. Let me know if you would like the missionary image to come to your area and I will pass on the message to the Bedford organizers.

Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk 

Sad, sad, sad

http://www.churchmilitant.tv/daily/?today=2014-05-27

Worth watching.

Light and Darkness

Christ was born, in the middle of the night. Christ was resurrected either just before dawn or at dawn. Light and darkness mean something in the Scriptures and in Western tradition. One of the things which modern books and films have done is blur the age-old definitions of light and dark.

Now, those who are supposedly good use spells, violence, lying to get so-called good ends.

The bad wizards or knights or soldiers do not look any different than the good ones.

As distinctions are blurred, the real reason for warfare or fighting is blurred.

There is really only one war in this world and it is the war between those minions of satan and the children of God, those who follow Christ and are obedient to His Word.

Those who receive the Body and Blood of Christ have life within them. Those who do not need that life.

But, distinctions cannot be blurred.

Sadly, institutions we use to trust have blurred these distinctions. Traditional morality is no longer held by Washington, or London, or Paris. What was important in the past, the noble fight for real goodness has been perverted to a fight simply for power and for comfort.

Please so not be confused and do not let your children be confused. Goodness is not the same as sin. Light from Christ is not the same as the darkness of sin and death.

There is only One Light and He is Christ.

Do not let yourselves be confused.

John 8:12

Douay-Rheims 

¹² Again therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying: I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life

On The Holy Spirit in The Church

That God has promised and has given His Holy Spirit to the Catholic Church forms part of our faith. As Catholics, we know that the fullness of Truth is found in the Church founded by Christ.

We do not doubt that the Holy Spirit guides and guards us.

But, here is the catch. People must be willing to be open to the Holy Spirit. They must be willing to pray and listen.

Two friends of mine have tremendous gifts of discernment. They share with me many movements of God in the world. I can trust them because they are absolutely orthodox and obedient to Mother Church.

That is my guide to trusting people. If I see that someone is not following the Church's teaching on an issue, such as contraception or ssm, I cannot trust that person's discernment.

A friend asked if someone could go to the "independent" so-called Catholic Church across the river, where Latin Mass is said by a priest who is not under the bishop.

I answered emphatically, "No."

If one removes one's self from the mainline Church, one is no longer protected by God. Why?

The obedient are protected.

I know several saints. Most of them are in Europe. These are women who pray and have conformed their minds to the mind of Christ.

I can trust them. And, if they make a mistake, they repent immediately.

Signs of obedience are signs of holiness.

Do not let go of the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church.

IPad and IPhone Hacker Demands Money

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/10857715/iPhones-frozen-by-hackers-demanding-ransom.html

The Church Is Not Utopia

Oh to be in Oleanna,
That's where I'd like to be
Than to be in Norway
And bear the chains of slavery.

Little roasted piggies
Rush around the city streets
Inquiring so politely
If a slice of ham you'd like to eat.

Beer as sweet as Muncheners
Springs from the ground and flows away
The cows all like to milk themselves
And the hens lay eggs ten times a day.

In 1852, a famous violist Ole Bull decided to set up a utopia in Pennsylvania by buying 11,000 acres and offering it free to pioneers.  The entire project failed because the violinist knew nothing of farming and the land was totally unsuitable. The project failed. More can be read here. http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/places/4278/ole_bull%27s_new_norway/472266

Too many Catholics see the Church as some sort of experiment of utopia. It is not a millennialist dream of another time of Christendom or a time of triumphant in a material manner. 

The Church is an institution created by Christ to impart grace to the members and guide them to heaven. Heaven is the real goal, not any type of utopia on earth. A Catholic needs to be concentrating on becoming a saint and not on becoming involved in utopian, or other theories of neo-triumphalism.

Liberation Theology was condemned for making Christ into a militant, materialistic Messiah, in the mode of Marxist utopian theories. This theology departed from the idea of the Kingdom of God as within each one of the baptized Catholics, and not something without, not something physically set-up as a utopia.

Do not waste time dreaming of greater days to come. Pray for those who are persecuted and pray to persevere until the end.

We shall not see the return to an Catholic utopias.

Fr. Z Translates And Helps

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2014/05/pope-francis-on-the-airplane-the-synod-the-family-communion-for-the-divorced-and-remarried/

Flamingo Flockiiiiiiing

If you are driving in the wilds of Iowa and come across a house or farm with up to twenty or so plastic flamingos on the front yard, do not automatically think "Oh my goodness, what horrible taste those people have..." and so on.

The odd custom of plastic "flamingo flocking" is a way to raise money in some churches. At this time of year, churches choose a charity or cause for money raising. Now, in those councils which choose "flamingo flocking", one is encouraged to buy "flocking insurance" to make sure plastic flamingos do not end up in one's  front yard.

I imagine this is similar to mafia protection money, but as a joke and for a good cause.

So, if the parishoner pays the $20 insurance fee, his or her yard does not see the invasion of pink, plastic flamingos. This is inexpensive compared to some churches in the western part of the country which ask $35 for flock insurance.

If one forgets, ah, well. everyone knows that one did not pay for the insurance, and one has to pay to get the flamingos off the lawn. All in good fun...

I first heard about this ten years ago from a friend of mine who is a real estate agent. She had to warn people in certain areas about "flamingo insurance".  Can one imagine having one's house up for sale, and forgetting the charity drive, with prospective buyers out front in a car looking at one's front yard full of plastic flamingos?

Not exactly "curb-side appeal".

More from SPUC

3 Whitacre Mews, Stannary Street London, SE11 4AB, United Kingdom Telephone: (020) 7091 7091 Email: information@spuc.org.uk http://www.spuc.org.uk
Government abortion guidance weak and fails to uphold law
JOHN SMEATON, SPUC DIRECTOR Tuesday, 27 May 2014 Government abortion guidance weak and fails to uphold law The Department of Health last week issued guidance on various aspects of abortion law and practice, such as sex-selective abortion, pre-signing of abortion authorisation forms and doctors’ assessment of abortion cases. Paul Tully, SPUC’s general secretary, told the media: "The government’s new abortion guidance is weak and fails to uphold the law – it endorses weak restrictions on some practices but promotes an underlying agenda of abortion-on-demand. We welcome the government’s messages that abortion on the grounds of sex alone is wrong; that doctors must not pre-sign abortion authorisation forms; and that doctors cannot form a proper opinion of a woman’s condition without ever seeing her. These messages, however, are neither ground-breaking nor robust. The Department of Health and the abortion industry have a close and ugly relationship. The Department contracts out millions of pounds’ worth of abortions to the private sector, which is keen to provide abortions (NHS-funded) to all comers. The Department also acts in Parliament as the defender of the pro-abortion lobby, briefing ministers and promoting policies that undermine the law."  See below an in-depth commentary by Paul Tully: In-depth commentary on government abortion guidance and the Sexual Health Team (SHT) of the Department of Health The guidance published today shows the grip that the pro-abortion Sexual Health Team (SHT) has on abortion policy.  It arrogantly presumes to assert that abortion on grounds of the baby's sex is illegal while allowing the abortion industry to carry on aborting other 'unwanted' babies – despite the evidence of harm to women resulting from such abortions. Aborting babies because they are girls is the only bad reason according to the feminist thinking which dominates the SHT's agenda.  Aborting so-called unwanted babies in general – in particular those of the poor, racial minorities, and un-wed mothers – should carry on uninterrupted according to the SHT.  Those with financial or other ulterior interests in promoting abortion industry – including medical bodies like the RCOG and the wealthy private abortion clinics - will not have their activities significantly curtailed. The SHT shows contempt for the wishes of Parliament, which clearly requires that mental or physical health risks of continuing a pregnancy outweigh the risks entailed in abortion.  We have always maintained that abortion is bad medicine and is neither necessary to avoid risks to physical health nor helpful in reducing harm to mental health.  Abortion on physical health grounds is now hardly ever proposed.  Nearly all abortions, apart from those on disabled babies, are performed because two doctors claim (supposedly independently) that there is a risk to mental health. The SHT guidance is wrong in law where it states (paragraph 13) that the threshhold of risk to mental health for legal abortion is simply a matter of the doctor's opinion.  The law states that the threshhold of risk is the comparison between continuing the pregnancy and aborting the baby.  The doctor must form an opinion as to which risk is greater.  He is not free to decide that a minor or minimal risk to mental health justifies an abortion if he knows the damage to mental health of undergoing an abortion would be the same or greater. Yet every week, hundreds of doctors sign statutory forms certifying medical grounds for abortion which the department of health's own evidence review has shown to be false.  Today's documents indicate that the Secretary of State will continue to use his discretion to grant licences to abortion clinics where doctors do not bother even to see or talk to mothers - often in desperate straits - before signing away the lives of unborn children." Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk

After A Long Discussion with A Friend

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.

Eleanor Roosevelt

I do not know if this is true, but I grew up in an idea family. We never discussed people, and we rarely, if ever, discussed event. That was true on both sides, maternal and paternal.

A good friend of mine who works with people who discuss people was trying to explain to me how difficult it is to work and avoid gossip.

Another person I know told me that all people talk about at the coffee shop are things which are happening, like baseball games or catastrophes. She cannot bring up religion at all to her friends who are fallen away Catholics. (I am not talking about necessary conversations at work, which mostly should be idea conversations relating to meetings or such. All jobs need to discuss the ideas of work.)

The one category which Ms. Roosevelt neglected to mention is the discussion I cannot enter and most likely hate the most and that is discussion about things. It is so low that Ms. Roosevelt does not even have it on her list. 

One time, a long time ago, in 1990, I remember my best friend of years ago, telling me that in marriage it is sometimes so hard to maintain good discussions with one's spouse, as one has to be careful not to fall into constant discussions on what food the kids eat, the gastrointestinal habits of the baby, and buying nappies. We had a good laugh and decided to go back to talking about ideas.

Even my dear multimillionaire friend in California does not discuss, ever, things. She does not discuss her houses, gardens, china, glassware, land, sports-cars, and so on. She does not discuss her investments. She discusses ideas, mostly religion and politics. I love meeting up with her once a year for talk and lunches.

I am not sure why the discussion of things has taken over American conversation. Americans have slid into sharing and comparing the accumulation or addition of things to the point where I feel, truly, in a foreign land. 

Perhaps this is why I feel more at home in Europe. People there discuss ideas, philosophies, religion, political trends. 

What has happened here may be a sign of gross insecurity. Or, it may be a sign of people merely not learning how to have interesting conversations. Or a sign that people do not care about ideas. I am not sure of the causes.

In order to evangelize, one must get people to discuss the idea of religion. How hard that is here, when more and more people are refusing to engage in real discussions about things that matter, and fall into gossip, consumerism and, therefore, defensiveness.

Maybe this is one reason why so many of my friends have been religious or priests or doctors. As professionals, of course, they do not talk about people. As busy, they do not talk about events. As people of God, they talk about the higher ideas of our beautiful faith.

One must pray about one's conversation. Some people say to meet people where they are, which is fine as long as they do not stay there. One can only talk about cars for so long and in so many conversations.

It is hard to break through the crusted shell of consumerism. 

One of the great values of being in Tyburn was the silence. If one is always talking, how can one hear God?

One does not have to talk about things, people or events. Just pray about these things. Prayer is more important that talk.

Pray, reflect, and then, talk about God, Who is The Most Wonderful Topic of any conversation.

Mission Hearts

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Ruins_of_St_Augustines_Abbey.JPG

Although Blessed Margaret Pole was murdered on this day, her feast is actually tomorrow, because today is the great feast of St. Augustine of Canterbury.

I remember clearly the day I first saw the ruins of the ancient Benedictine Abbey of St. Augustine in Canterbury-a numinous moment. It was in August of 1980. I felt the presence of a great heart there.

Today, I beg St. Augustine to let me return to England. He was afraid to go, hearing horror stories of fierce kings and warlike men.

I have fears, and if I do, turn away from these, like brushing gnats away from my face in June.

St. Augustine and his companions brought Christianity again to England at the order of Pope St. Gregory, who saw the beautiful Angle-Saxons slaves in Rome and called them "Angels, not Angles."

May God in His Mercy let me be a missionary in that land.

I remember a hot day in Canterbury with one of my best friends not so long ago. We walked in the late Spring along the small river in the city gardens.

The ruins of the old abbey fascinate me, calling me from the ancient times to the present, as England desperately needs mission hearts.

God, make my heart like Yours. Let Catholicism rise from ruin into glory again in England.

A Fictive Monologue of Margaret Pole

I sit and wait for the last call, being told by the jailer that I have one hour of life.

What does one think of in one's last hour? I think briefly of my own sins, forgiven, awaiting punishment.

I think of my brave children, alive, dead, all witnessing for Christ and His Church in their own manner.

I think of younger days, but that is a waste of time, as all eternity faces me.

I should think of my Christ, my God, for Whom I shall die, and for this strange country, one I love, but one which I know longer recognize.

My own queen, removed, gone from me, as I shall be gone from all others soon.

My own godchild, this spoiled man, who thinks he rules a country when he cannot even rule himself.

My own heritage, the Plantagenets, good, bad, never mediocre.

Some already call me The Last, as the blood of the ancient Eleanors flows in my veins.

That blood will darken a small place in a few moments, the blood of the Plantagents stopped by the Tudors.

But, this is no time for thoughts of pride.

I face the greatest test of my life, not the block, not the blade, but the time I stand before pure Innocence, pure, absolute Goodness and plea for mercy.

There has been no mercy here, none, nor love.

So, my thoughts must be on Another's Blood, the Blood of Him Who died for me. I shall die for Him.

Long has it been since I have tasted His Body, been to the Sacrament of Sacraments. Now, all sacred times and places are ending for me.

This hour is my short Agony, how I can muse on the sins of those who I thought cherished me, like Christ in the Garden, seeing the entire sins of the world, especially of those who said they loved him, played out, like a drama before His Holy Eyes.

Shall I think of those sins against me while I am facing the debt of my own? Nay, I need only see my own failings.

I pray my dearest son remembers me at Mass, so far away, safe from the monster's hands.

I pray that the Plantagenets forgive me for being the Last, one so weak, so worn out with fighting.

Yet, I shall inscribe my true innocence against this king while I can write, as after a few minutes voice, pen, thoughts will end, or rather turn into something else.

I pray, Dear God, my feeble soul fills the sky with praise to Your Holy Will.

And, Dearest Lady Mary, help me to be brave and stand with me in the courtyard as you stood by Your Son at the end. The block is not my real end. I shall fight the falsity of their cries of "traitor". One last stand against the Lies of the Age.

Only those who love God truly love this England.

Ah, I hear people coming. I shall write quickly:

For traitors on the block should die;

I am no traitor, no, not I!

My faithfulness stands fast and so,

Towards the block I shall not go!

Nor make one step, as you shall see;

Christ in Thy Mercy, save Thou me