C.S. Lewis on the Web

The most interesting and profitable moral and historical discussions on the web are found at John C. Wright's Live Journal. I keep thinking I'm reading and hearing another C.S. Lewis! However, I have scanned his Orphans of Chaos and cannot recommend it. It was written before his conversion.

God and God-Like

An old friend, Mrs. V and I had lunch together recently and we've decided to keep in contact more regularly. We discussed the 'every-man-is-God' heresy that seems to tempt so many Christians today. The error has many variations.

1. A person believes he can make his own ethical and moral rules by which to live--according to his own viewpoint and needs
   
2. A person does not commit grave (mortal) sins and thus does not need Christ's redemption
   
3. The Divine nature of Jesus Christ is confused with God's power keeping human beings in existence
   
4. The nature of Godhood (e.g., omniscient, timeless, unchanging) is distorted
5. A person believing he is God has a difficult time practicing humility
   
6. A person denies he is sinful and makes excuses for sins

The natural outcome of "every-man-is God" tends to cultism, such as the Mormon belief in 'As man is, God once was; as God is, man may be.' [The Mormon God can change because he exists within time--thus He cannot be God who created time.]

A good alternative to "every-man-is-God" is to unite our will completely with God's will. As Jesus recommended, strive to be perfect like His heavenly Father (Matt. 5:48). The Imitation of Christ is a traditional Catholic work advising a Christian how to pursue holiness and communion with God.

Quote - by John C. Wright

Everything in paganism from which the civilized mind recoils, as slavery, infanticide, polygamy, sodomy, had been defeated by Christianity, and made a recurrence only when and where Christianity retreats. [From his conversion story. I was fascinated.]

The Traditional Latin Mass in Pittsburgh --Fr. Kenneth Myers

The March 2007 issue of Homiletic & Pastoral Review, the oldest Catholic priests' magazine in the U.S., has an article on the traditional Latin Mass by a diocesan priest who celebrates regularly both the Old Latin Mass and the New English Mass. Fr. Kenneth E. Myers describes why the beauty, sacredness and solemnity of the traditional Latin Mass helps people pray and worship God. Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J. concurs in his magazine editorial, "Reflections on the traditional Latin Mass."

One of the frank quotes of Fr. Kenneth E. Myers who was ordained in 1980:

Some people reading this article may make the accusation that traditional-minded Catholics are attacking the new rite of Mass. I tried for the longest time never to say anything negative about the Mass of Pope Paul VI. In fact, I offer it almost every day because I cannot offer the traditional Mass. I never doubt its validity and I always offer it with as much devotion as I can muster. However, I am not blind. I can make comparisons between the new and the old, and I can see the theological and spiritual shortcomings of the new rite: its failure to express the fullness of Catholic Faith about the Eucharist and the priesthood, its inability to raise up heart and mind from the profane to the supernatural, its confusion on the role of the priest, and its unfaithful and banal translations of the original Latin text. How do we hold on to what we believe in without making these negative comparisons? It is a difficult task.

Fr. Myers is described in the HPR article as a "parish priest permitted by my bishop to offer this rite of Mass and serve a community of over 800 people who are devoted to the Traditional Latin Mass. [He is] chaplain of the Pittsburgh Latin Mass Community, the largest diocesan Latin Mass community in the United States."

Pornography and the Archbishop

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, KS has initiated an important program aimed at fostering the virtue of chastity and building awareness of the evil effects of pornography, including suggesting ways Catholics can protect their families from its influence and counseling persons caught in this sin. [Although, the best help I personally can think of is to make a good confession that will supply God's grace to avoid the near occasions of sins.]

Every parish was required to show a movie of the Archbishop announcing As for Me and My House at all weekend Masses. As people left the churches they were handed material to take home, including a good checklist for a spiritually healthy family. The Archbishop's newspaper, The Leaven, also provided an important article on pornography. [I can vouch for the problem of pornography within the workplace--several years ago we had to discharge a good employee. He was warned, but continued his pornographic viewing anyway.]

What is missing from As for Me and My House? I don't see a recommendation that parents install and use filters on their internet and cable service. One internet filter that can be highly recommended is found here. Other filters are described and rated here.

St. Peter's Cathedral, Kansas City, KS

I traveled to St. Peter's Cathedral where 13 people had arrived early on Saturday morning to say the rosary before the 8:30 a.m. Mass. The side chapel has no visible tabernacle, so I left through a side door to visit the Blessed Sacrament in the main part of this beautiful Cathedral structure which seems to have been preserved from most of the ravages of the past 40 years.

The front of the chapel has a panel of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a statue of St. Joseph holding the baby Jesus. In the center alcove is a crucifix that is surrounded by green plants (perhaps artificial).

About 60 persons were present when Mass began, including one large extended family with small children that swelled the assembly in the small chapel with younger people, including two or three men in their 20s. Most people were older and white, and three or four Latinos were seen, but no blacks. The priest was assisted by an altar girl and an altar boy. A white-haired older woman in jeans was the reader.

As with other churches visited, the clothing worn was casual, informal, mostly jeans for people less than about 45 (including very torn jeans on one woman), and even one low-cut cleavage blouse.

The priest seemed deliberately slow and reverent in the prayers of the Mass, and appeared to be completely faithful to the rubrics required by the Church. He gave a short homily on how God has selected us, more than we have chosen Him.

The Mass was over within a short time, and I felt sad because people left so quickly after receiving Holy Communion--perhaps without adequate understanding of the Sacrament that remains with us for an estimated 10 to 15 minutes after reception (as long as the forms of bread and wine are distinguishable).

Sacred Heart Church -- Shawnee, KS

Part III of Church Visits

The first Sunday morning Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Shawnee showed small signs of the restoration of the Church in the 21st century. The modern round church structure is somewhat similar to St. Mark's in Independence, MO which was described in an earlier post, but without the intricate crossbeam ceiling of St. Mark's. The vestibule of the Church is quite large and has a beautiful statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The front of Sacred Heart Church features stained glass windows of the four evangelists, but quite a few windows remain of clear glass--as if awaiting special donations of the parishioners. The altar table was draped in purple cloths. The purple of Lent also covered the podiums/lecterns used by the priest, readers, and choir members who stood off the right side and were accompanied by piano. The tabernacle is not centered but is to the immediate right of the altar table on which Mass is offered. A circular stained glass window of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is above the altar table and a large crucifix is immediately below. Frescoes of saints are embedded in the rear wall on each side. Above the altar-table on the ceiling is a mosaic with a dove in a blue sky--representing the Holy Spirit.

Along the curved back wall of the church are stands of candles by two statues, plus a small shrine to the Infant Jesus of Prague. One of the two statues was of our Lady and the baby Jesus. The back of the church also had other stained glass windows, including the one pictured. Stations of the Cross are placed on the outside wall.

At the 8:00 am Mass, I did not expect to see many children, but I did more than a few. I listened to the wonderful noise of about a dozen babies in arms (this is a new parish built in the middle of many new houses). Most families at the early Mass appeared to have only one or two children. [The second Sunday Mass quickly followed and there were many more children than at the 8:00 am Mass.]

The priest processed into church with altar girls and an altar boy in white surplices, together with four or five others including the person who carried the book of readings. Everyone was asked to greet his neighbor before Mass started, and I was delighted that the welcoming period had been moved forward (so I thought) from between the Consecration and the Communion.

The average age of parishioners in attendance at the 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass seemed to be mid- to late 30's. A few Latinos were observed, with the rest of the parishioners white. Almost no teenagers were seen (although as noted in the post comment on St. Mark's, this age group may attend other Masses). A couple of women appeared pregnant out of several hundred parishioners in attendance. Both men and women wore pants, and most of those under 45 years wore jeans. Women did not wear head coverings.

I was quite surprised that parishioners knelt for the introductory prayers confessing our sins. Heaven, hell, and the need for repentence were noted by the priest. The Latin hymn, Kyrie Eleison, was led by a young choir director whose masculine voice was a clear asset to the music in the Mass. The music was unfamiliar to me as it seemed relatively new. [I consider 'new' to be within the past 40 years!]

Before the readings began, about ten little children (4 to 6 years old) came to the front of the church to hear a very short talk by the priest. The children left the church in a procession carrying two wooden crosses, to eventually return to their parents after the homily. I assume there was special Catholic instruction in the adjacent school for pre-First Communion age children.

The first reader at the podium was a woman, followed by the responsorial psalm led by the male choir director. The next reader was also a woman. More women than men were also apparent in the lay distributors of Communion.

The homily given by the priest who had descended to the level of the people started out by touching on the Gospel where the Apostles saw a glimpse of God's glory. He noted God doesn't make junk; we make junk and the junk is called SIN. The priest then mentioned the religions of Abraham--Jewish, Christian, and Muslim, but I failed to note the context. The priest continued with "putting aside our junk" (sins) and keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus in His Body and Blood that gives us the unity that Christ wishes for all of us. Embrace our passion, our sufferings, our cross...

The gifts were brought to the priest by several youth and young adults, with the priest being accompanied by the altar servers as he accepted the gifts. Most of the time, the altar servers sat in chairs at the front of church, and seemed to have little to do.

The main part of the Mass won't be described here, except for those parts that caught my eye, including the re-shaking of hands that had already occurred at the beginning of Mass. The Agnus Dei hymm was sung in Latin and was followed by ten lay distributors of communion advancing to the high platform where they were given the Sacred Species to distribute to the parishioners. The majority of lay distributors were women in pants. Some of the distributors bowed toward the Eucharist before receiving it themselves.

While the priest purified the holy vessels after communion, the entire congregation knelt in thanksgiving. Parish announcements were then made by ladies who ascended to the speaker's podium, including noting the time of weekly Stations of the Cross. After extensive announcements, everyone left to depart the church. I did not see anyone stay to pray in the pews, although one young man was observed to be kneeling in front of the Infant Jesus of Prague statue in the rear of the church, and other people lit candles by two other statues.

A New Book by Colleen Drippe'

A few days ago I drove west and had a delightful lunch with Colleen Drippe', the editor of Hereditas Magazine and the author of a new children's book that reminds me of one of the Hardy Boys series. In addition to authoring a previous set of children's books, Colleen writes science-fiction (see two of her stories in the new INFINITE SPACE, INFINITE GOD sci-fi anthology mentioned in a previous post). She is also the author of GODCOUNTRY, an imaginative Catholic sci-fi novel that I'm currently reading. Colleen has over 200 published works to her credit, including quite a few articles on home-schooling. I asked Colleen several questions about her new book, and her answers appear below.

What was your purpose in writing MYSTERY AT MINER’S CREEK?

You asked a big question there. I have written a mystery/suspense novel for young readers, but the book is more than that. I have provided an alternative, however small, to the corpus of corrupting and enervating writing so often presented to modern children. This is a Catholic book. While it is recreational reading, MYSTERY AT MINER’S CREEK is also a teaching book – not explicitly (or boringly) but in its very story line and in its assumptions. And this book is part of my campaign (shared by an increasing number of other Catholic writers) to retake the field of fiction writing for the Faith.

How are you qualified to write this book?

As the mother of four grown children (taught at home for most of their school years) I write what I know. In recent years, I have also been a teacher in a Catholic school and have come to know a good many well-brought up Catholic children. I write what I see, remember, imagine, and would like to see.

Is MYSTERY AT MINER’S CREEK for a particular age level? For boys? For girls?

I have aimed this book at the fifth grade through maybe ninth or higher. The main characters are boys – but after all, girls like a good adventure story too. They’ve got brothers, haven’t they? I think this will appeal to homeschoolers but also to those in school. My earlier books did.

What is the framework of the story? The storyline?

This is the story of Mr. and Mrs. Steiner and their seven children who take possession of a run down desert ranch where, Mr. Steiner tells them, his children can grow up straight and strong. He is a magazine illustrator and can live where he pleases – and this is where he pleases.

From the beginning, there is both mystery and adventure. Much work must be done on the antiquated adobe house and at first there are no amenities. A further complication arises in the presence of the children’s city cousin, Ryan. Ryan’s parents are away on a business trip and he is to live with the family for several months. Conflict arises immediately.

Strange happenings follow – signs of a prowler, a stray dog and an elusive Mexican boy who warns them not to stay, odd accusations from the local sheriff, footprints, trails – but I don’t want to spoil things for the reader.

Enough to say, the mystery unravels, the threads are tied properly, and the main character, Peter Steiner, learns more than he bargained for. So does Ryan.

What lessons will students learn from reading MYSTERY AT MINER’S CREEK?

This is a story of family life. It is a realistic story. Most of us have relatives who do not live as we do, whose children are different from ours. And we are all tempted to judge others from time to time. This is a story about a rash judgment (more than one). It is also the story of competent parents who trust and guide their children – including the nephew who does not fit in. It is not a story of helpless grownups and wise children. The lessons here are both old and true. I am showing how family life works when you do it right.

Do you have any other books planned in this series?

Yes, I am working on the next Steiner family mystery now. It is called THE DESERT FATHER MYSTERY. Ryan is back and the boys have been given the opportunity to help a real archaeologist on a dig. But of course things do not go smoothly –

Where can MYSTERY AT MINER’S CREEK be purchased?

This book, along with another book of mine (for younger children) called CHRISTMAS AT THE LITTLE BLUE HOUSE, is available from Little Flowers Family publishers.
Or you may write for a catalog of other books at:
Little Flowers Family Apostolates
RR1 McDonalds Corners
Ontario KOG1M0
CANADA

Colleen Drippe' is a very imaginative and busy lady and you may want to check out her web sites here and here.

Temptations before Death

Mrs. M has died. About two weeks before she passed away, we talked at length in the nursing home. She had decided all her sexual sins of the past were normal, that God would understand and was not offended, and that her actions of many years ago were really not sins, etc. I knew Mrs. M's health was rapidly deteriorating and her erroneous conjectures caused me great concern.

In the past year, Mrs. M had three temptations of the faith that she shared with me. Each temptation came from reading books against the faith given to her by other residents of the home. The first resulted in her dalliance with a belief in reincarnation. The second was when she announced that she was sure that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had twins--a boy and a girl! The third was her attempt to excuse past sexual sins.

The error of reincarnation was met by finding applicable verses from the Bible and obtaining other Christian teaching found on the internet. The 'twins of Jesus' error was met by giving Mrs. M a well documented book on Mary Magdalene. The third error in which Mrs. M excused her own sins was probably the easiest to meet.

God allowed Mrs. M to be humiliated in many ways throughout her life. This humility allowed her to listen and understand that making excuses for a sin is worse than the sin. Why? Because pride tempts a sinner to not humble himself and ask for forgiveness. Jesus came to save sinners, and we must admit we are sinners before Jesus, our Saviour. When she heard my comments, Mrs. M shook her head yes. That is my last memory of the black lady who was such a strong pro-lifer. May God have mercy on the soul of Mrs. M.

Are Your Taxes Just?

My brother sent me a link to the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. Normally I am not enthralled by economics and public policy, but this article discusses Switzerland "which has become the target of angry protests by European Union officials and sundry European politicians." Why? Because Switzerland has lower tax rates than other European states.

The most interesting part of the article, to me, discusses the morality and justice of taxes. The author, Samuel Gregg, went back to 16th century Spain to find a

rigorous discussion of the morality of tax-rates. This was sparked by rising taxation, currency debasements, and official state bankruptcies initiated by King Philip II as he struggled to suppress rebellion in the Netherlands and ward off threats to Spain’s world-wide empire.

The article continues:

Reacting to Spain’s subsequent impoverishment, Spanish theologians such as Pedro de Navarra insisted that it was not enough for governments to legislate a tax for it to be considered just. Tax-laws, they argued, must meet other criteria of justice. Was there a genuine need for a new tax? Were the proposed taxes proportionate and equitable? Were they moderate or excessive? The same scholars claimed that imposing taxes to support wasteful government expenditures was immoral, even tyrannical. In some cases, they added, people could rightly refuse to pay, especially when taxes were taking nations to the edge of financial ruin.

I remember some years ago a discussion on whether it was right for a Italian citizen not to pay his full taxes if the average taxpayer in the nation paid only 40, 50, or 60 percent of their total taxes. One Church moralist concluded that if the truthful taxpayer paid 100 percent when most other citizens paid only 50 percent on the average, then the noble taxpayer was being unfairly assessed his share of the tax burden. I don't remember how the debate ended, but the argument seemed logical to me.

Some will note that two wrongs don't make a right, even when it means honest people pay an inordinate share of taxes because of others' lies about their actual incomes. However, I believe the burden should be on the state to justly assess and then rightfully enforce the collection of taxes, rather than allowing some people to avoid paying what is due.

Or much better, the state should first reduce the tax rates before beginning real enforcement. Recovering the annual tax gap of over 300 billion dollars in the U.S. would mean that everyone would be assessed a fair share and most if not all of the budget deficit would disappear. [Of course, that would never happen because Congress is notorious for always looking at new ways to spend more money!]

Some years ago I served on a jury that decided on the merits of a civil lawsuit. The jury determined the plaintiff had exaggerated his claims. Moreover, evidence showed that he made significantly more money than he reported on his income tax form--leaving jurors wondering how much they could trust him (that and a few other things he said!) The jury finally recommended a settlement equivalent to what the insurance company had previously offered the plaintiff. In this case, the man's lies did not create an advantage for him and a disadvantage to the insurance company (and to insurance holders who would have had to pay higher rates). But the man cheated on his tax return, meaning the rest of us paid an unfair share of the total tax burden.

Since that time a burgeoning underground economy has arisen in which workers do not pay income taxes, mostly because they are paid in cash and do not report their income which is estimated at 1 trillion dollars a year. A recent and thorough analysis of the size and characteristics of the underground economy is found in a New Jersey news article published here. The article recognizes that the underground economy is firmly rooted in illegal immigration, yet presents a sympathetic view of the immigrants themselves. My own sympathy is with taxpayers who pay their 100 percent when others cheat and pay nothing. The increasing rate of non-compliance is very bad news for the future of our country, especially when combined with immoral assessment of taxes--as was discussed by the Spanish moralists of the 16th century.

St. Mark's Church -- Independence, MO

[This is the second post in a series to describe Masses celebrated in Catholic churches in Kansas City (both dioceses). The purpose is to assess the state of the Church in a variety of parishes with respect to the liturgy as it will be revised in the early 21st century. I will hold most of my comments until a later post.]

The facilities of St. Mark's Catholic Church are new and the semi-circular church is attached to a long hallway with very nice and spacious meeting rooms. In the front of the church, a large crucifix is mounted on the stone wall behind a white covered table. The tabernacle is located to the right against another wall, and the microphones for the musicians are located to the left side of the Church. The ceiling is a mixture of high cross beams at various angles, and perhaps distracted me from noticing whether there were any religious statues or pictures. Along the rear wall were small stations of the cross.

I estimated the church to be about 60 percent full at the 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, with about 350 people in attendance. The parish consists of 2,200 families and is served by a single priest who celebrates four weekend Masses. The attendees were virtually all white at the Mass I attended, with over half the people over 50 years old. Less than 20 children (14 and under) were present, and no babies in arms (< 18 months) were seen. A single large family with five children was observed in a front pew, but was the exception because other families had only one or two children. Most women wore pants and two women were observed to wear head coverings. Among those who were less than 50, blue jeans were common.

The 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass began with an elderly woman in a medium pink pant suit leading the singing of a song with multiple refrains of "Mercy" to piano accompaniment. Her fine voice was also to lead other parts of the sung liturgy. An elderly man read the Scriptures during Mass.

The older priest (I was later told he was a visitor) was assisted by two altar boys dressed in white cassocks, who sat to the right side of the white covered table but seemed to have few responsibilities. When the Mass began, the priest in his own words continued the call for mercy, but without saying the words "sin" or "God." The typical opening prayers appeared to be truncated, followed quickly by the prayer, "Lord, have mercy."

The devil's three temptations of Christ was the Gospel reading. The priest's homily began with a small joke, then quickly referred to temptation, sin, grace, and especially the need for repentance. The penances required by the old Church were mentioned, and were said not to get to the real meaning of Lent. The priest emphasized that it was REpentance that was needed. Except for necessary Catholic practices of becoming more generous and kind ("Ask your spouse what changes are needed!"), specific Catholic truths were not taught in the homily.

At the consecration of the wine into the Blood of Jesus, the priest used the words "for all," as the new revision to "for many" has yet to be implemented (to correspond with all extant translations of the Gospel). A very large circular white host was consecrated by the priest. A number of gold bowl-shaped vessels and chalices were on the table during the consecration, and were used by the lay distributors of communion.

People moved to shake hands with each other after the consecration, followed by nine people advancing to near the white covered table. These were the distributors of communion--six older women in pantsuits and three elderly men. After receiving communion from the priest, each lay distributor went to a planned station to distribute communion in the hand to the parishioners. Then a quiet time of about three minutes was provided to sit and meditate.

Following the meditation period, the pastor arrived in a black suit to make a significant number of announcements from the podium, including a request for new nominations to the parish council and to recruit more lectors and communion servers. New members of the parish council were asked to be "open-minded" and "listening" persons. The pastor was very personable and told a number of jokes during his announcements, including a story of having BBQ on the prior Friday during Lent (which made a fair number of parishioners gasp). The pastor continued and said he had been taught by another priest to bless the meat and convert it to fish. He ended by saying his meal was the best "fish" he had ever eaten (but the priest did not clarify whether this was a joke or not).

After Mass, almost all the people quickly left the church after Mass, but a few stayed to talk with each other, even though the outside hallway is very spacious. Two people appeared to stay to pray. The 8-page bulletin reveals that St. Mark's Catholic Church received contributions of $128K during the month of January 2007, with expenditures of $133K. These large collections indicate the older people in the parish are very generous. But when these people die, it appears collections will decline precipitously because there are so few children and young people who attend Sunday Mass.

The Principal is WRONG!

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- A Catholic school principal has organized sensitivity training for students who shouted, ''We love Jesus,'' at a basketball game against a school with Jewish students.... See the rest of the story here.

When someone shouts "We love Jesus" to anyone but other Catholics, then confront them with their disordered minds and brainwash them into being silent by "sensitivity training." Religious free speech in the U.S.? It no longer exists.

FSSP Mass in Kansas City, KS

[This is the first post in a series of generally describing Masses celebrated in Catholic churches in Kansas City (both dioceses). Most of the time, I'll focus on unusual stuff and the homily. I'll start with the Latin Mass Community of St. Philippine Duchesne (SPD) where the "Saint of the Party Animals" [my title] was the sermon.]

The two SPD Community Masses are offered by two chaplains of the FSSP at 6:30 and 11:00 a.m. every Sunday morning. Last Sunday, one priest offered Mass and the other heard confessions before and during Mass, except when both chaplains were needed to distribute Holy Communion. The 6:30 a.m. Mass is a shorter liturgy called the Low Mass. A slightly longer High Mass is offered at 11:00 a.m., with special opening prayers, entrance/exit processions, organ music, singing, additional prayers, incense, etc. I decided to attend the Low Mass early last Sunday morning.

Those who wanted to follow the Low Mass could pick up red booklets with side-by-side English translations of the Latin prayers said by the priest and the altar servers. However, it seemed many, if not most, people had their own large prayer books which they read silently before, during, and after Mass.

It's hard to believe the 6:30 a.m. Low Mass for Quinquagesima Sunday attracted a total of 12 altar boys dressed in black robes with white surplices. [Note: the High Mass a week later had 26 altar boys.] Many genuflections to the Blessed Sacrament were made by the altar boys who crossed repeatedly in front of the tabernacle as they helped to make the sanctuary ready. When the opening bells were rung, the priest and his entourage of 12 young servers entered the sanctuary. Two boys then stood, knelt, and genuflected at the side of the priest and prayed in Latin--apparently memorizing the prayers. Most of the time, the other boys quietly stood and knelt on both sides of the sanctuary, sort of like praying angels, I thought.

Latin was used for all the Mass prayers except for the repeating of the Epistle and the Gospel in English from the priest's podium. The sermon "Saint of the Party Animals" was then given and I have since learned that it was taken from The Story of Hermann Cohen by Fr. Tadgh Tierney, OCD.

After the sermon, more Latin prayers were said by the priest while the people read from their prayer books, and then the bells were rung for the holiest part of the Mass where the priest consecrated the bread and wine. At the consecration, bells were rung three times when the bread became the Body of Jesus Christ, and three times for the consecration of His blood.

The consecration is a very notable and reverent ceremony because of the deep bow of the priest, the bells, the slow raising of the chalice, the reverent genuflections by the priest and altar boys, an impressive silence, and reverent attention of the people. Actually, there seemed to be almost complete silence during the entire time I was in church, except for the priest's prayers and the occasional noises made by a few of the good number of small children attending this very early Sunday Mass. Personally, I found the silence helpful in praying.

Holy Communion was distributed to kneeling parishioners by the two priests, except for a couple of older people with walkers who stood for Communion. It appeared almost everyone in church went to Holy Communion. People returned to their pews, knelt down, and appeared to be praying. They finally stood when the opening verses of St. John's Gospel were read at the end of Mass, in Latin. Everyone genuflected when the Gospel said Jesus descended to be born on earth. After the Mass concluded, the priest led more prayers at the foot of the altar, including "Hail, Holy Queen," another prayer asking God to protect the Church, the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, and three "Lord, have Mercy's".

What was most impressive was to see the priest leave the sanctuary with his altar boys after Mass was concluded--and almost no one in the church moved for a couple of minutes! Continuing to pray, the people individually left the church once they had finished praying. Finally, I did not observe any talking in the church, even after Mass ended.

What's the Best Thing....?

What's the best thing God ever did for you? I'd like to hear some stories from readers. Here are some of my answers--Yes, God has done so many things for me I shout for joy at his extreme generosity. He has given me:

• Wonderful parents, including a mother who continues to inspire me with her many examples of selflessness, patience, and strong faith
• Intelligence and good health, some of which I've used well and some not so well
• A small defect that kept me from becoming even more proud
• A great Catholic husband, who takes seriously his duty to get his wife to heaven!
• Children and grandchildren who are practicing Catholics
• Several traditional Catholic communities from which to choose in Kansas City

God has always answered my prayers, in His time and in His will. So many gifts God has given me that they are uncountable. Yet two stories need to be briefly told. Many years ago, some of us prolifers tried to battle the forces of Satan on their turf within the women's liberation movement. I remember praying very hard in a long car drive that we be allowed to succeed and in most ways, we did. It seemed almost impossible, but the women's liberation movement had a serious setback.

The second gift from God was much more personal and awe inspiring. A close relative had two serious diseases, one indicating certain death of the soul and the other indicating certain death of the body. Yet God permitted both diseases to progress to a very, very happy ending. I've written up the story in detail, but the person involved is still reluctant for me to tell it.

The story involves the devil, St. Therese of the Little Flower (yes, she sent roses just as she promised), and the special protection of a relic of the Cross of Jesus held in the most beautiful reliquary I've seen outside a museum. All kinds of God-sent blessings came during the events which resulted in the turning of a person who was the most selfish individual I've ever met to the most considerate and loving Catholic person less than six months later. And the miracles have lasted for over 20 years. Thanks be to God for all his blessings!

Back to the Church of the 60's

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! THE DAM IS BUSTED!

My husband found two small metal file cases in the 'dungeon' below and asked whether I wanted to review (and toss!?) the contents. One of the boxes contained a study outline for a course I attended at our Catholic parish in about 1964-65. "Dogma #101" was prepared by Rev. Richard Smith, S.J., with notes and edits by five nuns identified either as "O.P." or "Ad.PP.S." [O.P. refers to Dominicans, but I wonder if the second order wasn't a casualty of post Vatican II trauma. [See list of religious order abbreviations.]

Does the mid 1960's mimeographed course on Dogma show signs of the future weakening and undermining of Catholic beliefs in the next four decades? Here is what I found.

The first eight tightly spaced pages offer a rather detailed discussion of "Comparative Religions." I remember the course spent a lot of time on the "eleven great religions of the world," and this is confirmed because these pages have the most notes added while the course was being given in the mid 60's. The next three sections are entitled "Nature of Theology" (still lots of notes), "Revelation" (only a few notes), and "Supernatural Truths--Mysteries of Christianity (no notes).

The remaining sections of the 77-page course handout contain virtually none of my notes, except those surrounding a pictorial representation on page 24 of the locations of Sheol and the Bosom of Abraham. The diagram uses the following captions: earth, Sheol, water, firmament, sluice gates, snow, wind, and eternal mountains. Apparently we spent a lot of time discussing this clearly erroneous viewpoint of people who lived hundreds of year before Jesus Christ, just as we spent a lot of time reviewing the beliefs of the "eleven great religions of the world."

Apparently we never got to the section on the number of souls saved compared with those who are not saved. This section concludes that "the majority of Catholics will save their souls....in general Protestants, orthodox and etc,, they too will save their souls." [Perhaps the chances were a little better in the early 60's--I'd hate to hear the same statement today when so many Catholics miss Sunday/weekend Mass, rarely go to confession, don't understand basic principles of their faith, regularly fornicate before marriage, etc.]

As the course continued into a discussion of "Sin of the first man," various theological questions are brought up on original sin, concluding with :

So the total result of human nature being subject to original sin is that man is completely helpless. [yes] He still has the supernatural goal, yet no forces of personality in himself that can get him one single bit closer to it. This seems to be a strange position. A goal, yet helpless to achieve it. [Not quite. Even though this is the end of the discussion on original sin, where is a discussion of Baptism?]

My comment after finding this theology course outline in 2007: If we only had had foresight in the mid 60's, rather than the hindsight of today.

I VOTED !

HERE

Dominican Nuns on TV

I was pleasantly surprised this Sunday evening by the national NBC News report on the Dominican nuns of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Apparently this convent has grown from 4 nuns to over 70. They even play soccer dressed in traditional habits. Also take a look at their web site--the sisters are pretty good at proselytizing using modern media.

The Bunnies, the Fox, and the Circus

Here's a story I made up and told to some of my grandchildren about three weeks ago.....
{bunny drawing by Donald Brown}

Under a large oak tree lived a family of bunnies—Daddy Bunny, Mommy Bunny, and five little bunnies. Daddy had made sure that his family was safe by building their home under the tangled roots of the tree. Mommy Bunny had made it a very nice home, and the little bunnies lived there happily.

When the bunnies were hungry, Daddy Bunny stood outside the hole and watched for the fox while the little bunnies ate grass and other good things. If the fox came near, Daddy Bunny would quickly call for the little bunnies to run and go down the hole into their house.

Foxey, the fox, also had a home under a large rock on the next hill. He lived in the den with his Mother who was getting old, so Foxey had to find food and bring it home for her to eat. Recently Foxey had been able to bring home some fresh young chickens from Farmer Brown’s yard, but now Farmer Brown was carrying a shotgun during the day and Foxey was scared to get too close to Farmer Brown’s house and yard.

Foxey and his mother were getting very hungry, but the only food Foxey had been able to find were black beetles under a rotten log. He started grumbling about how his stomach hurt and his Mother said, “Foxey, why don’t you try to catch some bunnies? I know there are bunnies on the edge of the forest near the big oak tree and they would taste really good.”

Foxey sadly replied, “I’ve tried to catch them, but they run too fast and escape into their hole. I can’t dig them out because the tree roots get in the way.”

“You’ve got to be a smart fox and use your head, Foxey,” said Mother Fox. “Trick them into going further from their hole and you’ll bring us home a nice bunny dinner.”

So that evening, Foxey decided to go back to Farmer Brown’s place. He knew Farmer Brown’s chickens were locked in the chicken house for the night and Farmer Brown had gone to bed without his shotgun by his side. This time, Foxey did not want chickens, he wanted something else.

Farmer Brown had built a fence around his new garden that protected his new carrots and lettuce from bunnies who love vegetables. But Foxey was bigger and stronger than the bunnies and easily jumped over the garden fence. He began to gather dozens of new young carrots.

Then he went under the moonlight to the big oak tree where the bunnies were sleeping deep in the hole in the ground. Foxey put a few carrots around the hole—just enough to tantalize the young bunnies. He saved the nicest looking carrots to make a path of carrots away from the hole and down a path to some bushes.

The next morning, Foxey hid himself under a large green bush and close to the trail of carrots. Sure enough, the little bunnies came out of the hole and their Daddy watched them play and eat grass for breakfast. It took less than a minute before the little carrots were discovered. “Daddy, Daddy, it rained carrots last night!” said one of the little bunnies.”

“Oh, they taste so good!” said the oldest bunny. Even though his mouth was almost packed with carrots, he was eager to find more. Seeing the bright orange carrot trail leading down the path, the young bunny started picking up the wonderful food as he got further and further from his hole.

Then he heard his Daddy yell, “Run! Run! The fox! Hurry!”

All the little bunnies were good bunnies who knew they had to obey Daddy immediately, and they hopped quickly toward the hole, with Foxey right behind the young bunny who had followed the carrot trail. Foxey’s mouth was wide open to grab the bunny, but he hopped down the hole and disappeared right before Foxey’s mouth closed. That night the Bunny family was very thankful that all their children were alive. And the littlest bunny who was sometimes disobedient, now knew how important it was to obey his Daddy.

Foxey was tired and discouraged. He knew Mother Fox would be very unhappy that there was no food today. As he walked back to his den, he saw a piece of colored paper that had been blown by the wind and was now caught in the deep grass. Foxey read the advertisement, “Circus Comes to Town -- Clowns, Trapeze Artists, Elephants, Trick Horses, …” The piece of paper said the circus started tomorrow.

Foxey knew he would not be able to go to the circus. First of all, foxes were not welcome at the circus. Second, he didn’t have any money. But Foxey had what he thought was a smart idea. He took a few hairs off his long bushy tail and with some black oil found under an old car, he carefully printed new words at the top of the paper. Now the top of the advertisement said, “FREE TICKETS FOR BUNNIES.”

Later that night, Foxey took the circus advertisement and tacked it to a tree near the Bunny hole. Then he went home and told his Mother about his plans. Actually, Foxey had two plans. He would first try to catch the bunnies as they left their home to go to the circus, but if that plan failed, he would go to the circus and grab the bunnies there.

When Foxey told his mother his plans, she replied, “I’d better make you a special costume for you to use if you go to the circus. How would you like to be a clown?” So Foxey’s mother sewed all night long to make a clown outfit for Foxey to wear at the circus. It was a beautiful costume with pink and red and orange stripes. There was even a place in the back to hide Foxey’s long bushy tail and a giant green and yellow hat. Foxey decided to take some paint with him to paint his face, and some tape to hold his ears down. Then he went to the Bunny hole to wait until the sun came up.

Sure enough, the next morning, the bunnies came out of their hole and saw the sign. “Daddy, Daddy, Look! We can go to the circus for free! And the circus is today. Please take us, Daddy,” pleaded the little bunnies.

Daddy Bunny thought a little bit and decided that the circus was a really good idea because it would be fun for his children and besides, it didn’t cost any money for bunnies. He lined up all his children near the hole and told them, “Listen to your Mommy and me because we have to be careful not to be caught by the fox. We are going by a secret way to the circus.”

“Which way?” said the oldest bunny who had almost been caught and eaten by the fox while picking up carrots.

“Down by the railroad tracks, there is a tunnel into town and the fox can’t catch us there. The tunnel ends where the circus tents are located,” said Daddy Bunny. “Get ready, kids. We’re going to the circus today!” And all the bunnies jumped down their hole to get ready.

Mommy Bunny dressed all her little bunnies in nice clean clothes. Within a few minutes the bunnies hopped out of their secret second hole (which the fox did not know about). Down they hopped to the railroad tracks and the tunnel to go to the circus.

After the bunnies had seen the advertisement posted on the tree and gone down into their home to change clothes, Foxey continued to watch the hole to the Bunny home. He thought, “Now I’ll catch a bunny or two when they leave their home to go to the circus.” Foxey waited and waited and waited, but no bunnies came out again. Finally, Foxey began to look carefully on the back side of the old oak tree. When he saw the secret second hole to the Bunny home, he knew he had been fooled. Foxey took off running as fast as he could toward town and the circus tents because he knew that’s where the bunnies were going.

The little bunnies had a good time hopping through the tunnel by the railroad tracks. They quickly learned not to jump too high because their heads would hit the top of the tunnel. “Ouch,” said the oldest bunny who was also the tallest. Soon all the bunnies arrived at the end of the tunnel and saw the circus tents.

“Look, Daddy! See, Mommy! The elephants are going into the biggest tent. We’re going to be late!” The Bunny family quickly hopped to follow the elephants into the big tent. They found a place to sit below the front row seats and began to watch the circus.

Foxey ran very, very fast to reach the circus. He saw clowns come out of a small tent and walk over to the biggest tent where there was a lot of noise and cheering. “That must be where the circus is,” thought Foxey. “I’d better get dressed in my clown outfit before I go to the circus in the big tent.”

Foxey quickly put on the beautiful clown costume Mother Fox had made, hid his tail, painted his face, and taped his ears down. Foxey looked at a mirror and saw he looked like a real clown. “I’ve always wanted to be a clown,” thought Foxey. “But I’m so hungry, I’m going to get a bunny to eat first!”

Little children at the circus began to look at the new clown that had just entered the big tent. Foxey decided to dance on his hind legs. The children laughed, and Foxey picked up a ball and started to juggle and sing. Pretty soon, he found an old shoe and a rotten apple, and began to do all kinds of tricks to make the children laugh. The children applauded and laughed as Foxey used all of his imagination to be a funny clown.

But Foxey was hungry for those bunnies. He saw them sitting under the first row seats on the other side of the tent, so he began to do more tricks as he danced his way nearer and nearer the bunnies. All the children were laughing and clapping at Foxey as he twirled and juggled, getting closer and closer to the bunnies.

From high on the trapeze, two acrobats were swinging back and forth. One of them said to the other, “I don’t remember that clown, do you?”

“No,” said the second acrobat, “but he’s really good at making the kids laugh.”

Just then Foxey twirled in the air and caught the rotten apple in the old shoe. He put the old shoe on his foot and everybody laughed more as the apple got squashed. But all the twirling and dancing had caused Foxey’s costume to come apart in the back.

“Look,” said one of the acrobats. “That’s not a clown! That’s a fox! See his long bushy tail! And he’s moving closer to those bunnies. He’s going to eat them!”

“Let’s go!” said the other acrobat on the trapeze at the top of the tent. The two acrobats grabbed a trapeze bar and swung down from their trapeze. One of them grabbed Foxey by his legs and swung him up in the air.

Foxey screamed, and the children laughed more and more. The two trapeze acrobats began to toss Foxey back and forth between them and Foxey was as scared as he ever was in his whole life. Everyone in the circus tent thought this was a wonderful show. Finally, Foxey was tossed way up and turned several sommersaults in the air before he landed on the net. He was so dizzy, he could not think or run.

The audience clapped and clapped for Foxey the clown and the trapeze star. Even the little bunnies applauded, although Daddy Bunny said, “I’d think it’s time to go home.”

“Take a bow,” said the two trapeze acrobats who landed on the net next to Foxey. He bowed shakily and then they helped him out of the net where Foxey took another big bow and reeeived a lot more applause, especially from the children.

“You’re a very good clown,” said the Ringmaster who had walked over to meet Foxey. “I especially like your costume. Would you like a job working for my circus?” he asked Foxey.

Foxey saw the bunnies hopping out of the tent and realized his bunny dinner was gone again.

“Let’s talk about your salary over dinner,” said the Ringmaster. “I’m sure we can pay you enough to make you interested in becoming a clown with our circus.”

“Dinner! Yes, I’d love to talk with you at dinner,” said Foxey hungrily.

Foxey had a wonderful dinner with all kinds of great food, but he started thinking about his mother. “Mother Fox made my costume,” answered Foxey to the Ringmaster’s question.

“Well, we need a good seamstress to make and repair the costumes that are needed by people in our circus,” said the Ringmaster. “Do you think your mother would like to have a job sewing circus clothes?”

“Do you mind if I take the dinner leftovers home and ask her?” said Foxey.

“Go ahead, take all the extra food left on the table,” said the Ringmaster. “Just come back tomorrow and tell me if you and your mother want to work for the circus.”

When Foxey came home to his den, Mother Fox was waiting hungrily. She listened to Foxey’s story and saw all the good food he had brought. When she had eaten all of it, she realized that cooked dinners were far better than eating raw chickens and rabbits and (ugh!) beetles from under rotten logs.

The next morning, Foxey and his mother left their den for the last time to live with the circus. That is where you can find them today, in their own fancy tent. Foxey is now a great clown who loves to entertain children, and Mother Fox sews all the costumes for the circus. They eat better than they ever have in their whole lives.

By the way, the little bunnies play safely every day near their big oak tree without being scared of being eaten by Foxey. They now have a wonderful life.

Choosing a Good Choice

Most people like choice--whether it's to select the color of their clothes, the style of their hairdo, the type of food they eat, the time they wake up and go to sleep, or any of a hundred and one choices made during each day. It's too bad that those who want to be able to kill babies in the womb have chosen to identify themselves with the word, pro-choice.

Christianity is built on choice, as witness the beginning words of the Didache, the first Christian catechism.

There are two ways [to choose], one of life and one of death, but a great difference between the two ways. The way of life, then, is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, love your neighbor as yourself, and do not do to another what you would not want done to you.

Jesus didn't force anyone to follow Him; rather He let people choose. Jesus' listeners could either believe him and follow him, or reject his teachings and walk away. The 6th Chapter of the Gospel of John is probably the best example of Jesus allowing his disciples to choose to reject His teaching when they couldn't understand how he could give them His body to eat. John 6:67 notes, "After this many of his disciples went back; and walked no more with him."

As in the time of Jesus, the Church doesn't control our actions with a police state. The Church teaches us and tries to persuade us, giving us solid arguments why we should be moral and charitable individuals. The Church guides people by clearly explaining the laws of God, so that there is no question of which way is good and which way is bad.

Choice can lead to very bad things--like abortion or rejecting Jesus' teachings to fall into sin and ultimately into hell. On the other side, choice can result in much good including the reward of a clear conscience and ultimately heaven, especially when God's way of life is difficult and requires self-discipline and sacrifice.

Weigh all things and choose that which is good. Lastly, be aware that LOVE can be evil when we love the wrong thing. Misguided love is represented by love of someone else's wife and goods, love of money, love of sinful pleasures, etc. Anyone who is confused on what is love should review C.S. Lewis' "The Four Loves".

Lives of Wasted or Misspent Time

Each one of us has times in the past which we regret. I remember a good priest wistfully telling us that if only he had let the Blessed Virgin Mary have her way completely, that he could have accomplished so much more. He seemed quite sorry that it took most of his life to find this out.

Do you have a similar regret? My regret is that about twenty years ago, I believed God was telling me that I should quit paid work and do more as a volunteer for His causes. I didn't say 'no' to God, I just told him 'wait...' It was a wrong decision, because pretty soon He quit asking. At the time of my final judgment, I'm sure He will let me fully understand the consequences of not immediately saying 'yes'.

It's always good to ask God for His direction in our lives. But it is even more important to take it when He offers guidance.