The Presentation of the Lord

A blessed feast to you!

Legis sacratae sanctis caeremoniis
subiectus omnis calamo Mosaico
dignatur esse, qui regit perfulgidos
in arce Patris ordines angelicos,
caelumque, terram fundavit ac maria.

By the holy rites of the sacred law
to the Mosaic rule, full subject
does he deign to be,
though he rules supreme
over the shining ranks
of the angels in his Father's realm,
though he is maker most high
of heavens, of land, of seas.

That's the translation of Martin O'Keefe, S.J., which is a lot more poetic than anything I could come up with :).

The Doomsday Algorithm

Stumped by how some really intelligent kids can tell you on which day of the week you were born, or what day of the week was June 6, 1944? There's nothing magical to it - it's just a simple algorithm that you memorize and calculate in your head! :) Okay, it is a little complex, but from what I understand, once you have done it a number of times, it gets easier. Also, you pick up good tricks along the way that help you out.

I tried to memorize the algorithm a couple years ago, unsuccessfully. Actually, my buddy Mike introduced me to it. Maybe I failed because I lacked the motivation and discipline necessary to practice it just to be able to entertain my friends at parties; heck, there are plenty of other ways to do that! It's more of a fun math exercise to help get your mind gears moving. From a computational point of view, I think the algorithm is fun. You could code up a simple program to do it, but once it's done, there's no more fun!

So, for everything you ever wanted to know about learning the Doomsday Algorithm, check out this website. Carefully read through the steps in order as there is a lot of information packed into each piece. And amaze your friends!!

Atom Feed

Blogger has added an Atom XML-based feed option, so I have decided to try it! I've placed the link to the feed in the blog related frame in the right-hand column of the blog. So, if you use a news aggregator that supports the Atom Syndication Format, go ahead and try it out!

I'm not sure how many aggregators support Atom just yet, as opposed to RSS, which seems pretty popular. From what I understand now, I guess Atom is supposed to be cleaner, more flexible, and easier to process than RSS, although I don't completely understand all of the reasons why just yet. This blog from last month explains a bit of the history of RSS and Atom. Though Atom is somewhat of a product of evolution from RSS, it is expected that the two will coexist for sometime.

NCR's Reaction

As expected, the folks at the National Catholic Reporter are complaining about the Vox Clara committee's involvement in the upcoming new translation of the English Missal. Essentially, they disagree with how the committee has sought to do away with work that had taken dozens of years. But some of their comments indicate to me an overwhelming cluelessness. For example, the editorial states:

Last week, we reported that a new English translation of the Mass was nearing completion. Among the changes are phrases that restore the literal translation of the Latin so that, for instance, the now familiar response, "And also with you," will be rendered in the pre-Vatican II formulation, "And also with your spirit."

Anyone who has studied the mass after the Second Vatican Council knows that "and with your spirit" was never done away with. The official Latin of the liturgy never changed the Latin response et cum spiritu tuo, and most modern translations of the mass, aside from English, are translated to the English equivalent of "and with your spirit." For example, the Spanish translation has "y con tu espiritu" and the French has "et avec ton esprit."

They also complain about the individuals chosen to oversee the translation effort. They call them liturgical revisionists who are attacking the liturgical reform of the Council. To me, it merely looks like these folks are trying to ensure true reform, the type of reform actually envisioned by the Council. Sure, there can be some debate, but who are the real revisionists here? Those who are faithful to Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, or those whose interpretation of the same document goes far beyond what the document actually suggests?

They end with,

If the prayer of the community is left to the formulation of those who hold power, without consideration for the extensive and long work of a much wider community, what's to stop another liturgical coup in the future, should the people and ideas in power change?

It's a lousy way to do the church's business -- and it doesn't withstand the scrutiny of serious, adult, educated Catholics in the early 21st century.

I have seen serious, adult, educated Catholics in the early 21st century heavily support the new translation. The liturgy isn't merely just the prayer of the community, it is also the prayer of the Church, and in our day and age, some type of regulation is necessary. And in my honest opinion, the proposed changes in the translation are the least of what could, or maybe even should, be done - but I will defer to the legitimate authority.

The Church needs lay Christian saints

Yes, it needs saints, more than reformers, because saints are the most authentic and productive reformers. Every great period of renewal in the Church is linked to important testimonials of holiness. Without such testimonials, the updating undertaken by the Councils would be illusive.

But the conviction that we must share and spread this call to holiness is addressed to all Christians. This call is not the privilege of a spiritual elite. Nor is it for a few who feel heroic courage. Still less is it a tranquil refuge, suited to a certain type of piety or to certain eccentric temperaments. It is a grace offered to all the baptized, in varying forms and degrees.

It is not reserved for particular states of life, although some favor it, or for the practice of certain professions. St. Francis de Sales showed effectively that holiness, with piety or devotion, could be an attribute of men and women in any family situation or career. Thus lay people must be encouraged to live every aspect of their life in the world -- whatever the specific circumstances in which God has placed them -- in a holy manner, in faith, hope, and love. In this sense, there is a kind of holiness specific to lay people.

-Pope John Paul II, June 7th, 1986

We are all called to be saints. Believe it! Live it! Be it!

Whatever...


You are Cooter. You are good with your hands and
don't say much. When you do it's usually an
attempt at humor. If you had a clean shirt,
you'd probably use it for a rag.

What Dukes of Hazzard Character are you?
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And with your spirit...

Interesting news regarding the new upcoming English translation of the Roman Rite mass. I've been following what the Vox Clara committee has been doing for a while, and I have had hints as to what the new translation of the Mass in English would look like, knowing that it would be more faithful to the Latin as other translations are (e.g. French, Spanish, Italian).

John Allen, probably the best reporter from the National Catholic Reporter, offers us a glimpse into one of the preliminary drafts and also touches on various points of debate:

While Rome has repeatedly insisted on more traditional texts in recent years, the new translation, produced by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy -- ICEL -- is the first application of these principles to the Order of the Mass, the key prayers in the preeminent Roman Catholic act of worship. For this reason, it has been much anticipated by liturgical experts and church officials.

If the process of seeking approval from English-speaking bishops' conferences and the Vatican does not hit any snags, the new translation could be in use in American parishes by early 2005.

He discusses some of the objections to the new translation, some of which I consider to be valid concerns. But generally, I think that this is the right direction. Some examples of what may be different based on the preliminary draft include:

- Gone is the familiar "And also with you" response to the priest's greeting, "The Lord be with you." According to the draft translation, the congregation would respond, "And with your spirit," a more literal rendering of the Latin.

- In the Creed, the congregation would begin each section by saying "I believe" rather than "We believe," a shift to the plural seen by some critics as part of an excessive post-Vatican II emphasis on the communal dimension of worship.

- In the penitential rite (often known by its Latin opening word, Confiteor), the congregation would recite "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault" while striking their breasts, a custom that hearkens back to the mea culpa from the Latin Mass prior to Vatican II.

- In the "Glory to God," an extra phrase is added: "We praise you, we bless you, we worship you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory." This restores Latin phrases originally dropped from English translations in order to avoid what was seen as redundancy.

- In the eucharistic prayer, when the priest says, "Let our hearts be lifted high," the people would respond, "We hold them before the Lord," rather than the familiar "We lift them up to the Lord."

I have really longed to be able to respond "and with your spirit" rather than "and also with you" because it reminds us that our connection during the liturgy is not just personal but also spiritual. This is what we say in the English translation of the eastern Divine Liturgy, and it's actually the sense that is conveyed by the Latin phrase "et cum spiritu tuo."

In a related (and heavily biased) article, Austen Ivereigh also discusses the new draft, pointing to some other translation changes that we may see:

[The celebrant] says: "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God." [the congregation] replies: "It is right and just." ... At the consecration he says: "Who on the day before he was to suffer / took bread into his holy and venerable hands."

I know this new translation will be met with resistance by some, but on the whole, I see it as being part of genuine liturgical reform that will produce much fruit. Contrary to what Ivereigh thinks, I think that it is important that liturgical language be different than standard street language. It should invite us to something more. Words, like symbols, often communicate more than just what they mean superficially.

I'm curious as to what it will be like when this new translation hits parishes in the United States. How do we collectively change what we've been saying for all of these years, words that have become merely reflexive? It's not an easy task, but that is the point of reform. It must be a catalyst for growth. With education, it must prompt us to think. It must challenge us to think. So let us continue to pray that liturgical renewal will provide moments for catechesis and transformation. Let us pray that the Roman Rite liturgy will continue to be fitting, reverent, edifying, and inviting.

Remember life...

Versa est in luctum cithara mea, et organum in vocem flentium

Today, the anniversary of the Roe V. Wade decision, let us pause to remember life. We pray for the souls of those killed through abortion, and we give God thanks for the incredible gift of life.

Tonight there's going to be an interfaith pro-life vigil on the campus of the local university, UC Santa Barbara, that Christina organized. That didn't stop some other groups from expressing their own opinions:

Members of UCSB Voices for Planned Parenthood (VOX), a club affiliated with the national abortion rights organization Planned Parenthood, met at Java Jones coffee shop in Isla Vista at 7:30 p.m. Twenty club members and other participants lit candles and walked along Pardall Road on their way to the Women's Center, where they held a moment of silence to remember women who lost their lives to illegal abortions.

Lisa Castagnola, a fourth-year women's studies major and VOX co-founder, said the annual Roe v. Wade commemoration is traditionally the group's largest event.

Just over 20 students, and that's the club's largest event? Of course, they also came with their false statistics:

One sign read that illegal abortions caused 50 percent of maternal deaths between 1900 and 1950. Another said that after 1980 that percentage was nearly zero as a result of the safer access to legal abortions that Roe v. Wade afforded women.

We know, of course, that the number of reported deaths due to illegal abortions prior to 1950 was a complete fabrication, which Bernard Nathanson admitted to. We also know that the number of maternal deaths due to legal abortion is not nearly zero. And, of course, the number of babies' deaths due to legal abortion is in the millions.

Another busy week

Well, Friday brought an end to another very busy week - topped off with a large and very solid product release!

In other news:

Looks like a Van Helsing flick coming out in this May with Hugh Jackman as the elusive vampire hunter himself, Dr. Abraham Van Helsing. Go ahead and take a look at the trailer.

Pray for Fr. Benedict Groeschel

The information that has been moving around St. Blog's from a variety of sources is that Fr. Benedict Groeschel, co-founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, was seriously injured yesterday when he was struct by a car in Orlando. He is in critical but stable condition and has undergone surgery. He had just come from the Marian and Eucharistic Congress out here in Paso Robles, California. I heard him speak once when he came out to Santa Maria in 1997. Fr. Benedict is an amazing and holy man, and his teaching and witness have been a great help to me over the last several years. Let's join the rest of St. Blog's in praying for his recovery.

UPDATE: Fr. Benedict is doing much better, but still in need of prayer. Check back with the website for the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal for updates.

Voice of the Faithful in Crisis

Danny DeBruin, former co-chair of the Communications Committee for Voice of the Faithful in Long Island, puts into words my exact sentiments over Voice of the Faithful in his article in Crisis magazine entitled, An Inside Look at Voice of the Faithful:

The leadership of VOTF denies that it's an ideological group and goes to great lengths to avoid the label "liberal." One revealing example of this effort was the LI-VOTF's board of directors' April 28, 2002, letter to Bishop William Murphy, the head of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. In the letter, describing the differences and ideologies that comprise LI-VOTF, the board wrote, "Long Island Voice of the Faithful is, not unlike most groups or organizations, made up of people working toward a common purpose. Some are optimistic, some are pessimistic, some are reactionary, and some are conservative…." Conspicuously missing from this list is the term "liberal" or any acknowledgment that some in LI-VOTF are left-leaning. (No one, after all, has ever accused VOTF of being "conservative" or "reactionary.")

Given all of VOTF's fervent denials, what basis do the critics have for claiming the group is made up of dissenters?

The criticisms can be boiled down to three points: (1) The leadership of VOTF is composed almost entirely of dissenters; (2) VOTF gravitates toward dissenters as advisers and speakers at its events; and (3) Its goals are ambiguous enough to hide just about any kind of agenda.

Despite the objections of VOTF leaders, during my time in the organization, I found truth in each of the three charges. The July meeting with Lakeland bore this out.

... It is VOTF's third goal-"to shape structural change within the Church"-that most concerns critics. While it could be understood to refer to small but positive changes in the way bishops run their dioceses (instituting more transparency in their finances, for example), it could also be used to advocate everything from women priests to democratically elected bishops. In short, the problem is one of ambiguity. What exactly does VOTF want?

I think that DeBruin is absolutely right. The question is one of ambiguity. When our local chapter of Voice of the Faithful says it takes no position whatsoever on the hot-button issues in the Church and then co-sponsors Fr. Michael Crosby, OFM Cap. to come and speak about the evil, oppressive regime that is the institutional Catholic Church in today's world, what does one think? Crosby's talk did not pertain to the protection of young people.

I don't doubt the hearts of many of the members of our local chapter - I know many of them, and they are responsible people who want to ensure the protection of young people. But I do doubt that, collectively, every member is united in what they want the group to accomplish and how they want it to do it. Something that I observed recently struck me as a little odd. In order to examine VOTF's third goal of Structural Change, VOTF organized a Structural Change Working Group in order to define what it meant by the goal. What I found odd was why this was done after the goal was established. This suggested to me that VOTF had not seriously considered the specifics of what it meant by Structural Change, and this may have been indicative of a larger confusion in the group over what it wants and how it seeks to express this to the universal church. In addition, many of the members do not agree with what the working group has concluded, which suggests that it may be a long while before these issues are ever resolved.

DeBruin ends with a final point, well worth noting:

In a fitting end note, the Michigan chapter of Call to Action reported in its Summer 2003 newsletter that it's now sharing meetings with the VOTF chapter in that region. That, sadly, says it all.

I think this speaks of where the group is heading if they don't get their act together.

St. Vibiana

I was thinking recently about one of the things that I do admire about the new cathedral in Los Angeles. If you make a visit to the cathedral, venture downstairs to the mausoleum. There you will find the new crypt chapel and marble sarcophagus of St. Vibiana, the 3rd/4th century Roman martyr who is also the patroness of our archdiocese.

According to the cathedral website:

In the nearby shrine a marble sarcophagus contains relics of the third century martyr, St. Vibiana. In 1853 her remains were found in a catacomb near the Appian Way.
A marble tablet sealed her sepulcher and can be seen at the Shrine. The inscription reads, "To the soul of the innocent and pure Vibiana." At the end of the inscription is a wreath of laurel, an emblem commonly used by early Christians as a code symbolizing martyrdom.

(The photos were taken by my girlfriend, Christina)

There is a kneeler next to the marble inscription tablet and in front of the sarcophagus where pilgrims and visitors may pause to pray and ask for Vibiana's intercession. Everything about this particular space is arranged in a most sublime fashion. It is my opinion that the new crypt chapel and sarcophagus dignify the memory of Vibiana in a way that inspires a sense, both spiritual and historical, of wonder and awe. Many who do not to visit the cathedral will certainly miss this treat.

The website goes on...

Pope Pius IX gave the relics to the Bishop of Monterey Thaddeus Amat. St. Vibiana rested in several places until she was brought to the then new St. Vibiana's Cathedral in 1876.

Though we know little about St. Vibiana, she is the focus of prayer and devotion for many believers who call on her intercession. She is at last at peace here for centuries to come.

Prior to her entombment in the new cathedral site, St. Vibiana's remains were displayed in a glass sarcophagus high above the main altar of the previous cathedral that took her name, the Cathedral of St. Vibiana. You can make out the sarcophagus in this old photo, though it isn't entirely clear just how much of Vibiana's remains were visible:


Which is better? The glass sarcophagus? Or the marble stone sarcophagus? Both can be dignifying, although the glass sarcophagus is especially helpful for displaying incorruptible saints, like St. Bernadette. But Vibiana is not incorruptible, and the stone sarcophagus may be closer to how she was actually entombed in the catacombs, unless her remains were left open to the air. We do not typically get to see the relics that enshrine our altars today, though we still venerate them there, yet we have glass reliquaries for just about every type of relic, like St. Anthony's Tongue, as Matt points out over at Whapdom Central.

Merry Christmas!

O magnum mysterium et admirabile sacramentum
ut animalia viderent Dominum natum
iacentem in praesepio.
Natum vidimus et chorus angelorum
collaudantes Dominum. Alleluia

O great mystery and wonderful sacrament,
that beasts should see the newborn Lord
lying in a manger.
The newborn we have seen and a chorus of angels
praising the Lord. Alleluia

Quem vidistis pastores?
Dicite, annunciate nobis quis apparuit?
Natum vidimus et chorus angelorum
collaudantes Dominum. Alleluia

Whom have you seen, shepherds?
Speak, tell us who has appeared?
The newborn we have seen and a chorus of angels
praising the Lord. Alleluia

Let us enter into the mystery and allow our whole selves to be transformed by its wonder and message.

Reflecting on Christmas

O admirabile commercium:
creator generis humani,
animatum corpus sumens
de virgine nasci dignatus est;
et, precedens homo sine semine,
largitus est nobis suam Deitatem.

O wonderful gift:
the creator of the human race,
taking our flesh upon him,
deigns to be born of a virgin;
and, coming forth without seed of man,
bestows his Divinity upon us.

Growing up, I loved Christmas primarily because of the gifts that I received. But what is the spiritual significance of Christmas? What is the real gift? Well, I knew Christmas to be Christ's birthday - but is that all it is? A birthday? Absolutely not. Some mock the Catholic disposition toward the baby Jesus. They ask,

On your birthday, do you get out all of your baby pictures? Of course not. You're an adult now! So why do you Catholics still have Jesus in the crib on His birthday?

Yes, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ. But celebrating the birth of Christ is no mere birthday. Rather, it is the celebration of an event, and that event is God taking on human flesh and becoming a human child, being born of a Virgin. This is the Son of God in full humility. Christmas is therefore a recalling to mind of the awesome beauty and mystery of the Incarnation. This is what the baby Jesus represents - the fruit of the most extraordinary event in human history. The true gift. O admirabile commercium!

For me life is Christ

If you have met Christ, live Christ, live with Christ! Proclaim it in the first person, as genuine testimony: "For me life is Christ." That is true liberation: to proclaim Jesus free of ties, present in men and women, transformed, made new creatures. Why instead at times does our testimony seem to be in vain? Because we present Jesus without the full seductive power of his person, without revealing the treasures of the sublime ideal inherent in following him; and because we are not always successful in demonstrating conviction, translated into living terms, regarding the extaordinary value of the gift of ourselves to the ecclesial cause we serve.

Brothers and sisters: it is important that men see in us dispensers of the mysteries of God, credible witnesses of his presence in the world. We frequently remember that God, when he calls us, asks for not only one part of our person but all our person and all our vital energies, so that we may announce to men the joy and peace of a new life in Christ, and guide them to a meeting with him. So let it be our first concern to seek the Lord, and, once we have met him, to observe where and how he lives, by being with him all day. Being with him, in a special way, in the Eucharist, where Christ gives himself to us; and in prayer, through which we give ourselves to him. The Eucharist must be performed and extended into our daily actions as a "sacrifice of praise." In prayer, in the trusting contact with God our Father, we can discern better where our strengths and weaknesses are, because the Spirit comes to our aid. The same Spirit speaks to us and slowly immerses us in the divine mysteries, in God's design of love for humanity, which he realizes through our willingness to serve him.

Pope John Paul II, January 26, 1979

In peace, this Christmas, let us each rise to the challenge of these words.

Earthquake

The earthquake rattled us quite a bit here in Santa Barbara, but there does not appear to be any substantial damage here or injuries as are reported in Paso Robles. This was a pretty long earthquake. It had to have lasted about 30 seconds, definitely the longest quake I remember.

Drop down dew, ye heavens

I had a pretty busy week last week! Work deadlines have been approaching quickly, and on top of it all, I came down with a nasty cold last Tuesday. Thankfully, it's just about run its course. One of the big projects that I've been working on is my presentation for the Texas Instruments Developer's Conference in Houston this coming February. I am a speaker this year along with a coworker. I'm really excited - I've decided to turn it into a mini-vacation and take a weekend to visit a few of the sites in Houston, particularly Our Lady of Walsingham as well as the NASA Johnson Space Center. But now is the precipice of celebration, for behold, the Lord comes quickly:

Sound the trumpet in Sion,
for the day of the Lord is nigh:
behold, He cometh for our salvation.
The crooked shall be made straight:
and the rough places plain:
come, O Lord, and be not tardy. Alleluia.

Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above
and let the clouds pour down righteousness:
let the earth open and bring forth the saviour.
Show us Thy mercy, O Lord,
and grant us Thy salvation:
come, O Lord, and be not tardy. Alleluia.

I'll be taking the one-hour drive north to the quaint and holy village of Santa Maria to spend Christmas with my parents and see some old friends.

Catch Big Fish

It's no Lord of the Rings, but another Tim Burton film is coming out soon. It's called Big Fish. This one intrigues me because portions of it are filmed in my birth city, Montgomery, Alabama, as well as the small rural Alabama town of Tallassee, just outside of Montgomery, where my mother and most of her family are from. I learned about it last March when I was visiting Tallassee, but at the time, I didn't figure the film would be anything spectacular. Alabama is beautiful, and Tallassee is the quintessential backwoods, Alabama town. And when I learned that it was going to be directed by Tim Burton, I thought to myself, Edward Scissorhands in Tallassee? Hmm... That's a bit like Battlestar Gallactica docking in Mayberry, USA - in front of Floyd's Barber Shop, no less.

View the trailer.

So Often My Muse



SPECIAL TALENTS:
Scientific assistant, Victim

Ah, poor, misunderstood Beaker... say it like it is...

And for Advent...

Be a Sower of God's Peace during this Advent and Christmas season with resources from USCCB Publishing. Calendars, blessings, prayers, and of course, gifts.

Magnificat

Luke 1, 46-55

Magnificat anima mea Dominum,
et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salvatore meo,
quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae.
Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes,
quia fecit mihi magna, qui potens est, et sanctum nomen eius,
et misericordia eius in progenies et progenies timentibus eum.
Fecit potentiam in brachio suo,
dispersit superbos mente cordi sui;
deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles;
esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes.
Suscepit Israel puerum suum,
recordatus misericordiae,
sicut locutus est ad patres nostros,
Abraham et semini eius in saecula.

My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden:
for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm;
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

The timeless prayer of the Blessed Virgin.

In Conceptione Immaculata Beatae Mariae Virginis

A Blessed Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

Ad Introitum

Isaiah 61:10
Gaudens gaudebo in Domino, et exsultabit anima mea in Deo meo:
quia induit me vestimentis salutis: et indumento iustitiae circumdedit me,
quasi sponsam ornatam monilibus suis.

Psalm 29, 2
Exaltabo te, Domine, quoniam suscepisti me:
nec delectasti inimicos meos super me.

Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum.

Benedicta es tu, Virgo Maria, a Domino Deo excelso, prae omnibus mulieribus super terram.

A celebration of a dogma that I have always found most interesting. The dogmatic declaration includes:

We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.

A beautiful explanation of the workings of grace by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ. It is an understanding that had been developing for centuries based on the full and complete revelation given in Jesus Christ and directly related to the development of the notion of original sin. Of course, the Western expression of original sin is what has always made this declaration, superficially, a tough pill for the Christians of the Eastern churches to swallow. But it has not been an insurmountable obstacle for those who are willing to dig into the meaning of the theological language used in both the West and the East and, in a sense, translate it. I'm thankful for the exposure I have had in recent years to Eastern Catholics who have helped me understand the Catholic Faith as it is expressed in the East, the same faith that comes to us from Christ and the Apostles.

By grace enliven us in our realm

That we may serve Thee readily, O Lord.

Versa est in luctum cithara mea, et organum in vocem flentium.
Parce mihi Domine nihil enim sunt dies mei.

My harp is turned to mourning and my music into the voice of those that weep.
Spare me, O Lord, for my days are as nothing.

Ancient Inclusive Language?

I'm a fool for rare liturgical books from our church's past. A year ago, I got my hands on a copy of the second edition of William Maskell's The Ancient Liturgy of the Church of England According to the Uses of Sarum, Bangor, York, and Hereford and the Modern Roman Liturgy, published 1846. Basically it's a comparison between the ancient liturgical uses in England prior to the Council of Trent together with the codified Tridentine liturgy, all in parallel columns. The use of Sarum (ancient Salisbury) being the most well known in England at the time. These English uses were also unique in that they often employed inclusive language. When, in the Tridentine liturgy, the priest would implore the prayers of those present that the sacrifice be acceptable to God, he would say:

Orate fratres ut meum ac vestrum sacrificium acceptabile fiat apud Deum Patrem omnipotentem.
My Translation: Pray, brothers, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the Almighty Father.

but in the uses of Sarum and Bangor, the priest would say:

Orate fratres et sorores pro me ut meum pariterque vestrum acceptum sit Domino Deo sacrificium.
My Translation: Pray, brothers and sisters, for me that my sacrifice and, at the same time (in the same way), yours may be acceptable to the Lord God.

The use at York renders it:

Orate fratres et sorores pro me peccatore ut meum pariterque vestrum...

The custom of saying et sorores (and sisters) does not seem to have ever been a part of the Roman Rite liturgy in Latin, though in English, at least in the United States, the General Instruction has permitted the priest to say brothers and sisters to convey the inclusive sense of fratres.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a good holiday with family and friends. I had a good time - pretty low key. Next year, however, I'm going to try to get free-range turkey without added hormones. I've been having some extreme reactions! Aside from being put into a coma-like sleep after every meal, I wake up with problems that last through the day. It makes me thankful that I do have a meal and a choice in what I eat, but so many people don't that choice. The Catholic Charities in Santa Maria, like every year, spends the day giving out free turkeys and meals to the poor. I think next year I may spend some time helping them.

An Unjust Law

Church asks courts to be absolved of contraceptive law

Bill notes:

... the ACLU says it must defend the rights of individuals who choose to work for the Catholic Church, and not the rights of Catholic institutions. Catholic institutions have no rights. The state is almighty.

The ACLU should not be able to coerce Catholic organizations into acting against their conscience, against the principles of their mission, and employees who disagree with these beliefs certainly aren't forced to work for the Church to serve the poor if they have problems with particular policies they disagree with. Furthermore, the ACLU should not attempt to discredit Catholics by painting us as being anti-woman just because we don't agree that artificial contraception and abortion are pro-woman. Can the Catholic Church and organizations such as Catholic Charities, one of the largest charitable organizations in the country, no longer serve the poor unless they compromise what they believe?

But if the state has the power here, then what can the Church do? The state can protect confidentiality between a doctor and patient, between an attorney and client, but confidentiality within the confessional between priest and penitent is under attack. A similar issue is whether the state can force Catholic hospitals into offering abortion services. This issue is catching fire, particularly here in California. The Catholic Church has always been counter-cultural, and it has never been too afraid to stand up for its principles - to defend the poor, the unborn, the oppressed - even in spite of its failings. Yet Catholics have always been a part of this world - challenging it, engaging it, transforming it through Christ's commission. What did Christ say?

You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

The Gospel of Matthew 5:13-16

Such is the grace of God given in Christ that empowers us and enables us to perform deeds that serve the least among us and glorify God.

Turkey and Gravy



... flavored soda.

For when you can't get a real turkey this Thanksgiving.

Viva Cristo Rey

Have a blessed feast of the Lord Jesus Christ, the King.

All Language, Inclusive and Exclusive

Tom over at Disputations has an interesting point:

"I don't care who does the distinguishing," said famed Sixteenth Century nominalist Tweedius Magnus, "as long as I get to do the defining."

"Inclusive language" advocates have the advantage that they invented the debate, and so got to invent the terminology in which the debate is framed.

Thus: "Exclusive language" gets to mean "speech that uses certain words in an inclusive sense." "Inclusive language" means "speech that uses those words only in an exclusive sense."

"Exclusive language" refers to inclusive language. "Inclusive language" refers to exclusive language. It's just one of those things.

My question is: Can humans actively control linguistic evolution themselves or is it something that happens passively, meaning that there is no act of force or strong encouragement? If I declare that wizziput means the act of driving to work and I strongly encourage others to use that term, and let's say others do start using it and encourage others to do it, will wizziput be a commonly accepted term in 100 years? Rather, let's say I simply make up wizziput as my own word and others begin using it just by being around my usage with no active encouragement on my part, and so on and so forth, will wizziput be a commonly accepted term in 100 years any better or worse than if I were to have strongly encouraged or even coerced people to use it?

Good Latin poetry

If only English were Latin :)

Amore Aeger
a Jeff Chambers

Clemente, clemente, Carissima mea,
Responde mihi quam clementissime possis.
Manu grave amor me opprimit,
Me contundit; quam diu ferre possum?

Tacui nimis diu, ut ne fregeres cor meum;
Quoniam nos scivi impossibiles fuisse.
Sed nunc in pectore meo tumet mea confessionis,
Rumpendum est cor illud.

Atque per dentes compressos Atlas grunniebat,
Atque ego aveo ut expirem,
Utinam denuo spirarem,
Confessione dimissa, sine angore.

Nolo praeterire spem reliquam,
Amare et amari,
Videlicet, pono Cupidum benignus esse,
Satis benignus ut iceret utrasque personas ipissime.

Quamvis cor meum ita velit,
Timeo ne dolorem quem exhalem,
Sit minus quam dolorem,
Quem inspirem quando respondes.

Quare, quicquid in tibi animo est,
Affectus germanos dice,
Sed clemente, clemente, Carissima mea,
Responde mihi quam clementissime possis.

Or, the English translation.

Richard McBrien at VOTF

He's way over the top here.

Is there a double standard at work here? Organizations that have a largely moderate or progressive membership --- no more "moderate" and "progressive" than Vatican II itself, however --- are circumscribed, while organizations whose views are closer to the defeated minority's at the council, but which currently enjoy Vatican favor, are given a free pass.

Not quite so.

Cardinal Francis George of Chicago has also entered the fray. According to Brophy, the cardinal is concerned that "any change" in the church would, "unless carefully thought out, change the faith."

But no specific examples are provided. Are we talking here about obligatory celibacy for priests, which has absolutely nothing to do with "the faith"? Or perhaps about changing the process by which bishops are selected? Again, "the faith" is not touched.

I think VOTF would do well to give specific examples itself. I've seen a couple specific solutions in the local VOTF group here, but I have also seen an awful lot of ambiguity in its direction and mission, couched language, and general disdain for certain doctrinal issues and how they pertain to their mission. That is largely what turned me off to the group.

Purgatory Revisted

Fr. Ron Rolheiser has written about his understanding of Purgatory a few times, and he revisits the topic here. He rightly describes Purgatory as a process of grace, and basically describes it as the painful experience of being in Heaven while still having the draw of our earthly attachment and Heaven, by its nature, having the purgative effect of grace, enabling the dead to truly enter it. He suggests an interesting point that our prayer for the dead should reflect their embracing of Heaven and our desire to see them there:

Purgatory is the pain of letting go of this life in order to live in the next. That's not an abstract concept... More immediately after their deaths, [the dead] still want and need our former contact. Slowly, though, as time passes, our prayers must more and more invite the ascension and must work at freeing both them and us from how we once had each other ("Do not cling! Let the old ascend!").

Eventually our prayers must give our loved ones permission to be free from how things used to be with us and the world, so that they can enter fully into that final ecstasy of love which, though dimly glimpsed in faith, is beyond our imaginings and which we too will one day enter, though only after having --- through purgative pain --- ourselves let go of the marvels of earthly, natural life, with all its wonderful tangible solidity.

This is an interesting concept. So often, when I pray for my loved ones who have died, or when I ask the saints to pray for me, I have trouble relating to them beyond mere human, mere earthly ways. If the saints are in heaven, and their relationship with God is perfect, then our relationship with them is also transformed beyond what we would have experienced on earth. My prayer should reflect this - instead of holding them down to me (how I once knew them), I should let the holiness and grace of Christ they now manifest humble me and draw me toward Heaven (how I am to know them now).

The Council of Trent

The 25 Sessions with Bulls and Oration

For our education and edification!

Our Lady of Walsingham

Bill notes that the new church building of Houston's only Roman Catholic parish of the Anglican Use, Our Lady of Walsingham, is complete. A couple of pictures have been posted on their website. I already love it. I wish it were out here in Santa Barbara. :)

Fr. James Moore, the pastor, issued a corresponding pastoral letter to the parish:

I know that you agree with me when I say how truly blessed we are to have the new church. We heartily welcome all who come to offer Holy Mass with us both now and in the future in this holy place which we offer to the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord and God, and to the honor of His Blessed Mother, Mary of Walsingham.

As we begin to worship in the new church we of course want to remember that the main purpose of a Catholic church building is to enshrine God's holy altar and the tabernacle which contains his Divine Presence under the form of the Bread which is His Body. Therefore, we will always want to keep the new church a reverent, quiet, and prayerful place.

Of course it is also the place where the faithful come together to worship at God's holy altar. I only wish that the pastor of the university parish I attended for seven years, St. Mark's, had said similar things when the renovation of the church building was completed! But of course, these two communites are noticeably worlds apart from each other. I respect that St. Mark's offers something to people, primarily students and young adults, that is, for many of them, their first, real experience of a cohesive community of faith. I appreciated it myself immediately after I entered the church because, let's face it, the Roman Catholic Church is large, and when you're away from home, it's easy to feel lost. But I noticed that as my spiritual life developed, I began to see a lot of things lacking - things that St. Mark's could not provide. Now, I feel a lot more confident approaching the larger church in its global context than I used to before.

But I love what little I have learned about the Anglican Use. Such parishes would not exist were it not for the Second Vatican Council.

Talks by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Listen to a good selection of talks in RealPlayer format by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, one of my favorite Catholic speakers.

Thanks to Notes to Myself...!