Demagogy, Change, and Utopian Promises

H.L. Mencken was right when he defined a demagogue as "one who will preach doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots." I might change that definition a little: "one who makes promises he knows can't be fulfilled to TV viewers he knows to be forgetful idiots."

I listened to part of Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention and suggest people should read his speech, rather than just listen to it. Obama promised everything but the moon to the American people, and I was reminded of Fidel Castro as he came to power many years ago.

Obama is a fantastically good speaker whose impassioned public speeches appeal to the emotions, fears, and expectations of many people. Here are a few excerpts of promises made tonight by Obama--unrealistic Utopian promises. Notice that Obama mostly uses the personal pronoun "I" in his promises for change. [Do people no longer remember the old saying, "Out of the frying pan into the fire!" meaning to go from a bad situation to one that's even worse?]

So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am president...

I will cut taxes -- cut taxes -- for 95 percent of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class. [How does Obama define "working families" and "middle-class." "Economy like this" also gives him an 'out'. ]

And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president: in 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East. [Yes, but please tell us how much less energy our country will be using at the end of ten years?]

I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I'll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy -- wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and 5 million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced. [This paragraph should be re-read a third time! Does Obama have plans to unseat Congress, control wages, run businesses, and add 5 million new jobs to the federal payroll?]

Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education... [If w-c implies the best education that money can buy, not every student can or will absorb a w-c education.]

I'll invest in early childhood education. I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries and give them more support.... [What's wrong with current teachers? Does Obama really mean an ARMY of new teachers drafted into federal government service?]

Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. [Just like in Canada, where my friend's father would have died because it takes months to get Canadian permission for open-heart surgery. Instead, he came to San Antonio for the surgery.] If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves. [Get ready for more medical tourism.] And as someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.

Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent. [Who's going to pay? Private companies already are struggling to stay alive while competing with India, China, and other developing countries.]

Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses.... [Translated: Bankruptcy laws need to be more lenient so that people who have spent themselves into deep debt can be relieved of their promises to pay what they borrowed. Uninsured medical expenses will be used to justify the easing of bankruptcy laws, although the changes will apply to every debtor who simply bought too much using their credit card.]

Kansas City Air Show

It's been many, many years since I attended an air show, and I was certainly impressed with this 2008 display of planes and aerial acrobatics at the Downtown Airport. The show started at 10:00 am and we didn't leave until after 4 pm.

I told one of our sons that the plane I was most impressed with was the jet-powered sailplane owned by Bob Carlton, a rocket scientist in Albuquerque, NM. The sailplane's two small jet engines were designed for smaller radio-controlled airplanes, but Bob mounted the engines in a retractable pod on top an Italian Alisport glider. The engines are powered up whenever the plane takes off or performs aerobatics near the ground.

The grandkids were most impressed by the NOISE of the military jets, including a U.S. Navy F-18 that dived and soared with thunderous blasts to bend, if not break, your eardrums. Yes, we used earplugs, but it's hard keeping them in young grandkids.

The best aerobatics had to be Sean Tucker in his Oracle Challenger II. I've never seen anything like the movements his plane performs in the sky. The bright red plane was doing stunts that are very difficult to do because the plane is designed to be quite stable and it resists being put into certain flight configurations, such as tail-down falls or slow forward movements with the nose up (continuous stall?) to make the plane appear to act much like a helicopter.

Corruptio Optima Pessima (of an Ex-Nun)

Stories that teach well can be either positive or negative. A negative learning story is embedded in the recent obituary of an ex-Catholic nun who appears to illustrate the Latin phrase--Corruptio Optima Pessima ("corruption of the best is the worst"). [I've heard this phrase used to indicate the primacy of the Catholic Church because when you see members of the Church fall--they fall much further downward into a pit of errors.]

The obituary states that the woman was a nun for 25 years before marrying and joining a Unitarian Universalist "church". I've checked the blog of the "pastor" to see a blasphemous post on "God of Queer, Transgressive Spaces." Not surprisingly, "Pastor Sean" has a "partner" and a substance-abusing son.

Why do I focus on the ugly, the blasphemous, and the loss of faith of a particular ex-nun? Because this falling away is only one example of so many other losses of Catholic religious and laity that occurred within twenty years of the significant destruction of Catholic liturgy and practice following Vatican II.

We often talk about "loss statistics" in the Church, but we can't forget each one of these losses is the sad story of an individual person who lost their way. Back in the 1970's, losses became so common that people just accepted it. The local parish lost at least three assistant priests who abandoned their vocations over a less than five year period. It became a joke.

I remember making Legion of Mary visits to fallen-away Catholics in the 1970s when it was common to hear "The Catholic Church has changed and I don't recognize or believe in it anymore." Then the person would say they weren't attending Church. It didn't seem to matter to them what they believed, which church they attended, or if they attended at all.

This particularly affected children who grew up in the 1970's and 1980's, and the result is that the Catholic Church is now trying to convert (not re-convert) an entire lost generation. The beliefs of older Catholics were also thrown into doubt. One example was a practicing Catholic who accompanied me and another fellow to a Catholic chapel where the Indian god of destruction, Shiva, was being honored. When the priest said his ecumenical gesture was not a problem, my friend abandoned the Catholic Church to join Full Faith Church of Love, a fast-growing evangelical church in Kansas City that became approximately half full of ex-Catholics who rejected the "new catholic church." Terrible, terrible times!

One lady approaching death during the 1970's told me that nothing mattered anymore. Because the Church had changed everything, she no longer believed in the Catholic Church or God's laws or Jesus' resurrection. I talked animatedly with her in her hospital room and insisted that enemies inside the Church were trying to obscure the Church's teachings and destroy Her, and that she should remain constant with what her parents had taught her and what she had learned as a child in Catholic school. I read her obituary about a month later and noted she had been buried at a Catholic Mass, but I never really knew whether she had resumed her beliefs in the Catholic faith.

What should be done about the ex-nun described in this post? I will ask Mary to intercede with Jesus for His mercy on this poor soul who descended into such grave errors. Her life is a chilling example of the many great falls that occurred in the unfortunate years following Vatican II.

China's Image

Bernardo Cervellera of Asia News writes of Chinese hoaxes at the Olympics to preserve the Chinese image, including:

...the fireworks displays seen on television all over the city were not real, but were generated by computers. The illusion was necessary because on the evening of August 8, the Beijing sky was cloudy and hazy - because of the pollution and heat - and visibility was poor.

The Washington Post also reports that ethnic children were not really members of Chinese ethnic groups, but were actors. [Well, if your historical practice is to deceive, it takes a while to learn to stop the deceptions.]

I often turn into China English TV to see what is going on and if China may be changing for the better (it is, but it takes someone smarter than I am to see how much of the change is both real and good). Invariably their TV ads are directed to showing China as a tourist's paradise with peaceful blue lakes, green forests, scenic mountains, and clean air. Obviously, these are very selective pictures--as is the news that is reported.

A couple of days ago I was surprised that CCTV.COM presented a TV feature on the Catholic Church in Beijing that showed the South Cathedral, including Mass offered by a "patriotic priest." The program was unusual in that it displayed the addresses and telephone numbers of at least five Christian churches in the capitol city.

Retreating to Youth

This afternoon I pretended to be much younger than I really am (very dangerous!). Two ear buds were inserted and tuned to a local Kansas City country music station while I cleaned the car from top to bottom, just like I might have done 50 years ago (substituting a Sansa mp3 player for the car radio).

So what did I learn? First, I learned my arthritis and other problems don't bother me with lively country music sounding in my head. Second, my car really needs to be cleaned more than once every three years! Third, hazards are associated with ignoring REALITY, as taught by some country songs that I heard.

Country music is usually a good bellwether of civilization (or the lack thereof). One song by Brad Paisley struck me as a sorrowful window into the souls of many young people who (1) are lonely, (2) are unsure of their own worth, (3) want to be more than they are, and (4) are driven to exchange acting for reality.

The lyrics to Paisley's "Online" are sung by an overweight, five-foot-three, asthmatic youth who works at the local pizza place. On MySpace, he pretends to be six-foot-five, lives in Malibu, and drives a Maserati. Obviously, he gets the girls' attention with his lies and exaggerations. When he logs in every night, "I grow another foot and lose a bunch of weight."

Unfortunately, this sung fictional autobiography is typical of many young people today who waste their free time by sitting in front of computers, eating snacks, and making up stories about being someone they are not. I wonder if they can ever stop telling stories when they eventually get a girlfriend and wife. Doesn't anyone ever talk about "bad habits" anymore?

A second song may illustrate the unwillingness of modern souls to accept growing old and the reality of dying. "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven" by Kenny Chesney ends with:

Everybody wanna go to heaven
Hallelujah, let me hear you shout
Everybody wanna go to heaven
But nobody wanna go now
I think I speak for the crowd.

A third song by Rodney Atkins, "Cleaning this Gun (Come on in Boy)", is more my type. A daughter is now old enough for dating and the father recognizes the young man needs a reminder, "she deserves respect, that's what she'll get!" Of course, the father is cleaning his gun as he talks to the boy! There will be REAL consequences if the boy does the wrong thing!

Lastly (if you've gotten this far), P_L_EE_AA_SS_EE listen to the www.GodTube.com music about two roosters walking arm in arm by Lewis and Lewis, two Christian country singers. My husband laughed and laughed--even though this is a very serious song.

Summer Vacation

My husband really enjoys vacationing in the mountains, his favorite cool place in the hot summertime. This year, the temperature in Kansas City was almost as good as Colorado, so we really didn't need to travel to avoid the heat.

We camped with two of our children and their families which turned out to be a great trip. The kids didn't want to come home!

The most beautiful scenery was on the the gravel road from Paonia Reservoir east to the town of Crested Butte. We saw aspen groves like I've never seen before. See the photo which is meant as a belated "Happy Birthday" card for one of our daughters-in-law!

For me, the best parts of our vacation were climbing to the top of the sand dune, hiking up the side of a steep mountain canyon to reach the top and further to a shaded, woody glen, and finally returning home quickly on a private plane.

Splinters from the True Cross

When saying the rosary of Our Lady, it is best to meditate on each of the mysteries-- mostly incidents in the life of Jesus. This evening I thought about the fourth sorrowful mystery, "Jesus carries His cross up Calvary." During this painful and difficult journey, Jesus would likely have gotten splinters in his hands from the roughly hewn wood. A good meditation is to compare Jesus' splinters with the splinters we get in our own lives. The lesson is to bear small wounds willingly and silently.

I searched for the type of wood of the cross and found lots of guesses, including olive wood, cedar of Lebanon, cypress, planetree, and dogwood. Yet no ancient resource exists that tells us which kind of wood was used to construct the cross of Jesus Christ.

The old Catholic Encyclopedia identifies the wood as pine, which would have many splinters.

A microscopic examination of the fragments of the Cross scattered through the world in the form of relics reveals the fact that it was made from a pine-tree (Rohault de Fleury, "Mémoire sur les instruments de la Passion", Paris, 1870, 63).

Everything has some very interesting comments about the Aleppo Pine that grows in dry climates in the Mediterranean region.

The Aleppo pine, also known as Jerusalem pine, and its close relative, the Brutian pine, are a fixture in the Mediterranean....

This pine grows rather quickly, reaching a respectable height within five years and eventually growing to a height of about 20m (60'), especially if spaced in parks or reforestation projects. It will live to be about 150 years old. In the wild it's often shorter and stunted specimens can be seen living a precarious existence on steep, rocky inclines. Its timber has been used in construction and shipbuilding since ancient times.

There is one theory that says that the Aleppo pine is the original Christmas tree. That actually makes sense. Although we associate the Christmas tree with the spruce or larch of northern climates and surround it with very un-Mediterranean quantities of snow, the pine was the sacred tree of Attis. Now Attis was a thoroughly solar god, and this widespread evergreen figures prominently in his myth and rites, one of which is the winter solstice feast which Christians adopted early on in their history and long before Christianity spread to northern Europe. In the spring equinox rite a pine was cut down and on it was placed an effigy of the god that was then taken to his mother Cybele. Attis would rise on the third day.

So there you have it. Next time you see a Christmas tree, think of easter bunnies. The pine, either Aleppo or Brutian since the ancients didn't really make the distinction between different conifers, is generally thought to be the "fir" of the Hebrew scriptures and, according to one myth, it was blessed by the infant Jesus when it hid the Holy Family during their flight from Herod. The tree also figured in the rites of Bacchus....

The Aleppo pine is a tree used in the service of false gods that may have been used to crucify the real God-man, Jesus Christ. Don't forget that "groves" is used 24 times in the Old Testament to describe the the outdoor places located in or near trees where pagan altars and images were displayed and worshipped. The wooden cross of Jesus is a great sign of contradiction, even more so when we consider the history of the Aleppo pine and Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross.

Kansas City Catholic Conversion!

Kansas City Catholic has converted to Kansas Catholic! Just to let you know my favorite blogger, WOLFTRACKER, is actively blogging at his new location.

Down Syndrome Baby?

The pregnant wife was approaching the age when she knew birth defects became more common. It was impossible to ignore the information that babies born to older mothers are slightly more likely to have Down Syndrome with consequent genetic abnormalities.

Down syndrome is characterized by a combination of birth defects, including some degree of mental retardation, characteristic facial features and, often, heart defects, visual and hearing impairment, and other health problems. One of the first signs of Down Syndrome is a single crease across the palm of a baby's hand, rather than the child's palm having the typical three creases.

Downs' Syndrome children are usually the most loving and joyful children parents will have, as The Catholic Down Syndrome Society and others will confirm. I remember a woman introducing her daughter who told us a little about herself--what she liked and how much she loved everything! What came across so forcefully for me was how happy the daughter was to be alive. The mother was an extremely bright career woman who admitted she had never really grown a "sensitive heart" until her Down Syndrome daughter came into her life.

Yet every family wants healthy children, and this particular family of my story prayed diligently for a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby. The father was especially worried about his wife and their child in her womb and so prayed the rosary every day on his way to and from work.

When the baby was born, both mother and father were quite apprehensive when the infant girl had a single crease in her palm. Their worries heightened when the doctor expressed his concern that the baby's heart had a hole that had not closed properly. Even though the baby appeared outwardly normal, everyone was concerned that the little girl had Down Syndrome.

The little baby grew and is now a talkative, energetic, and bright cherub who is the delight of her parents and siblings. Her heart closed properly without medical intervention within three months of her birth. The single crease in the palm--well, it's still there but there appears to be no impairments to the child's health or intelligence.

I tell this true story to show that small miracles happen quite often to people who pray regularly and who are generous with God. They learn that God's generosity will never be outdone by their own. "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened..."

Not every story is like the above one. For another story about a Down Syndrome baby born recently to Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, see here. I was especially impressed by her husband's comments: "We shouldn't be asking, 'Why us?' We should be saying, 'Well, why not us?'" I guess God had other plans for Gov. Palin.

Papa Benedict XVI, the Juggler

If there has ever been a master juggler of a Pope, Papa Benedict XVI is It. Think about how many fiery hot rings he has been given to juggle--all at the same time! And not one of these can be dropped without serious spiritual and historical repercussions. At times it seems Pope Benedict is juggling the entire future of world history in his hands, as he attempts to:

1. Restore the liturgy
2. Inspire and train youth to follow Jesus Christ
   
3. Continue dialogue with the Orthodox, especially to build up a Christian defense against Secularism that is responsible for the death of Christian culture in western countries
   
4. Integrate the Chinese Patriotic Church without offending the long-time loyal Underground Church in China
5. Resolve the irregular situation of the Society of St. Pius X
6. Clean the Vatican house of insubordination
   
7. Deal with the sexual scandals caused by priests
8. Strengthen the hierarchy with firmly Catholic bishops
9. Halt the progress of militant Islam
10. Welcome traditionalists of other churches that oppose women priests and homosexuality
    
11. Affirm and promote the Church's positions on a multitude of important religious and social issues
12. Write a new (third) encyclical that will be issued this fall

I believe that if anyone on earth needs our prayers at this time, it is 82-year old Papa Benedict XVI. I don't see how he can avoid dropping one of these heavy, hot rings unless he receives the benefit of your many prayers.

Miracle of a Praying Woman

Several times in my life, I have seen very good things happen because of special spiritual circumstances and much intense prayer. This is one story, and several others will follow.

The old woman had lost most of her sight in one eye because of 'dry' macular degeneration. Once I asked her to cover her good eye and tell me about the vehicle ahead of us. She said she could see only to the sides, and couldn't see anything in front. Actually a big yellow school bus was right in front of us!

Eventually the lady's good eye began to deteriorate due to age-related 'wet' macular degeneration (wet AMD). Several laser surgeries were performed to stop the bleeding, but the disease was clearly becoming worse. The poor woman was very distraught because she knew she was going completely blind, and the doctor confirmed that the vision in her remaining eye was now worse than 20/500.

The old woman told me she was not able to read her daily prayers which she kept in a 3-ring binder. Someone had photocopied and significantly enlarged the print of the prayers, but even the very large letters were now indistinguishable. One of her daily prayers was to retain enough sight so that she could continue to read her prayers every morning.

A new treatment with Macugen injections had just been announced and the doctor decided to try the drug on the almost blind woman. The genetically engineered treatment is considered very helpful to halt further progress of wet AMD. However, the doctor noted that patients who start Macugen after wet AMD becomes advanced (as was this woman's disease) cannot expect much if any improvement.

After the course of treatment was completed, the praying woman had recovered most of her sight--better than 20/60 in the wet AMD-affected eye. The doctor marveled at her miraculous improvement and called her a "poster child" for Macugen. He said none of his other 60 patients had recovered their sight as well as this very old woman had.

Strangely, the elderly lady says that while she can now easily read her prayers, she still has a hard time seeing other things. My own opinion is that God gave her back the only sight she really needs.

Crime: Not Reported; Not Punished

It's not surprising that crime statistics in the U.S. show crimes against people and property are diminishing! A couple of personally-observed incidents make me realize that more and more crimes are not being reported to the police. These stories and other factors make me believe that significantly over 50 percent of crime is now unreported.

Add to that the problem of relatively few captures of criminals and even fewer convictions, and you realize a huge and growing problem is not being dealt with except through the privatization of security. Pay da' man and he will guard your property and person!

[The attached chart shows 2-year average data and identifies "Violent" crimes as including: rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated and simple assault. "Property" crimes include: household burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft.]

Personally, I just learned that all U.S. mail containing economic stimulus checks sent to residents of a nursing home was opened by the nursing home, even though the mail was individually addressed to the residents. One nursing home resident wondered what had happened to her missing check and asked the bookkeeper, who then pulled the stack of checks out of her drawer. All Treasury checks had been removed from their original envelopes.

In the second situation, a "bad" guy drove three times into a fence and tore it down, resulting in over a hundred dollars damage each time. It appeared the man had to be drunk, on drugs, or typically drove in a fit of anger.

Why were these two crimes not reported? The nursing home resident whose check was intercepted fears retribution if she complains or reports the crime. She knows the employees are in total control of her life, and she can't afford to make enemies.

The old lady with the broken fence fears the man who tore down her fence, wonders what good it will do to report the incident to the police, and observes that homeowners' insurance rates will be raised if she reports the damage. She also believes that justice cannot be done because the guy has no money.

The two incidents and other factors inspired me to research the topic of Vigilantism, one of the most interesting subjects I've ever read on Wikipedia. [Note that the Wikipedia definition defines "Vigilante" as a single person. This definition is not historically sound because Vigilantism typically is implemented by committees or groups of citizens. For example, see the example of the citizens of Skidmore, MO.]

Vigilantism can be thought of as the insurance of justice outside of relying solely on government institutions. One way is through the use of private security firms. Private security officers are paid to both deter and capture criminals, but they have no responsibility for insuring justice after arrest of criminals.

Several years ago during Christmas sales, I saw two private security agents tackle a guy running from a store with a piece of electronic equipment in his arms. I found myself clapping as the "bad" guy got caught. Most interestingly, virtually all the many people in the vicinity ended up clapping too! People want justice, and right now very little justice exists--for a multitude of reasons.

How close are we to when Vigilantism will necessarily grow and possibly flourish? Certainly, a Vigilante Committee composed of responsible citizens always takes second place to law and order agencies established by the government. If criminal environments are successfully dealt with by government institutions, civilization has a firm foundation, and vigilantism is unwarranted.

Vigilantism may be necessary when a very large proportion of crime succeeds without interference from law and order agencies. Read the history references in the Wikipedia article before deciding. Especially see here, here, and here.

Damian Thompson of The Telegraph

I'm going to scan more frequently the short summaries of British news regarding the Roman Catholic Church written by Damian Thompson. Back in late 2007, he reported Pope Benedict XVI was moving faster to accomplish "breathtakingly ambitious" goals. Recent events seem to bear out Damian Thompson's 2007 analysis, including:

It's shaming to have to admit that the bishops of my own Church are the chief obstacle to a significant move of Anglo-Catholic clergy and lay people into full communion with the Holy See - but that's the way it was last time, in the early 1990s, and it's still the case today.

Fortunately, Pope Benedict XVI is more open to experiment than Pope John Paul II. He is taking a close interest in the progress of the rebel Traditional Anglican Communion towards reunion - a process which is under the control of the Congregration for the Doctrine of the Faith, not the Vatican's woolly-minded ecumenists.

I can't betray confidences, but my advice is: look at the new church structures, such as Old Rite parishes [see June 29 DT post], that the Pope is already encouraging, and ask yourself how those models might be adapted for the use of former Anglicans.

Add Damian Thompson to your blog list.

After Archbishop Burke Goes to Rome ?

Lots of sites, both blogs and news media, comment on the appointment of Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis to head the Vatican's "Supreme Court." His new title is Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura and he will be moving to Rome. A St. Louis Newspaper says:

Burke said he will leave St. Louis for Rome at the end of August, but that because St. Louis is an archdiocese, the Vatican would be apt to name a successor soon. He would not mention candidates but said he would consult privately with Benedict to recommend bishops who would fit well in St. Louis.

So, "Who will be the next Archbishop of St. Louis?" My own opinion is that either one of the two Kansas City Bishops could easily be chosen to return to St. Louis from whence they came. Both men are tall and strong Catholic bishops who have recently and successfully instituted reforms to strengthen the Church in the two dioceses of Greater Kansas City.

Their efforts have resulted in creating a new program to confront the evil of pornography, significantly cleaning up two diocesan newspapers of unorthodox opinions, instituting a major annual celebration of the Holy Eucharist, supporting Catholic communities that treasure the old Latin Mass, reforming Catholic education by appointing new and energetic personnel faithful to Catholic doctrine, etc.

Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City, MO is a likely candidate because of his public relations/news media background that makes him an interesting and articulate leader, and who has been mostly successful in rebuilding the Kansas City diocese with loyal Catholics. Here's how Rocco Palmo of "Whispers in the Loggia" described Bishop Finn in his confrontation with uncooperative liberals who once controlled diocesan structures when Finn first came to Kansas City:

And anyone who has an eagerness for all-out warfare in Kansas City doesn't know Bob Finn and how he operates. He's way too smart -- and effective -- to be a polemicist. In his prior incarination as editor of the St. Louis Review, Finn did block an ad for a talk being given at St. Louis University by John Allen because of the editorial stances of Allen's employer. It caused a similar tempest in a teapot at the time in the Rome of the West.

If anything, it seems, the more constructive (and, ergo, preferred) strategy would be not to defang the Reporter but to build up the Catholic Key as a faithful, well-crafted, informative and orthodox alternative to the gang down the street. That'd be very much in keeping with Finn's earthy, nonconfrontational style and his savvy for building the church in its best light. If anyone could pull it off credibly, it's Finn.

The other Kansas City Bishop is Archbishop Joseph Naumann, who perhaps has the better chance of replacing Archbishop Burke. This affable St. Louis native is just as good a writer as Bishop Finn, and he has shown substantial strength and wisdom in publicly instructing Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to abstain from receiving Holy Communion until she repents.

Sebelius is a strong pro-abortion "Catholic" who was the featured speaker last year at Planned Parenthood's annual fundraising banquet. [Planned Parenthood is the biggest abortion provider in the U.S.] Gov. Sebelius is considered a front-runner for selection by Senator Obama for his vice-president.

Both Bishop Finn and Archbishop Naumann are gentlemen committed to the Catholic faith. St. Louis could not do better than to receive either of them as the new Archbishop of St. Louis. Of course, many, many Kansas City Catholics would mourn either one of them leaving us.

Mother of 11 Children Needs Your Prayers

Someone just sent me an email that reports a wonderful Kansas City mother of eleven children (a baby newly born on June 13) is now hospitalized with blood clots in the lungs. These clots can be life threatening and the treatment can be long and even require surgery, according to the NIH.

Please pray for R.R. whose family needs her so badly. She is a convert who attends the Latin Mass in Kansas City, and I'm going to ask Blessed Michael Davies to intercede with God for her return to good health.

Minimum Agreement? Assimilation or Union?

The five conditions in Cardinal Hoyos' letter of seem carefully worded to allow the FSSPX to accept a minimum proposed agreement with Pope Benedict XVI--perhaps a first step. As translated by Rorate Coeli, here are the five conditions outlined by Cardinal Hoyos and my personal comments:

1. The commitment to a response proportionate to the generosity of the Pope.

Clearly this first of five conditions is not very specific. The "generosity of the Pope" is not specified, but action(s) are implied, possibly even a personal prelature for the FSSPX. Thus, the response of the FSSPX needs to consist of charitable ("generous") actions, as distinguished from words/agreements. Actions could include spiritual activities and gifts, or simply provide a basis for a future, more detailed, agreement with Rome. The FSSPX might also offer priestly support to selected papal endeavors, such as a special mission for conversion of Islam. Actually, my interpretation of this condition is that the Pope already has recommended to the FSSPX the particular response that he wants from a particular generous action to begin a more complete union into the framework of the Church.

2. The commitment to avoid every public intervention which does not respect the person of the Holy Father and which may be negative to ecclesial charity.

This one might be more difficult for the FSSPX, because it states the FSSPX should respect "the person," rather than "the office," of the Holy Father. Other questions arise. What if the present Pope is succeeded by Paul VII? Does the commitment attach to the next Pope, too? The width of this condition implies that under no circumstances can the Pope be publicly criticized! However, this condition always must be interpreted in the Scriptural framework of St. Paul's criticism of Pope St. Peter.

The words "which may be negative to ecclesial charity" is another picky point. Why did this condition not say "which is negative..."? Some commenters have complained that this condition for reconciliation simply says that the FSSPX must "shut up!" in the future. No more complaining about how the Pope is running the Church. BUT, the condition doesn't say that the Vatican bureaucracy cannot be publicly criticized. Mmmm?

3. The commitment to avoid the claim to a Magisterium superior to the Holy Father and to not propose the Fraternity in contraposition to the Church.

I fail to see how this condition would be a problem for the FSSPX because they don't claim to be a "super Magisterium." Rather, they rightly state that all teachings of the Holy Father must conform to the traditional teaching of the Church. If I were in the FSSPX, I could sign this point without any qualms whatsoever because the Church with its Papacy is what I defend. Modernist churches are another matter, so the third condition wouldn't restrict the FSSPX in proselytizing members of church communities in apostasy.

4. The commitment to display the will to act honestly in full ecclesial charity and in respect for the authority of the Vicar of Christ.

The fourth condition appears to be rather nebulous, but I suspect the FSSPX knows what is meant. Nothing here seems to be a real problem, unless one wants to get 'real particular'.

5. The commitment to respect the date - fixed for the end of the month of June - to respond positively. This shall be a condition necessary and required as an immediate preparation for adhesion to accomplish full communion.

This may be a good thing for the FSSPX to decide quickly before pressures build up one way or another. The five conditions seem to be a good start but that will have some pauses in the future. The road now seems to be open, even though under construction.

MP3 Player/Recorder--How to Use

A friend points out that she lost a very nice tape recorder, and concluded that some things happen that we don't understand until later. I sympathized with her and pointed out that recently I ordered two $22 MP3 player/recorders because there was no sales tax or delivery charge [make sure you check the cheapest shipping box.] Stores in the KC area sell other MP3 players for only a little more.

I took my first Sansa m250 with me on vacation a month ago to the East Coast where some of my relatives live. I had loaded the unit with some great talks from Audio Sancto. One of the sons of a nephew is 19-years old, intelligent, quite handsome, and enrolled in technical school. I asked him what he liked to do in his spare time, and he responded that he liked to read history.

I had just finished listening to a very interesting talk about the Islamic wars of the 16th/17th centuries, that ends with the Western victory at the Battle of Lepanto (talk can be downloaded here--see 2006-10-01). So I asked the young man if he would like to listen to it. When he said yes, I gave him the MP3 player/recorder to keep. While his Dad is a fallen away Catholic, the son's mind appears to be open. [If the front door is locked, try the back door!]

The second MP3 player/recorder came last week and I again downloaded about 20 talks from Audio Sancto. An old lady I know mentioned she had not been able to use her broken recorder for several months. Because of her hearing loss, she had been unable to hear sermons in her church. So that's what happened to the second MP3 player. She called me day before yesterday and said she had listened to over two hours of Fr.'s sermons! What a great way to spread the faith with a MP3 player/recorder that only costs $21.99--the price of a good book!

Blessed Michael Davies, Swamp Guide

For quite some time, I've thought about who will be acknowledged as the Saints of the past 40 years who led us through the Swamp of Modernism. This swamp, like others, is a dark place with shallow, dirty water, and where shadows hide biting bugs, alligators, frogs, and snakes. Step into this swamp and you'll sink underfoot in the soft underlying mud. It's easy to get lost in a swamp and if you go there, you need to have a good guide.

One person I believe deserves to be called Blessed is the authoritative guide to the Swamp of Modernism for the past 40 years. Michael Davies (1936-2004) was the English historian and author who helped me and many others understand that we were seeing "reruns" of prior errors that afflicted the Church in the past--but on a bigger screen!

Those of us who lived through the debilitating feelings of religious depression following Vatican II often were confronted with temptations that the Church wasn't what She formerly said She was. The new Church was changeable-and her orientation depended on which way the wind blew. We saw Churchmen say that what was black was now white (or at least light gray), and what was wrong was now ok! Seemingly, the Church had confusingly set Her sails, and didn't seem to know the direction away from Hell and to Heaven. So many Catholics were diabolically disoriented in this terrible environment that they lost they faith.

It was Michael Davies who relentlessly explained the nature and causes of the liturgical decomposition of the Roman rite of the Catholic Church that occurred following Vatican II. He argued successfully that the Church was still the Bride of Christ and would survive, unchanged. His written works include many pamphlets, past columns in The Remnant Newspaper and other periodicals, and his masterful three-volume set on The Liturgical Revolution. He was also a humorist, and I and many others loved to read the stories about his students in an English classroom.

Part 1 of The Liturgical Revolution was published in 1976 as a small paperback, Cranmer's Godly Order, by Augustine Publishing Company in Great Britain. Subtitled "The Destruction of Catholicism through Liturgical Change", the book observed that the Church was "at present undergoing what is certainly the greatest crisis since the Protestant Reformation, quite possibly the greatest since the Arian heresy." The book has been revised and expanded a number of times since 1976.

Davies pointed out that "An examination of the new Catholic Mass makes it clear that the old Mass has been changed in a way which comes very close to what Cranmer did, and for which he has been censured by Pope, theologians, and Catholic historians." Davies' compared the novelties introduced in the new Mass following Vatican II with the changes instituted in the Mass of the 16th century by the Catholic turned Protestant, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.

Dr. John Senior of the Integrated Humanities Program at the University of Kansas during the 1970s read the small paperback and concluded that Davies' powerful, historically-based observations were right. From that time, Dr. Senior believed the restoration of the old Latin Mass was necessary. [Senior's program at KU helped to encourage many religious vocations of today, including at least two Bishops.]

Three and a half years ago, Michael Davies died, and Pope Benedict XVI wrote:

“I have been profoundly touched by the news of the death of Michael Davies. I had the good fortune to meet him several times and I found him as a man of deep faith and ready to embrace suffering. Ever since the Council he put all his energy into the service of the Faith and left us important publications especially about the Sacred Liturgy. Even though he suffered from the Church in many ways in his time, he always truly remained a man of the Church. He knew that the Lord founded His Church on the rock of St Peter and that the Faith can find its fullness and maturity only in union with the successor of St Peter. Therefore we can be confident that the Lord opened wide for him the gates of heaven. We commend his soul to the Lord’s mercy.”

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
9 November 2004

We need a special Saint in heaven to intercede for the reconversion of all the young (and sometimes old) souls who have been lost in the dark and diabolical swamp of the past 40 years. Michael Davies, please pray that God will restore the Church's former beauty to attract Her children again.

Blessed Michael, diligent defender of the truths of the Catholic faith, I urgently recommend to you the souls of (N, N) whom Jesus redeemed with the Holy Sacrifice of His body and blood on the Cross. Touch the hearts of all prodigal children and assist them to find their way back to the eternal Sacrifice you so ably promoted. Don't abandon (N, N) as they can still plead for God's mercy before the finality of God's justice will prevail at the end of their lives.

You know how deplorable is the hemorrhaging of the Church as many Catholics have fallen into disbelief and apostasy, and how diabolical influences continue to dominate their lives. In particular, I fear my loved ones are in danger of losing their eternal salvation because of this long, long winter of the past 40 years. Please beseech Our Saviour, whom you so ardently loved, to create and intensify a new Springtime in the Church. [Not ecclesiastically approved]

2010 Census--David's Servant or Slave

Much planning has gone into the 2008 U.S. Census. This will be the first census to use hand-held computing devices with GPS capability, a feature to collect even more data about our citizens. The question becomes more pronounced--are we servants, or are we slaves of the State?

I'm on travel and often pick up the Gideon Bible (New King James version, 1982) published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and read a little of the old Testament. In my home Bible (Douay-Rheims), I finally finished reading the old Testament about two months ago. This morning I saw an interesting reference to counting people in a nation. [Another important Biblical reference to a census is the one being conducted when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem when his foster father, Joseph, was required to register in his city of origin.]

This morning I re-read I Chronicles 28, 21 where David was inspired by Satan to conduct a census of Israel. Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. Joab tried to dissuade David by saying But my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?

David then counted his people in a census and found that Israel had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword.

True Love

True love comes from the small garden of a very old lady who is keeping very few strawberries for herself and giving the best ones to her daughter.

The Saint of Buffonery, Fun, and Practical Jokes

Today is the feast of St. Philip Neri. I read a comic book on his life (possibly in the old Treasure Chest comics of the 1940's and 1950's) when I was in grade school. I won't ever forget there was a drawn picture of the saint with half his face shaved and the other half with a beard. In the story, St. Philip Neri explains to the party that he is adopting the new style of the day.

A short excerpt from a biography shows St. Philip Neri must be the patron saint of comedians and practical jokesters--but with the purpose of destroying pride and growing the virtues of patience and humility.

His extravagant behavior cannot be passed over without some explanation. Why, for example, when certain Polish noblemen came to visit him at the Vallicella, seeking edification, did he have read aloud the most ridiculous passages from pastor Arlotto saying that it was his spiritual reading? Why, when invited to the house of one of his penitents, a rich Roman lady who had invited him to meet her worldly relatives, did he arrive with half his beard shaved off? Why, when some scholarly Bishop, little given to jesting, attended his Mass, did he commit every possible error in pronunciation? Why did he sometimes wear a red jersey or a fur coat over his cassock? Why did he walk through the streets carrying a bouquet of flowers in his hand, or perform a burlesque dance before an audience of Cardinals chanting comic verses which he made up as he went along?

I think St. Philip Neri made himself a laughing stock to hide both his brilliance and holiness--and also perhaps to bring an understanding of our childishness to even the highest people. After reading the above paragraph, he apparently still may confuse some people. Frankly, I think this particular saint would be great company!

Eucharistic Family Rosary Crusade -- Kansas City

Last year I participated in the Eucharistic procession from St. Thomas More parish to Avila College in Kansas City. This year, our two Kansas City Bishops (MO and KS) greatly expanded the devotions to publicly adore our Blessed Savior in a Eucharistic procession and Benediction, and to honor His Mother with the recitation of the rosary. The Bishops jointly sponsored a Eucharistic Family Rosary Crusade held this afternoon at Kaufman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals.

I was very impressed with the crowd size and especially with the reverence and faith that were displayed by the participants. It was clear that many, many volunteers were required to work, and work efficiently, for the success of the Crusade. Several people that I spoke with were impressed and clearly glad they had come, including a young couple from a suburban Kansas parish who brought their six children.

For the past forty years, I've wondered when (or if) I would ever see even the beginnings of a restoration of the Church in the U.S. This evening, I am rejoicing that Archbishop Joseph Naumann and Bishop Robert Finn have and are instituting a plan to reinvigorate the Church as the great City on the hill. Worshiping our Lord in the Eucharist and asking Mary to help us by reciting her Rosary are clearly the foundation of this plan.

Here are some photos of the Crusade. Hopefully, they convey the great spirit and impact of the event.

Kansas City Catholic Shock!

Wolftracker turned off comments today on "KCC Signs Off" at Kansas City Catholic. Our friend announces that "This blog has ended. Go in peace."

He says:

...blogging takes a certain amount of time. Since the new year, I have had less time to devote to KCC than previously. I think that has been obvious. I have left but three posts on this version of KCC.

So what? Wolftracker seems to have unreasonable expectations that he can always work at close to 100 percent on his blog, even when family and professional duties are paramount. Hopefully as he gets older he will see that working even at 20 percent gets a lot of good done--over time. Yes, daily visits will decrease, but that is mostly a shock to the ego--not an indication of the value of the blog posts.

Looking back in my life, one of my regrets includes totally dropping difficult tasks, whereas I simply should have slowed down or taken a vacation. I'll miss Kansas City Catholic. It's worse than the neighborhood grocery store that closes suddenly with no warning. At least then we knew where to picket. What a loss.

June 2, 2008 ADDENDUM: Wolftracker has contacted me privately and I am ashamed that I challenged his reasons for ending Kansas City Catholic. He states:

....giving it up was/is difficult. But I have not dropped a difficult task because I found it difficult but ... because there are other priorities in my life that have a greater claim on my time and will have greater claim for some time to come.

Now there are new Catholic blogs in KC....they deserve a chance....In the meantime, I have to finish this novel that I am writing . . . I can work on that privately and at a pace without the daily 'deadline' of a blog. Having that done will make any new blog (of mine) all the better when the time comes.

Msgr. Mejak, Five Months Later

After a long winter, the grave of Msgr. Heliodore Mejak now has a nice tombstone and people have brought flowers since his death on last Christmas Eve. I've meant to add some additional information that has come up since then, and this seems an appropriate time.

If you remember, this very old priest (age 98) was active until the last week of his life as pastor of Holy Family Church in Kansas City, KS. After being in the hospital for several days, Msgr. Mejak was recovering and told visitors he wanted to come back to say Christmas Mass--a favorite feast. But another priest, Fr. Peter Jaramillo (now the administrator of Holy Family Parish), came to offer the Mass on Christmas morning.

One woman in the choir, Kathy R, told an interesting story at Msgr's wake. She and the other choir members were unaware that Msgr. Mejak had died during the night and were looking at their music books to prepare to sing the next Christmas hymn. Kathy said she then heard Msgr. Mejak saying the Mass prayers together with Fr. Jaramillo. She said she looked up, but only Fr. Jaramillo was there. It was only later that the choir and the parish was informed that Msgr. Mejak had died.

A couple of other stories include the woman who was overheard at the wake to say that she wished she was audacious enough to reach out to the casket and take a clip of his hair. Another person reported that Msgr. Mejak had chosen his own Mass readings for his funeral. Humbly, he had chosen the story of St. Dismas for the Gospel, even though he was much more than a simple parish priest. It seems that few knew he had completed all of coursework necessary for a doctorate in Sacred Theology at Catholic University of America.

Archbishop Naumann, God Bless!

The Kansas City Star (here and here) is furious that Archbishop Joseph Naumann, a big man with an even bigger heart, continues to try to persuade Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius that she cannot be a good Catholic and still receive Holy Communion when she promotes abortion. The Archbishop is kind but firm:

Since becoming archbishop, I have met with Governor Sebelius several times over many months to discuss with her the grave spiritual and moral consequences of her public actions by which she has cooperated in the procurement of abortions performed in Kansas. My concern has been, as a pastor, both for the spiritual well-being of the governor but also for those who have been misled -- scandalized -- by her very public support for legalized abortion.

I have not made lightly this request of Governor Sebelius, but only after much prayer and reflection. The spiritually lethal message, communicated by our governor, as well as many other high profile Catholics in public life, has been in effect: “The church’s teaching on abortion is optional!”

I reissue my request of the faithful of the archdiocese to pray for Governor Sebelius. I hope that my request of the governor, not to present herself for holy Communion, will provoke her to reconsider the serious spiritual and moral consequences of her past and present actions. At the same time, I pray this pastoral action on my part will help alert other Catholics to the moral gravity of participating in and/or cooperating with the performance of abortions.

The Archbishop's comments address a number of other critical and interesting issues. Please read his full, but not lengthy, statement.

St. Meinrad's and Ferdinand Community

We stopped at Ferdinand, Indiana as we traveled east because the "Sisters of St. Benedict" brochure obtained at a rest stop advertised their beautiful monastery church of the Immaculate Conception. The magnificent edifice took nine years to build--from 1915 to 1924. It is truly a testament to the faith of the people of that time who funded, designed, and constructed the church.

From one picture in the brochure (we saw no nuns during our visit), the community members no longer wear their habits. We also saw a "no-nuclear" sign as we entered the grounds. Their web site advertises "centering prayer," Sr. Joan Chittister's books, and other "liberal" stuff. I concluded that the monastery is populated mostly by nuns who would not be comfortable with their founders' lives and beliefs.

I didn't get the same disturbed feeling when we visited St. Meinrad's ArchAbbey and Seminary that lies several miles south of the Benedictine nuns. We actually saw two men dressed in black cassocks! This large seminary has been used by the Archbishop of Kansas City, KS to train future priests. Again we saw a magnificent structure built by our forefathers in faith.

Roof Grass

I'm wandering around the U.S. and use the time in the car to think of crazy ideas. Several years ago along the southeast coast near the Gulf of Mexico, I saw mile after mile of swamp with cypress trees. As far as I know, the only purposes of the tree are to defend against storm surge and hurricanes, and to use as shredded garden mulch.

I mused at the time that if if the cypress tree could produce marketable timber, harvesting selected trees in the flat water and leaving the rest would be easy and economically viable. So it seemed that all that is necessary is to genetically create a cypress tree with the right characteristics to make it marketable. Plant geneticists should be able to accomplish that, and easily make a sterile new tree species.

On another trip to Texas, I was stung by a fire ant--not a pleasant experience as the injected acid leaves a sore that lasts for a couple of weeks. Yard grass in the south is mostly St. Augustine. What if a similar grass were genetically developed to have roots with a garlic odor? I'll bet that many families with small children playing in the backyard of southern homes would love to have this kind of 'fire ant prevention' garlic grass to eliminate spraying their yard with hazardous chemicals every six to eight weeks.

On the current trip, 'roof grass' would not be genetically derived. Roof grass would be manufactured of multiwall carbon nanotubes and 'planted' on the roof of a house to catch the wind. Baffles on the roof would disturb air currents to create small vortices and other turbulence to keep the 'grass' in constant movement.

As the grass flexes, electricity should be produced because bending the structures creates a charge separation – positive on one side and negative on the other. The connection between bending and charge creation can be used to create nanogenerators that produce measurable electrical currents when the grass is bent and then released. Moreover, solar energy hitting the carbon nanotubes also produces electricity.

Lead storage batteries would be avoided by using the electrical current to run a water electrolysis system and small compressor for the hydrogen fuel that would be produced. Hydrogen fuel is the cleanest energy possible--and very safe for stationary applications, such as for individual houses.

So what would happen if the weather brought hail? No problem--carbon nanotubes are extremely strong and extraordinarily flexible. Their elasticity is so good that nanotubes almost perfectly regain their form when the load is removed. What about lightning? I must admit I don't know the answer to that one! Perhaps the grass also would drain electricity from the storm, but I don't know.

Porn Addiction

I've seen the devastation of pornography. Many years ago a good Catholic woman told me that her husband insisted that she go with him to the burlesque show. She asked me if she had to obey her husband and said, "I feel like I'm committing a mortal sin." She added, "I'm not beautiful like those women on the stage whom he really likes." Just listening to her inconsolable sorrow made me want to cry, especially because her husband was considered a Catholic pillar of his parish. Until her death, this wife remained faithful to her husband, but she was very unhappy and insecure because she thought she could never satisfy him.

In another family, the 13-year old daughter found porn material used by her father. She could never respect her father again, and it also affects how she views all men, including a possible husband.

I know a family man who was fired from his very good job because of his insatiable lust for viewing porn on the internet. I saw the almost 8-inch stack of printouts of visits he made to "Ladies of xxx" and other sites. Even AFTER he had been warned he would be dismissed, he could not stop. The young family then experienced financial problems before he could find another job--and not in the best place or what he really wanted to do!

Archbishop Chaput of Denver has noticed the good work of our two Kansas City Bishops. I can't improve on the Archbishop's observations:

In recent months, two Catholic bishops have begun some extraordinary work against pornography in their Midwest dioceses: Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., and Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kan.

Bishop Finn’s excellent pastoral letter, Blessed Are the Pure in Heart: "The Dignity of the Human Person and the Dangers of Pornography” has a wealth of good information about the scope of pornography, the damage it does and many practical tips to fighting it in our homes.

Archbishop Naumann’s anti-pornography initiative, “As for Me and My House, We Will Serve the Lord,” includes a DVD and workbook with valuable resources for fighting pornography, teaching chastity and wholesome sexuality, and helping others who have been hurt by pornography addiction.

...pornography poisons the human heart, imagination and soul just as steel mills once poisoned our air and water, only worse.

Pornography is never “innocent entertainment,” no matter how private it might seem. It turns human beings into objects. It coarsens our appetites. It darkens our ability to see real human beauty. It creates impossible expectations about sexual intimacy. It kills enduring romance and friendship between the sexes. And ultimately it’s a lie and a cheat. Pornography is a cheap, quick, empty copy of the real thing — the real joy of sexual intimacy shared by a man and woman who have joined their lives in a loving marriage.

Too Frequent Communions

The Church recommends frequent sacramental Communion for many reasons. Yet, for forty years I have been distressed when I saw (see) virtually all Mass attendees process to the front of the church to receive Holy Communion. I conclude that few parishioners accept the truth that they can and do commit serious sins and are then unworthy to receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Great sacrileges are being committed because of lack of faith in the true presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and because of loss of sanctifying grace due to committing mortal sins and then not confessing them to a priest to be forgiven.

How do I know these great sacrileges are common at Sunday Novus Ordo Masses? The statistics on Catholic belief in the U.S. are absolutely shattering, including the very low frequency of sacramental penance (reconciliation). According to CARA at Georgetown, 38 percent of frequent Mass attendees never or almost never confess their sins. The Pew Forum compares beliefs of Catholics and other groups and finds that there are often few major differences. Fr. John McCloskey notes from another survey of lay religious teachers in Catholic schools--which should be an exemplary group:

Only 10 percent of lay religious teachers accept Church teaching on contraception; 53 percent believe a Catholic woman can get an abortion and remain a good Catholic; 65 percent say that Catholics have a right to divorce and remarry; and, in the late nineties in a New York Times poll, 70 percent of Catholics aged 18-54 said they believed the Holy Eucharist was but a “symbolic reminder” of Jesus.

On some occasions, I personally choose to stay behind and not receive the precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Perhaps too many venial sins have piled up and I haven't yet confessed my sins to the priest, or perhaps I have been inattentive and not prepared myself well for Holy Communion.

This temporary absence, when not continued, seems to make my heart grow fonder of and to more appreciate the gift of the body and blood of Jesus. A more balanced and truthful assessment of my spiritual status can be achieved by an occasional deliberate holding back from receiving our Lord in Holy Communion. It's important to remember Jesus' parable from Luke 18:

9 And to some who trusted in themselves as just, and despised others, he spoke also this parable: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican. 12 I fast twice in a week: I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying: O god, be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I say to you, this man went down into his house justified rather that the other: because every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.

Good reasons on why we should continue to receive Holy Communion frequently are found here. Yet, Biblical references on "not worthy" keep the issue in perspective. I believe denying oneself Holy Communion once in a while is useful not only for our own souls, but also serves as an example to others who may feel they are obligated to receive Holy Communion simply because they attend Mass. It's important to demonstrate that FREQUENT COMMUNION DOES NOT MEAN ALL THE TIME.

Winged Marshdonut Fly

A son-in-law and one of our grandsons baked and decorated a cake for a cub scout contest. One of our family asked:
"Is that a butterfly being squashed?"

The response of our daughter was:
"Actually, that is the now extinct red-licorice winged marshdonut fly!"

Needless to say, their creation won the funniest cake design.

This post is just to show I'm still alive, but am too busy and tired to write anything else....

Intelligent Design--A Discussion

A couple of posts back, one of our sons contributed viewpoints on the movie, Expelled. Another son has gone into more depth on the Catholic Church's position on science, evolution, and intelligent design, as shown below. I'm sure he would welcome comments.

The Catholic Church does not try to determine scientific questions, but being the guardians and defenders of the Truth, it obviously sets boundaries when scientific "answers" try to say that theories conflict with faith. As was noted on a recent Catholic Answers Live question I heard in the last week or so, those boundaries include the following:

• God create the universe (First Cause), keeps it in existence, create the physical laws that govern it. Unlike what the Deists believe, he did not create it and leave; he keeps in existence.
  
• Most critically, Pope Pius XII clearly stated in his encyclical in 1950 (Humanus Generis) that two human beings (male and female) are the parents of all human beings, and that God created them in his image and likeness -- creating them a soul whose creation cannot be explained by physical laws or cannot be passed off with a materialistic explanation.
• Those two parents committed a sin that caused them to lose their preternatural gifts, saw a loss of innocence, a promise of a Redeemer, and a concupiscence to sin.

When evolution claims multiple first parents, for instance, it is not true. When science claims that the universe has always been in existence, again, it strays into untruth.

Beyond that, though, explaining the origin of species is left up to science to explain -- the Church does not try to. Whether evolution is bad science or not, I don't believe that I'm qualified to give an opinion. There have been many instances where evolutionary theory (Piltdown Man being a great example) goes off the deep end and is totally disproved as a fake and a hoax.

Yet, on the other hand, while offering proof that cellular structures could not evolve so quickly in the time frame envisioned by most scientists needs to be pointed out, an alternate theory needs to be provided other than "intelligent design." Throwing out intelligent design when asked to provide a theory of how something happened when discussing processes of science is unsatisfying and does not fit well into the Church's long stance of supporting the development of science. That to me has been my biggest concern of throwing out intelligent science as an alternative -- "they" who offer need to offer something intellectually satisfying.

For instance, a Big Bang event (which is now generally accepted science) certainly coincides with the thought of a universal beginning. In addition, cellular and mitochondrial examination has started to explain that we all come from a common mother. That is the kind of science that fits in with the Church's boundaries and, yet, provides scientific knowledge.

Ultimately, science is not going to be able to explain everything, but on the other hand, trying to shut down inquiry by saying "intelligent design" and not providing an alternate scientific theory is not an answer.

I will certainly look forward to seeing the movie. Am I opposed to a science teacher saying that the Church is wrong on insisting on his boundaries? Most definitely. That is not the realm of science, and if that happens, the perpetrators need to be called out. Good science, Faith, and Reason can coexist, and there is much been said and written by our current pontiff on this very topic -- Regensburg being one of the more famous examples.

My own humble opinion, [Your son]

Children, Dogs, Saints, and Angels

A reviewer, Marc Joseph, questions a necessary detail of my story of Bella, the dog animated by an angel who helps save a man from going to hell:

I am curious as to the ontological character of the dog. Hmmmm....?

Before addressing the question, I must admit I have mixed feelings about dogs, cats, and other pets who live kingly lives. They are sheltered, admired, loved, and even spoiled by owners who give them the best seats and beds in the house. My husband, an ex-farmer, has an even greater problem with such animals. When he hears that an animal has been given a human name, he often cringes because he suspects the animal may be treated as a substitute human being.

Both of us see that many dogs and cats are substitute 'children' for deliberately barren 'parents' in a contraceptive society. Many people tell me about their Mikey, or Annabelle, or Ernie who solve a craving of their owners to feel loved. Eventually, the dogs and cats become as important as real people, and sometimes lead persons into isolation from other human beings. The person may prefer to live with their animals who will never criticize them. All of us know people who put animals on a par with their spouse, parents, and children. After death, these people even leave their estates to animals, rather than to relatives or poor people.

Yet I remember St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals--from the ravaging wolf of Gubbio to the small birds who listened to Francis' sermons. [Did the wolf have two angels, and was the bad one kicked out by St. Francis?] I also see many older people who must live alone, rather than in the close presence of their family. Their pets have become natural friends and are proven to help keep people mentally healthy and even to help them physically.

Now for my answer to Marc Joseph: [BTW, 'ontological' refers to the nature of being of the dog, Bella.] All animals are created by God for the benefit of man (Genesis). When Bella dies, her physical life ends. Bella has no spiritual life--it was never created. However, the design of the dog (not the being) continues to exist and could be used again by God in Heaven (Paradise)--known to be a place to accept our resurrected physical bodies.

The Bible identifies nine classes or orders of Angels: Archangels, Angels, Princedoms, Powers, Virtues, Dominations, Thrones, Seraphims, and Cherubims. According to Aquinas, the angelic order, Virtues, has power over corporeal nature in the working of miracles; they rule the physical universe and possess the bodies of animals and physical things to achieve God's will. Likewise the old Catholic Encyclopedia concludes that the practically unanimous view of the Fathers is that the angels put into execution God's law regarding the physical world.

When the ram replaced Isaac for the sacrifice of Abraham, who made the ram get caught in the bush? Who opened the spring to flow when Moses struck the rock? Who makes the wind rustle in the trees? [(2 Samuel 5:23, 24; 1 Chronicles 14:14, 15)] I suspect God uses his angels far more than we know to love us and assist us in reaching heaven. So is Bella the dog with a guardian angel a reasonable story character--I think so.