A Catholic Blog for Lovers |
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A celebration of beauty, truth, and goodness, and, of course, love...and perhaps a little nastiness 
My Buddy, ONION"I agree with about 99% of what you blog" Johannes Paulus II "This is my favorite blog and wish it were mandatory reading for all" Joseph Ratzinger "I even read your blog from heaven" Mother Teresa "I wish I were alive to publish every word you write in The Catholic Worker" Dorothy Day A Catholic Page for Lovers Praise of Glory *Great* Books Center Some Catholic Blogs: "St Blog's" MY BLOG HOMEPAGE email Gerard N.B. Many of the images posted will be removed after a few weeks; the text will remain as is. Archives 
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Saturday, June 07, 2003
A NEW PENTECOST On the Vigil of Pentecost, 1998, there was an historic gathering in Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican - hundreds of thousands of members of the "new communities" gathered with the Pope to testify, share the joy of faith, and pray for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Now, even as then, this seems to me a most important "moment" in the Church's journey - where these new communities, so vibrant, so filled with hope (yet not without problems!), were invited even deeper into the very heart of the Church. For me, it is credit to the profound pastoral vision of this Pope to see the workings of God and to "tap into" the enthusiasm and youthfulness of spirit of these new communities. I think these movements and communities bode well for the future of the Church (even as they bear rich fruit now as well). These movements are not without their critics, some strident even. But then what of value is not without criticism (and even jealously at times)? Here is the concluding words of the Pope during that Vigil (which I was privileged to watch on EWTN): Today, from this upper room in St. Peter's Square, a great prayer rises: Come, Holy Spirit, come and renew the face of the earth! Come with your seven gifts! Come, Spirit of Life, Spirit of Communion and Love! The Church and the world need you. Come, Holy Spirit, and make ever more fruitful the charisms you have bestowed on us. Give new strength and missionary zeal to these sons and daughters of yours who have gathered here. Open their hearts; renew their Christian commitment to the world. Make them courageous messengers of the Gospel, witnesses to the risen Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and Savior of man. Strengthen their love and their fidelity to the Church. Let us turn our gaze to Mary, Christ's first disciple, Spouse of the Holy Spirit and Mother of the Church, who was with the Apostles at the first Pentecost, so that she will help us to learn from her fiat docility to the voice of the Spirit. Today, from this square, Christ says to each of you: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation" (Mk 16:15). He is counting on every one of you, and so is the Church. "Lo", the Lord promises, "I am with you always to the close of the age" (Mt 28:20).  AVE MARIA by Franz Biebl It's hard for me to believe I just recently discovered Biebl's "Ave Maria". It is gorgeous! I heard it for the first time at the cathedral in Seattle just before taking my recent cruise to Alaska. It brought tears to my eyes (not a hard thing to do, by the way). Perhaps one reason I haven't know of it is that Franz Biebl is still living, I believe, and thus it may have been written not terribly long ago (though it is classical in style with modern touches). I have put a version of it on my website (along with Mozart's "Ave Verum") and you can hear it at: "AVE MARIA" I'd love to know what you think of it. Ave Maria! Psychological Study of the Mentality of Jewish Children This amazing "study" is presented without giving even the name of the researcher. So much for scientific studies and verifiable data. Pathetic. (And sadly some of the ugly sentiments might well reflect the attitudes of Arab children if they listen to the ravings of some of the immans at Friday mosque about the Jews). Encyclopaedia of American Religion From the Evangelical Times, UK The Washington Times has reviewed a new edition of the Encyclopaedia of American Religion . The edition, authored by J. Gordon Melton, shows just how literally Americans take their freedom of religion. The review reveals a bewildering array of religious groups in America. The Roman Catholic Church may be huge, but it is only one among 116 Catholic denominations. Orthodox Christians have an even higher total, and Protestantism is notoriously splintered; its Pentecostal segment alone counts groups by the hundreds. All tastes There is a denomination for practically everyone. If the Episcopal Church will not do, worshippers can move leftward into the Metaphysical Episcopal Church or Free Episcopal Church or rightward into dozens of breakaways like the Anglican Mission in America. Does Unitarianism seem too conventional? The denomination offers a subgroup of Unitarian Universalist Pagans. Moving further from the mainstream, there is always the Church of God Anonymous, the Nudist Christian Church of the Blessed Virgin Jesus, or the Only Fair Religion. All these are among the 2,630 U.S. and Canadian faith groups described by Mr Melton, a one-time United Methodist pastor, who treats each entry objectively. The total includes ecumenical organizations, loosely knit movements and defunct faiths. But most are still-existing denominations with distinct flocks. Mr Melton places religions into 26 'families' and then breaks those down into subcategories. Among religions difficult to classify are the eight that practise drug use, 22 that believe in UFOs, including the Raelians at the centre of the recent human-cloning claims, and 12 mail-order religions that dispense instant clergy credentials or divinity degrees. Adept For over forty years the author has compiled data on more creeds than anyone knew existed. He is especially adept at tracking obscure, smaller groups and takes pride in discovering religions that practise rigorous secrecy, such as the Kennedy Worshippers, who have made the late US president into a divinity, and the Two-by-Twos, a network of nomadic evangelists. Others Melton mentions: All-One-God-Faith Inc. is simply a soap company that spreads its eclectic doctrines through the labels of its products. The Church of the New Song (Bluffs, Illinois) recruits prison inmates and once claimed porterhouse steaks and Harvey's Bristol Cream to be its communion elements. The Embassy of Heaven considers all earthly governments illegitimate and takes the logical step of issuing its own car licence plates. The author believes that the United States is the most religiously diverse nation in the world, especially since immigration laws were loosened in 1965, though Europe as a whole, he feels, is comparable. Christianity is the biggest single element: 70 per cent of Americans belong to 'some brand of Christian church'. The latest encyclopaedia, in its seventh edition, has about 250 groups newly listed since the 1999 version. Evangelicals are hereby reminded that there is a vast chasm between 'religion' and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Did you know... That in Croatia the vernacular - or a form of it (Old Slavonic) - was used for the Mass (even the Canon I believe) for centuries before Vatican II? I believe this was the only exception to the use of Latin in the entire Roman Rite Catholic Church. (Though I suspect there are readers of this blog who know a lot more about this than I do). Pope in Croatia  OSIJEK, Croatia (AP) - Urging believers to help heal the wounds of war, Pope John Paul II brought a message of reconciliation Saturday to a corner of Croatia still embittered by fighting in the 1990s. The 83-year-old pope, midway through a strength-sapping 100th foreign pilgrimage, also was reaching out to leaders of the Orthodox church as part of his efforts to thaw a millennium of mutual distrust between the two major branches of Christianity. Relations between Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians have often been tense in Eastern Europe, where the Vatican is seen as seeking to expand its influence in traditionally Orthodox lands. Last year, the pope reached out to Orthodox leaders in a visit to Bulgaria... The Novena to the Holy Spirit Preparing for Pentecost  Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. Veni Creator Spiritus translated by Richard Dryden CREATOR SPIRIT, by whose aid The world’s foundations first were laid, Come, visit every pious mind; Come, pour thy joys on human kind; From sin and sorrow set us free, And make thy temples worthy thee. O source of uncreated light, The Father’s promised Paraclete, Thrice holy fount, thrice holy fire, Our hearts with heavenly love inspire; Come, and thy sacred unction bring To sanctify us while we sing. Plenteous of grace, descend from high, Rich in thy sevenfold energy; Thou strength of his almighty hand, Whose power does heaven and earth command, Proceeding Spirit, our defence, Who dost the gift of tongues dispense, And crown’st thy gift with eloquence. Refine and purge our earthy parts, But O, inflame and fire our hearts, Our frailties help, our vice control; Submit the senses to the soul, And, when rebellious they are grown, Then lay thy hand, and hold them down. Chase from our minds the infernal foe, And peace, the fruit of love, bestow; And, lest our feet should step astray, Protect and guide us in the way; Make us eternal truths receive And practise all that we believe Give us thyself, that we may see The Father and the Son by thee. Immortal honour, endless fame, Attend the Almighty Father’s name: The Saviour Son be glorified, Who for lost man’s redemption died; And equal adoration be, Eternal Paraclete, to thee. Friday, June 06, 2003
Today in Church history June 7, 1099: The First Crusade reaches Jerusalem. June 7, 1502: Ugo Buoncompagni is born in Bologna. As Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585), he issued the Gregorian calendar, supported the Inquisition, promoted the Counter-Reformation, and encouraged missions. June 7, 1891: English Baptist Charles H. Spurgeon, who preached to (on average) 6,000 people at each of his services, delivers his last sermon at London's Metropolitan Tabernacle. Nice to read... These words in John Allen's latest Word from Rome (I have seen John "mellow" over the years and grow in his appreciation of this Pope and even - gasp! - Cardinal Ratzinger): "As I’ve written before, the sex abuse crisis has produced a climate in which it’s fashionable to bash “clerical culture,” as if the only personality types Catholic seminaries produced over the last four decades are sexually abusive priests and “hear no evil, see no evil” bishops. It’s just not so. Many of the most generous, most honorable, brightest and most committed people I’ve ever met are Catholic priests, and I cannot believe they are exceptions to a dysfunctional norm. The evening in San Jose renewed my conviction that the Catholic priesthood in the United States, despite all its well-documented challenges, is still one of the Church’s great resources." Thank God for EWTN  Watching the Mass of beatification celebrated by the Pope in beautiful Dubrovnik, Croatia. To think: I can watch it because of a (feisty) nun in Alabama! Amazing! Deo gratias! Young European evangelists seeking to turn back the tide of secularism have targeted four capitals Good news for Europe, once such a bastion of faith and now so secularized and drifiting farther and farther away from its own history and roots - with some blessed exceptions here and there. This effort is small in comparison to the need; but it is good and praiseworthy and worthy of our prayers. Some of the "new communities" are signs of hope, such as Emmanuel, which spearheaded this evangelism in Vienna (I'd love to visit that fabled city!). These new communities seem to transcend the "problems" and carry on the work of sanctification and fulfill their mission with a measure of joy and serenity. They do not keep pointing to the problems ad nauseam (as if they are the "reformers" of the Church) but focus on personal reformation and focus on Christ the LORD and live in the Holy Spirit. As befits lovers! Veni Sancte Spiritus! The Novena to the Holy Spirit Preparing for Pentecost  Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. A Prayer by Saint Alphonsus Liguori: Most Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, Father of the poor, Comforter of the afflicted, Light of hearts, Sanctifier of souls; behold me prostrate in Thy presence. I adore Thee with profoundest homage: I bless Thee a thousand times, and with the Seraphim who stand before Thy throne, I also say: "Holy, holy, holy." I firmly believe that Thou art eternal, consubstantial with the Father and the Divine Son. I hope in Thy goodness that Thou wilt deign to save and sanctify my soul. I love Thee, 0 Divine Love, with all my affections above all the things of this world, because Thou art Infinite Goodness, alone worthy of all love. And since in my ingratitude and blindness to Thy holy inspirations, I have so often offended Thee by my sins, with tears in my eyes I beg Thy pardon a thousand times, and am more sorry for having offended Thee, the Sovereign Good, than for any other evil. I offer Thee this most cold heart of mine, and I pray Thee to pierce it with a ray of Thy light, and with a spark of Thy fire, which shall melt the hard ice of my iniquities. Thou who didst fill the soul of the most holy Mary with immense graces, and didst inflame the hearts of the Apostles with holy zeal, inflame, I beseech Thee, my heart also with Thy love. Thou art the Divine Spirit; give me courage against all evil spirits. Thou art Fire; enkindle in me Thy love. Thou art Light; enlighten my mind with the knowledge of eternal things. Thou art the Dove; give me innocence of life. Thou art the gentle Breeze; disperse the storms of my passions. Thou art the Tongue; teach me how to bless Thee always. Thou art the Cloud; shelter me under the shadow of Thy protection. And lastly, Thou art the Giver of all heavenly gifts; animate me, I beseech Thee, with Thy grace; sanctify me with Thy charity; enlighten me with Thy wisdom; adopt me by Thy goodness as Thy son, and save me in Thy infinite mercy; so that I may ever bless Thee, praise Thee, and love Thee; first during this life on earth, and then in heaven for all eternity. Amen. Today in Church history June 6, 1654: Christina, Queen of Sweden, abdicates her throne and joins the Catholic Church. She spent the rest of her life engaged in religious thought (though she twice attempted to resume the crown). Weigel tells US Catholic press to focus on good news "Papal biographer and commentator George Weigel has challenged Catholic journalists to focus on a series of underreported church trends that he said illustrate the great vitality of US Catholicism today. Weigel told 300 members of the Catholic Press Association at their annual convention in Atlanta last week that by reporting on such issues as the grass-roots renewal of devotional piety and the growth of Catholicism in the South, the current time of crisis might be turned into "a time of conversion and evangelical opportunity" for the church. Other underreported trends, he said, include the recent growth in Catholic intellectual life, the potential impact of the "Catechism of the Catholic Church," new ecumenical alliances between Catholics and evangelical Protestants, and efforts to promote a "reform of the reform" of liturgical norms since the Second Vatican Council." - Catholic News Service Thursday, June 05, 2003
Priest suspended after defying Church rules on Communion The German priest, Father Bernhard Kroll, who defied Vatican orders and served communion at a joint service with Protestants held last weekend in connection with the ecumenical conference in Berlin has been suspended. Kroll, 42, is forbidden from celebrating the sacraments during the suspension. - Information gleaned from Catholic Nexus VOTF and OCL meeting in Boston yesterday According to news reports Voice of the Faithful and Orthodox Christian Laity were to meet in Boston yesterday, June 4, to share experiences, etc. I have not seen any info on this meeting, and would appreciate any pointers to find out more. Thanks. From the news release: May 20, 2003 (OCL) -- Members of the Board of Directors of Voice of the Faithful and Orthodox Christian Laity will meet in Boston on June 4, 2003. The purpose of the meeting is to share insight and experiences concerning the laity’s role in the life and governance of both Christian communities. Voice of the Faithful was founded last year by Catholic laity concerned about Hierarchy’s failure to confront openly and effectively the issues of child abuse and other administrative problems. Orthodox Christian Laity was formed in 1989 because of similar concerns of mismanagement in a wide range of matters and the growing marginalization of the laity in church life. The representatives of these two independent lay movements will exchange views about their respective experiences and explore opportunities for future cooperation which will benefit the Roman Catholic and Orthodox faithful in America. Welcome to St Blog's A Plumline in the Wind - Henry Dieterich Catholicism Anew Being Quite Earnest -Mike Gerardi What's Brewing? - Jennifer S Vociferous Yawpings The The Kingfisher's Wing - Chris Building Zion - Crystal Frazer Philemon's Problem Did I start a trend????? Looks like not only the Ecumenical Patriarch but now even the Pope has followed in my footsteps (or wheel marks)....  Priorities of La Madre, Doctor of the Church "The position of a convent is so important that it would be madness to worry about the cost. For a river and view I would be very glad elsewhere to give far more than this convent cost." - Teresa of Avila  Birthday To those who are wishing me a "belated" Happy Birthday - fear not. I celebrate not only my Birthday (June 4) but my Birthmonth! Definitely the way to go..... The Novena to the Holy Spirit Preparing for Pentecost  Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. From a Novena to the Holy Spirit by Saint Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein): Are you the sweet song of love And of holy awe That eternally resounds around the triune throne, That weds in itself the clear chimes of each and every being? The harmony, That joins together the members to the Head, In which each one Finds the mysterious meaning of his being blessed And joyously surges forth, Freely dissolved in your surging: Holy Spirit eternal jubilation! The Pope's Pastoral Visit to Croatia The 100th Pastoral Visit outside Italy  Pope John Paul II, will arrive in Croatia on June 5, for a third pastoral visit. Statistics show that with the Croatia trip the Pope will have travelled 720,800 miles which was nearly 30 times the circumference of the Earth and more than three times the distance between the Earth and moon. - Reuters - Jun 04 11:13 AM Commentary: Crossing the Tiber WASHINGTON, June 4 (UPI) - This coming Pentecost Sunday, the Rev. Leonard Klein will celebrate the birthday of the Christian Church for the last time as a Lutheran pastor. He will stand in the magnificent chancel of Christ Church in York, Pa., consecrating the Eucharist as he has done for the past 22 years. The next time he will say mass at this "lovely feast," as Goethe called Pentecost, will be in perhaps three or four years' time - as a Roman Catholic priest, and a married one at that. Klein is "crossing the Tiber," as Lutheran and Anglican clergymen call the conversion of their many colleagues to the Church of Rome. Pastors and priests from these two liturgical denominations go this route with increasing frequency - usually in despair over what they consider the slide of their previous spiritual homes into apostasy... Klein, who will convert with his wife and his daughter, is not just any minister. He was the editor of "Lutheran Forum", a feisty highbrow journal defending faithfulness to Scripture and the 16th-century confessions against his denomination's kowtows to secular fads, which currently focus on the question of whether non-celibate homosexuals should be ordained and whether the Church should bless same-sex unions..." Today in Church history June 5, 754: Boniface, monk and bishop, Apostle of Germany, martyred along with 52 members of his flock. June 5, 988 (traditional date): Rus's Grand Prince Vladimir orders his people to be baptized into the Orthodox Christian faith. He personally oversaw the baptism of the majority of the population of Kiev, the capital of his realm. June 5, 1191: England's Richard I (the Lion-hearted) of England sets sail for Muslim-controlled Acre in the Third Crusade. After helping Philip II, king of France, capture the city, Richard took Jaffa and negotiated Christian access to Jerusalem, also Muslim-controlled. June 5, 1305: Bertrand de Got, who as Pope Clement V (1305-1314) moved the seat of papal power to Avignon, France, is born in Villandraut, France. Wednesday, June 04, 2003
A good day As some know today is my 60th birthday (thanks to all who sent greetings, especially those who added their comments to the blurb in today's "Today in Church history"). It was a good day. I was, from awakening until now just before retiring, grateful for the gift of life, for those who gave me life, nurtured me, and have supported me step by step for so many years now. Grateful to be alive! (I didn't think I'd make it to 60). And, to make it better, I share this with my wonderful twin sister, Peggy. This evening some friends took me out for an all-you-can-eat crab feast in a nice spot on the east side of town. I have often said about Baltimore: I want to live on the west side (I do) but I want to eat on the east side! Those who know Baltimore know what I mean, I hope. Ah, all the crab soup and ear of corn and delicious hush puppies as well as blue crabs dumped out on the paper covered table with mallets and the piles of empty shells! It doesn't get much better (and messier) than this. And with good and loyal friends. Then a stop off at "Mr G's" - an ice cream joint where the small cone is bigger than a child's head (and that's how it was described once in the Baltimore Sun). And then home to ONION - well, it just doesn't get much better, OK. Thank You, God of life and love! Have mercy and bless us all. Good night. Kingdom’s Leading Executioner Says: ‘I Lead a Normal Life’ — Saudi Arabia’s leading executioner Muhammad Saad Al-Beshi will behead up to seven people in a day. “It doesn’t matter to me: Two, four, 10 — As long as I’m doing God’s will, it doesn’t matter how many people I execute,” he told Okaz newspaper in an interview...." Reading this article was creepy and disquieting for me. Sinning in Ohio Received a fun email today from an old friend now living in Ohio. I sent Mary Ann the URL of my Alaska cruise. (I have known MA since she was a 9th grader in St Mary's, Annapolis, in 1972): Jerry: Okay, stop it! You're killng me! The jealousy is reaching the level of an eighth deadly sin. Bad enough that I am sitting here in unscenic Ohio on the umpteenth cold rainy day in a row, 14 hours from the nearest ocean (or, for that matter, ANY body of water that is other than brown and narrow.) AND since I work as a layperson for the Catholic Church, there is no reasonable hope of breaking loose anytime soon, since it takes moonlighting another two jobs just to keep peanut butter and macaroni on my table. So, though I usually love what I do and the life I live, all this cruise talk is pushing me to think dark thoughts here. Get thee behind me . . . I know. I'll clear my head by taking the hour-long tour of the Ohio River on the B&B Riverboats at lunchtime today . . . [:)] Inevitable I've lived long enough to see a pattern. Often whenever someone is singled out for praise in the media, it's not along before someone comes up with "the real scoop" - and the gossip, innuendos, slander, and sometimes detraction ensues. Interestingly this week I posted a syndicated column by Terry Mattingly about Father C. John McClosky, of the Washington Catholic Information Center. Today I find on Amy Welborn's popular blog, In Between Naps, these words: "There's a big article today in the WSJ that is available only to subscribers, unfortunately, that's about Mark Belnick, highly successful lawyer, counsel to Tyco, International, a Fr. McCloskey convert (italics mine) and now under investigation.." Oh the real scoop now! (I was taught, by the way, that no priest or anyone makes converts; only God does that; priests receive someone into the Church). The article goes on to speak of the shady dealings of Belnick (of whom I know nothing); already in the comments there is are loopy attacks on Opus Dei (and tying this to the case of Robert Hansen, the Opus Dei member, convicted of spying)! Inevitable, of course! And so it goes..... again and again and again. At least Amy is honest: "It's an interesting article, although I'm really not sure what the point is beyond information, and the information is fascinating, offering, among other things, the Rest of Us glimpses into the world of Hot Shot Catholics..." In other words it is nothing more than gossip and curiosity about the rich and famous. Sort of like much of TV and the worst of the secular media. Truth stranger than fiction The other day I read somewhere of a Muslim woman suing the state of Florida protesting the photo ID mandated for her driver's license, since according to her understanding of Islam, this is not permitted and she must be veiled at all times in public. Thanks to a link on Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish, I discover once again that, if this report is correct and accurate, "truth is stranger than fiction." (I have my own stranger-than-fiction tales too!). The Novena to the Holy Spirit Preparing for Pentecost  Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. The "Golden Sequence" for the Solemnity of Pentecost, Veni Sancte Spiritus: Come, O Holy Spirit, come! From the clear celestial home Thy pure beaming radiance give. Come, Thou Father of the poor, Come, with treasures which endure Come, Thou Light of all that live! Thou, of all consolers best, Thou, the soul's delightful Guest, Thou, refreshing peace bestow. Thou in toil art comfort sweet; Pleasant coolness in the heat; Solace in the midst of woe. O most blessed Light divine, Let Thy radiance in us shine, And our inmost being fill. If Thou take thy grace away, Nothing pure in us will stay, All our good is turned to ill. Heal our wounds, our strength renew, On our dryness pour Thy dew, Wash the stains of guilt away. Bend the stubborn heart and will, Melt the frozen, warm the chill, Guide the steps that go astray. Thou, on us who evermore, Thee confess and Thee adore, With thy sevenfold gift descend. Give us virtue's rich increase, Saving grace to die in peace, Give us joys that never end. Amen. Alleluia. Today in Church history June 4, 1873: Charles F. Parham, founder of the Apostolic Faith movement and one of the founders of the modern Pentecostal movement, is born in Muscatine, Iowa. In 1900 he founded the Bethel Bible School, where speaking in tongues broke out—launching the Pentecostal movement. June 4, 1943: The twin sister of this blog's author was born in Brooklyn NY. Margaret (Peggy), who turns 60 today, is definitely "the better half." Tuesday, June 03, 2003
PHOTOS of ALASKA CRUISE I finally organized my photos and reviews of the three magnificent cruises I have taken. I hope some may enjoy them even as I so enjoyed working on them and stirring up such happy memories, which hopefully will live on. (Please let me know if there are too many images on the Alaska Page - if so, I can break them up into smaller pages. Thanks for feedback). Ecumenical Patriarch Numero Uno cruising hierarch in world Church Leaders Embark on Sea Cruise to Highlight Ecological Problems Stockholm, 3 June (ENI)--European church leaders are to set sail this month for a four-day cruise off the Norwegian coast to focus attention on the environmental dangers facing the North Sea. Led by Patriarch Bartholomeos I, spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, who is sometimes nicknamed the Green Patriarch because of his commitment to environmental causes, the 60 participants are scheduled to start the cruise on June 22. Norway's environment minister will join the cruise for part of the journey, which begins in Egersund, in southern Norway, and ends in Alesund, in the west of the country, on June 25. On the way, participants will disembark at Utstein Monastery, near Stavanger, for a seminar on environmental policy to be attended by Norway's minister of petroleum and energy, and at Bergen for a meeting on pollution of the oceans and fishing policy. The church said it had been inspired to organize the cruise by Patriarch Bartholomeos, who has already hosted a number of environmental cruises, including one on the Danube in 1999 and one on the Adriatic Sea in 2002. From June 1 through 10, the patriarch will take part in another cruise, this one on the Baltic Sea. Am I jealous? MOI? Would that I could take a few more cruises to check out the quality of the water of the Caribbean, the Danube, the Nile, and the fjords of Norway's bays and inlets! And for such a good cause! I will have to settle for just being a regular passenger. But I must say I think the Ecumenical Patriarch has linked up a good cause and I hope he enjoys the cruises as much as I have and hope to in the future. Sean Gallagher of Nota Bene writes of "Life and Blogging" A belated Happy Anniversary, Sean! One of our pioneers! Mark Shea on Blogging and St Blog's Talented Mark Shea gives his opinions and experience as blogger. I am a bit surprised and saddened to notice that, for whatever reason, Mark chose not to mention the Listing of St Blog's I have maintained for over a year now. I am a fan of Mark's even as I sometimes think he overdoes it with his criticism of some bishops and what I perceive as a tendency to believe the worst in any news report (I find that a rather common problem with a good number of Catholic blogs). He singles out for praise some bloggers and writers who I think are overly negative and overly critical - of others. But, for the most part, in my opinion, Mark is faithful to his blog's name: Catholic and Enjoying It. And I mostly enjoy Mark and his blog as well! (And I will always be grateful to Mark for his kind and caring words and generous support and Christlike spirit when I was quite in need). Interview: Paul Elie on 'the Holy Ghost School' The author of The Life You Save May Be Your Own talks about the personal journeys of Flannery O'Connor, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and Walker Percy and what we learn from them today. "Novelist Caroline Gordon once linked the writings and beliefs of like-minded Catholic writers Flannery O'Connor, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and Walker Percy by dubbing them the "Holy Ghost school." Author Paul Elie further connects the four authors, who he says are joined by craft and faith, in his book The Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc.) He calls Merton, Day, O'Connor, and Percy "Catholics of rare sophistication who overcame the narrowness of the church and the suspicions of the culture to achieve a distinctly American Catholic outlook..." "The world is charged with the grandeur of God" - Gerard Manley Hopkins  Three weeks ago today Father Michael and myself had rented a car and took a magnficent drive through three distinct climate zones: the temperate rain forest of Alaska's panhandle, then through a dramatic alpine zone, with lots and lots of snow, and then into the boreal forest with lakes and mountains stretching endlessly it seemed. I am working on an album of the cruise today (though the photos just don't even come close to doing justice to the beauty and majesty we saw). So I thought I'd post this shot for today. Hope you can enjoy it (and if you're getting warm weather perhaps you can appreciate that too!). The Novena to the Holy Spirit Preparing for Pentecost  Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. From a Novena to the Holy Spirit by Saint Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein): Are you the spirit's fullness and the power By which the Lamb releases the seal Of God's eternal decree? Driven by you The messengers of judgment ride through the world And separate with a sharp sword The kingdom of light from the kingdom of night. Then heaven becomes new and new the earth, And all finds its proper place Through your breath: Holy Spirit victorious power! Today in Church history June 3, 1098: After a seven-month siege, the armies of the First Crusade recapture Antioch (now in Turkey) from the Muslims. June 3, 1162: Thomas a Becket is consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury. Nominated by his friend, King Henry II (Becket had previously served as his chancellor), Becket underwent a radical change as archbishop. He became pious and devoted to the church, which Henry found annoying. When knights heard the king grumbling, they killed Becket as he prayed. June 3, 1647: The Puritan British Parliament bans Christmas and other holidays. June 3,1886: Charles Lwanga and companions, Catholics and Anglicans, were martyred in Uganda. June 3, 1905: Hudson Taylor, English missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission, dies. "China is not to be won for Christ by quiet, ease-loving men and women," he once said. "The stamp of men and women we need is such as will put Jesus, China, [and] souls first and foremost in everything and at every time—even life itself must be secondary". June 3, 1963: Pope John XXIII, convener of the Second Vatican Council, dies. Expected to be merely a "caretaker pope," "good Pope John" convened the Second Vatican Council which has had enormous impact and ushered in an age of change and adaptation. June 3, 1980: Catholic and Eastern Orthodox representatives meet officially for the first time since the Great Schism between these two Churches. Monday, June 02, 2003
The Church Lives (and Loves) If I ever have to go a "nursing home" facility (and I hope I never do but who knows what is in the Plan?) - there is no question where I'd want to go: to a Home and Facility staffed by the Little Sisters of the Poor. I don't think I am too rich to qualify (yes, one can have too much money to be admitted I am told!); but I do think there is a long waiting list for their beautiful facilities. These sisters have been very faithful to the vision of their foundress, Jeanne Jugan, and communicate by their very presence something of the Mystery of Christ and of the the Church at her best. It seems so good to me that in one's old age, weakened condition, neediness to be surrounded by human and Christian and Catholic warmth, with availability of the Eucharist and other sacraments and devotions, and to be served by those who have dedicated their entire selves to Christ and to Him in His poor and needy and sick and aged. I remember the difference, two years ago, when I went between Saint Agnes Hospital and The Catonsville Nursing Home for five long long months. At the Catholic facility, with a Crucifix in every room, with frequent visits by the chaplains and sisters and eucharistic ministers, there was a certain something in the air that lent itself to a degree of serenity - even amid very precarious conditions. And the doctors and nurses were, well, simply remarkable! A blessed place. (And if, God forbid, I must go back to a hospital let it be Saint Agnes please). At the Nursing Home, fine as some staff were, the entire "ethos" was so different. There were visits from priests with the eucharist, thank God, and plenty of visitors who prayed. But the atmosphere seemed so colder and more sterile than Saint Agnes. That's where I became aware of my desire, if needed, to be in a Catholic facility especially one staffed by the Little Sisters of the Poor. If there is a facility of the Little Sisters of the Poor near you, drop in and see for yourself. I live near Saint Martin's Home in Catonsville MD. I love to drive through it and just drink in some of its "spirit." It is a special joy to see some of the Sisters and to stop and chat and joke with them. May they continue to prosper and spread the love of Christ through their own unique charism in the Church! Ego vici mundum! From today's gospel (Roman Rite): "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) "CALL IT EVANGELISM" Terry Mattingly's religion column for 05/28/2003 WASHINGTON - In a matter of days, Father C. John McCloskey III will quietly perform rites in which two more converts enter the Roman Catholic Church. This latest ceremony at Catholic Information Center will not draw the attention of the Washington Post. But that happened last year when Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas entered the fold. Some of McCloskey's earlier converts also caused chatter inside the Beltway - columnist Robert Novak, economist Lawrence Kudlow and former abortion activist Bernard Nathanson. "All I am doing is what Catholic priests must do," said McCloskey. "I'm sharing the Gospel of Christ, offering people spiritual direction and, when they are ready, bringing them into the church. ... It's a matter of always proposing, never imposing, never coercing and merely proclaiming that we have something to offer to all Christians and to all people. "Call it evangelism. Call it evangelization. It's just what we're supposed to do." But words like "conversion" and "evangelism" draw attention when a priest's pulpit is located on K Street, only two blocks from the White House. The flock that flows into the center's 100-seat chapel for daily Mass includes scores of lobbyists, politicians, journalists, activists and executives. So it's no surprise that McCloskey's views have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today and elsewhere. His feisty defense of Catholic orthodoxy has landed him on broadcasts with Tim Russert, Bill O'Reilly, Paula Zahn, Greta Van Susteren and others. This is a classic case of location, location, location. McCloskey feels right at home. The 49-year-old priest is a native of the nation's capital, has an Ivy League education and worked for Merrill Lynch and Citibank on Wall Street before seeking the priesthood through the often-controversial Opus Dei movement. He arrived at the Washington center in 1998. In addition to winning prominent converts, McCloskey has bluntly criticized the American Catholic establishment's powerful progressive wing, tossing out quotations like this zinger: "A liberal Catholic is oxymoronic. The definition of a person who disagrees with what the Catholic church is teaching is called a Protestant." Many disagree. Slate.com commentator Chris Suellentrop bluntly said that while the urbane priest's style appeals to many Washingtonians, ultimately he is offering "an anti-intellectual approach. All members of the church take a leap of faith, but McCloskey wants them to do it with their eyes closed and their hands over their ears." It is also crucial that McCloskey openly embraces evangelism and the conversion of adults from Judaism, Islam and other world religions. For many modern Catholics this implies coercion, manipulation, mind control and, thus, a kind of "proselytism" that preys on the weak. In recent discussions of overseas missionary work many Catholics have suggested that they no longer see the need to share the faith with others and invite them to become Christians. The bottom line: Protestants do evangelism. Protestants try to convert others. In the wake of Vatican II, Catholics have outgrown this kind of work. "That's pure trash. That's a false ecumenism," said McCloskey. "That's simply not Catholic teaching. The Catholic church makes exclusive truth claims about itself and cannot deny them. It doesn't deny that there are other forms of religion. It doesn't deny that these other forms of religion have some elements of truth in them. ... "But we are proclaiming Jesus Christ and where we believe he can be most fully found and that's the Catholic church. We cannot deny that." This issue will become even more controversial as America grows more diverse. Meanwhile, the number of nominally Christian adults who have not been baptized is rising. The children and grandchildren of what McCloskey calls the "bourgeoisie Catholics" are poised to leave the church. Soon, their fading ethnic ties will not be enough. Their love of old schools and sanctuaries will not be enough. "This country is turning into Europe," he said. "People have gotten to the point where they are saying, 'Why bother even being baptized? We don't believe any of this stuff anymore.' I am encountering more people that I need to baptize, because their parent's didn't bother to do that, even though they were nominal Christians. "In Europe that is normal and this is what is headed our way." Terry Mattingly teaches at Palm Beach Atlantic University and is senior fellow for journalism at the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. He writes this weekly column for the Scripps Howard News Service. The month of the Sacred Heart  There is an "embarrassment of riches" in Catholicism - especially if we include what is a more "traditional" Catholic devotional life. Some of the months have been stamped with special "devotions" - we just celebrated May, Mary's month. Traditionally, June is the month of the Sacred Heart. During this month I hope to honor that tradition as I tried to honor May as Our Lady's month. (The other months commemorated most are October for the Rosary and November for the deceased). And we are still, of course, in the midst of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, which has precedence and, God willing, I will focus on that, too, in this Catholic Blog for Lovers. And Our Lord's pierced, open Heart is the very font of the Holy Spirit! How beautiful the prayer of the Church (Roman Rite) in the Preface of the Feast of the Heart of Jesus: "Lifted high on the cross, Christ gave his life for us, so much did he love us. From his wounded side flowed blood and water, the fountain of sacramental life in the Church. To his open Heart the Savior invites all, to draw water in joy from the springs of salvation." P.S. I much prefer the icon above by Ade Bethune, whose work often graced the pages of The Catholic Worker newspaper, to so many portraits of the Sacred Heart once so popular in holy cards and pictures. I find them totally both not beautiful and not helpful to me in my own devotional life (but can accept that some find them both beautiful and devotional!). Today in Church history June 2, 553: The Second Council of Constantinople closes, having condemned Nestorian teachings. Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople conflicted with Cyril, patriarch of Antioch, over Christological doctrine regarding the person and nature of the Incarnate Word. June 2, 597: Augustine, missionary to England and first archbishop of Canterbury, baptizes Saxon king Ethelbert, the first Christian English king. The missionary's tomb in Canterbury bears this epitaph: "Here rests Augustine, first archbishop of Canterbury, who being sent hither by Gregory, bishop of Rome, reduced King Ethelbert and his nation from the worship of idols to the faith of Christ." June 2, 1491: Henry VIII, the English king who went from being called "Defender of the Faith" by the pope (for attacking Martin Luther) to galvanizing the English Reformation, is born in Greenwich. June 2, 1875: James Augustine Healy becomes the first African-American Roman Catholic bishop in the U.S. June 2, 1979: Pope John Paul II makes a return trip to his home country of Poland, the first visit by a pope to a Communist country. Many ramifications were felt from this dramatic visit, including giving impetus to the overthrow of communism in the Soviet Union and its puppet states. The Novena to the Holy Spirit Preparing for Pentecost  Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. From a Novena to the Holy Spirit by Saint Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein): Are you the ray That flashes down from the eternal Judge's throne And breaks into the night of the soul That had never known itself? Mercifully relentlessly It penetrates hidden folds. Alarmed at seeing itself, The self makes space for holy fear, The beginning of that wisdom That comes from on high And anchors us firmly in the heights, Your action, That creates us anew: Holy Spirit ray that penetrates everything! Sunday, June 01, 2003
The Novena to the Holy Spirit Preparing for Pentecost  Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. From a Novena to the Holy Spirit by Saint Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein): Are you not the sweet manna That from the Son's heart Overflows into my heart, The food of angels and the blessed? He who raised himself from death to life, He has also awakened me to new life From the sleep of death. And he gives me new life from day to day, And at some time his fullness is to stream through me, Life of your life indeed, you yourself: Holy Spirit eternal life! Contract chaplains aid employee productivity ".... Mr. Rodgers is part of a growing network of chaplains who are contracted out to companies seeking to add a religious component to their employee assistance programs, or EAPs...." Pastor in Westchester Challenges Cardinal Egan Over Transfer From Parish "In an unusual act of defiance, a Roman Catholic pastor in Westchester County has publicly criticized Cardinal Edward M. Egan for transferring him to another parish, saying the cardinal was ignoring the wishes of parishioners and acting out of personal animosity...." Today in Church history June 1, 165 (traditional date): Justin, an early Christian apologist, is beheaded with his disciples for their faith. "If we are punished for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, we hope to be saved," he said just before his death. Christians soon named him Justin Martyr. Justin left one of the earliest descriptions of a eucharistic service of the early Church. |