O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

First Holy Communion season is nearly upon us and instead of the normal controversies-

- dresses that are tarty
- Whether the Sacrament of Confession will be received first
- Whether the children scheduled to receive the Sacrament have been properly prepared

I found a new wrinkle.

Purely Yours presents:







these ridiculous looking co-presider costumes.

They advertise the benefits-

- everyone looking the same (why not overalls featured by the Chinese Communists?)
- savings (though they are $60 each)
- and most importantly from their website:

Our children are all special and all children deserve to be treated equally regardless of the clothes they wear. We are all equal in God's eyes and this philosophy is what led to the creation of the PurelyYou Personalized First Communion Robe.

First Communion is about you... PurelyYou.

Obviously this company has tapped into the essence of what the Sacrament is all about.

Correction

I just received this clarification and correction from Fr. Thomas Kocik in the comment section regarding the post: Face East Young Man.

Fr. Kocik writes:

Just a couple points of clarification. The "indult Mass" in the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, is celebrated in Holy Redeemer Parish, at the chapel of Our Lady of Grace, in Chatham (on Cape Cod). I was not forbidden to celebrate the indult Mass there; rather, when I expressed to the bishop my willingness to do so, I was told that another priest (retired) had been asked to do so; he resides in the parish. Also, Chatham is not just "a few miles" from me; I am in Fall River (the see city), which is more than an hour's drive.

I apologize for my mischaracterization and hope it has not caused any difficulties for Fr. Kocik.

Maintaining Hope and Optimism Against Great Odds

March 25th came and went.

And what I was told was going to happen.

Didn't.

Eventhough the Italian press was reporting that it would.

In an effort to avoid bitterness:

I've decided to console myself with this:

Joy mixed with the future prospect of revenge against the destroyers of the Church: the liberals.

From a very nice blog indeed.

I Don't Understand....

why I can't convince Catholics that this is a bad idea.
Fresh from their First Holy Communion, and perhaps as a follow up, you can attend a Mother/Daughter fertility awareness day. Doesn't it sound wonderful?

Naturally it would be held in the St. Gerard Room.

And some people are still defending Teenstar

And this:Any other so-called Catholic sex ed.


If we know this doesn't it stand to reason that taking nine year old girls and teaching them about "their fertility" is bad?

No, I guess not.



It makes me wonder why our parents fought off the pollution of Planned Parenthood's sex education only to have our generation go along with this nonsense. Is it guilt? Defensiveness? Is it Catholic parents who cannot imagine getting along in life without the contraceptive benefits of NFP so they must make sure their daughers are indoctrinated early?

I mean haven't these people read Brave New World?

What's a Little Heresy... Among Friends?

Brave New Catholics

A "Catholic" couple tries to have a baby using IVF- condemned by the Church by the way. Fail for 5 years. Then use the wife's sister as a surrogate- the result being twins. At the same time these einsteins decide to try IVF once more themselves- now they have 3 newborns. All born of IVF. Spent over $100K.

I wonder what Fr. Jonathon would say? Probably something very pastoral. After all- $100K these people must be loaded.

Looking Good

Fr. Jonathon Morris



Fr. Fessio, S.J.

While I would never want to kick a man when he is down I have no problem at all with doing so when a man is on top- and undeservedly so.

When I was looking for an image of Fr. Fessio I found that it was difficult to find a really good photogenic picture of the twice fired priest. Fr. Fessio is an academic, a publisher and now a theologian- public image has not been on the radar screen and I respect that. To me it speaks volumes about a person. The pictures of Fr. Fessio are not especially flattering. Fr. Fessio doesn't have an image or a public persona that he has been cultivating.

Unlike, well Fr. Jonathon Morris, Legionnaire extraordinaire. Notice the confidence, the lighting, the hair do, the background of Fr.'s file photo and the utter lack of substance in Fr. Jonathon's remarks.

Being a bookish, dowdy type myself I admit a certain prejudice in favor or someone who is not too done up. But it is striking isn't it?

I only wish that Fr. Jonathon had been available during the Early Church years. I suspect that many a martyr's death could have been averted if he had followed Fr. Jonathon's modus operandi- keep the truth quiet especially if it is going to upset someone. Particularly it if is going to upset someone who has money and might want to give it to you. For your ministry.

With the incredible disobedience shown by Catholics on the issue of birth control I think Fr. Jonathon's despicable obscuring of the truth will have incalculable effects.

I just noticed this...

Fr. Jonathon Morris, movie star, pastor to heretics and Catholic priest on the payroll of Fox News.

I decided to read the "Open Letter to Sean Hannity" by Fr. Morris. I'll highlight a few of his statements:


Dear Sean,

As I watched a fellow Catholic priest spar with you on the March 9 edition of Hannity and Colmes, I hung my head in shame and sadness. My colleague in religion (whom I've never met) used the public airways and Internet to call you a heretic and hypocrite. Because he chose to do this in a public forum, I want you and your viewers to know, publicly, that as an analyst of this television network, I believe this good priest, who does great work, exercised, on this occasion, shockingly poor judgment. I consider his willingness to give his personal opinion about your status within the Church inappropriate and ill-considered, to say the least.

Regardless of the issue and arguments at hand, brandishing law without palpable love almost always repels. I must assume he just made an honest mistake.

Naturally the issue and arguments at hand are not going to be addressed. Whaddya think, Fr. Jonathon is going to discuss doctrine? dogma? truth? Fr. Jonathon has WAY MORE important things to talk about than that boring stuff.


The unfortunate event reminded me of the bigger question of the fast-eroding credibility among religious leaders in our nation and its causes.


Funny you should mention that Fr. Jonathon. Credibility goes to the truth. And when you ignore or obscure the TRUTH that is when you get into trouble. But maybe I'm going too fast for you Fr. Jonathon

But you've gotta read this NEXT PART.

I should start, or rather continue, at home with the Catholic Church, your church and mine. As you rightly stated in the same television segment, the systematic cover-up of sexual abuse within some sectors of Catholic Church leadership was a monstrous scandal and its effects will be long-lasting. Even those priests who were not involved in the mess, as I am sure is the case with the priest in question, can never forget that those of us who wear a clerical collar still conjure up painful memories in many people's minds. The strange looks and rash judgments to which we are at times subjected is not the people's fault; it's ours, in as much as we are members of a very guilty family.

Are you kidding me????? Did Fr. Jonathon just imply what I think he tried to imply- that he "thinks" Fr. Entenuer was not involved in the sex abuse crisis. Fr. Jonathon doesn't think that Fr. Enteneur is a pedophile but I guess you never really know do you? Character assasination at best. And remember this is a Legionnaire priest whose FOUNDER HAS BEEN CENSURED FOR CHILD ABUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!! You wanna talk about rich? You wanna talk about nerve?



Fr. Jonathon continues:

In this light, before we clergy members speak out publicly against public offenses, as sometimes we must do, we should ask ourselves and God why we are doing what we are doing, and what the best way to do it is, according to the circumstances, and always with palpable love. The question is not only if what we have to say is correct, but where, when, and how we should say it. I, for one, would have communicated my beliefs in a different way on more than one occasion if I had followed this advice.


Because it's not TRUTH but how you present that truth and how you market and spin it. I see Fr. Jonathon has learned some very important lessons at Fox News. It's really all about public relations- not the truth- I mean what's really important- looking good and fundraising.

I would be remiss if I were to suggest that the loss of religious credibility begins and ends with Catholic leaders. When we hear television evangelists wonder out loud whether Ariel Sharon's stroke might be God's judgment on him for making territorial concessions to the Palestinians, we lose trust. When, year after year, we listen to self-proclaimed prophets predict the day and the hour of the “end-times,” we lose trust. When we turn on the television and hear preachers promise heaven on earth if we give, give, give to the Church — their church — we lose trust. When we hear mainline Protestant pastors and their associations throw Biblical tradition to the wind and make wishy-washy statements about faith and morality, we lose trust.



Wow, bold statements Fr. Jonathon- lambast the protestants for overly ambitious fundraising. How ironic is that?

The non-Christian religions are in even worse shape regarding leadership credibility. Is there a single Muslim imam who stands out today for his national leadership toward peace? What Muslim scholar can we trust to speak with scholarly proficiency and universal authority about the alleged peaceful nature of Islam?

The Jewish community in America is so splintered and disjointed on themes of dogma and religious tradition, it is difficult to find anyone who speaks for the majority, or even for the masses.


Fr. Jonathon finds fault with the Jews and the Muslims but not on DOCTRINE- that is so beside the point. It's because the Muslims and Jews can't find anyone who speaks consistently on doctrine and dogma (unlike Fr. Jonathon who is just so on message that he refuses to talk about doctrine and dogma because someone might not like it.)



But I and Fr. Jonathon have saved the best for last. It's not just that Fr. Jonathon is a good buddy of Sean- but Sean and Alan are going to heaven according to the wisdom of Fr. Jonathon and how is that? Because it's honesty, humility and courage along with our imperfections that guarantees us heaven.

Sean, I don't always agree with you and Alan, as I have told both of you in person, but I think you are both honest, and both have the humility and courage to accept truth when you stumble across it, even when it comes in bits and pieces. I think it's precisely this three-pronged attitude of honesty, humility and courage that best prepares us, with all of our imperfections, for heaven.

God bless, Father Jonathan

God help you Father Jonathon.

Ave Maria does a 180

Yesterday, Fr. Fessio was out. Asked to submit his resignation and leave campus immediately. Classy.

Today, Fr. has been designated the theologian in residence.

Theories for the rapid reversal-

- student protests
- threats from donors to withdraw support
- intervention by Rome

But we still don't know why the initial firing was done. One theory was that liturgically Fr. Fessio was too traditional and he was getting in the way of the Steubbies who were trying to take over.

Whenever Ave Maria calls to try to convince my daughter to attend there I always ask if there is a Latin Mass on campus and I get this nonsense about a Novus Ordo in Latin. N.B. save yourselves the bother trying to acknowledge that there is a problem with the liturgy and then refusing to do anything substantive about it.

Is it not wonderful that even death can be washed away by a bath?

CONCERNING BAPTISM by Tertullian

The homily is here.

Of special interest:

...the people, freed from the shackles of Egyptian bondage, escaped the violence of the king of Egypt by crossing the water, the water put an end to the king himself with all his forces. What pattern could be clearer in the mystery of Baptism! The nations are freed from the present world by water assuredly, and they leave behind them the devil, their former tyrant, overwhelmed in the water. Likewise the water is cured of the bitterness which spoilt it, and made sweet, useful and beneficial by Moses' rod. That wood was Christ, bringing healing, of course, out of Himself, to the streams of a nature that had once been poisoned and bitter, in the health-giving waters of Baptism. This is the water which flowed down for the people from "the attendant rock." For if "the rock is Christ," without doubt we see that Baptism is blessed by water in Christ. How great is the grace in water, where God and His anointed are present, for the ratification of Baptism! Christ is never apart from water: for even He Himself is baptized with water; when invited to a wedding He inaugurates with water the earliest trials of His power; when He speaks he invites them "that thirst" to His "everlasting water "; when He teaches about love, He commends the offering of "a cup of water" to a destitute person among the works of love; at a well He recovers His strength, "on water He walks," He crosses the water with delight, with water He serves His disciples. The evidence of Baptism continues right to the time of His passion; when He is given over to the cross, water interposes; Pilate's hands know this; when He is wounded, water breaks forth from His side; the soldier's spear knows it.


Baptism Necessary?

13. It is in this connexion, then, that those criminals stir up questions. They actually say: "Baptism is not necessary to those for whom faith is enough; for Abraham also pleased God by no mystery of water, but by that of faith only." But in everything later practice settles a question, and what follows prevails over what has gone before. Let us admit that salvation came about in past times by simple faith, before the Lord's passion and resurrection; but when faith was increased (I mean by faith the belief in His nativity, passion and resurrection), there was added to the mystery, thus enlarged in scope, a ratification in Baptism, in some way a garment of faith, which, previously was simple and now has no efficacy without obedience to its law. For the law of Baptism was enjoined and its ritual prescribed. "Go," he says, "teach the nations, baptizing them in the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit." The addition to this law of the regulation: "Except one be born again of water and spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven," bound faith to the necessity of Baptism. Consequently from that time all believers were baptized. Then Paul, also, when he believed, was baptized. And this is what the Lord also, in inflicting the scourge of blindness, had enjoined, saying: "Rise up, and enter Damascus; there you will be shown what you ought to do"; namely, to be baptized, the only qualification that was wanting to him. Apart from that he had sufficiently learnt and believed that "the Nazarene" was the Lord, the Son of God.

Good Friday and Baptism:

19. Good Friday offers the more regular occasion for Baptism, when also the Lord's passion into which we are baptized was consummated. And it will not be interpreted inconsistently with the type that when the Lord was to celebrate His last passover, on sending His disciples to prepare, He said, "You will meet a man carrying water," and thus indicated the place for the celebration of the passover by the sign of water. Next, Whitsuntide is the most joyous period for the administration of Baptism, at which both the Lord's resurrection was widely made known among the disciples, and the gift of "the Holy Spirit" was inaugurated, and the hope of the Lord's advent suggested, when on His having then been "received back into the heavens," the angels said to the apostles that "He would come in the very way in which He ascended into heaven," namely at Whitsuntide. But indeed when Jeremiah says: "And I will gather them together from the farthest parts of the earth on a festal day," he indicates the day of Good Friday and of Whitsunday, which is properly "a festal day." However, every day is the Lord's, every hour, every time is suitable for Baptism: if there is a difference in regard to the proper season, there is none in regard to the grace.

Medieval Quick start

I now know this is "Waterleaf". I read about it in the
Glossary of the Medieval Church.

An awful handy thing to have around the place includs definitions of heretical sects, architectural features and pious objects.

Tip to Liberals and neocons. You just might need it on March 25th. And that's all I have to say about that.

Casting Pearls before Swine.

Fr. Enteneur attempts an intervention.





The background:

Sean Hannity is an Idiot.

And what is Fr. Jonathon Morris's excuse? Do the Legionnaire's serve God, the Catholic Church or Fox News?

Well, it's all too obvious I'm afraid.

Just because...

Thomas Hardy's Cottage in Brockhampton Dorset

Far from the Madding Crowd...

Tea at Trianon- a delightful little blog.

Visit and find out for yourself.

Theme of the day...

... is abortion apparently. Saw this on Drudge- post abortion greeting cards brought to you by the compassionate women at Exhale.



Especially caring.



I can think of a few words. But I won't say them.



I really wished they had used the word "unconditional love" because you know God must have really wanted you to have that abortion and if it's okay with God, it's okay with me. Okay.

And abortion as a "transition". That's so hip, so now.

I hope they're working on the "Sympathy" cards for those relatives who make the choice to euthanize their loved ones.

I'm just overwhelmed at these modern expressions of caring. Everywhere you look it's just love, love, love.

Oh, lost and by the wind grieved...

.. Ghost come back again.


Heartbreaking.

Face East Young Man

Shown: a panel of a Baptismal font that is one of the Seven Sacraments series. Each of the seven sides depicts a Sacrament.

I never knew that the Jews prayed facing East until someone recently told me. I had known that the Muslims did. Strange isn't it that the three major religions all have it within their Traditions to face East in prayer. Except for the Novus Ordo priest during Mass.

How very unecumenical of him.


From an Adoremus article on Facing East:

History of "Liturgical East"
Why the insistence on an Eastward-facing position for both priest and congregation? From early on, Christians adopted the Jewish practice of praying toward Eden, in the East (Gen. 2:8), the direction from which Ezekiel saw come "the glory of the God of Israel" (Ezek 43:2,4), the direction in which Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives and wherefrom He will return (Acts 1:11), and the direction whence the Angel of the Lord will come in the end time (Rev. 7:2). Tertullian informs us that Christian churches are "always" oriented "toward the light".

Origen asserts that the direction of the rising sun obviously indicates that we ought to pray inclining in that direction, an act which symbolizes the soul looking toward the rising of the true light, the Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ.

Saint John Damascene says that, while waiting the coming of the Lord, "we adore Him facing East", for that is the tradition passed down to us from the Apostles. Other Church Fathers who confirm this usage are Clement of Alexandria, Saint Basil and Saint Augustine. To this day, the ancient Coptic Rite of Egypt retains in its eucharistic liturgy (just before the Sursum corda) the age-old exhortation of the deacon: "Look towards the East!"

In The Reform of the Roman Rite (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.: Una Voce Press; Harrison, N.Y.: Roman Catholic Books, 1993, chaps. XII-XV), the late Monsignor Klaus Gamber, director of the Regensburg Liturgical Institute, demonstrates convincingly that the precedents for freestanding altars with Mass "facing the people" have been highly exaggerated. In agreement with such eminent (and unquestionably orthodox) liturgists as Father Josef A. Jungmann and Father Louis Bouyer, Gamber shows that the practice of celebrating the Eucharist versus populum flourished only in the city of Rome and in parts of North Africa, where the pagan custom of having the façade (rather than the apse) of a temple facing East was continued; but even then, the historical evidence shows that, while the celebrant did in fact face the people, they did not face him, but turned their backs on him during the prayers so that they, too, could face East.

The whole article can be read here. Written by Fr. Thomas Kocik, a priest of the Fall River diocese in Massachusetts, who from what I understand, is forbidden to say the Latin Mass at the Indult located just a few miles away from his parish.

Why They Call Us Protestants and Why They're Wrong

Unfortunately due to the limitations of the physical world an image of Martin Luther burning in hell was not unavailable.

I was in a discussion recently about what constitutes a Neo Con or a Neo Conservative Catholic. And if you’re not too familiar with the terms Neocon and Trad and how those terms are flung about let me just say that they get along about as well as the Jews and the Samaritans did in Biblical times.

Examples of those who hold the neocon point of view would be Mark Shea, Jimmy Akin, Karl Keating and the like. Now this is not an attempt to condemn them but only to identify them. I’ll let their words speak for themselves.

I made the point that the neocons were like Protestants. They were trying to change the Church, it’s disciplines and embrace any watered down doctrine that will make their lives easier. They have raised NFP to the 8th Sacrament. They believe that the fewer children you have the more money you will have to fund their “ministries” and buy their pathetic little pamphlets, study guides, videos and cassette tapes.

When Church teaching and what they want to do come into conflict they do what they want. A perfect example of this is Bud McFarlane. McFarlane founded (or should I say incorporated) The Mary Foundation and Catholicity. After extolling the virtues of homeschooling, Catholic sacramental marriage and just being an all around good guy, he decided to divorce his wife, take custody of the kids (b/c she was homeschooling), force her to sell the family home, and sue for child support. This is the NeoCon poster boy. I understand that the Mary Foundation is suffering some repercussions from his behavior and fundraising has declined. I don’t know if he has taken a salary cut from his $100,000 per year salary or not. (Note bene: I think with book royalties and honorarium and who knows what else that McFarlane's salary is probably a lot higher than $100,000).

Who in the NeoCon world has condemned his behavior? No one.That would be “unsupportive” , judgmental, and Catholic.

Now you might think that with all their “zeal” for the Faith that the neocons would want to further the Traditions of the Church- the Latin Mass, Gregorian chant, ember days, but then you would be misunderstanding their mission. Promoting the Faith is not their goal. Promoting themselves is.

Because Traditionalists want to promote the Faith and worshipping God they threaten the neocon empire and their little cottage industries. And what do they call us in an attempt to really undermine and dispirit us?

Protestants.

They only use this term because it bothers us. To them the Protestants are not heretics but their brothers and sisters in Christ who will be in heaven at the very moment of their death anyway.

Unfortunately I think some Traditionalists have taken this to heart.

A Protestant is someone who opposed and continues to oppose the Traditions of the Church; the Traditions that have been held for 2000 years. And when they condemn us they condemn the Traditions of the Church and ultimately they condemn themselves.

A New Olympic Sport?

Saudi Road Skating

While I think I should apologize for the pure ridiculousness of this- I can't help but think that during Lent and especially on a Friday, it will make someone smile.

It's certainly better than the other things I've been thinking of writing about-
- Art and insanity
- Trad teens in trouble
- Bucolic living that includes your dogs dragging deer skeletons from the woods and chewing on them.

This also explains why the Life Expectancy for Saudis is still in the 40s. I'm guessing this was taken in the Khobar area.

The Transfiguration

Matthew Chapter 17
17:1. And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart:

Et post dies sex adsumpsit Iesus Petrum et Iacobum et Iohannem fratrem eius et ducit illos in montem excelsum seorsum

17:2. And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow.

Et transfiguratus est ante eos et resplenduit facies eius sicut sol vestimenta autem eius facta sunt alba sicut nix

17:3. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Et ecce apparuit illis Moses et Helias cum eo loquentes

17:4. And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

Respondens autem Petrus dixit ad Iesum Domine bonum est nos hic esse si vis faciamus hic tria tabernacula tibi unum et Mosi unum et Heliae unum

17:5. And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him.

Adhuc eo loquente ecce nubes lucida obumbravit eos et ecce vox de nube dicens hic est Filius meus dilectus in quo mihi bene conplacuit ipsum audite

17:6. And the disciples hearing fell upon their face, and were very much afraid.

Et audientes discipuli ceciderunt in faciem suam et timuerunt valde

17:7. And Jesus came and touched them: and said to them: Arise, and fear not.

Et accessit Iesus et tetigit eos dixitque eis surgite et nolite timere

17:8. And they lifting up their eyes, saw no one, but only Jesus.

Levantes autem oculos suos neminem viderunt nisi solum Iesum

17:9. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead.

Et descendentibus illis de monte praecepit Iesus dicens nemini dixeritis visionem donec Filius hominis a mortuis resurgat