tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post4183795802700652414..comments2024-02-28T17:57:05.725-05:00Comments on The Black Biretta: CHILL OUTBlack Birettahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758160681203816829noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-92227699592202335872008-12-30T15:18:00.000-05:002008-12-30T15:18:00.000-05:00Well said, Fr. I came to this blog late, but I was...Well said, Fr. I came to this blog late, but I was surprised more had not commented on it.<BR/><BR/>Large crowd dynamics can be very frightening. I was in Hawaii once, (on business, I might add) and I'd gone out in the evening to eat. All along the main thoroughfare early in the evening a street fair was being set up. Bands, food stands, that sort of thing. I'd lingered over dinner and by the time I came out, the crowd was huge is some places. Absolutely packed. And some in the crowd had drunk too much and were acting stupidly, pushing and yelling and trying to "dance" where there was no room to do so. I immediately sensed potential danger and tried to stay to the edge of the crowd and make my way back up to the hotel. Lucky I was at the edge because all of a sudden a few idiots started pushing and shoving and I and a few other yelled "stop it, someone is going to get crushed or trampled." I was really afraid someone WOULD get crushed to death, literally. I found an "eye of the storm" to wait it out in until people came to their senses. But it was really hairy. That said, if the man himself was running and tripped or was pushed, I also find it incredible that so many ran over him and didn't yell out to "STOP."<BR/><BR/>If stores really want to hold "events" like this, they should do so on line!gemoftheoceanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05521207668262592414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-51451940051225409192008-12-07T11:46:00.000-05:002008-12-07T11:46:00.000-05:00A little illustration of my frustration with the p...A little illustration of my frustration with the parishes I have lived in, and it seems to happen in every diocese. Years ago, my husband and I were raising our four children when the Bishop's annual appeal came around. We decided to forgo a vacation that year and donated $1000 to the appeal. We paid our commitment off in small amounts, and were surprised to find that we were invited to a special dinner with the Bishop the following year. Apparently, our gift put us in an upper echelon of donors who were invited, yearly to this dinner. I was very upset by this. Didn't Christ invite the poor to his table, and here we were, invited to rub elbows with the Bishop because of our donation? I think if the church put less emphasis on the money, so would the people. Mother Teresa left all up to God's providence.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-86269889215156317952008-12-06T11:49:00.000-05:002008-12-06T11:49:00.000-05:00Interesting story in CT Today about Christian givi...Interesting story in CT Today about Christian giving. Even among evangelicals, though a smaller percentage than others, one out of 10 give nothing at all.<BR/><BR/>I give 10% to the Church. What the bishop does with it is his business. I also voted for Obama. I wonder if there is a correlation?<BR/>Probably not.<BR/><BR/>http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/december/10.24.htmlradio45https://www.blogger.com/profile/03028346716140781309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-35893545370642703872008-12-05T12:10:00.000-05:002008-12-05T12:10:00.000-05:00Although there may have been an altercation which ...Although there may have been an altercation which preceded the stampede, the fact that (1) human beings literally walked ON/OVER another human being and smothered him to death and (2) the motivation to endure such unruly crowds, i.e., the desire to GET something at a bargain price knowing there are limited supplies. I cannot fathom that the actual persons who walked over the victim had no consciousness of what was happening. Even if someone walks on a glass door laying on top of a man, you know something is not right.<BR/><BR/>This is no isolate incident insofar as the obsessive consumerism is concerned. Every time there is a new iPhone, look at the lines of people who wait long hours in long lines in all kinds of weather to be the first few to own something new. Look at the crowds to get tickets to the Superbowl or World Series or other athletic events. Look at the mobs waiting to get tickets to see Britney Spears and other pop stars.<BR/><BR/>IF these were lines to get jobs or get food for the starving, I could understand the large crowds. But these are lots of people enduring more than mere inconvenience to get UNNECESSARY and NON-ESSENTIAL things. Even a political crowd has some credence in that people gather for an idea whereas these shopping madness mobs often deteriorate into a primeval battle of one against the other.<BR/><BR/>Competition is GOOD but so is cooperation. Communism and Socialism immorally force cooperation whereas unrestricted consumerism and un-monitored capitalism can go the other way and deify competition to the demise of the weak and less fortunate. Christianity values BOTH and sees them as MEANS to an END, namely the common good.Black Birettahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08758160681203816829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-40562616126594832872008-12-05T08:38:00.000-05:002008-12-05T08:38:00.000-05:00D - I think it hardly matters, a man still died; a...D - I think it hardly matters, a man still died; a fight broke out because of what? It doesn't matter. A person died. Father, I agree with you 100%. Before this happened, we made the economical decision not to buy presents, but to make them (Sacrafice Beads, cards, food gifts - and a rosary for my mum). My kids are sickened by the throngs of people pushing and shoving to get get get. It's good to get back to the root of Christmas: Jesus. And, thank you for bringing up giving to the Church. Valid points. I'm in a military parish, and it's sad how few Catholics give in the plate. Yes, much of what we get is payed for by the gov't, but gov't funds are down ($6M for our fort), but giving generously feeds our teen programming as well as the women and men groups that keep us going. The Protestants/Gospels put our giving to SHAME. Money is tight for us, but I keep giving, because even in my poverty (money and otherwise) God has blessed me so richly: first by being born American, the Church and the Sacraments, my family, friends, I have no idea what it means to be starving or cold. I can see a doctor or dentist when I need to. These are blessings, indeed. <BR/><BR/>God bless your Advent.Sarah - Kalahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17877449375576975508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-15847542018084373242008-12-05T04:15:00.000-05:002008-12-05T04:15:00.000-05:00I heard a woman also miscarried as a result of it ...I heard a woman also miscarried as a result of it all. =-(<BR/><BR/>I agree with the connections you make between that incident and other things. I also cannot think of anything else to say not already said.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-81835167466195958402008-12-04T21:04:00.000-05:002008-12-04T21:04:00.000-05:00There may be more to the story. It looks like an a...There may be more to the story. It looks like an altercation broke out. The people in the front probably had no desire to stomp on a man, they were probably pushed by the people behind who just wanted to get away from what was happening in line. Never take media reports at face value until about a week later.Dymphnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01469622835449220113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-59580592240470253882008-12-03T22:41:00.000-05:002008-12-03T22:41:00.000-05:00Greed! That's exactly right; that's what I told my...Greed! That's exactly right; that's what I told my children when we heard the sad news of the man trampled by crazed consumers. May he rest in peace, Jdimytai Damour. <BR/><BR/>I'm praying that people will start choosing Love of God and Neighbor over Love of stuff.<BR/><BR/>In our family we say "Mary Christmas". We choose to celebrate the birth of Jesus by way of His mother Mary's humble acceptance of God's holy will. We mention Santa Claus as St. Nicholas. Small choices made by us as parents effect many choices made by our children. We adults should be cognizant of this reality.<BR/><BR/>Yes, everyone has a choice about many things, everyday. Wouldn't it be lovely if people stopped to consider their choices while in a place of silence? Perhaps they would be able to hear the small voice inside that knows the difference between right and wrong. I BELIEVE that it exists for the majority of the people. Let's all keep praying for an awakening and enlightening of the American conscience.<BR/><BR/>I hope that you will continue to post frequently, Fr. Trigilio. Your Catholic voice is heard by even more people than you know.Anne Marie Marinellihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00507816233476391139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-34099790577198660032008-12-03T18:50:00.000-05:002008-12-03T18:50:00.000-05:00"Most of all, if we Christians spent as much if no..."Most of all, if we Christians spent as much if not more time PRAYING and DOING VIRTUOUS DEEDS (like the corporal and spiritual works of mercy) as we did SHOPPING (including the time wasted getting to the stores, finding parking spaces, waiting in lines, then wrapping the gifts we purchased), Christmas might be restored as a RELIGIOUS holiday."<BR/><BR/>Oh, Father this is going to be so hard--but I'm going try--my family and friends might just kill me--but I think it's a very good idea--thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-83383063349036409132008-12-03T17:54:00.000-05:002008-12-03T17:54:00.000-05:00Amen!Amen!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09170557109734841465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-11859807736740351252008-12-03T15:28:00.000-05:002008-12-03T15:28:00.000-05:00Father, I completely agree with your points on con...Father, I completely agree with your points on consumerism and Church-related consumerism, with one caveat.<BR/><BR/>You mention that it is inappropriate to reduce one's parish contribution because of a disagreement with the pastor or bishop. But, there are disagreements (family squabbles, if you will) and then there are moral quandaries!<BR/><BR/>In my diocese (as in many others, sadly), our bishop invests in many questionable and, in some cases, morally wrong enterprises. Those of us who do not want to be complicit with this mismanagement and even sin (!) contribute to specific parish funds that are not assessed by the diocese and to charities that are not tied to the bishop. This is not ideal, especially as we have a very good pastor and parish, deserving of better! Yet, because of the assessments and poor leadership in general, we have no real choice.<BR/><BR/>So, bottom line, if bishops and priests expect us to follow them as sheep follow a shepherd (and give accordingly), they need to shepherd us properly and stop treating us as business managers treat unproductive departments of their company (if you don't give us the profits we demand, we'll cut jobs or benefits in your department!). Then, we will be glad to make our generous donations directly to the parish fund and bishops' appeals!Kristen Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03738189428450254117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562133.post-89292338575056713582008-12-03T15:11:00.000-05:002008-12-03T15:11:00.000-05:00Padre, I'm way ahead of you. After hearing this on...Padre, I'm way ahead of you. After hearing this on the news and being totally sickened by it (I think what did me in was the comment from a young observer that "it was the big-screen TVs" -- and contemplating the grim physics required for the press of a crowd to kill a healthy 34-year-old man), I officially stopped shopping before I even started. A couple of books bought online, some baked goods from my kitchen, and Mass cards will do just fine this year. And next. And the one after that. Et cetera. I will peruse the ads only to make specific charitable offerings in lieu of the amounts I would have spent. I repent of many years' worth of seeking out the holiday ads instead of seeking first the Kingdom of God.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com