Dominican Rite Mass

If you're in the San Francisco area tonight around 7:30pm, you may want to check out the Dominican Rite Mass held at St. Dominic's Catholic Church in honor of Feast of the Dedication of St. Mary Major with the St. Dominic's Schola Cantorum. The musical setting includes Josquin Desprez's Ave Maria in addition to other pieces taken from Edmund Rubbra's Missa in Honorem Sancti Dominici.

We need a Jester!

England has decided to bring back the court jester, and they have already put out advertisements.

An ad appearing in Thursday's editions of The Times laid out the qualifications: "Must be mirthful and prepared to work summer weekends in 2005. Must have own outfit (with bells). Bladder on stick provided if required."

This would be the first court jester since 1649. Isn't it true that the jester was always the first to lose his head? Which leads to my second question, has the position been opened to women?

The Relics of Polycarp

A scene from the early church concerning the remains of St. Polycarp after his martyrdom, written 2nd century AD:

Accordingly, we afterwards took up [Polycarp's] bones, as being more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more purified than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, whither, being gathered together, as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom, both in memory of those who have already finished their course, and for the exercising and preparation of those yet to walk in their steps.

The Martyrdom of Polycarp, Chapter XVIII

Today, we continue to value the relics of our saintly forebears, and we commemorate their anniversaries as feast days all throughout the year. Praise be to God.

St. Stephen's in Sacramento

I got back from the Sacramento area last Tuesday. Got the chance to see all around the area, including Gold Country and the Capitol Building. On Sunday, we went to the 10:30am High Mass at the Church of St. Stephen the First Martyr, staffed by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. Though I have worshipped at several low masses over the last few years, this was my first experience of the Tridentine high mass, and I absolutely loved it. The mass inspired a wonderful sense of the sacred. I was also very impressed by the celebrant, Fr. John Berg, FSSP. His homily was among the best I have heard.

However, during this experience, I did find that my post-conciliar sensibilities often got the better of me. I entered the Church in 1997, and most of what I understand about liturgy has been formed based on my experiences with the post-concilar mass. I couldn't resist, for example, the urge to join in on the choir's singing of the Gloria, the Credo, and the Sanctus. I also couldn't resist the Domine, non sum dignus.... One of the things that I truly appreciate about the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council is the desire that the faithful be able to actively join in saying or singing parts of the ordinary together, as mentioned in Article 54 of Sacrosanctum Concilium:

... steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.

It seems to be that these things, particularly the Credo, have their fullest meaning when they are said together. But that's just my very humble and limited opinion. I recall the dialogue mass I experienced in Houston a few months back. Wonderful, although not the norm. On the other hand, a setting of sacred polyphony would suit very me well even though I would not be able sing along!

One other thing, which may draw the wrath of some of my readers, though I am open to your input and instruction. I found the endless stream of people moving about for confession during the mass, even during the homily, to be very distracting. I know that the practice is not novel, but it seemed completely inappropriate. It gave me a strange conception of what it might have been like prior to the council, when most individuals were, by and large, merely spectators who did their own private devotions during the mass and took their turn for confession with no intention to receive Holy Communion, or if so, infrequently. Don't get me wrong - I have no window into anyone's soul, so I will not make judgments upon anyone at the mass doing this, nor do I have anything against regular confession. But generally speaking, it seems more fitting that the sacrament of penance, while intimately connected to the liturgy, should not occur simultaneously with the liturgy so as to blur the distinction between the two actions. I appreciate the reform indicated by Article 48 of Sacrosanctum Concilium:

The Church, therefore, earnestly desires that Christ's faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration. They should be instructed by God's word and be nourished at the table of the Lord's body...

We can argue about the substance of the reforms and their implementation, but there's no doubt in my mind that reforms were needed, and the council did a just thing in addressing them.

At any rate, I'm sure I'll be back to St. Stephen's next time I am around. In spite of the few things I didn't agree with, I still have a wonderful appreciation for the pre-conciliar liturgy, and I will not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Songs and Hymns

Songs and Hymns of the Earliest Greek Christian Poets

An Evening Hymn

Praise the Lord, O ye His servants,
        Praise the Name of the Lord:
We praise Thee, we hymn Thee, we bless Thee
        For Thy great glory.
O Lord the King, the Father of Christ, the Lamb without blemish,
        Who taketh away the sin of the world,
To Thee belongeth praise, to Thee belongeth the hymn, to Thee belongeth glory,
        The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
        Throughout all ages. Amen.
Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart, O Lord,
        According to Thy word, in peace:
For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,
Which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
A light to lighten the Gentiles, and (to be) the glory of Thy people Israel.

A Garden of Unlimited Flowers

The Church is a garden patterned with unlimited flowers. It is necessary that they should be of various sizes, various colors, and, to sum up, various perfections. All of them have their value, their charm, and their color, and in the assemblage of their differences all of them produce a beauty most pleasing and perfect.

St. Francis de Sales, Treatise on the Love of God

Just do it yourself...

Check this out. A while ago, Microsoft filed a patent for this:

Methods and apparatus for distributing power and data to devices coupled to the human body are described. The human body is used as a conductive medium, e.g., a bus, over which power and/or data is distributed. Power is distributed by coupling a power source to the human body via a first set of electrodes. One or more device to be powered, e.g., peripheral devices, are also coupled to the human body via additional sets of electrodes. The devices may be, e.g., a speaker, display, watch, keyboard, etc. A pulsed DC signal or AC signal may be used as the power source. By using multiple power supply signals of differing frequencies, different devices can be selectively powered. Digital data and/or other information signals, e.g., audio signals, can be modulated on the power signal using frequency and/or amplitude modulation techniques.

Interesting...

zzz...

The summer has been particularly busy, just like it was last year at this time.  But this weekend, I am venturing up to the Sacramento area for a few days.  Should be fun!

... ubi enim est thesaurus tuus, ibi erit et cor tuum... - Mt. 6:21

A New Adventure
 
Please pray for Jay at the Discernment Blog as he leaves for the pre-novitiate for the central province Order of Preachers (Dominicans).  If you get a chance, read through his blog archives and see all about how his vocation has unfolded and where his vocation journey has taken him!

God be with you, Jay!

Everybody should know this!


You know what I'm talking about, that strange looking building that is the only thing that distinguishes LAX from any other airport. It's in just about every movie and postcard that features Los Angeles. It's so distinctive - but what is it?

It's the Theme Building!

The Theme Building was part of the $50 million over-all Los Angeles Jet Age Terminal Construction project which began in 1960. On December 18, 1992, the Los Angeles City Council designated the Theme Building a cultural and historical monument.

The building was to serve as an airport terminal and was intended to resemble a landing spaceship. I wonder why it didn't work out! Today, if you go the top, you'll find the bizarre Encounter Restaurant. All that can really be said is, Picture it... Los Angeles, the 1960's.

A Daily Prayer

A Prayer for Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Brothers, Sisters, Lay Ministers and Seminarians

Lord Jesus, hear our prayer for the spiritual renewal of bishops, priests, deacons, brothers, sisters, lay ministers and seminarians, especially those of our own diocese. We praise you for giving their ministry to the Church. In these days, renew them with the gifts of Your Spirit.

You once opened the Holy Scriptures to Your disciples when You walked on this earth. Now renew Your ordained and chosen ones with the truth and power of Your Word.

In the Eucharist you gave Your disciples renewed life and hope. Nourish Your consecrated ones with Your Own Body and Blood. Help them to imitate in their lives the death and resurrection they celebrate around Your altar.

Give them enthusiasm for the Gospel, zeal for the salvation of all people, courage in leadership and humility in service.

Give them Your love for one another and for all their brothers and sisters in You. For You love them, Lord Jesus and we love and pray for them in Your Holy Name.

Amen.

More Evidence?

Back in April, I commented upon one of the conspiracy theories that appears to be circulating among more liberal Catholic circles in the area. Are Opus Dei priests infiltrating Santa Barbara's parishes? I wonder if the very first mass held last month by Cardinal Mahony in honor of Opus Dei and St. Josemaria Escriva has given our friends more to be concerned about. Perhaps this conspiracy goes all the way to the top!

While the church placed renewed emphasis on the laity during the historic Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960s, Mahony said, Josemaria had been doing so decades earlier.

"Vatican II set forth for the whole church the role in our baptism to be holy and to be wonderful witnesses in the world," Mahony told the congregation. "Pope John Paul II described Josemaria as a man far ahead of his time."

But St. Josemaria disagreed. Looking at the cathedral tapestries depicting ordinary people walking with the saints, [John] Waiss said, "Those tapestries are so Opus Dei!"

The universal call to holiness...

Vivida in Tempore

by Filippo Sirotti

Vivida in tempore transire nolente
permagna florescit in pectore vis
continenter pellens me dicere: "nos"

et lumine solis extremo dilapso
in caelo inter alias te incipio requirere stellas

quod secum te sentiens dulcedine noctis
expectans laetatur animus meus
et loca nulla illi remota

Whatcha Eatin'? Nut 'n Honey!

I was following a discussion over at Ad Limina Apostolorum concerning liturgical abuse, particularly with regard to the ingredients in the bread used in the mass. I remember going through this issue when I ran across this recipe for Eucharistic bread used at a parish with which I was familiar:

3 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c white flour
2 Tbls. oil
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 warm water
1/2 c honey
1/4 tsp baking powder

Start with flour, baking powder all mixed into one mound. Make a hole in the center of the mound, Mix honey with warm water, cut in oil, add to flour. (The dough will be sticky) Pinch off quantity of dough that you can easily work with, sprinkle with flour then roll to desired thickness. Push up edges with finger tips and roll smooth so that edges do not taper off (otherwise they will turn crispy).

Baking time and temperature depend on the size and thickness of the bread. For bread 1/4 inch thick try 325 for 10 minutes. Remove and brush with oil or margarine. Return to oven for a few minutes - Watch Carefully! - At the first sign of brown on top take out! Put on wire rack. When cool, test that it is not hard, especially at edges. Put in ziplock bag.

As you can see, 1/2 cup of honey is mixed in. Since I had questions about this recipe, I contacted the Archdiocesan Office for Worship to see what they thought. They agreed with my concerns and said that though some people use honey mainly as a way to keep the dough from getting dry and to ensure texture, it was illicit and should not be done. They indicated that one of the main reasons why this should not be done was because validity was questionable depending on the quantity added. They pointed me to a section of the Pastoral Companion to the Code of Canon Law:

The Code indicates that for validity the bread must be made substantially of wheat flour. If there are any additives in it they cannot be such that the bread would no longer be considered wheat bread according to the common estimation... The judgment concerning the validity of the substance to be used as Eucharistic Bread must be based on the bread's contents, not its appearance. Thus, knowing the composition of the bread, if the common estimation of persons would judge that it is wheat bread [it] would be valid matter even if there are other additives. However, it is illicit to use any additives at all to the wheat and flour.

This seems to be saying that the addition of extra elements, while certainly illicit, may not necessarily constitute invalid matter if the result is still considered to be wheat bread according to the common estimation. A little vague! I know from experience that those who received this particular bread with honey certainly judged the bread to be just that. This seems to agree with Redemptionis Sacramentum, paragraph 48:

It follows therefore that bread... mixed with another substance different from wheat to such an extent that it would not commonly be considered wheat bread, does not constitute valid matter...

I could imagine that if the recipe had called for four cups of honey and the common estimation was that they were receiving "consecrated" honey cakes instead of wheat bread, then the sacrament would most certainly not be valid. I suppose there is no real fine line and the best advice is simply Don't go there! If you have talented bakers and bake your own bread, use licit ingredients. The Office for Worship recommends its own recipes for those who wish to bake using licit ingredients. Oh, and don't drop your crumbs all over the floor.

Classical trivia...

Impress your friends at parties with the best music trivia ever!

Some of my favorites:

MOZART, FRANZ XAVER WOLFGANG
How far can a name get you? Pretty far - if it's the right name.

- The youngest surviving child of Wolfgang and Constanze Mozart, young Franz was barely five months old when his famous father died.
- The boy showed an early proclivity for music and there were no shortage of teachers in Vienna willing to give young Mozart lessons. Included amongst the eager teachers were supposed Mozart rival Antonio Salieri.
- In 1841, fifty years after his dad's death, he was named Kapellmeister of the Mozarteum in Salzburg

NIETZSCHE, FRIEDRICH
Yes, this is THE Nietzsche of philosophy fame. He made some musical ripples, as well.

- He was one of the first established supporters of the new music direction started by Richard Wagner.
- A dozen years later, Nietzsche's thinking had changed and he turned against Wagner and supported Bizet.
- Aside from turning heads with his philosophical writing and music criticism, Nietzsche tried his hand at composing - resulting in a few choral works, songs and some piano pieces, none of which have become staples in popular repertoire.

PACHELBEL, JOHANN
Some might think he's just a one-hit wonder.

- Did you know that a Burger King commercial of the 1970's used Pachelbel's Canon? It's true. The music behind "Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce. Special orders don't upset us" is a direct lift from this famous work.

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, RALPH
Alert! This Englishman's first name is pronouned "RAYF" (just like the actor Ralph Fiennes).

- He was an avid collector of English folk songs and belonged to the Folk Song Society.

Off you go!

Justified by Grace...

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.

We are born again in Christ Jesus in the baptism of water and the spirit to live in the good works God has prepared for us. It is God's freely given grace that enables us to respond to this call, not anything of ourselves. By living in his grace in the service of our God, we become participants in God's own divine life. Thus are we made holy by this same grace to eternal life.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1996

Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life.

Blessed be God forever.

The Examined Truth

Proverbs 18:17

The man who pleads his case first seems to be in the right; then his opponent comes and puts him to the test.

C'mon, Ron

I caught the end of Larry King Live last night only to hear Ron Reagan Jr., son of the late President, mock those who oppose embryonic stem-cell research (scroll down) as being anti-intellectual. Who's really not thinking here, Ron?

REAGAN: Doctors and researchers, as I said, can't believe we're still having this discussion. This is like not believing Darwinian evolution, or something, which many people in this administration also don't believe in. You know, just by the by. It is so profoundly anti-intellectual and inhumane. I mean, we are talking about cells, undifferentiated cells, in petri dish. No fingers, no toes, no brain, no spinal cord, no feelings, no pain, no nothing. These are just cells. And we're talking about the potential to save real, living human beings. Children with diabetes, for instance.

I'm not convinced Ron understands the debate. Our beef is not with stem-cells per se, as we who have studied this issue do recognize their potential benefit, particularly that of adult (non-embryonic) stem-cells. And, we're not arguing that stem-cells are human beings. We're saying that the embryos that are destroyed to harvest the stem-cells are real, living human beings. And more to that point, who says human life has to have recognizable fingers or toes to be human life? Some Americans don't have these. And at this stage of development, not having fully formed or even differentiated spinal and brain features does not mean that the embryo will not ever develop these things, as though it were dead. No, it will develop these things and grow to be just like Ron. It won't develop into a fish, or a rhino, or a bear. A human being can only develop into a more fully developed human being. There is a marvelous intelligence intrinsic to the developing human embryo, and that intelligence is life.

As a people who believe that life begins at conception, our position is intellectually coherent and consistent, and is a whole different beast than Darwinian evolution, which, though I do not reject it wholesale, has its own flaws that any scientist worth his microscope should be honest about. Framing the debate as though those who oppose embryonic stem-cell research are opposed to eliminating disease is, in my opinion, intellectually dishonest.

REAGAN: ... The list of things that could be helped by this just goes on and on. And that we are playing politics with this, I'll say it again, is shameful.

I'm not ashamed to demand that my tax money not be used to fund such research. That's my right as an American citizen, Ron.

What disturbs me about the political climate in this country today is the attitude that I can't be an American citizen and at the same time make ethical voting decisions based upon a conscience that is informed by my religious beliefs. People have told me that doing so is a violation of the separation of church and state. Our founding fathers would be spinning in their graves if they heard this ridiculous rhetoric. What's the point of having beliefs about anything, then? That is what I find shameful.

Cor Jesu Sanctissimum

Heart of Jesus, in whom are all treasures of wisdom and knowledge... Have mercy on us.

Cor Iesu Sanctissimum, large, quaesumus, effunde tuas benedictiones super sanctam Ecclesiam, super Summum Pontificem, et super omnem clerum; da iustis perseverantiam, converte peccatores, illumina infideles, benedic nostros propinquos, amicos et benefactores, assiste moribundis, libera animas in purgatorio degentes, et super omnium corda dulce imperium tui amoris extende. Amen.

Today is the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. This feast day is very new to me. I know friends who actually grew up fearing the image of the burning heart -- The Flaming Chest of Jesus, they called it. But the more I grow spiritually, the more I comprehend the depth of this devotion. I am beginning to learn more about Margaret Mary Alacoque and her confessor, Claude de la Colombière. The Heart of Christ means an abyss of mercy and compassion to those who desire it. The Heart of Christ means a universe of wisdom and knowledge to those who seek it. The Heart of Christ is truly Most Sacred.

Ack...

26 years old today...

Lexicon Recentis Latinitatis

Excerpts of the Lexicon Recentis Latinitatis, Rome's new dictionary of Latin neologisms corresponding to modern words and expressions, are available online, though in Italian. Thanks to Emily. Many of the Italian words are borrowed from English, and others are easily recognizable:

baby-sitter: infantária
basket-ball: follis canistrique ludus
cow boy: armentárius
discoteca: taberna discothecária
magnetofono: máchina echóica
night-club: taberna nocturna

Fabulous! In related news, check out some chapters from Dag Norberg's A Practical Handbook of Medieval Latin, also available online.

An insult is destroyed by a blessing

1 Peter 3:8-12

Finally, all of you, be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble. Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing. For: "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep the tongue from evil and the lips from speaking deceit, must turn from evil and do good, seek peace and follow after it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears turned to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against evildoers."

Sounds like good advice from our beloved St. Peter. When you are insulted, do the radical thing. Return it not with another insult, but with a blessing instead. In this way, you sow peace where there is discord, good where there is evil.

Two Great Figures in World History

The fall of Communism was inextricably linked to these two great men,
one of whom has passed on.

Amen. Thanks, Brian.

What sticks out to me most is Reagan's character. It was said of Reagan that when working in the Oval Office, he would never remove his suit-coat out of respect for the women with whom he worked.

Kyrie Eleison

Is this really something to smile about? Is it me or does the guy on the far left of the picture in the back seem a little unsure? We must pray.

Like a Natural Woman

I saw this on A Thing Worth Doing and found it very interesting: Like a Natural Woman. A woman who had previously disagreed with the Church's teaching on artificial contraception found herself drawn to the Natural Family Planning methods for health reasons. After she and her husband began to see the benefits of NFP on her body as well as their relationship, she began to wonder if the Church had been right.

But the turning point came for me as I watched, month after month, as my temperature rose and fell and my hormones marched in perfect harmony. I had no idea I was so beautiful. I found myself near tears one day looking at my chart and thinking, "Truly, I am fearfully and wonderfully made." My fertility is not a disease to be treated. It is a wonderful gift. I am a wonderful gift.

I have been fortunate to know couples who have gone through similar realizations, even with irregular cycles. It's typically prompted by education about the birth control pill's effects and the discovery that there are other couples out there who feel similarly. Still, I wonder if the Church could do a better job at engaging this issue. In the face of so much misinformation, I want to be educated. When I was a student at the university, our priests never really addressed the issue publicly -- that is until a handful of us students asked for more information. Our pastor finally invited an Engaged Encounter couple from Santa Monica to come and speak to the parish about NFP. Thanks be to God.

The teaching of the Church on the regulation of birth, which promulgates the divine law, will easily appear to many to be difficult or even impossible of actuation. And indeed, like all great beneficent realities, it demands serious engagement and much effort, individual, family and social effort. More than that, it would not be practicable without the help of God, who upholds and strengthens the good will of men.

Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae, paragraph 20

In related news, Siml Systems has produced a PDA application for charting with the natural family planning Billings Ovulation Method. Apparently the company supports desktop operating systems Windows 98, NT, ME, 2000, and XP, and handheld Palm OS 3, 4, and 5 for the ARM processor. No WinCE or Symbian yet.

So that's what a landslide is...

I was only six years old in 1984; I had no idea just how much of a landslide Reagan's 1984 re-election win was:Reagan: 525 electoral votes, Mondale: 13 electoral votes. Reagan's 1980 win against Jimmy Carter got him 489 electoral votes vs. Carter's 49 electoral votes.

Come, Holy Spirit

The aide of the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and empowered them to do their work.

Loquebantur variis linguis Apostoli, Alleluia.
Magnalia Dei, Alleluia.
Repleti sunt omnes Spiritu sancto et ceperunt loqui
Magnalia Dei, Alleluia.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto, Alleluia.

The Apostles spoke with many tongues, Alleluia,
of the wonderful works of God, Alleluia.
They were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak
of the wonderful works of God, Alleluia.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Alleluia.

Let the witness of the apostles remind us that the Holy Spirit also enlivens us and empowers us to do our work. It is something easily neglected.

Let Latin Live

Rogue Classicism links to an interesting article in the International Herald Tribune about Fr. Reginald Foster. Fr. Foster is the pope's latinist in Rome, and he is quite an eccentric fellow, which is good for Latin scholarbabies -- you know who you are. You can hear him just about every week on Vatican Radio's brief but entertaining radio show, The Latin Lover. Fr. Foster is rightly concerned about the declining study of Latin not only in the world but also, and particularly, in the Church. A good study of the classical languages gives you the ability as well as the thirst to guzzle the sweet richness of the Church's ecclesiastical tradition.

St. Andrew's in Pasadena

Last July, I blogged about a visit to St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Pasadena. Earlier this month, The Tidings featured a pretty good feature article about the history of the parish church.

This remarkable building is modeled after the Basilica of St. Sabina in Rome, one of the earliest Christian styles of architecture. St. Sabina's was dedicated in 432 and St. Andrew's follows the plan, design and general proportions of the original. The interior of the church is noted for the richness of its decorations, the use of unusual marble throughout and the paintings of the Stations of the Cross above the side columns. The first Mass was celebrated in the new church May 27, 1928 at which Bishop John Cantwell said this is "the pride of the diocese and a worthy replica of the ancient church on the banks of the Tiber."

St. Andrew's is one of many overlooked gems in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Things too wonderful for me...

Job 38:1-5, 42:1-6

Then the LORD addressed Job out of the storm and said: Who is this that obscures divine plans with words of ignorance? Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its size; do you know? Who stretched out the measuring line for it?

Then Job answered the LORD and said: I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered. I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know. I had heard of you by word of mouth, but now my eye has seen you. Therefore I disown what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes.

If I am afflicted, let me still not be fooled by pride.

A Wedding, Rocky, Neumann, Drexel, and the Amish

So I promised to blog about the trip. Collectively, it went well. Santa Barbara to Philadelphia to Indiana and back. Friday, I left Santa Barbara for Philadelphia with an hour layover in Denver so that I could be in Philly with enough time to take the train into downtown and be at the wedding rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner, followed by some fun time. On the way to Denver, the pilot reported that we were to make a precautionary landing in Grand Junction. Uh oh. The pilot significantly reduced altitude, and as we approached the runway, we were surprised to find airport emergency vehicles waiting for us. After having sat on the runway for about 20 minutes, we were allowed to exit. Turns out the pilot's left windshield had cracked into a million pieces, without breaking. No visibility. Thanks be to God we landed! However, instead of getting into Philly at 4pm, I made it just after 11pm, missing everything. Oh well.

After I had some sleep, I felt pretty refreshed. On Saturday, we visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art, including the infamous Rocky Steps, and on Sunday my friend, a friend whom I have known since 4th grade, got married. The wedding was very nice, and the reception featured a live band that was surprisingly pretty good. The wedding took place at the beautiful Church of St. John the Evangelist -- the very place where in 1860 St. John Neumann was consecrated bishop of Philadelphia, later going on to become the first American bishop to be canonized a saint -- also the very parish church where St. Katharine Drexel discerned her religious vocation. The History of Catholic Philadelphia was dripping all over this place.

Early Monday morning, I was back on the train for the airport, and after a trip that was blessedly free of delays, I arrived at my grandmother's house in the small Mayberry-esque town of Mitchell, Indiana -- home of the late astronaut pioneer Virgil "Gus" Grissom. The town is situated near a handful of Amish and Mennonite settlements, and so naturally I took advantage of my time there to venture deep into Amish country in search of some fresh strawberries. I found some at the home of one Amish family, and upon learning that I was from California, Anne, the Amish woman from whom I purchased the berries, promptly inquired, So your berries have probably come in already! Sure they have - in fact, they're in season at Albertson's all year long! (I didn't actually say that)

It's good to be home

After a fulfilling run from the Pacific to the Atlantic and back again, I have to say, it's good to be home. I will talk more about the trip soon! Now, it's back to work.

Releases, Weddings, and Life

Whew. I just finished another product release at work. Friday, I leave for a friend's wedding in Philadelphia, and then on to Indiana for the rest of next week. Hopefully I'll have some adventures in Amish country while I'm there. The Amish can cook like nobody's business. Pray for me! Pray also for all married couples and for those discerning married life.

We like to talk about the crisis in vocations to the priesthood and religious life, but I choose not to forget the crisis in vocations to true married life, which is also a complete embrace of the fullness of life and love, particularly when it yields fruit. But that isn't something that our culture likes, in an age of shot-gun weddings, increasing divorce rates, declining birth rates, and abortion. Have you ever noticed how the television ads for the Ortho Tri-Cyclen birth control pill are identical in style to the television ads for Valtrex treatment for genital herpes? Apparently it's good marketing to appeal to potential customers by treating children as just another sexually transmitted disease that will prevent you from living a life full of joy and promise.

The Servant of God Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said something very wise about children and married life, and I'll never forget it for as long as I live:

How dull life would be if a musician were always picking up a violin and a bow, but never producing a melody; or a sculptor were always picking up a chisel, applying it to marble, but never creating a statue; or a poet were putting pen to paper, but never wrote a thoughtful line. Would not the farmer go mad if, each spring after he had planted the seed, he immediately dug it up, went on repeating the silly process, and never waited for fruits and harvests? What would happen to the mind and heart of a woman who, just as soon as the buds began to appear in her garden, cut each of them off, so that she never fondled a rose. Love, by its very nature, wants to bear some fruit; thus is saves itself from a duality that is death... Love is then discovered to be, not like the serpent that crawls on the same level, but rather like a bird that has an ascension of love and begins to taste its sweetest moments in the higher summits of flight.

Pray for us, Uncle Fultie.

The Space Elevator

Saw this over at Dappled Things. The Space Elevator. Sounds incredible, but fascinating. Check out this animation (WMV) with sound to understand what this is. If it were feasible, it would open the doors of possibilities because it would eliminate one of the most expensive components to every space lauch - fuel. Obviously, though, I'm quite skeptical...

The Thirty-Three Heads of Voltaire

I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it.      -François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire

As a student of philosophy and a lover of French history, I appreciate much of Voltaire's work, though he certainly isn't my buddy. While he apparently believed in a God, he had an easy habit of mocking religious faith, or rather what he perceived as distracting superstition. But his satire was witty, and his points, though sometimes misguided, were usually well delivered. If you've ever read any of his work, including Candide, you should also be aware of The Thirty-Three Heads, which are caricatures of Voltaire in his declining years:

The heads derive from caricatures produced by Jean Huber (1721 - 1786). For a time Huber lived within Voltaire's household, giving him the opportunity to portray Voltaire in very informal situations: without his wig, in a night cap and without his teeth.

Some believe that it was at this time that Voltaire was at his best.