Five Streams of the Emerging Church

Interesting article from Christianity Today by Scot McKnight. Courtesy of Pastor Billy Calderwood of the Aqueous Church in Goleta, CA.

The article discusses the Emerging Church phenomenon and its varieties... while also knocking down some urban legends. In particular, I thought McKnight made a good point that we can understand the emerging church as an evolving post-evangelicalism:

A fourth stream flowing into the emerging lake is characterized by the term "post-evangelical". The emerging movement is a protest against much of evangelicalism as currently practiced. It is post-evangelical in the way that neo-evangelicalism (in the 1950s) was post-fundamentalist. It would not be unfair to call it postmodern evangelicalism.

This also includes what McKnight calls a post-systematic theology:

The emerging movement tends to be suspicious of systematic theology. Why? Not because we don't read systematics, but because the diversity of theologies alarms us, no genuine consensus has been achieved, God didn't reveal a systematic theology but a storied narrative, and no language is capable of capturing the Absolute Truth who alone is God. Frankly, the emerging movement loves ideas and theology. It just doesn't have an airtight system or statement of faith... Hence, a trademark feature of the emerging movement is that we believe all theology will remain a conversation about the Truth who is God in Christ through the Spirit, and about God's story of redemption at work in the church. No systematic theology can be final. In this sense, the emerging movement is radically Reformed. It turns its chastened epistemology against itself, saying, "This is what I believe, but I could be wrong. What do you think? Let's talk."

Being a believer in the necessity of a dogmatic theology, which I also believe is essentially progressive, I quite frankly don't see how any movement like this can have any lasting impact on the world. I realize my conclusion is rather harsh, and I hope that Pastor Billy will forgive me for that. Nonetheless, I do appreciate their interest in discussing that with me. (really!)

Anti-Catholicism?

Since the five members of the Court who voted to uphold the ban on partial birth abortion are Catholics, the Church must obviously be pulling the strings, right?



Nod to Father Peregrinator.

Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Upheld!

Yee-haw! The Supreme Court has upheld the ban on the horrid procedure popularly known as partial-birth abortion. My wife comments:

It should really be called partial birth infanticide, though. It is performed late in pregnancy (after 20 weeks), often after the baby is able to survive outside of the womb (24 weeks is the generally accepted beginning of "viability", though occasionally a baby can defy that). The only part of the baby that is not delivered right away is the head, which is punctured, emptied, and then removed from the birth canal...

The life and health of the mother is often cited as a reason for keeping this "Intact Dilation and Extraction" or "ID&X" procedure legal. Proponents say that it is safer than childbirth and carrying a risky pregnancy to term.... So.... a breech birth, which for otherwise healthy, wanted pregnancies is usually considered dangerous in and of itself, is better for a woman with a high-risk pregnancy than a complete delivery? Even though it is artificially induced, and involves sharp implements thrust into the baby's head while it is till inside the woman's body?

Young taxpayers in the dark on 401(k)s and other tax-related benefits

Interesting article from CCH Internet Research NetWork™

Young taxpayers are significantly less likely to take advantage of tax-related benefits, are most likely not to know whether they are eligible to participate in benefit plans, and nearly one in five rate their employers as terrible in providing information about tax-advantaged planning, according to findings from a nationwide CCH CompleteTax survey.

"You generally can't avoid taxes, but there are some ways you can reduce them without a lot of pain. Unfortunately, taxpayers are still not as informed as they should be or participating as much as they could be to realize these tax savings," said David Bergstein, CPA, a tax analyst for CCH CompleteTax.

The survey of 1,290 U.S. adult taxpayers, commissioned by CCH and conducted by Harris Interactive, found that many taxpayers are not taking full advantage of basic tax-saving strategies and those 18-24 years of age are the least likely to be doing so. The biggest jump in usage of tax-advantaged programs occurs between the age groups of 18-24 and 25-34, with the percentage of individuals contributing to a medical flexible spending account (FSA) or 401(k) plan more than doubling between these age groups, and the percentage contributing to an individual retirement account (IRA) increasing 10 percentage points. The survey also found that 14 percent of all adult taxpayers are currently not saving for retirement.

Many employers will even match a percentage of your 401(k) contributions.

Animated Bayeux Tapestry



The Bayeux Tapestry is a long and intricate piece of medieval embroidery that recounts the Norman Invasion and Conquest of England in the year 1066AD. By itself, it tells an amazing tale. The image fraction shown above depicts the sighting of what was actually Halley's Comet, interpreted then as a sign of impending doom. However, when the tapestry is enhanced with animation and subtitles (and interesting sound effects), it truly comes alive. Check it out (~4 mins on YouTube.com):



Tri-cornered hat tip to Prof. Richard Nokes of Unlocked Wordhoard and to Anachronista for this.

Wicked, the Musical



Tonight we went downtown to see Wicked, the Broadway Musical, at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston. Christina had read the book, and I wanted to see what all of the hub-bub was about. It was very good; we enjoyed it! Check it out!

Elvis and the Mass



You've seen that old 1969 movie with Elvis and the nuns, right? It's called Change of Habit, where Elvis falls for Mary Tyler Moore, who plays a nun who goes undercover in order to minister in an urban minority community? The movie was a sort of statement on the social and ecclesiastical changes of the 1960's. It's classic.

I think the final scene summarizes what was in store for the Church quite nicely. Fortunately, youtube.com has it (~2.25 mins):



Elvis is singing his groovy piece, Let Us Pray, during the offertory in this scene, complete with groovy backup singers and dancers. No, that's not distracting in the least bit! My favorite part is when the old woman says, Gimme the old days when you could go to mass and not think about a blessed thing! I wonder what my pastor would say. ;)

The scene also attempts to illustrate the internal conflict felt by Mary Tyler Moore's character: should she remain a nun, or pursue a life of love with Elvis? You understand because of the various images that flash on the screen: Elvis? or Jesus? Elvis? or Jesus?

The Holy Fire

I don't want to enrage any of my Eastern Orthodox readers, but I speak out of genuine ignorance here. What's the deal with the Holy Fire?

From what I have read, it's an alleged miracle flame, documented for the last 1000 years, that apparently appears out of nowhere every year at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Holy Saturday. An Eastern Orthodox bishop (typically the Patriarch of Jerusalem) enters the tomb within the church, says the right prayers, and emerges with a lit torch. The flame is then spread to candles held by thousands of believers outside of the church who claim the flame will not burn them for 33 minutes after ignition. I read one story that said that the flame is even flown back to Greece. Here is a video of the flame being bought out of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Holy Saturday, last year (2006):

Seems like a lot of chaos to me. Of course, Christians all over the world report miracles, and some may very well be true. What makes the Holy Fire particularly unique, however, is that it is often used by Eastern Orthodox to confirm Orthodoxy. Allegedly, the flame will not appear to a non-Orthodox who enters the tomb.

Why do they say the fire won't burn the flesh during the first 33 minutes? The videos I have seen don't appear to prove much. They show folks passing their hands quickly through the fire, but not for any appreciable length of time. Of course, the Orthodox who participate in this event claim that nothing underhanded is being done, and they say that this is confirmed by Israeli authorities. I have no reason to doubt their honestly, but I wonder if the claims concerning the inadvertent use of substances such as white phosphorus might have some truth to them. But I fear that the craze surrounding this miracle on Holy Saturday might be doing more to obscure rather than illuminate the message of the gospel and the true value of what we celebrate on Easter sunday: The Resurrection of Christ. It seems that I am not alone.

Christus surrexit! Alleluia!

Surrexit vere! Alleluia!

Happy Easter to all. We wrapped up our first Triduum experience at our new parish here in Sugar Land, climaxing in a fantastic Easter Vigil liturgy last night and equally dignified Easter morning mass. Our parish's new pipe organ is installed and is now being used for the glory of God! There should be some photos of the newly renovated sanctuary with the new and recently dedicated altar soon.

That aside, the mystery of the Resurrection of Christ is absolutely essential to our testimony of the Christian faith. Remember what St. Paul said to the Corinthians (1 Cor 15:14,17,20):

If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain... If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins... But, in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (126) refers to the Resurrection of Christ as the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, for, as our pastor was sure to point out, this resurrection was not a mere bodily resuscitation. The Compendium goes on to discuss (129, 131):

The Resurrection of Christ was not a return to earthly life. His risen body is that which was crucified and bears the marks of his passion. However it also participates in the divine life, with the characteristics of a glorified body. Because of this the risen Jesus was utterly free to appear to his disciples how and where he wished and under various aspects.

The Resurrection is the climax of the Incarnation. It confirms the divinity of Christ and all the things which he did and taught. It fulfills all the divine promises made for us. Furthermore the risen Christ, the conqueror of sin and death, is the principle of our justification and our Resurrection. It procures for us now the grace of filial adoption which is a real share in the life of the only begotten Son. At the end of time, he will raise up our bodies.

Resurrexit sicut dixit, Alleluia!

The woman with the python spirit

I was reflecting yesterday on the ancient Pythia, the oracular priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi and Didyma, so named for Python, the large serpent killed by Apollo. During certain times of the year, after an elaborate preparation ritual, the pythia would descend into a small chamber at the base of the temple and position herself on a tripod over the sacred pneuma, a rising gas that many geologists and scientists believe actually contained ethylene, a known hallucinogen. In a trance, the pythia would issue oracular responses supposedly inspired by the god Apollo. The responses were known for being quite ambiguous and vague.

There is an obscure event recorded in Ch. 16 of the book of Acts regarding a woman possessed by what the Revised Standard Version (RSV) translates as a spirit of divination, and the New American Bible (NAB) translates as an oracular spirit. However, the Nova Vulgata best translates the term directly from the Greek as spiritum pythonem (accusative case), or "python spirit".

The RSV records the event this way:

As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination [python spirit] and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and us, crying, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation." And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the rulers.

Perhaps because the woman claimed to divine the future, she was likened to the pythia of the Temple of Apollo who was also possessed by a python spirit (of sorts). Or perhaps there is an unstated connection to the pythia. Nonetheless, whatever possessed her left her in great haste after Paul's rebuke. Interesting...

The pythian priestesses at the Temples of Apollo at Delphi and Didyma have had enormous influence on the history of the world. Recorded visits to the oracles are numerous, even visits involving issues of great concern to the Christian world. The 4th century Christian apologist Lactantius records one such event in Ch. 10 and 11 of his work De Mortibus Persecutorum (On the Deaths of the Persecutors). In it, he all but blames the Oracle of Apollo at Didyma near Miletus (not Delphi) for convincing the Roman Emperor Diocletian to put what is now known as the Great Persecution of Christians into its fullest force in 303AD:

Diocletian, as being of a timorous disposition, was a searcher into futurity, and during his abode in the East he began to slay victims [animal sacrifices], that from their livers he might obtain a prognostic of events; and while he sacrificed, some attendants of his, who were Christians, stood by, and they put the immortal sign on their foreheads [the sign of the cross]. At this the demons were chased away, and the holy rites interrupted. The soothsayers trembled, unable to investigate the wonted marks on the entrails of the victims. They frequently repeated the sacrifices, as if the former had been unpropitious; but the victims, slain from time to time, afforded no tokens for divination. At length Tages, the chief of the soothsayers, either from guess or from his own observation, said, "There are profane persons here, who obstruct the rites." Then Diocletian, in furious passion, ordered not only all who were assisting at the holy ceremonies, but also all who resided within the palace, to sacrifice, and, in case of their refusal, to be scourged. And further, by letters to the commanding officers, he enjoined that all soldiers should be forced to the like impiety, under pain of being dismissed the service. Thus far his rage proceeded; but at that season he did nothing more against the law and religion of God. After an interval of some time he went to winter in Bithynia; and presently Galerius Caesar came thither, inflamed with furious resentment, and purposing to excite the inconsiderate old man to carry on that persecution which he had begun against the Christians...

So, during the whole winter, Diocletian and Galerius held councils together, at which no one else assisted; and it was the universal opinion that their conferences respected the most momentous affairs of the empire. The old man long opposed the fury of Galerius, and showed how pernicious it would be to raise disturbances throughout the world and to shed so much blood; that the Christians were wont with eagerness to meet death; and that it would be enough for him to exclude persons of that religion from the court and the army. Yet he could not restrain the madness of that obstinate man. He resolved, therefore, to take the opinion of his friends... Yet not even then could the emperor be prevailed upon to yield his assent. He determined above all to consult his gods; and to that end he dispatched a soothsayer to inquire of Apollo at Miletus [at Didyma], whose answer was such as might be expected from an enemy of the divine religion. So Diocletian was drawn over from his purpose.

It is also said that the Oracle of Apollo at Didyma specifically pointed out that the Christians were preventing the oracles from correctly divining the future. Thus under Diocletian the persecution of Christians escalated. Much good it did, as less than 10 years later, the world saw an end to the official persecution of Christians and the complete legalization of Christianity in the empire under the Emperor Constantine. Deo gratias!

Independent "free" thought can never be progressive

From my previous post about Christians and Pagans, I want to extract something very important from that discussion by G.K. Chesterton that is related to that topic and many other modern topics. In the same chapter of his brilliant work, Heretics, G.K. Chesterton exposes this notion of progress and how it is sometimes linked by modern writers to this notion of independent or free thought. This idea that one must deconstruct or disown everything handed to him in order to progress is utter nonsense.

I do not know by what extraordinary mental accident modern writers so constantly connect the idea of progress with the idea of independent thinking. Progress is obviously the antithesis of independent thinking. For under independent or individualistic thinking, every man starts at the beginning, and goes, in all probability, just as far as his father before him. But if there really be anything of the nature of progress, it must mean, above all things, the careful study and assumption of the whole of the past.

Man must build upon what he is given. According to Chesterton, only two systems in the world can be credited with being truly progressive: Physical Science, and the Catholic Church.

Chesterton (via the character of MacIan) explains this in Ch. 8 of his work, The Ball and the Cross:

But there is one thing Free-thought can never be by any possibility -- Free-thought can never be progressive. It can never be progressive because it will accept nothing from the past; it begins every time again from the beginning; and it goes every time in a different direction. All the rational philosophers have gone along different roads, so it is impossible to say which has gone farthest. Who can discuss whether Emerson was a better optimist than Schopenhauer was pessimist? It is like asking if this corn is as yellow as that hill is steep. No; there are only two things that really progress; and they both accept accumulations of authority. They may be progressing uphill and down; they may be growing steadily better or steadily worse; but they have steadily increased in certain definable matters; they have steadily advanced in a certain definable direction; they are the only two things, it seems, that ever can progress. The first is strictly physical science. The second is the Catholic Church.

He goes on to explain why this notion is essential to Christianity, in that it prevents it from getting swept up in the particular fads of the day -- something which does often threaten the Church, and would mean its downfall, were we to simply disown our notion of dogma:

... I say that if you want an example of anything which has progressed in the moral world by the same method as science in the material world, by continually adding to without unsettling what was there before, then I say that there is only one example of it. And that is Us... Christianity is always out of fashion because it is always sane; and all fashions are mild insanities. When Italy is mad on art the Church seems too Puritanical; when England is mad on Puritanism the Church seems too artistic. When you quarrel with us now you class us with kingship and despotism; but when you quarrelled with us first it was because we would not accept the divine despotism of Henry VIII. The Church always seems to be behind the times, when it is really beyond the times; it is waiting till the last fad shall have seen its last summer. It keeps the key of a permanent virtue.

Science and Christianity rely on definitive axioms and teachings that have been handed down, building upon what came before them. For Christianity to progress anywhere, it must have dogma -- and this is why infallibility is so important -- that is, the promise we have from Christ to guard and guide the Church from proclaiming error. Researching and understanding the development of religious dogma is one thing, but if we simply toss it aside as out-moded under the impression that, to be an independent thinker, we must start from the beginning and construct it for ourselves -- this is not progressive, and it is very much not Catholic.

Christians and Pagans

Early in high school, I was confounded by those of my generation who believed themselves to be pagans. I remained a skeptic as I had determined that their affections for paganism were, more or less, masked disaffections for Christianity. They claimed to praise the ancient deities of old, and I found it to be quite silly at the time. As my relationship with Christ developed further, I began to question whether anybody who actually fancied himself a pagan in the line of the great pagans of antiquity should actually be considered truly pagan.

The modern pagan has certainly set up for himself a framework in direct opposition to Christianity, something the ancient pagans never did because, well, Christianity came later. And so there rests the question. These modern pagans most certainly share no true connection with pre-Christian paganism. To honestly do so would lead them, perhaps kicking and screaming, to Christianity. See, the thing about ancient paganism was precisely that it was pre-Christian, and, as G.K. Chesterton pointed out, the world can never be pre-Christian again! Anything that was good or true about ancient paganism is now wrapped up in Christianity! And the rest is, well, lost to the ancient ruins of the gods.

I recall this discussion by G.K. Chesterton from Ch. XII of his work, Heretics.

XII. Paganism and Mr. Lowes Dickinson

The primary fact about Christianity and Paganism is that one came after the other. Mr. Lowes Dickinson speaks of them as if they were parallel ideals--even speaks as if Paganism were the newer of the two, and the more fitted for a new age. He suggests that the Pagan ideal will be the ultimate good of man; but if that is so, we must at least ask with more curiosity than he allows for, why it was that man actually found his ultimate good on earth under the stars, and threw it away again.

There is only one thing in the modern world that has been face to face with Paganism; there is only one thing in the modern world which in that sense knows anything about Paganism: and that is Christianity... All that genuinely remains of the ancient hymns or the ancient dances of Europe, all that has honestly come to us from the festivals of Phoebus or Pan, is to be found in the festivals of the Christian Church. If any one wants to hold the end of a chain which really goes back to the heathen mysteries, he had better take hold of a festoon of flowers at Easter or a string of sausages at Christmas. Everything else in the modern world is of Christian origin, even everything that seems most anti-Christian. The French Revolution is of Christian origin. The newspaper is of Christian origin. The anarchists are of Christian origin. Physical science is of Christian origin. The attack on Christianity is of Christian origin. There is one thing, and one thing only, in existence at the present day which can in any sense accurately be said to be of pagan origin, and that is Christianity.

The real difference between Paganism and Christianity is perfectly summed up in the difference between the pagan, or natural, virtues, and those three virtues of Christianity which the Church of Rome calls virtues of grace. The pagan, or rational, virtues are such things as justice and temperance, and Christianity has adopted them. The three mystical virtues which Christianity has not adopted, but invented, are faith, hope, and charity. Now much easy and foolish Christian rhetoric could easily be poured out upon those three words, but I desire to confine myself to the two facts which are evident about them. The first evident fact (in marked contrast to the delusion of the dancing pagan)--the first evident fact, I say, is that the pagan virtues, such as justice and temperance, are the sad virtues, and that the mystical virtues of faith, hope, and charity are the gay and exuberant virtues. And the second evident fact, which is even more evident, is the fact that the pagan virtues are the reasonable virtues, and that the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and charity are in their essence as unreasonable as they can be.

As the word “unreasonable” is open to misunderstanding, the matter may be more accurately put by saying that each one of these Christian or mystical virtues involves a paradox in its own nature, and that this is not true of any of the typically pagan or rationalist virtues. Justice consists in finding out a certain thing due to a certain man and giving it to him. Temperance consists in finding out the proper limit of a particular indulgence and adhering to that. But charity means pardoning what is unpardonable, or it is no virtue at all. Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all. And faith means believing the incredible, or it is no virtue at all....

The great psychological discovery of Paganism, which turned it into Christianity, can be expressed with some accuracy in one phrase. The pagan set out, with admirable sense, to enjoy himself. By the end of his civilization he had discovered that a man cannot enjoy himself and continue to enjoy anything else... Now, the psychological discovery is merely this, that whereas it had been supposed that the fullest possible enjoyment is to be found by extending our ego to infinity, the truth is that the fullest possible enjoyment is to be found by reducing our ego to zero...

My objection to Mr. Lowes Dickinson and the reassertors of the pagan ideal is, then, this. I accuse them of ignoring definite human discoveries in the moral world, discoveries as definite, though not as material, as the discovery of the circulation of the blood. We cannot go back to an ideal of reason and sanity. For mankind has discovered that reason does not lead to sanity. We cannot go back to an ideal of pride and enjoyment. For mankind has discovered that pride does not lead to enjoyment. I do not know by what extraordinary mental accident modern writers so constantly connect the idea of progress with the idea of independent thinking. Progress is obviously the antithesis of independent thinking. For under independent or individualistic thinking, every man starts at the beginning, and goes, in all probability, just as far as his father before him. But if there really be anything of the nature of progress, it must mean, above all things, the careful study and assumption of the whole of the past. I accuse Mr. Lowes Dickinson and his school of reaction in the only real sense. If he likes, let him ignore these great historic mysteries — the mystery of charity, the mystery of chivalry, the mystery of faith. If he likes, let him ignore the plough or the printing-press. But if we do revive and pursue the pagan ideal of a simple and rational self-completion we shall end--where Paganism ended. I do not mean that we shall end in destruction. I mean that we shall end in Christianity.

Modern, anti-Christian paganism is a new creation. It has little to do with what came before it. In rejecting Christianity modern pagans inadvertently condemn much of what was genuine about the paganism that preceded it. But if modern pagans desire a real and true link with classic paganism, they find themselves confronted with the modern reality of Christianity. Laudetur Iesus Christus!

Wisdom from the Digital Cable Guide

Occasionally in my down time, I scroll through the channels on the little Digital Cable Guide to see what is on television. And occasionally, the descriptions of the shows and movies are pretty informative. Other times, not so much. Sometimes, I don't know. I often wonder who writes these things and how much they are paid for what they do.

Once, it listed the movie "Friday the 13th, Part VI". The description was something to the effect of:

Teen raises mass murderer from the dead. Slaughter ensues.

Uh, yeah. Straight, to the point.

The listing for "Deliverance" was even more interesting. The description said:

Four Atlanta businessmen encounter unexpected terrors while making their way down an Appalachian river.

Hehe unexpected terrors. If that isn't the understatement of the century. I guess it's true that just as Jaws made you not want to ever go into the water, Deliverance made you not want to ever vacation in Appalachia.

An Anniversary of Rebirth

It was 10 years ago tonight that I was baptized and received into the Roman Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil on March 29th, 1997. It's been an extraordinary journey, and it's only just beginning.

The eternal Father, by a free and hidden plan of His own wisdom and goodness, created the whole world. His plan was to raise men to a participation of the divine life. Fallen in Adam, God the Father did not leave men to themselves, but ceaselessly offered helps to salvation, in view of Christ, the Redeemer "who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature". All the elect, before time began, the Father "foreknew and pre-destined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that he should be the firstborn among many brethren". He planned to assemble in the holy Church all those who would believe in Christ. Already from the beginning of the world the foreshadowing of the Church took place. It was prepared in a remarkable way throughout the history of the people of Israel and by means of the Old Covenant. In the present era of time the Church was constituted and, by the outpouring of the Spirit, was made manifest. At the end of time it will gloriously achieve completion, when, as is read in the Fathers, all the just, from Adam and "from Abel, the just one, to the last of the elect," will be gathered together with the Father in the universal Church.

The Son, therefore, came, sent by the Father. It was in Him, before the foundation of the world, that the Father chose us and predestined us to become adopted sons, for in Him it pleased the Father to re-establish all things. To carry out the will of the Father, Christ inaugurated the Kingdom of heaven on earth and revealed to us the mystery of that kingdom. By His obedience He brought about redemption. The Church, or, in other words, the kingdom of Christ now present in mystery, grows visibly through the power of God in the world.

From Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, one of the fruits of the Second Vatican Council.

Your effect on every soul...

Constantly call to mind that at every moment you are cooperating in the human and spiritual formation of those around you, and of all souls — for the blessed Communion of Saints reaches as far as that. At every moment: when you work and when you rest; when people see you happy or when they see you worried; when at your job, or out in the street, you pray as does a child of God and the peace of your soul shows through; when people see that you have suffered, that you have wept, and you smile.

-St. Josemaría Escrivá, from The Forge, #846.

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.

Do not think that we can control the world. It is much bigger than we can imagine...

Effects of a Synthetic Estrogen on Aquatic Populations

Interesting study:

Effects of a Synthetic Estrogen on Aquatic Populations: a Whole Ecosystem Study, conducted by the Freshwater Institute of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

The study concerned the effects on aquatic life exposed to ethynylestradiol, a synthetic estrogen used in hormone replacement therapy and birth control pills that is excreted by women; ethynylestradiol is not completely broken down during sewage treatment, and so it ends up in waterways. It looks like the results of this 2-year study were published in 2004, and the Freshwater Institute in Canada is continuing to study the issue in order to assess long term effects. I am not aware, however, if any other more recent studies have been done on this particular issue. If my readers are aware of anything more recent, feel free to comment.

This is from their executive summary:

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWTP) discharge numerous contaminants into aquatic systems, and some of these chemicals are known or believed to act like hormones and interfere with the growth, reproduction and development of aquatic organisms. It is becoming increasingly apparent that male fish exposed to these effluents are becoming feminized due to the presence of natural and synthetic estrogens in the water. The potent synthetic estrogens excreted by women taking hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills are not completely broken down in the sewage treatment process and are discharged into waterways. The male fish exposed to these estrogens produce egg proteins, have smaller gonads and, in the more severe cases, develop eggs...

During the summer of 2001, the synthetic estrogen used in birth control pills, ethynylestradiol, was added continuously to one lake to maintain low and environmentally-relevant concentrations in the water. Laboratory and field studies had previously demonstrated that this estrogen does not persist in the water, and can be degraded by bacteria naturally present in the sediments of the lake. The additions were done from the end of May until the end of October, and mean concentrations of the estrogen were 6.1 ng/L in the surface waters of the lake. We monitored the lake for responses of the individual fish (lake trout, sucker and minnows) and their populations, as well as changes in the tadpoles, bacteria, algae, leeches, zooplankton and benthic invertebrates as a result of the estrogen additions.

This study was successful at reproducing some of the impacts seen in fish downstream of MWTPs. Male fish from the estrogen-addition lake produced high concentrations of egg protein precursors, had developmental delays in their gonads and, in one species of minnow, produced eggs. Female fish exposed to the estrogen also showed delays in reproductive development and changes in the amount and timing of the egg protein production. The kidneys and livers were also impacted likely due to the atypical and high production of egg proteins in these fish. In the fall of 2001, we did not see any changes in the sizes of the fish populations, fish growth rates, the numbers of males versus females, and the survival of the offspring. It is likely that population- level responses of long-lived organisms will take longer to appear, and for this reason we are continuing to monitor the fish populations in this lake for 3 years following the estrogen additions.

Happiness on the Bayou is...

Boiled Crawfish...



I can't get enough! Crawfish were everywhere in Alabama, where I have family, but for some reason, they never really caught them to eat them. I had to come to southeastern Texas for that...

... like a magnifying glass...

Let us try to foster deep down in our hearts a burning desire, an intense eagerness to achieve sanctity, even though we see ourselves full of failings. Do not be afraid: the more one advances in the interior life, the more clearly one sees one's own faults. Grace works in us like a magnifying glass, and even the tiniest speck of dust or an almost invisible grain of sand can appear immensely large, for the soul acquires a divine sensitivity, and even the slightest shadow irritates one's conscience, which finds delight only in the limpid clarity of God. Speak now from the bottom of your heart:

"Lord, I really do want to be a saint. I really do want to be a worthy disciple of yours and to follow you unconditionally."

And now you should make a resolution to renew each day the great ideals which inspire you at this moment.

-St. Josemaría Escrivá, from his sermon The Richness of Ordinary Life.

Baby Rabies

Apparently "baby rabies" is one of many derogatory terms used to indicate "the condition of desiring to have a child". The term is most often used by some (not all) childfree folks, which is not the same as childless. "Breeders" is another, more familiar term. One might run across the term in some of the online pro-choice forums, where artificial birth control, particularly the birth control pill and other drugs that may have an abortifacient effect, are referred to simply as medication. One might also note how television ads for birth control are remarkably similar to television ads for Herpes treatments. Children are a great responsibility, but when a society equates children with disease, I just don't see how much longer it can survive. That's just my observation.

In an effort to cover my bases here, I want to add that I also know the term has been used to refer specifically to an inordinate desire to have a baby, as in, a desire for the wrong reasons, lacking a sense of responsibility, etc... But I have seen it used generally (primarily in pro-choice circles, as I mentioned) to refer to any strong inclination toward motherhood, something that is quite natural, and should never be associated with a disease, as though it were some sort of unnatural affliction.

quīnta essentia: fifth essence

One of my favorite English words: quintessential, from quintessence:

quin·tes·sence /kwɪnˈtɛsəns/
–noun
1. the pure and concentrated essence of a substance.
2. the most perfect embodiment of something.
3. (in ancient and medieval philosophy) the fifth essence or element, ether, supposed to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the others being air, fire, earth, and water.
[Origin: 1400–50; Middle English < Medieval Latin quīnta essentia fifth essence]

—Related forms
quin·tes·sen·tial /ˌkwɪntəˈsɛnʃəl/ adjective

Or from the online Etymology dictionary:

c.1430, in ancient and medieval philosophy, "pure essence, substance of which the heavenly bodies are composed," literally "fifth essence," from Medieval French quinte essence (14c.), from Medieval Latin quinta essentia, from Latin quinta, feminine gender of quintus "fifth" + essentia (see essence). Loan-translation of Greek pempte ousia, the "ether" added by Aristotle to the four known elements (water, earth, fire, air) and said to permeate all things. Its extraction was one of the chief goals of alchemy. Sense of "purest essence" (of a situation, character, etc.) is first recorded 1570; quintessential (n.) is from 1899, in this sense.

Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhoration

In case you haven't yet heard, the recently released post-synodal apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist, Sacramentum Caritatis, written by the Holy Father, is available on the Vatican website. Check it out. It's an excellent read, very comprehensive. Introduction:

The sacrament of charity, the Holy Eucharist is the gift that Jesus Christ makes of himself, thus revealing to us God's infinite love for every man and woman. This wondrous sacrament makes manifest that "greater" love which led him to "lay down his life for his friends" (Jn 15:13). Jesus did indeed love them "to the end" (Jn 13:1). In those words the Evangelist introduces Christ's act of immense humility: before dying for us on the Cross, he tied a towel around himself and washed the feet of his disciples. In the same way, Jesus continues, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, to love us "to the end," even to offering us his body and his blood. What amazement must the Apostles have felt in witnessing what the Lord did and said during that Supper! What wonder must the eucharistic mystery also awaken in our own hearts!

Be warned that if you rely on the secular media to tell you what the exhortation says, you will probably receive very little benefit.

Global Warming Swindle?

Here's the video: The Great Global Warming Swindle

Article by Thomas Sowell, courtesy of Bill. (Note: Sowell is only a reporter, and to my knowledge he is not affiliated with the makers of the film.)

How much do CO2 concentrations really affect global climate change? How do we compare current warming trends with other warming trends in the earth's history? What role does the sun play in these observable climate patterns?

Not all top climate scientists agree with the current alleged consensus about human contributing factors to global climate change, and so it's clear that it's worth debate, in spite of what some folks (or politicians) may say to the contrary. Like the Global Cooling hysteria of past decades, it's important to keep some perspective.

Note: I am aware this program has its detractors -- as do other videos (like An Inconvenient Truth). But the film does raise issues that, in my opinion, do not yet have a successful or convincing response from proponents of anthropogenic global warming. So I mention it here as part of the international debate. Anybody who comes along and says that this immensely complicated issue should not debated is obviously not a scientist!

Early American Suffragist Sarah F. Norton and Abortion

Courtesy of Feminists For Life e-information list:

Little is known about the life of 19th century suffragist Sarah F. Norton beyond her writings. She was a public speaker, writer for feminist publications, and member of the Working Women's Association who advocated for the education of women and girls and equal opportunity in the workplace and equal pay for women.

Together, Sarah Norton and Susan B. Anthony agitated for the admission of women to Cornell University, "that stronghold of feminine prejudice," and won the support of the university's founder, Ezra Cornell. Norton wrote to Anthony's newspaper The Revolution:

After speeches by [Anthony] and myself, the house became noisy, at her suggestion, for a speech from Mr. Cornell. With inimitable grace he walked to the platform and turning so as to command a view of both the audience and ourselves as much as possible, said: “I would say in reply to Mrs. Norton's expressed wish to enter the University, that if she does not enter it, it will be her own fault.” Mr. Cornell assured us that women are to be admitted... how far his personal influence or wishes will avail against the power [of the trustees and directors], remains to be proved...

A year later, in 1870, Cornell became one of the first universities in the United States to admit women.

But equal education and employment opportunities were not Norton's only concerns. In another feminist newspaper, Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly, Sarah Norton harshly decried the "Tragedy—Social and Domestic" of infanticide and "the fast increasing crime of fœticide," or abortion.

[C]hild-murder is an easy and every-day affair... [C]hild murderers practice their profession without let or hinderance, and open infant butcheries unquestioned, establishing themselves with an impunity that is not allowed to the slaughterers of cattle... Scores of persons advertise their willingness to commit this form of murder, and with unblushing effrontery announce their names and residences in the daily papers. No one seems to be shocked by the fact... [C]irculars are distributed broadcast, recommending certain pills and potions for the very purpose, and by these means the names of these slayers of infants, and the methods by which they practice their life-destroying trade, have become "familiar in our mouths as household words." ...Is there no remedy for all this ante-natal child murder? ...Perhaps there will come a time when... an unmarried mother will not be despised because of her motherhood... and when the right of the unborn to be born will not be denied or interfered with.

Norton was particularly concerned that double standards regarding the sexes should be eliminated, and that men should be held responsible for the "instigating" role they so often played.

If you wish to learn more about the pro-life history of early American feminism, visit Feminists For Life, or sign up for their e-tutorials. Find out how early American feminists advocated for an end to abortion in this country, and everything NOW and Planned Parenthood don't want you to know about authentic feminism!

On Lent

Lent commemorates the forty days Jesus spent in the desert in preparation for his years of preaching, which culminated in the cross and in the triumph of Easter. Forty days of prayer and penance. At the end: the temptations of Christ, which the liturgy recalls for us in today's Gospel.

The whole episode is a mystery which man cannot hope to understand: God submitting to temptation, letting the evil one have his way. But we can meditate upon it, asking our Lord to help us understand the teaching it contains.

Jesus Christ being tempted... tradition likes to see Christ's trials in this way: our Lord, who came to be an example to us in all things, wants to suffer temptation as well. And so it is, for Christ was perfect man, like us in everything except sin. After forty days of fasting, with perhaps no food other than herbs and roots and a little water, he feels hungry — he is really hungry, as anyone would be. And when the devil suggests he turn stones into bread, our Lord not only declines the food which his body requires, but he also rejects a greater temptation: that of using his divine power to solve, if we can express it so, a personal problem.

You have noticed how, throughout the Gospels, Jesus doesn't work miracles for his own benefit. He turns water into wine for the wedding guests at Cana; he multiplies loaves and fish for the hungry crowd. But he earns his bread, for years, with his own work. And later, during his journeys through the land of Israel, he lives with the help of those who follow him.

St John tells how after a long journey when Jesus arrived at the well of Sichar, he sent his disciples into town to buy food. And when he sees the Samaritan woman coming, he asks her for water, since he has no way of getting it. His body, worn out from a long journey, feels weary. On other occasions he has to yield to sleep to regain his strength. How generous our Lord is in humbling himself and fully accepting his human condition! He does not use his divine power to escape from difficulties or effort. Let's pray that he will teach us to be tough, to love work, to appreciate the human and divine nobility of savouring the consequences of self-giving.

In the second temptation, when the devil suggests Jesus throw himself off the temple tower, Christ again rejects the suggestion to make use of his divine power. Christ isn't looking for vainglory, for show. He teaches us not to stage God as the backdrop for our own excellence. Jesus Christ wants to fulfil the will of his Father without anticipating God's plans, without advancing the time for miracles; he simply plods the hard path of men, the lovable way of the cross.

Something very similar happens in the third temptation: he is offered kingdoms, power and glory. The devil tries to extend to human ambitions that devotion which should be reserved wholly for God; he promises us an easy life if we fall down before him, before idols. Our Lord insists that the only true end of adoration is God; and he confirms his will to serve: "Away with you, Satan; it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and serve none but him."

-St. Josemaría Escrivá, from his sermon, The conversion of the children of God.

Martin & Weyrich Winery



Since we're talking about California wineries, I want to also take the time to mention the Martin & Weyrich Winery, just outside of Paso Robles, CA. My wife blogged about it back in January. The Martin & Weyrich winery is very supportive of healthy marriages and the Couple-to-Couple League; in fact, our class in Natural Family Planning was held in this winery's tasting room -- with complimentary wine, of course! It appears that they also operate a Bed and Breakfast outside of Paso Robles: Villa Toscana!

Cambria Winery



My wife and I often miss the beauty of California, being all the way out here in Houston. Last week, we were surprised to come across a fine Pinot Noir, produced by the Cambria Winery in our adopted home town of Santa Maria, California - in fact, the town in which we were married several months ago.

Once upon a time, Santa Maria was relatively small, compared to nearby Santa Barbara. Today, as people flock away from Santa Barbara, Santa Maria has grown to be the largest city in the county. Cambria is one of many, many wineries that have sprung up in the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Valleys. If you're ever in the area, why not make a wine tasting trip? You won't regret it!

Archdiocesan Conference for Men and La Santísima Muerte

This morning I headed out to my parish for the first annual archdiocesan men's conference. I hear there were about 250 men there, quite a turn out! Heard some good speakers, including my archbishop, Daniel DiNardo, and the infamous Jim ("Mattress Mack") McIngvale. I also bumped into one of the chip design architects from work; I hadn't ever had the opportunity to talk with him at work, and I wasn't aware that he was Catholic until now. He's part of a rapidly growing posse of Catholics I now know at work... that's so cool :) Bill Cork was also there, and getting rather comfortable in the pulpit :)

Anyway, after the conference, I went and picked up the wife, and we headed out to hit some antique shops in the nearby olde towne of Rosenberg, Texas. While we were there, we happened in to a little shop on one of the old main roads in town, "Herberia La Esparanza", or some such. Noticing the Catholic iconography in the window, I was intrigued, and so we entered.

As soon as we walked through the door, we were overwhelmed by images and statues of "La Santísima Muerte", aka "Santa Muerte", or "St. Death", a somewhat unofficial Mexican folk saint, of sorts -- a devotion peculiar to certain regions of Mexico, largely derived from pre-Christian, Aztec deities that were later syncretized with Christian beliefs; definitely not the easiest Catholic cultural devotion to explain to your average non-Catholic. Here's more from the Seattle Times:

Over the past 20 years, her following has grown so large that in some parts of Mexico she is becoming a rival in popular affection to the Virgin of Guadalupe, the manifestation of the Virgin Mary that is the reigning symbol of Mexican national identity.

"She is a Virgin of Guadalupe in negative: That which one can't ask of the Virgin, one can ask of her," says Homero Aridjis, a poet, novelist and former Mexican diplomat who recently published a short-story collection about La Santa Muerte's mysterious and firm grip on the Mexican soul.

As you might've guessed, at this point my latent Protestant senses were tingling uncontrollably. Indeed, I have read a little about this particular devotion in the past, and coming from California, I had heard about it... Bloggers have blogged on it. However, I had never come face to face before with St. Death. None of my Mexican-American friends embraced this devotion, even though they observed other related customs, such as the Dia de los Muertos.

I believe the male form of "Holy Death" is usually depicted as a Grim Reaper looking character, complete with white skull, red eyes, scales, long, flowing robes, and a very large, raised scythe. Aside from this, there were fairly typical things in the store: holy cards, statues, candles, etc... Within the devotion to St. Death, one can certainly find solidly Christian folks. One can also find those folks who, well, lean pagan. So I wasn't too surprised to find other items further inside the store reflecting various aspects of pagan/catholic syncretism from south of the border: Potions, herbs, oils, love and good luck incense and sprays, and an assortment of gold talismans. To our amazement, we also saw Buddha statues.

Gloria Dei, homo vivens!

The well known words of St. Irenaeus of Lyons, "The Glory of God is the living man!", or more to the point, "The Glory of God is man, fully alive!" Being truly and really human, really alive.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the most powerful encounters a human being can have, and it is so that it is intricately linked with a Eucharistic faith. Yet, it is one of the most undervalued sacraments. Why? I suspect it's because of our pride, and a general loss of the sense of what sin is. But why are we so afraid of repentance? Given that we have a God who loves us so much, a God who has sacrificed everything for us, how is it so hard for us to look at ourselves, admit we're not at all perfect, and accept God's invitation to take away from us everything that keeps us from encountering and living with Him. Yet we prefer to walk with an obscured image of this great love, and we grow so used to needlessly carrying around this big bag of rocks we accumulate over time, out of some misguided sense of control and comfort, I suppose; and here God comes to us, asking us, pleading with us really, to give these darkest parts of our soul to Him, with the promise - the promise - of transformation, of grace. Reconciliation is the only place where we can stand before God, swallow our pride and confess, "I am guilty!", and embrace complete forgiveness.

Through more frequent confession, I am much more aware of my predominant faults -- those faults that I struggle with daily, that aren't overcome overnight. We all have them. And so I plead with all of you -- make this special season of Lent a true time of repentance and growth. If you haven't been to confession in years, why not swallow your pride and go? It will change your life. This is what makes the life as a Christian so radical. And God eagerly desires to make us fully alive through an encounter with all of the sacraments He has given us.

Devon Claire Flannery: Get a clue!

Last year, I meant to blog about this brain-dead article in the UCSB Daily Nexus newspaper, written last May by managing editor Devon Claire Flannery. It was written after a pro-life group called Justice for All came to the UCSB campus and displayed several photos of aborted children. First, let me say that this particularly strategy tends to work some times and fail other times primarily because it appeals more to shock value, which I am not sure actually changes as many minds as it ought to. Flannery's response to the demonstration, however, is completely asinine.

Fortunately, JivinJehoshaphat responds to Flannery's wild assertions much better than I could have. Read his response.

Just to highlight some things... Flannery asserts in her article that the pro-life group had a right to free speech, yet she ends the article by saying:

Well, I don't want to hear it. Get your medieval, ignorant and sexist posters, opinions and scare tactics out of my school, out of my country and away from my body.

She also asserts that the photos had been "photo-shopped" while offering no evidence to support it. Of course, they are difficult to look at, but one cannot pretend they don't exist. My favorite take-down in JivinJehoshaphat's response is when Flannery asserts this:

However, the demonstrators shouldn't hide behind their "Justice for All" and "free counseling for women" signs next to their photos of mutilated fetuses - which were probably mutilated because the abortion was performed illegally in a country where abortion has been outlawed by people like those present on campus today - and try to call it free speech.

JivinJehoshaphat responds:

One wonders if Flannery has any clue what she is talking about if she actually thinks that the fetuses are mutilated because the abortion was probably illegally. Does she not recognize that the goal of abortion (whether legal or illegal) is to destroy the fetus? How would an illegal abortion create a more mutilated fetus than a legal one?

Flannery goes on to assert the same old tired rhetoric about "sexist males". What would Susan B. Anthony or Elizabeth Cady Stanton say to that? I may be a male, but I can assure you that the feminism Flannery screams about is not the feminism these early American women fought for. Thank God the tide is finally turning toward authentic feminism and respect for all human life.

Masterpieces of French Art, from the Met



This afternoon, Christina and I ventured downtown to see this beautiful art exhibit at the Museum of Fine Art in Houston:

The Masterpieces of French Painting from The Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1800-1920

It's an extraordinary sampling of many famous favorites! Degas, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Seurat, Matisse, and on and on! The exhibit will be here until May 6, 2007. Check it out! Beware that this is a popular exhibit!

Absinthe: La Fée Verte



Here's an interesting YouTube clip from Modern Marvels (10 minutes) on the current distillation of Absinthe at the Combier distillery in France and the modern revival of the drink. While it is still illegal to sell in the United States (though it is not considered a controlled substance), traditional Absinthe is no longer banned in Europe.



The ban in the United States has increased the popularity of some faux-Absinthe drinks, such as Herbsaint (from New Orleans) and Absente. Absente follows the traditional Absinthe recipe -- however, instead of using grande wormwood as an ingredient (resulting in a large concentration of the controversial chemical thujone, the primary reason for the ban), it uses southern wormwood, which has a slightly different composition.

If there's coffee talk, how about Absinthe talk?

Handy Household Tips

How many of these do you know?

Harpsichord Mania!



Our parish church recently acquired a harpsichord for use in our daily mass chapel (chapel pictured above). A perfect way to compliment the large pipe organ that will soon be installed in the sanctuary of the main church.

Before now, I had never even seen a harpsichord in person. Last sunday morning after mass, my wife and I made our way over to the chapel. There it was, covered-up, sitting innocently in the corner. We lifted off the cover, and behold! I pecked a few keys, filling the room with that classic sound... and we thought, "that's a harpsichord all right!" I suppose the cover was meant to keep away prying eyes and fingers such as ours... but we will treat it with the utmost respect it deserves!

Blog Awards?!

I appreciate those of you who read my thoughts on this blog. But please don't nominate this blog for the "Catholic Blog Awards". As I said last year, I'm not in competition with anyone. I don't blog for ratings or awards, and I don't need an award to know that some readers enjoy reading me and other readers don't.

I know the creators and participants are sincere and don't mean harm, but I believe the blog awards are meaningless. Blogs reflect the personalities of those who write for them, and they're all pretty different; folks have different reasons for reading them. Why must one be better (or "best") than another blog?

I can't let this go without a little social analysis. In my mind, this is only a reflection of the American "award culture" craze, where we feel we have to compete to earn recognition to give some extra value to our work. Is there no value in doing something just for the sake of doing it? And so these awards end up being little more than mere popularity contests. Perhaps it won't be long before there are awards for whomever has the most awards (or like the Awardies). I guess I'm in the minority, but I'll continue to read plenty awardless blogs. In fact, I get rather tired of all of the campaigning some blogs due to win favor.