Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo

Got it? Don't get it? That is a grammatically correct sentence.

According to Wikipedia, it is...

used as an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated constructs. It has been discussed in literature since 1972 when the sentence was used by William J. Rapaport, currently an associate professor at the University at Buffalo.[1] It was posted to Linguist List by Rapaport in 1992.[2] It was also featured in Steven Pinker's 1994 book The Language Instinct. Sentences of this type, although not in such a refined form, have been known for a long time. A classic example is the proverb "Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you".

How?

The sentence is unpunctuated and uses three different readings of the word "buffalo". In order of their first use, these are

* c. The city of Buffalo, New York (or any other place named "Buffalo"), which is used as an adjective in the sentence and is followed by the animal;
* a. The animal buffalo, in the plural (equivalent to "buffaloes" or "buffalos"), in order to avoid articles (a noun);
* v. The verb "buffalo" meaning to bully, confuse, deceive, or intimidate.

Marking each "buffalo" with its use as shown above gives

Buffalo(c) buffalo(a) Buffalo(c) buffalo(a) buffalo(v) buffalo(v) Buffalo(c) buffalo(a).

Got it now?

Can Charity Prevail on the Internet?

Some good points by Deal Hudson at InsideCatholic.com

So why are people on the Internet so... rude? Studies and surveys have confirmed that Internet use does make people act uncharitably who normally would not. The impact of digital technology has created so many new ways of communicating that it has fostered an atmosphere of freedom without responsibility.

This is precisely why there are a host of blogs I have never linked to, and why I stay far away from Catholic blogs that have devolved into little more than a sort of tabloid, focused more on airing dirty laundry and snarky criticism with very little reflection -- not only because I disagree with the content and its presentation, but also because those blogs bring out the rudest comments from people. And I know from experience, rude comments only instigate more rude comments.

A gesture of thanks to Elena Maria Vidal for the link.

Reflections on the Assumption

The general teaching concerning what happened to the Blessed Virgin Mary at the end of her earthly life is something we share largely with the churches of the East. That fact is certainly something worth celebrating. Yet, given the right motivation, it can also be used to divide.

I recall one instance at World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto. Having been acquainted with a few Eastern (Byzantine) Catholics from back home, I decided to spend some time with a large group of Byzantines, which consisted primarily of Ukrainian Catholics, Maronite Catholics, and a few others. I was more familiar with Ruthenian Catholics from back home.

I managed to drag along the two other members of my group with me for a day in the East. After one of the presentations, I got into an intense conversation with a Maronite Catholic young adult about potential reunion between Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox. I wanted to get an Eastern point of view on the subject. We discussed a number of perceived obstacles which included, naturally, the Western articulation of the Immaculate Conception as well as papal infallibility. He was very optimistic at the prospect of reunion, but as we talked, I could sense a subtle tension building in our conversation. He became defensive, perceiving our discussion almost as some sort of imposition, which I found odd... (I don't think I'm an imposing person, and the venue lent itself to the discussion -- it's what the presentation was about).

The discussion turned to the Assumption (or Dormition) as it was observed in the East and the West, and of course, he pointed out the fact that Eastern Christians (Catholics and Orthodox) had professed the belief for centuries. He then argued, with much animosity, that the East had observed it better than the West. He was resentful at the fact that in formally defining the belief as dogma, the West had laid claim to a belief that it received from the East. While he was saying this, I was questioning where this was going and whether this point was really important. At that, a girl behind me spoke up and told me directly, "The West stole it from the East."

Wow -- I was absolutely offended that a such a profound teaching, held in common by everyone (remember, we were all Catholics here), was being used in such a divisive manner, as if to say, "Look, we're more ancient, more pious, more rooted in the ancient teachings than you pretend to be." But centuries of latinization can do that. However ignorant or uncharitable this girl may have been, she was revealing something very real about what reunion between the East and West should mean, and what it can't mean.

And that was only the beginning of my day with the Byzantines. I heard a number of other things that day that I found very challenging, but in general, it was beneficial for me, and has changed the way I think about reunion. It has made me more dedicated to the prospect as well as the need for healing. That is why reunion must happen, but it cannot be rushed.

Mary, New Eve, Cause of Salvation

St. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons (2nd century), from Against Heresies, Book III, Ch. 22:

In accordance with this design, Mary the Virgin is found obedient, saying, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." But Eve was disobedient; for she did not obey when as yet she was a virgin. And even as she, having indeed a husband, Adam, but being nevertheless as yet a virgin (for in Paradise "they were both naked, and were not ashamed," inasmuch as they, having been created a short time previously, had no understanding of the procreation of children: for it was necessary that they should first come to adult age, and then multiply from that time onward), having become disobedient, was made the cause of death, both to herself and to the entire human race; so also did Mary, having a man betrothed [to her], and being nevertheless a virgin, by yielding obedience, become the cause of salvation, both to herself and the whole human race. And on this account does the law term a woman betrothed to a man, the wife of him who had betrothed her, although she was as yet a virgin; thus indicating the back-reference from Mary to Eve, because what is joined together could not otherwise be put asunder than by inversion of the process by which these bonds of union had arisen; so that the former ties be cancelled by the latter, that the latter may set the former again at liberty...

And thus also it was that the knot of Eve's disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith.

Have a blessed Solemnity of the Assumption!

Ave, Regina caelorum,
Ave, Domina Angelorum:
Salve, radix, salve, porta
Ex qua mundo lux est orta:

Gaude, Virgo gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa,
Vale, o valde decora,
Et pro nobis Christum exora.

To preach the unsearchable riches of Christ

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things;

St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians 3:8,9 (RSV)

... In the Lord's Garden, with Dominic



Tomorrow, we observe the great Feast of St. Dominic, founder of the Order of Friars Preachers (Dominicans). The praises of St. Dominic and his service to God are sung by the great poet Dante (through the voice of St. Bonaventure) in Canto XII of the Paradiso:

Dominic was his name, whose work and worth
I publish, as the husbandman whom Christ
Called to His garden to help till the earth.

Right well the friend and messenger of Christ
He showed him, for the first love he displayed
was love for the first counsel given by Christ...

With Apostolic sanction guaranteed,
Equipped with doctrine and with zeal as well,
Like some high torrent thundering down at speed

On briars and brakes of heresy he fell
Uprooting them, and still was swift to go
where opposition was most formidable.

From him, unnumbered rillets took their flow
To irrigate the Catholic garden-plot
Thenceforth, whence all its bushes greener grow.

Five years ago, I determined that whatever my vocation entailed, it would be linked, in some way, to St. Dominic. And yet, I had no idea how that would be, considering I was far from any Dominican communities; in fact, I had no physical exposure to any Dominicans save those I had met on-line, particularly to those who had made (or who aspired to make) profession in the Third Order of St. Dominic (aka Dominican Laity). Moved, as it were, by their witness and devotion to Truth (that is, veritas), I joined the movement of Lay Dominicans here in Houston many months ago as an inquirer.

While everybody is called in grace to holiness, it is certainly true that not everyone is called to attach themselves to a religious order. The Rule of the Lay Chapters of St. Dominic states from the very beginning:

Among the Christian faithful, men and women living in the world, in virtue of their Baptism and Confirmation, have been made partakers in the prophetic, priestly and royal mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are called to make Christ present to the peoples so that the divine message of redemption may be heard and welcomed by all everywhere.

Nonetheless, the Dominican way of life, as that of any religious order, offers those who are called to it a particular way of cultivating their relationship with Christ and serving Him in the world. As our Rule goes on to make clear:

Some of these Christian faithful, moved by the Holy Spirit to live according to the spirit and charism of Saint Dominic, are incorporated into the Dominican Order through a special commitment to their appropriate statutes... They have a distinctive character in both their spirituality and their service to God and neighbor. As members of the Order, they share in its apostolic mission through prayer, study, and preaching according to the lay state.

Such is it for me, called fundamentally to preach! praedicare! Cajoled by the Spirit, I began, many years ago, to develop a spiritual life which, as it turned out, coincided with the Four Pillars of Dominican Life: Prayer, Study, Community, and Apostolate (Preaching). In the coming weeks and months, I will devote time to fleshing out my contemplata, or the fruit of my contemplation, as it were. Please pray for me.

St. Francis, and the Feast of St. Dominic



Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Dominic, founder of the Order of Friars Preachers (Dominicans). The Church of St. Vincent Ferrer weblog has a beautiful post on the mutual respect and collaborative tradition between the Dominicans and Franciscans, and how this tradition is lived out on the respective feast days of St. Dominic and St. Francis:

Tradition has it that St. Dominic and St. Francis of Assisi met each other in Rome in 1215 while observing the deliberations of the Fourth Lateran Council. Because the Council Fathers were creating legislation governing new religious orders, the two founders were particularly interested in the outcome. According to one legend, Dominic and Francis met and fell immediately into mutual esteem for each other’s grace and charism. As a sign of their friendship in the Lord, they exchanged belts. Francis took Dominic’s leather belt, characteristic of a preaching canon, while Dominic took Francis’s rope cincture, the symbol of his poverty.

In honor of the friendship between Dominic and Francis, a noble tradition has developed among their disciples. Dominicans and Franciscans celebrate the feasts of their founders together. Franciscans join Dominicans on August 8, and Dominicans join Franciscans on October 4. At the Mass of St. Dominic, a Franciscan preaches, and at the Mass of St. Francis a Dominican delivers the homily.

I suspect this isn't universally observed, but it does remind us of the mutually enriching benefits offered by the spiritual traditions of various religious orders and their common fraternity in Jesus Christ.

Not just How, but also Why

Hugo of the Seventh-day Adventist to Roman Catholic blog reflects a bit on the Catholic Church's authoritative decision concerning which books would comprise the Old and New Testaments, making up the "Bible" as we know it today. Most Christians accept that the Holy Spirit was involved, although the key attribute for Catholics is that the process was guided by both Tradition and Church Authority. We have records, for example, from the regional councils of Hippo (393 AD) and Carthage (397-419 AD), as well as the later confirmations such as that of the Council of Trent (1546 AD) concerning the accepted books. When I approached this from a Protestant perspective, I found a lot of folks to be dismissive about the origins of the Bible -- some even assuming that the Bible more or less fell out of the sky in its present form (and in English). Others simply ignored the fact that the Catholic Church had anything to do with it. But all of that aside.

The question of how the Bible, and the books that comprise it, came to be is an interesting one, but I find that an even greater question, often left out in contemporary apologetics, is Why? Why did the early church go through the trouble? After all, the Church existed for decades before many of the Gospels and letters that would comprise the New Testament were ever written. Why these letters, as well as a formal recognition of what books would comprise the Old Testament, were debated, bound together in codices, and eventually canonized authoritatively by early councils and confirmed by bishops is inextricably linked to the Catholic Church's ancient liturgical heritage. That is, to understand why, one must also understand the role the Scriptures played in early Christian and Jewish liturgical worship.

To my delight, I found that Scott Hahn treats the question of why very well in his book, Letter and Spirit: From Written Text to Living Word in the Liturgy. He summarizes the answer to the question very well in Ch. 8:

The liturgy is, once again, where the early church kept the scriptures. Indeed, the books we know as the New Testament were canonized not so much for devotional reading -- which was rare in those days before the printing press -- but for liturgical proclamation. The liturgy is where most exegesis took place through much of the patristic era. The controversy over which books should be included in the Bible was, to a great extent, a running argument over which books could be read during the Mass. As Justin Martyr said in 155 AD, one of the principle parts of the liturgy was the reading of the prophets and the "memoirs" of the apostles.

Absolutely! And though the Church today, of course, encourages regular private study of the Scriptures, the Church considers that their special and proper place is within the context of liturgical proclamation, where they are, as it were, actualized. Of course, we see this connection in some of the ancient conciliar canons regarding the authoritative list of books. The Council of Carthage, for example, prefaces the canon regarding the accepted books by first asserting:

That besides the Canonical Scriptures nothing be read in church under the name of divine Scripture. But the Canonical Scriptures are as follows...

The Second Vatican Council reaffirmed the importance of the Scriptures in the life of the Church, particularly within the liturgical context, in Ch. 6 of Dei Verbum:

The Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord, since, especially in the sacred liturgy, she unceasingly receives and offers to the faithful the bread of life from the table both of God's word and of Christ's body. She has always maintained them, and continues to do so, together with sacred tradition, as the supreme rule of faith, since, as inspired by God and committed once and for all to writing, they impart the word of God Himself without change, and make the voice of the Holy Spirit resound in the words of the prophets and Apostles.

Et tu, Brute?

Woo-hoo! Houston Shakespeare Festival this weekend at Hermann Park. This year: Julius Caesar and Cymbeline. Come on down!

Made what it is by the word of Christ

St. Ambrose of Milan (4th century), from On the Mysteries, Ch. 9:

Perhaps you will say, I see something else, how is it that you assert that I receive the Body of Christ? And this is the point which remains for us to prove. And what evidence shall we make use of? Let us prove that this is not what nature made, but what the blessing consecrated, and the power of blessing is greater than that of nature, because by blessing nature itself is changed.

Moses was holding a rod, he cast it down and it became a serpent. (Exodus 4:3-4) Again, he took hold of the tail of the serpent and it returned to the nature of a rod. You see that by virtue of the prophetic office there were two changes, of the nature both of the serpent and of the rod. The streams of Egypt were running with a pure flow of water; of a sudden from the veins of the sources blood began to burst forth, and none could drink of the river. Again, at the prophet's prayer the blood ceased, and the nature of water returned. The people of the Hebrews were shut in on every side, hemmed in on the one hand by the Egyptians, on the other by the sea; Moses lifted up his rod, the water divided and hardened like walls, and a way for the feet appeared between the waves. Jordan being turned back, returned, contrary to nature, to the source of its stream. (Joshua 3:16) Is it not clear that the nature of the waves of the sea and of the river stream was changed? The people of the fathers thirsted, Moses touched the rock, and water flowed out of the rock. (Exodus 17:6) Did not grace work a result contrary to nature, so that the rock poured forth water, which by nature it did not contain? Marah was a most bitter stream, so that the thirsting people could not drink. Moses cast wood into the water, and the water lost its bitterness, which grace of a sudden tempered. (Exodus 15:25) In the time of Elisha the prophet one of the sons of the prophets lost the head from his axe, which sank. He who had lost the iron asked Elisha, who cast in a piece of wood and the iron swam. This, too, we clearly recognize as having happened contrary to nature, for iron is of heavier nature than water.

We observe, then, that grace has more power than nature, and yet so far we have only spoken of the grace of a prophet's blessing. But if the blessing of man had such power as to change nature, what are we to say of that divine consecration where the very words of the Lord and Saviour operate? For that sacrament which you receive is made what it is by the word of Christ. But if the word of Elijah had such power as to bring down fire from heaven, shall not the word of Christ have power to change the nature of the elements? You read concerning the making of the whole world: He spoke and they were made, He commanded and they were created. Shall not the word of Christ, which was able to make out of nothing that which was not, be able to change things which already are into what they were not?

...The Lord Jesus Himself proclaims: This is My Body. (Matthew 26:26) Before the blessing of the heavenly words another nature is spoken of, after the consecration the Body is signified. He Himself speaks of His Blood. Before the consecration it has another name, after it is called Blood. And you say, Amen, that is, It is true. Let the heart within confess what the mouth utters, let the soul feel what the voice speaks.

On The Blessing of Beer

I love a good Trappist Ale now and again. Like good wine, the brewing of beer has a rich history and link with the Catholic Faith. From Mike Aquilina:

The first bishop of my city was Michael O’Connor, an Irish teetotaler who looked askance at the local German monks who brewed their own beer. When he asked them to stop, the monks protested that they were simply doing what monks have always done.

Mike Sullivan, president of Catholics United for the Faith, passed me the following “Blessing of Beer,” from the old Roman Ritual of Pius V. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the benediction went back to the age of Benedict.

Benedictio Cerevisiae
V. Adiutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.
R. Qui fecit caelum et terram.
V. Dominus vobiscum.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo.
Oremus. Bene+dic, Domine, creaturam istam cerevisiae, quam ex adipe frumenti producere dignatus es: ut sit remedium salutare humano generi, et praesta per invocationem nominis tui sancti; ut, quicumque ex ea biberint, sanitatem corpus et animae tutelam percipiant. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
R. Amen.
Et aspergatur aqua benedicta.

English translation
Blessing of Beer
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray. Bless, + O Lord, this creature beer, which thou hast deigned to produce from the fat of grain: that it may be a salutary remedy to the human race, and grant through the invocation of thy holy name; that, whoever shall drink it, may gain health in body and peace in soul. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
And it is sprinkled with holy water.

Oh how rich is the Catholic Faith lived amongst simple humanity, enjoying the goodness of the earth, praising God with one another...

The Best Little ... sidestep... in Texas

Politicians get under my skin very easily... Ask a question, get an answer to some other, less difficult, more politically expedient question... which is why it reminds me a little of Charles Durning from a famous movie/musical about a famous local issue that shall remain nameless on this blog...



at least for the time being... ;) If only Obama or McCain could dance this well...

World Youth Day 2014 in Houston?

According to Whispers in the Loggia:

And what's more, even further beyond Sydney Harbour, the stars have begun to align toward a US bid for the following WYD, slated for 2014, with all sights already pointing to Houston as the proposed host-city.

Wow! Finally something comes along that will allow Houston to redeem itself from the scandal that was Nipplegate '04.

In all seriousness, I think Houston would work, although I have questions about the inadequacies of Houston's public transportation system. It's 6 years away, so who knows?

World Youth Day 2008

Watching the coverage of World Youth Day in Sydney has me thinking back to World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto. I had the privilege to travel to Toronto with a small group of pilgrims. What an experience that was. What a pilgrimage. I remember sleeping outside overnight with the other pilgrims in anticipation of the papal mass, waking up to rain drops that gave way to a torrent, which lasted until the singing of the Gloria during the papal mass as the sun came out and everybody dried off. I remember spending one of my days there with the group of Eastern Rite (Byzantine) Catholics in what was a very eye-opening experience. I remember arriving late from the airport with my fellow pilgrim from my parish and missing our bus to our sleepsite, having to put our trust in some Toronto natives to guide us through the city on foot, through empty fields and neighborhoods, ultimately delivering us safely to our destination.

The Church is young. And now we learn that the next WYD (which now constitute an ordinary part of the life of the church) will be in Madrid in 2011.

Deliberately Insulting the Most Deeply Felt Sensibilities of Other Human Beings

Jimmy Akin responds to the Prof. P.Z. Myers debacle (and here) as well as Myers' threat to publically desecrate the Most Blessed Sacrament. He responds better than I can. I most certainly do not condone the minority of clowns who have responded to Myers' threat by issuing death threats and other stupid things. They felt provoked, and the human condition being what it is, some folks lose themselves -- as Jimmy points out. It's frustrating that in Myers' view, the attitude offered by these folks all of the sudden represents that of the world's 1 billion Catholics. Nonetheless, Myers is indeed deliberately insulting the most deeply felt sensibilities of other human beings. He may not share our belief that Christ is truly and substantially present in the Eucharistic host, but it's hard not to be concerned when the subject is something so blasphemous that he would do it merely as a provocation. Aside from rightful anger, what is your response?

One thing that I see when I read Myers' blog and the rather stupid comments from the combox peanut gallery -- these folks who hate religion, most particularly the Catholic faith, are human too, not that they can be reasoned with. I say, be provoked to offer prayer and reparation. Thoroughly engage the sacramental life, and witness that to those around you. Be mindful of your sins, and confess them. Do not fail to trust Our Lord in this. Remember how he was mistreated through suffering and death, and how glorious was His resurrection from the dead. Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice.

This is the supreme irony, as we know through the history of the Church. Myers would like this stunt to prove that our beliefs are meaningless and our faith in Christ is silly and stupid. Yet, persecution only strengthens and emboldens the Church. Remember the prayer of Polycarp (ca. 69- ca. 155 AD), bishop of Smyrna, as he was martyred in an ultimately futile attempt to prove the meaninglessness of his faith in Christ:

Lord God Almighty, Father of your beloved and blessed child Jesus Christ, through whom we have received knowledge of you, the God of angels, of powers, and of all creation, and of every race of the upright who live before you. I bless you for making me worthy of this day and hour, that I may receive a share among the number of the martyrs in the cup of your Christ, unto the resurrection of eternal life in both soul and body in the immortality of the Holy Spirit. Among them may I be received before you today as a sacrifice that is rich and acceptable, just as you prepared and revealed in advance and now fulfilled -- the true God who does not lie. For this reason and for all things I praise you, I bless you, I glorify you through the eternal and heavenly high priest Jesus Christ, your beloved child, through whom be glory to you, with him and the Holy Spirit, both now and for the ages to come. Amen.

Tertullian famously acknowledged: Plures efficimur quotiens metimur a vobis; semen est sanguis Christianorum: The more often we are mown down by you, the more in number we grow; the blood of Christians is seed.

A Byrd Celebration

The New Liturgical Movement blog (NLM) reports that the Church Music Association of America (CMAA) was named as the publisher of the first-ever conference volume for the William Byrd Festival this year. The volume is called A Byrd Celebration, "and it features essays by the world top Byrd experts, writing about all aspects of his life and work."

As readers of my blog may know, I love the music of William Byrd, who was a very well known Catholic composer during the English Renaissance, a time in English history when it was not proper nor healthy to be Catholic, a theme that makes its way into Byrd's Catholic compositions.

NLM links to a recording of Byrd's marvelous music: Sing Joyfully, performed by The Tallis Scholars:



Sing joyfully to God our strength; sing loud unto the God of Jacob! Take the song, bring forth the timbrel, the pleasant harp, and the viol. Blow the trumpet in the new moon, even in the time appointed, and at our feast day. For this is a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
-Psalm 81:1-4

The Doors of Santa Sabina

The Dominican History blog reflects a bit on the ancient Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome, home of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans):

Santa Sabina lies high on the Aventine Hill, close to the headquarters of the Knights of Malta. It is an early basilica (5th century), with a classical rectangular plan and columns. In 1219, the church was given by Pope Honorius III to Saint Dominic, for his new order, the Order of Preachers.

The post links to a brief Vatican Radio interview with Breda Catherine Ennis speaking on the famous, ancient doors of Santa Sabina.

The closest I've been to Santa Sabina thus far is to the Church of St. Andrew in Pasadena, CA, which is actually modeled after Santa Sabina.

Words of Grace and Peace

God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

How awesome, those words, the power of God's grace. Laudetur Iesus Christus

Grace... 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.

I am not a number!



Yee-haw! AMC/SciFi has announced that they are producing a "miniseries reboot" of the popular British "allegorical" 1960's TV show The Prisoner.

AMC's reinterpretation of the Cold-War-era show will reflect 21st-century concerns and anxieties: liberty, security and surveillance, AMC said.

Reinterpretation? Well, I guess if it is a reboot, it has to be different, but I have to wonder if it will have the same type of campy nature that the original had as well as the more subtle (yet sometimes more obvious) allegory.

In the original series, the primary character, Number Six, was played by Patrick McGoohan (you'll know him today as Edward the Longshanks from Braveheart). In the new miniseries, Number Six will be played by Jim Caviezel, with Number Two being played by Ian McKellen.

Splendid! But can the top the original opening sequence?



We'll just have to see...

I have looked upon thee in the sanctuary...

Psalm 63 (RSV)

O God, thou art my God, I seek thee, my soul thirsts for thee; my flesh faints for thee, as in a dry and weary land where no water is.

So I have looked upon thee in the sanctuary, beholding thy power and glory. Because thy steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise thee.

So I will bless thee as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on thy name.

My soul is feasted as with marrow and fat, and my mouth praises thee with joyful lips, when I think of thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the watches of the night; for thou hast been my help, and in the shadow of thy wings I sing for joy.

My soul clings to thee; thy right hand upholds me. But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; they shall be given over to the power of the sword, they shall be prey for jackals.

But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall glory; for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

From Anne Rice: A Message to Fans

Writer Anne Rice addresses speculation about the Vampire Chronicles, the Mayfair Witches, and her recent series on Christ the Lord:



I remember reacting with skepticism when I learned that Anne Rice had re-embraced the Catholic Faith 10 years ago (which I learned many years after the fact). I think my reaction was quite premature and silly.

Her vampire works were not everybody's cup of tea, but I found Christian connections in some of her work, appearing nonetheless in a distorted universe (which she admits), that made it clear she was on a journey, a quest of sorts, that inevitably led her back to God. I, too, know what it's like to be human. I think it's wonderful that she has consecrated her gifts in service of Him as she grows and develops within this life in grace.

Independence Day and The Natural Law

Written by my pastor in this week's bulletin:

The celebration of July 4th this past week provides an opportunity for us to thank God for the blessings he has given to our nation. For many, the United States is a symbol of hope and a promise of justice. As Americans, we want to realize fully the potential of our nation, while also acknowledging that our society will always be in need of conversion and purification.

The ideal of freedom that is the inspiration for our country is not a selfish ideal. We value political and social liberty not for its own sake, but as a necessary condition for the fulfillment of our human nature, created in the image and likeness of God. Freedom implies a commitment to justice, so that others might "obtain what is their due, according to their nature and their vocation" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1928).

"It is the duty of citizens," says the Catechism, "to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. The love and service of one's country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity" (CCC, no. 2239). Our obligation to help create a just society extends to the attitude with which we receive immigrants to our land: "The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extend they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot bring in his country of origin" (CCC, no. 2241).

The Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4, 1776 begins with the words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." This statement is noteworthy for its acknowledgment of the natural rights of the human person. Human rights do not flow from government or any other human authority. They are a consequence of God's creation, and of our being made in his image and likeness.

The natural law precedes human law, and should be its foundation and guiding principle.

"The natural law, the Creator's very good work, provides the solid foundation on which man can build the structure of moral rules to guide his choices. It also provides the indispensable moral foundation for building the human community. Finally, it provides the necessary basis for the civil law with which it is connected, whether by a reflection that draws conclusions from its principles, or by additions of a positive and juridical natural" (CCC, no. 1959).

Respect for the natural law is absolutely necessary for the creation of a just society. If human laws are rooted only on the will of the majority, or merely reflect the prevailing mores or opinions of a particular generation, they risk being onerous and unjust.

An example of an unjust human law that ignores the natural law is the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States. In 1973, the court nullified all state laws that prohibited or regulated abortion... There was clearly no legitimate Constitutional foundation for this decision, which was an exercise of "raw judicial power."

Concerned citizens are right to lobby for laws that restrict or prohibit abortion. Indeed, we have an obligation to do so. "Respect for the human person entails respect for the rights that flow from his dignity as a creature. These rights are prior to society and must be recognized by it... It is the Church's role to remind men of good will of these rights and to distinguish them from unwarranted or false claims" (CCC, no. 1930). To be true patriots, then, we must not only love our country, but also be willing to put into practice those ideals upon which it was founded.

On the paradox of taxation...

Of course, there is a sort of paradox in taxation, anyhow. In such a tax, there is often the notion of checking something, and yet the hope that it will not be checked. A lover of birds might wish to have a tax on cats, with the idea that there would be fewer cats. But the statesman imposing the tax would presumably hope that the streets would be thronged with thousands and thousands of cats.

G.K. Chesterton, on the paradox often implicit within taxes (Illustrated London News, May 23, 1931).

The Dark Night

Ad vesperum demoratur fletus, ad matutinum laetitia. Psalm 30

On How to Cultivate Virtue

Those who wish to live a spiritual life must not fancy that they can make progress in virtue unless they first apply themselves to gaining peace of mind and conscience. Jesus christ loves to rest in a pure and tranquil conscience, a fact that is easy to understand.

-Bl. Henry Suso, O.P.

Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart



So I finally had an opportunity to visit Houston's marvelous new Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart today. My wife had already seen it twice for various activities. We were there today for the archdiocesan mass for the Feast of St. Josemaría Escrivá. If there are any of y'all who haven't visited it yet, I would encourage you to check it out!

From the co-cathedral website:

A cathedral is the principal church where the bishop presides over a diocese and celebrates worship with and for the Christian community. As such, the diocesan cathedral is the mother Church of the entire diocese. The word cathedral is derived from the fact that this church houses the bishop’s chair - the cathedra - the symbol of the bishop’s teaching authority in the diocese.

The new Co-Cathedral of Galveston-Houston is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, symbolizing the invitation to experience His love through the mystery of His death and resurrection. To all, His invitation is to enter into a personal relationship with Him, to be nourished with holy presence.

In the architectural design of our new co-cathedral, one can find great meaning and inspiration. The height of the structure is a powerful image of transcendence – a reminder for us to fix our gaze on heaven, where our spirits can rise above their earthly existence and be nourished in the hope of God’s love for humanity. The ascending height of the Co-Cathedral answers our human longing to be in communion with God who from on high showers His love and peace upon us. The anchoring weight of stone and marble signifies God’s imminence, His presence and work here on earth.

I found the cathedral to be quite sublime. Traditional, yet modern. Not quite like the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles :)

Last week, we also had a chance to visit the newly renovated Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento, CA. I found that to be quite impressive.

St. Dominic and the Year of St. Paul

The Holy Father has just now opened the Pauline Year on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. The Dominican Nuns over at Moniales OP naturally celebrate the significance of this for all Dominicans based on the history of the Order of Preachers:

The Holy Father's decision to celebrate the 2000th birthday of St. Paul with a Jubilee Year can only be met with joy by Dominicans! Both St. Peter and Paul (can anyone separate them?) played a special part in the founding of the Order of Preachers. As St. Dominic was beginning the Order he had the following vision:

Once when the servant of God, Dominic, was at Rome in the Basilica of St. Peter, where he was praying fervently in God's sight for the preservation and growth of his Order, which the right hand of God had raised up through him, he saw the glorious princes, Peter and Paul, coming toward him in a sudden vision wrought by the power of God. Peter, who was first, seemed to be handing him a staff, and Paul a book. Then they spoke these words: "Go and preach, because you have been chosen by God for this work." And then, in a moment of time, he seemed to see all his children dispersed through the world and going two by two preaching the word of God to the people.

Later, Pope Innocent III when hesitating to give approval to this new Order, had a vision or a dream of St. Dominic holding up the Lateran Basilica (the official Basilica of the Pope). This vision is also attributed to St. Francis and is more commonly known. In any event, statues of these 2 great saints take their place on either side of St. Peter's Square!

St. Josemaría Escrivá and the Early Church

Mike Aquilina has some good observations, echoed from a post from last year, about the influence of the Fathers of the Early Church on St. Josemaría Escrivá and the spirituality of Opus Dei.

His is a decidedly modern spirit, but he conceived it as a retrieval of the way of the “early Christians” (his preferred term). Opus Dei was, he said, “as old as the Gospel and, like the Gospel, ever new.” He often cited the authority of the Church Fathers. A quick scan of his books online at EscrivaWorks yields many passages from Clement of Alexandria, Ignatius of Antioch, Tertullian, Ambrose, Justin Martyr, Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Cyril of Alexandria, Leo the Great, Jerome, lots and lots from John Chrysostom and Gregory the Great, and dozens from Augustine.

These early Christians were not mere ornaments on his pet project. His vocation was itself a return to the sources — the pre-Nicene sources of the life and labor of ordinary, faithful Christians. The journalist John L. Allen, in his book on Opus Dei, described just how radical St. Josemaria’s vision was: “The idea of priests and laity, men and women, all part of one organic whole, sharing the same vocation and carrying out the same apostolic tasks, has not been part of the Catholic tradition, at least since the early centuries.”

Remembering St. Josemaría Escrivá, Founder of Opus Dei

Today we observe the memorial of St. Josemaría Escrivá, a man who has helped me enormously in my everyday spiritual life. He preached a point the world today most certainly needs to hear, a point brought home and emphasized in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council: that the call to holiness is universal and applicable to every human being, you and me. And it is achievable by way of the unfolding of God's grace in the ordinary work of our everyday lives.

From Passionately Loving the World:

On the contrary, you must understand now, more clearly, that God is calling you to serve Him in and from the ordinary, material and secular activities of human life. He waits for us every day, in the laboratory, in the operating theatre, in the army barracks, in the university chair, in the factory, in the workshop, in the fields, in the home and in all the immense panorama of work. Understand this well: there is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover it.

St. Josemaría Escrivá taught there is something divine in the ordinary human activities of our day, and in the ordinary human connections we make with each other. And grace helps us to see and to live...

From Christ Is Passing By:

Let's not deceive ourselves: in our life we will find vigor and victory and depression and defeat. This has always been true of the earthly pilgrimage of Christians, even of those we venerate on the altars. Don't you remember Peter, Augustine, and Francis? I have never liked biographies of saints which naively -- but also with a lack of sound doctrine -- present their deeds as if they had been confirmed in grace from birth. No. The true life stories of Christian heroes resemble our own experience: they fought and won; they fought and lost. And then, repentant, they returned to the fray.

Pray for us, St. Josemaría Escrivá.

Born at 24 weeks...

I was in California last week, and during our time there, we attended a rally on the steps of the Capitol Building in Sacramento to protest the 33 million in state taxpayer money that is included in the state budget for abortion services. We rallied for this funding to instead be used in a way that actually helps women, children, the poor, the jobless, the homeless, etc.

During the rally, a man spoke with excitement about how, in 1984, his child was born prematurely at 24 weeks (6 months) and survived. His child was only 2.1 lbs and is now 24 years old.

I had read about children being born as early as 20 weeks and surviving, but keep in mind that the law will allow you to terminate the life of your child well beyond 20 or even 24 weeks in the womb. Our definition of "viability" is changing everyday, thanks to advancements in medicine and advancements within the field of fetology.

Are you listening, Barack Obama?

Let your prayer come from a humble heart...

St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, from his treatise On the Lord's Prayer (written 252 AD) from the Office of Readings for Sunday, June 15th:

Let our speech and our petition be kept under discipline when we pray, and let us preserve quietness and modesty – for, remember, we are standing in God’s sight. We must please God’s eyes both with the movements of our body and with the way we use our voices. For just as a shameless man will be noisy with his cries, so it is fitting for the modest to pray in a moderate way.

Furthermore, the Lord has taught us to pray in secret, in hidden and remote places, in our own bed-chambers – and this is most suitable for faith, since it shows us that God is everywhere and hears and sees everything, and in the fulness of his majesty is present even in hidden and secret places, as it is written I am a God close at hand and not a God far off. If a man hides himself in secret places, will I not see him? Do I not fill the whole of heaven and earth?, and, again, The eyes of God are everywhere, they see good and evil alike.

When we meet together with the brethren in one place, and celebrate divine sacrifices with God’s priest, we should remember our modesty and discipline, not to broadcast our prayers at the tops of our voices, nor to throw before God, with undisciplined long-windedness, a petition that would be better made with more modesty: for after all God does not listen to the voice but to the heart, and he who sees our thoughts should not be pestered by our voices, as the Lord proves when he says: Why do you think evil in your hearts? – or again, All the churches shall know that it is I who test your motives and your thoughts.

In the first book of the Kings, Hannah, who is a type of the Church, observes that she prays to God not with loud petitions but silently and modestly within the very recesses of her heart. She spoke with hidden prayer but with manifest faith. She spoke not with her voice but with her heart, because she knew that that is how God hears, and she received what she sought because she asked for it with belief. The divine Scripture asserts this when it says: She spoke in her heart, and her lips moved, and her voice was not audible; and God listened to her. And we read in the Psalms: Speak in your hearts and in your beds, and be pierced. Again, the Holy Spirit teaches the same things through Jeremiah, saying: But it is in the heart that you should be worshipped, O Lord.

Beloved brethren, let the worshipper not forget how the publican prayed with the Pharisee in the temple – not with his eyes boldly raised up to heaven, nor with hands held up in pride; but beating his breast and confessing the sins within, he implored the help of the divine mercy. While the Pharisee was pleased with himself, it was the publican who deserved to be sanctified, since he placed his hope of salvation not in his confidence of innocence – since no-one is innocent – but he prayed, humbly confessing his sins, and he who pardons the humble heard his prayer.

3000 Assyrians welcomed into Full Communion

This has been on a few blogs. Courtesy of Mike Aquilina:

3,000 Assyrians Received into the Catholic Church

The Chaldean Catholic Diocese of St. Peter and Paul has formally received into its fold those members of the Assyrian Catholic Apostolic Diocese who, under the leadership of Mar Bawai Soro (pictured above), had asked to be reconciled with the Catholic Church last January 17, 2008.

One bishop (Mar Bawai himself), six priests, 30+ deacons and subdeacons and an estimated 3,000 faithful were received into full communion during liturgical celebrations for the Feast of Pentecost. The announcement by the Chaldean Catholic Church can be found here.

Mar Bawai Soro has long advocated the Primacy of the See of Rome. On November 2, 2005, he presented to the Synod of Bishops of the Assyrian Church of the East (of which he was a bishop at that time) a paper entitled "The Position of the Church of the East Theological Tradition on the Questions of Church Unity and Full Communion"...

Five days later, Mar Bawai was suspended by the Holy Synod of the Assyrian Church. The story behind this, as well as the full text of the paper on papal primacy that Mar Bawai had presented to the Synod, can be found here.

Following upon his suspension, Mar Bawai and the clergy and faithful who had remained loyal to him formed the Assyrian Catholic Apostolic Diocese, then proceeded to draw ever closer to the Catholic Church through the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate. How fitting that they finally came home on Pentecost Sunday. Deo Gratias!

The Assyrian Church of the East is linked to the Nestorian Schism in 431 AD after the Council of Ephesus. There has been a lot of development over the last few years between the Assyrian Church of the East and the Church of Rome.

The Fellowship of the Holy Fallout

Glory be to the Bomb, and to the Holy Fallout. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Courtesy of the Planet of the Apes Wiki. If you're a PotA fanatic, you will recognize this little sect of mutants (introduced to us in the 1st sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes.

The Fellowship of the Holy Fallout was a religious congregation of telepathic mutants who lived beneath the ruins of New York City in the latter half of the 40th century. Like their followers, the members of the Fellowship were descended from a long line of mutated humans, whose origins dated back to the late 20th century. Following an ape uprising in 1991, the human controlled governments of Earth waged war with one another – a war which devastated significant parts of the population, and caused drastic geological upheaval.

Survivors of the nuclear holocaust were forced to seek shelter in the ruins of cities contaminated with atomic radiation. The exposure to this radiation caused severe genetic defects – defects which were passed down through the generations, forcing select groups of mankind to evolve into a new subspecies of mutant. Two-thousand years later, many of these mutant descendents began to develop advanced telepathic abilities. Whether these mental endowments were borne as a side-effect of their mutation is still a matter of speculation.

By the late 40th century, a coalition of mutants established a settlement for themselves in the ruins of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. They had acquired a weapon of mass destruction – a surviving relic from Humanity’s downfall. This was a Doomsday device known as the Alpha-Omega Bomb. Declaring the weapon as the "Divine Bomb", this congregation of mutants became known as the Fellowship of the Holy Fallout. In their culture, the Alpha-Omega Bomb represented not only a unifying characteristic of their lifestyle, but of their origins as well. They believed that God spoke to them through the weapon. They placed the missile, as well as its accompanying launch controls, at the nave of their altar in the cathedral.

Well, I would say not that God spoke through the bomb, but that the bomb itself was their god. Otherwise, why profess, Glory be to the Bomb...?

The Translation of St. Dominic

On this day is commemorated the first translation of the remains of St. Dominic on May 24th, 1233. From the letters of Blessed Jordan of Saxony:

But then the wonderful day dawned to celebrate the transfer of the remains of this illustrious doctor. The venerable archbishop of Ravenna and a large number of bishops and prelates were present, as well as a vast multitude of people from different regions who were giving remarkable witness by their devotion. Present also was the militia of Bologna, who would not allow this most holy body to be removed from their care. The anxious brothers stood about; the timid grew pale and prayed and, although they had nothing to fear, they were seized with misgivings. They feared that the body of Saint Dominic, which had laid lain in a mean tomb exposed to the elements, would be found eaten by worms and giving off a foul odor, a circumstance that would diminish the devotion of such important persons. The bishops approached devoutly, the workers applied their tools, and the stone that had been firmly cemented to the sepulcher was removed. Inside the tomb was the wooden coffin, just as it had been placed there by the venerable Pope Gregory when he was bishop of Ostia. A small opening was visible in the coffin.

As soon as the stone was taken away a wonderful odor poured out from the opening and its fragrance caused astonishment among those present. They were amazed and overcome with wonder at this strange event. Everyone shed tears and feelings of joy, of fear and of hope rose in all hearts. These extraordinary occurrences moved all who smelt the sweetness of this wonderful scent. We ourselves have also smelt the sweetness of this perfume and we bear witness to what we have seen and smelt.