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...!

Separation of Church and State?

My regional bishop, Bishop Thomas Curry, always has very good and interesting things to say regarding this issue. The Tidings just published his latest article:

Church and State: The separationists' coup

The First Amendment states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting of the free exercise thereof?." The Constitution contains no mention of separation of Church and State.

Nevertheless, in one of the greatest coups in American history, "separationists" have managed to interpret that to mean that government has power to create a "wall of separation between Church and State," thus transforming the government of limited and specified powers guaranteed by the Founders into an all-powerful system that includes ultimate authority over both Church and State...

There can be no establishment of religion if the government has no power or jurisdiction over religious issues. If the government confines itself to its own limited secular sphere, people will enjoy the free exercise of their natural right to religious liberty, i.e., free from government interference. To claim that government is empowered to separate Church and State is to argue for an absolute State and to pose a dire threat to the liberty guaranteed by the First Amendment.

Bishop Curry has spoken at length about this issue in the past, and I think he is always right on.

Online Videos from Catholic Communication Campaign

FYI: At the website for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, there are a number of brief streaming videos available from the Catholic Communication Campaign on various topics of interest to the Church, both nationally and internationally, such as ministry, seminary, ecumenism, Pope John Paul II, Steubenville Youth Conferences, and a bunch of other stuff...

... like this MediaPlayer clip about World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto (or in RealPlayer fmt) along with comments from the pope, from pilgrims there, and various scenes.

... and also, this MediaPlayer clip of the Easter Liturgy from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (or in Real Player fmt) that seems fairly well done. Whatever your opinion of the Cathedral's architecture, it is my opinion that one has to see the Cathedral in person to make a final judgement, because in my view, pictures have not been able to do it justice. Admittedly, the modern architecture isn't what I personally would have preferred, but after making a point to visit the Cathedral myself, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised, particularly at the attention to detail. I particularly liked the Crypt Chapel for St. Vibiana. Additionally, the mass I attended there, with my Archbishop, Roger Cardinal Mahony, as celebrant, was very reverent and very well done. But again, if you are ever in the area, I encourage you go to and see all of this for yourself and form your opinion accordingly.

New Bishops' Statements

Popular Devotional Practices: Questions and Answers - Interesting Q&A on the differences between liturgy and devotional practices, and their proper role in the life of Catholics in light of culture and other elements. Also includes an appendix articulating the use of indulgences attached to various devotional practices.

Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers About Marriage and Same-Sex Unions - An articulation of the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church with regard to marriage.

Reflections on the Dead

I often think of St. Perpetua's account of praying for her dead brother, Dinocrates, when I reflect on how God can at times give sudden impulses to pray for the dead. St. Perpetua was had been a catechumen in early 3rd century Rome. She was martyred in the Roman circus with St. Felicity and others. Interestingly, her brother, Dinocrates, died a pagan at the young age of seven. In The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity, written in approximately 202 AD, we find the account of Perpetua's martyrdom, along with visions she is alledged to have had. The story of these particular visions begins in Chapter 2, paragraph 3 with the first vision, a sad vision of suffering after death. The accounts are better understood in the context of the whole Martyrdom, but for brevity I will only examine the accounts themselves.

After a few days, whilst we were all praying, on a sudden, in the middle of our prayer, there came to me a word, and I named Dinocrates; and I was amazed that that name had never come into my mind until then, and I was grieved as I remembered his misfortune. And I felt myself immediately to be worthy, and to be called on to ask on his behalf. And for him I began earnestly to make supplication, and to cry with groaning to the Lord. Without delay, on that very night, this was shown to me in a vision. I saw Dinocrates going out from a gloomy place, where also there were several others, and he was parched and very thirsty, with a filthy countenance and pallid colour, and the wound on his face which he had when he died. This Dinocrates had been my brother after the flesh, seven years of age who died miserably with disease-his face being so eaten out with cancer, that his death caused repugnance to all men. For him I had made my prayer, and between him and me there was a large interval, so that neither of us could approach to the other. And moreover, in the same place where Dinocrates was, there was a pool full of water, having its brink higher than was the stature of the boy; and Dinocrates raised himself up as if to drink. And I was grieved that, although that pool held water, still, on account of the height to its brink, he could not drink. And I was aroused, and knew that my brother was in suffering. But I trusted that my prayer would bring help to his suffering; and I prayed for him every day until we passed over into the prison of the camp, for we were to fight in the camp-show. ... I made my prayer for my brother day and night...

Perpetua's story continues in paragraph 4 with a second vision, a happy vision of hope and of faithful answer to prayer:

Then, on the day on which we remained in fetters, this was shown to me. I saw that that place which I had formerly observed to be in gloom was now bright; and Dinocrates, with a clean body well clad, was finding refreshment. And where there had been a wound, I saw a scar; and that pool which I had before seen, I saw now with its margin lowered even to the boy's navel. And one drew water from the pool incessantly, and upon its brink was a goblet filled with water; and Dinocrates drew near and began to drink from it, and the goblet did not fail. And when he was satisfied, he went away from the water to play joyously, after the manner of children, and I awoke. Then I understood that he was translated from his suffering.

Now, as with all mystical visions, I don't interpret this story as being part of the fullness of revelation given in Christ, but I refer to it only because it has inspired christians not to forsake the connection between the living and the dead - a familial love that transcends physical life - in spite of the chasm or interval between the two states. This story also represents a little bit of the early church's developing understanding of purification after death. Perhaps it is implied that Dinocrates' suffering is due to the fact that he died a pagan and not a christian, though he was seven years of age, and had not had the opportunity to be baptized. The experience links with Perpetua's own understanding of her impending demise and the suffering that she regularly endured from endless persecution.

I also don't necessarily read this piece as an exact physical description of a place called Purgatory. Though the early christians regularly prayed for their dead and, as I said above, had an understanding of purification after death, at that time, the articulation of the state of translation that later came to be defined as Purgatory was only in its initial stages of development. Rather, as with any vision, I read it as an idea articulated through the use of various images that each contain various meanings. Even if Perpetua saw exactly what she described and believed it, it doesn't necessarily preclude the use of imagery, even in her own personal interpretation of the vision, which is often characteristic of the visions alledged by other saints concerning this and other subjects.

Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, pray for us.

Reflections on Abortion and Women's rights

On Sunday, Christina and I joined our friends down in front of Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara to pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy and the Rosary at 3pm, the hour of divine mercy. We prayed for an end to abortion, for all victims of abortion, including the women who are driven to them, the men who cooperate with them, and the children who die. We also prayed for Terri Schiavo. It was Sunday, of course, so the clinic was closed. I was also reflecting just on when, how, and why abortion became so intertwined with the women's movement, particularly in the United States, and I've often asked myself how it is in other countries.

Many of you know, and I've stated this many times on this blog, that, contrary to what we understand as the modern feminist movement within the United States, classical american feminism has always been consistently pro-life, viewing abortion as the ultimate form of oppression of women and children. Activists such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton successfully argued for the illegalization of abortion and abortifacient methods that were, at the time, very prevalent and fairly easily obtainable.

So what happened? As I understand it, building on a foundation influenced largely by eugenic and even Nazi philosophy, characters such as Margaret Sanger and her Birth Control Federation of America sought to introduce abortion into American society as a means of controlling birth rates among poor and disabled persons. It didn't have anything to do with empowering women or women not wanting their children. At least, not until the mid-20th-century. To cloud its ties to eugenics and nazi philosophy, the Birth Control Federation of America changed their name to Planned Parenthood. In the 1960's and early 1970's, Dr. Bernard Nathanson, cofounder of NARAL, helped to convince the media and the women's movement that abortion was somehow their issue, as he wrote in his Confession of an Ex-Abortionist:

We persuaded the media that the cause of permissive abortion was a liberal enlightened, sophisticated one. Knowing that if a true poll were taken, we would be soundly defeated, we simply fabricated the results of fictional polls. We announced to the media that we had taken polls and that 60% of Americans were in favour of permissive abortion. This is the tactic of the self-fulfilling lie. Few people care to be in the minority. We aroused enough sympathy to sell our program of permissive abortion by fabricating the number of illegal abortions done annually in the U.S. The actual figure was approaching 100,000 but the figure we gave to the media repeatedly was 1,000,000. Repeating the big lie often enough convinces the public. The number of women dying from illegal abortions was around 200-250 annually. The figure we constantly fed to the media was 10,000. These false figures took root in the consciousness of Americans convincing many that we needed to crack the abortion law. Another myth we fed to the public through the media was that legalising abortion would only mean that the abortions taking place illegally would then be done legally. In fact, of course, abortion is now being used as a primary method of birth control in the U.S. and the annual number of abortions has increased by 1500% since legalisation.

We systematically vilified the Catholic Church and its "socially backward ideas" and picked on the Catholic hierarchy as the villain in opposing abortion. This theme was played endlessly. We fed the media such lies as "we all know that opposition to abortion comes from the hierarchy and not from most Catholics" and "Polls prove time and again that most Catholics want abortion law reform". And the media drum-fired all this into the American people, persuading them that anyone opposing permissive abortion must be under the influence of the Catholic hierarchy and that Catholics in favour of abortion are enlightened and forward-looking. An inference of this tactic was that there were no non- Catholic groups opposing abortion. The fact that other Christian as well as non-Christian religions were {and still are) monolithically opposed to abortion was constantly suppressed, along with pro-life atheists' opinions.

A favourite pro-abortion tactic is to insist that the definition of when life begins is impossible; that the question is a theological or moral or philosophical one, anything but a scientific one. Foetology makes it undeniably evident that life begins at conception and requires all the protection and safeguards that any of us enjoy. Why, you may well ask, do some American doctors who are privy to the findings of foetology, discredit themselves by carrying out abortions? Simple arithmetic at $300 a time, 1.55 million abortions means an industry generating $500,000,000 annually, of which most goes into the pocket of the physician doing the abortion. It is clear that permissive abortion is purposeful destruction of what is undeniably human life. It is an impermissible act of deadly violence. One must concede that unplanned pregnancy is a wrenchingly difficult dilemma, but to look for its solution in a deliberate act of destruction is to trash the vast resourcefulness of human ingenuity, and to surrender the public weal to the classic utilitarian answer to social problems.

Dr. Nathanson admitted to having performed as many as 75,000 abortions, including the killing his own child. Soon, Planned Parenthood began to setup clinics, not in well-to-do areas, but in extremely poor areas of cities, areas with large minority populations. In many circles, abortion was and is seen as inseparable from the women's rights movement and, very frequently, an attack upon abortion is seen as an attack on women themselves. Susan B. Anthony has to be rolling in her grave.

Dr. Nathanson changed his mind on the issue of abortion and went on to become one of the leading pro-life activists in the United States, producing such famous films as The Silent Scream. He has also written a few insightful books detailing his testimony:

Aborting America
The Hand of God: A Journey from Death to Life by the Abortion Doctor Who Changed His Mind

Later, he was even baptized into the Roman Catholic Church.

We were duped in this nation. How have we become so blind? Why can there be no honest reflection and discussion? A little education can be a dangerous thing. Even when Norma McCorvey and Dr. Bernard Nathanson raise their voice, they are discredited by the women's movement as being kooks, against women, and out of step with America. Is this true? The pro-life movement within America has been gaining steam, though at times it seems like an uphill battle. Yet there is a lot of discouragement, particularly when individuals, particularly church leaders, shy away from confronting this issue. And we have Howard Dean who, as a physician, is proud to have sat on the board of Planned Parenthood in Vermont.

An end to Partial Birth Abortion?

I've been praying many years to finally see this. But this comes with a firm warning. The battle has only just begun. It will be a vigorous fight in the courts to ensure that the dignity of women and children are respected.

There's too much rhetoric holding up the supporters of abortion. I think it's high time that there be a national discussion about abortion using scientific data. Is it not possible that when Roe Vs. Wade went through 30 years ago that perhaps, just perhaps, they didn't know enough how dangerous and oppressive abortion was to women? Let's examine the effects. Lay it all out on the table. And whatever doubts they may have had as to the start of human life, let's examine that question in light of today's medical science and fetology. There are some terrible inconsistencies. In one place, where a fetus is by all definitions a patient and a human being, a doctor can remove a child from the womb, successfully operate on him, and place him back into the womb. In another place, however, a child of the same stage of development is not a human being and can be torn from the womb and thrown away. I wonder, who is truly living in the past? Who isn't getting with the times? A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

And yet on CSPAN today, I see the usual suspects using the same rhetoric, accusing us of being against women's rights and against the constitution. My goodness - nobody should have the right to kill an innocent human being.

I confess that I am a little cynical that we in the United States of America have the moral fiber to see this through. We will have to pray unceasingly.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us sinners. Holy Innocents, pray for us.

TO THOSE WHO WERE ROBBED OF LIFE: the unborn, the weak,
the sick, the old, during the dark ages of madness,
selfishness, lust and greed for which the last decades
of the twentieth century are remembered....
     -C. Everett Koop, MD

Reflections of Halloween in Isla Vista

Halloween in Isla Vista is a religious experience, for some. On every Halloween over the last couple of decades, Isla Vista, CA, the small college town next to UC Santa Barbara, where I was a student from 1996 through 2001, transforms itself into a pilgrimage site, drawing pilgrims from miles around. It turns into a truly magical scene, where alcohol flows down the streets as in the land of flowing milk and honey. Every year, thousands upon thousands flock to this little town and turn it upside down. Ten years ago, it got so bad that the local law enforcement decided that enough was enough. They implemented a 5-year plan to overrun Isla Vista with a massive police presence every Halloween in order to discourage pilgrims from venturing there in an attempt to reduce crime and chaos. It had been mildly effective, and after 5 years had passed, they extended it for another few years. Last Friday, however, around 50,000 people descended on the lowly streets of Isla Vista. 50,000 people.

To give you an idea as to some of the rediculousness that can occur when thousands of people congregate to party in the streets, check out the recent police blotter reported in UCSB's campus newspaper, the Daily Nexus. Note: The blotter does quote some four-letter words, so be fore-warned. I am not saying this was the way it was for everyone who came, but I think it illustrates the general scene fairly well. I haven't had a lot of reasons to venture into Isla Vista anymore since graduate school, though I have tried to be fairly vocal that something needs to be done. The town is full of crime, including burglary and rape, the streets are falling apart and poorly lit, and the air always seems saturated with stale beer. I feel bad, because in addition to the large young adult population in Isla Vista, it is also home to many hispanic families who cannot afford to live anywhere else in Santa Barbara, where the cost of living is quite high. To top that off, would you believe that there is a full retirement home in Isla Vista, surrounded by fraternities. All these different communites trying to live together.

All Souls Day

Bill Cork blogs about hearing a homily at his parish concerning Purgatory - the first homily he's ever heard on the subject in 11 years. I'd have to say that I have also never heard a homily preached about the beautiful and interesting subject of Purgatory. In explaining the concept to his son, Bill quotes Cardinal Ratzinger's book Eschatology which I also find to be a very good explanation:

Purgatory is not, as Tertullian thought, some kind of supra-worldly concentration camp where one is forced to undergo punishments in a more or less arbitrary fashion. Rather it is the inwardly necessary process of transformation in which a person becomes capable of Christ, capable of God, and thus capable of unity with the whole communion of saints. Simply to look at people with any degree of realism at all is to grasp the necessity of such a process. It does not replace grace by works, but allows the former to achieve its full victory precisely as grace. What actually saves is the full assent of faith. But in most of us, that basic option is buried under a great deal of wood, hay and straw. Only with difficulty can it peer out from behind the latticework of an egoism we are powerless to pull down with our own hands. Man is the recipient of the divine mercy, yet this does not exonerate him from the need to be transformed. Encounter with the Lord is this transformation. It is the fire that burns away our dross and re-forms us to be vessels of eternal joy.

Why is the topic approached with trepidation? What is there to be afraid of or embarrassed about?

Purgatory has often received a very negative rap. While I was a student at UC Santa Barbara, I was a member (and later convener for two years) of the UCSB Interfaith Council. It was a most awesome group, and we put together some very good discussions concerning topics of faith. One such topic concerned Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife, as explored from Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, and Islam. I was pegged along with a friend to present the Catholic understanding of the subject, which in my mind, necessitates a discussion on Purgatory.

A few days prior to the event, I was approached by the assistant pastor of my university parish, who was actually the convener at that time, who asked me not to mention Purgatory at all, or at the very least, not give it much importance. I immediately responded that excluding a discussion of Purgatory would be a major disservice to those who came to hear the Catholic understanding of Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife, because Purgatory has everything to do with our understanding of salvation, answering the call to holiness, and the goodness of God's grace. I explained that before I was a Catholic, I had many questions about Purgatory and, when I finally grasped it intellectually and spiritually, I found it to be something very beautiful, something that made sense. How could I deemphasize something so intrinsically Catholic? He reluctantly agreed. Afterward, I was approached by a Jewish friend of mine who thanked me for articulating something that she had never understood. She said she was glad she came.

Purgatory, of course, is a theological articulation applied to the workings of God's grace after death - something that is quite mysterious. But by bringing an emphasis to it, we remind ourselves not only of the goodness of God's grace for us in life as well as death, but also just how connected we are to all who have died in Christ. It is therefore always a very pious and holy thought to pray for the dead. Over the last six years that I have been Catholic, I have become very conscious of the dead. I remember them daily and offer prayer for them frequently. Today, I remembered expecially my grandfather who died in 1998, and my grandmother who died last May. I also remembered several dear friends of mine who have died. Lastly, I remembered a young woman, who died in 2001 shortly after the birth of her stillborn daughter, whom I never knew in life but over the passed year have felt inspired to offer prayer for. I'll speak more about that another time.

Eternal Father, I offer You the Most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son Jesus, in union with all the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Amen.

All Saints, Great and Small

You will notice that I've added some images and links for St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Thomas More, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Dominic in the right hand frame of my blog. While I have a great friendship with many saints, these are the ones with which I feel I have a special connection. I look to them for inspiriation and for prayer. I study their lives and their virtues. And I struggle to emulate their integrity, their humility, and their desire to serve God through their own talents. I added their images to my blog to serve as a constant reminder of their witness. Yes I know that two are Dominicans. :) That must mean something...

In Festo Omnium Sanctorum

Antiphona ad Introitum
Gaudeamus omnes in Domino, diem festum celebrantes
sub honore Sanctorum omnium: de quorum solemnitate
gaudent Angeli, et collaudant Filium Dei.

Ps. 32, 1
Exsultate, iusti, in Domino: rectos decet collaudatio.

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

Amen.

From the Office of Readings:

Christ, most kindly dweller
in the heavens above,
life of your saints, way to the Father,
hope that is ours, salvation of all:
in your great mercy,
accept the offering of praise
which we humbly bring in full sacrifice to you.

The choir of all the angels
blesses you endlessly
in high heaven above;
in harmony with them,
all of your saints together
heap high praise upon you.

Through the merits of Mary, Virgin blest
and of all the holy ones as well,
revoke the punishment,
O Faithful One,
which we have earned;
grant us your gracious healing instead.

Grant that we may proclaim
your praise here below,
so that, in full faithfulness to you,
we may continue it in the heavens,
endlessly singing songs of glory
to the Trinity on high.
Amen.

On the darker side of things... Happy All Hallow's Even


Ventrue--
Old-fashioned and tradition-bound, the Ventrue are
sophisticated and genteel. They believe in good
taste above all else and work hard to make
their lives comfortable.


Vampires want you... which ones hunt you?
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Harrius Potter

Did you know that the Latin edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis, is available at amazon.com? It doesn't look like the latin is horribly complicated either, but don't quote me on that.

Caput Primum: Puer Qui Vixit Dominus et Domina Dursley, qui vivebant in aedibus Gestationis Ligustrorum numero quattuor signatis, non sine superbia dicebant se ratione ordinaria vivendi uti neque se paenitere illius rationis. In toto orbe terrarum vix credas quemquam esse minus deditum rebus novis et arcanis, quod ineptias tale omnino spernebant.

Optimum est! This edition is most certainly for young students of Latin. Well, if your child can read Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis for fun, then concerns about your child's fascinations with wizardry should probably be the last thing on your mind. Give that child the Summa. Harry Potter controversialists aside, this is probably a fun read if you have reasonably good Latin proficiency!

Where there's smoke, there's fire

I'm sure you readers have been reading about all of the wildfires out here in California. Because of the high winds, Santa Barbara has been filled with smoke from the fires in northern Ventura County for the last couple of days. It's a little difficult to breathe, and the air is very dry and hot. The smoke, being blown offshore toward the West, has made for some pretty amazing sunsets, though. This is nothing, however, like it is down in Los Angeles where the air is saturated with smoke from the San Bernadino region. Having lived in California for 15 years, I have seen some extraordinary fires - but these recent fires have affected me more closely. And they say the cause is most likely arson.

The Freedom of the English Church

Canterbury Cathedral

Being of English descent, I will forever find the study of English church history to be fascinating. Just studying about the life of one of my great friends, St. Thomas More, has introduced me to the richness and beauty of English Christianity.

When Henry VIII took upon himself the title Supreme Head of the Church in England, More refused to accept this title and later referred to both the Magna Carta of 1215 as well as Henry's coronation oath in 1509 to prove that, under English law, the immunity of the English Church was guaranteed.

The Magna Carta promised the following:

In the first place we have granted to God, and by this our present charter confirmed for us and our heirs forever that the English Church shall be free, and shall have her rights entire, and her liberties inviolate; and we will that it be thus observed; which is apparent from this that the freedom of elections, which is reckoned most important and very essential to the English Church, we, of our pure and unconstrained will, did grant, and did by our charter confirm and did obtain the ratification of the same from our lord, Pope Innocent III, before the quarrel arose between us and our barons: and this we will observe, and our will is that it be observed in good faith by our heirs forever. We have also granted to all freemen of our kingdom, for us and our heirs forever, all the underwritten liberties, to be had and held by them and their heirs, of us and our heirs forever.

And in his coronation oath, Henry VIII swore to the following:

Sire, will you grant and keep by your oath confirm to the people of England the laws and customs given to them by the previous just and god-fearing kings, your ancestors, and especially the laws, customs, and liberties granted to the clergy and people by the glorious king, the sainted Edward, your predecessor?
   I grant and promise them.

Sire, will you in all your judgments, so far as in you lies, preserve to God and Holy Church, and to the people and clergy, entire peace and concord before God?
   I will preserve them.

Sire will you so far as in you lies, cause justice to be rendered rightly, impartially, and wisely, in compassion and in truth?
   I will do so.

Sire, do you grant to be held and observed the just laws and customs that he community of your realm shall determine, and will you, so far as in you lies, defend and strengthen them to the honour of God?
   I grant and promise them.

Now, after reading all of this, compare it with the Act of Supremacy of 1534, passed through parliament, which stated:

Be it enacted by authority of this present Parliament that the King, our sovereign lord, his heirs and successors, kings of this realm, shall be taken, accepted and reputed the only supreme head in earth of the Church of England, called Anglicana Ecclesia...

So what became of the freedom enjoyed by the English Church from temporal authority? Does the American Church enjoy such freedom within the United States? So long as we have a government that does not have the ability to pass legislation favoring or opposing an establishment of religion. I posit that this freedom has been and can be threatened when government attempts to take upon itself authority to regulate religious affairs. Christians are often accused of violating the supposed separation of church and state, though the original intent of Jefferson's statement was to ensure that the government could not interfere with the affairs of religion. Do you think there are those who wouldn't mind interfering from time to time?

St. Thomas More lost his head because he stood on his principles regarding the freedom of the English Church, not merely in English law, but in obedience to the authority of Christ as guaranteed by union with the See of Rome. He recognized that there was an authority given by God that no temporal, political power may revoke or take upon itself.

For an interesting discussion on the final resting place of his severed head, check out this article: Opening the Roper Vault by Hugh Albin.

A Prayer by St. Thomas More

Written while imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Give me the grace, Good Lord

To set the world at naught. To set the mind firmly on You and not to hang upon the words of men's mouths.

To be content to be solitary. Not to long for worldly pleasures. Little by little utterly to cast off the world and rid my mind of all its business.

Not to long to hear of earthly things, but that the hearing of worldly fancies may be displeasing to me.

Gladly to be thinking of God, piteously to call for His help. To lean into the comfort of God. Busily to labor to love Him.

To know my own vileness and wretchedness. To humble myself under the mighty hand of God. To bewail my sins and, for the purging of them, patiently to suffer adversity.

Gladly to bear my purgatory here. To be joyful in tribulations. To walk the narrow way that leads to life.

To have the last thing in remembrance. To have ever before my eyes my death that is ever at hand. To make death no stranger to me. To foresee and consider the everlasting fire of Hell. To pray for pardon before the judge comes.

To have continually in mind the passion that Christ suffered for me. For His benefits unceasingly to give Him thanks.

To buy the time again that I have lost. To abstain from vain conversations. To shun foolish mirth and gladness. To cut off unnecessary recreations.

Of worldly substance, friends, liberty, life and all, to set the loss at naught, for the winning of Christ.

To think my worst enemies my best friends, for the brethren of Joseph could never have done him so much good with their love and favor as they did him with their malice and hatred.

These minds are more to be desired of every man than all the treasures of all the princes and kings, Christian and heathen, were it gathered and laid together all in one heap.

Amen.

More WYD Pictures

I found another young adult blogger who was also at World Youth Day.

Check out his own pictures by clicking here.

Pop vs. Soda

Finally, some research has been done. In Alabama, where I'm originally from, all sodas are called generally called Coke, even Pepsi. When I lived in Nebraska for two years, everything was Pop, and it made no sense! And in California, I hear soda much more, which makes more sense to me!