Please Pray for Father John Neuhaus

 


Father John Neuhaus, Lutheran theologian convert to Catholicism and founder/publisher of First Things, is gravely ill.  Father George Rutler, another convert (from the Anglican Church), anointed him and asked that the faithful pray to Saint Joseph for a happy death for this staunch defender of orthodoxy and frequent commentator on EWTN.

The proper work of Catholic intellectuals, Neuhaus believes, is to reformulate
the unchanging doctrines (the "deposit of faith") and the church's non-doctrinal
teachings in the light of new experiences and insights. If they encounter
difficulties, the problem lies not with the church but with themselves. "I think
for myself not to come up with my own teaching," he writes, "but to make the
Church's teaching my own." Accepting church authority on faith is necessary, he
admits, but all thinking rests on some kind of prior faith: "The allegedly
autonomous self who acknowledges no authority but himself is abjectly captive to
the authority of a tradition of Enlightenment rationality that finally collapses
into incoherence."

from a book review at the NY Times

Christmas Season Ends This Sunday with Baptism of the Lord

Our Lady of Good Counsel




Marysville, PA


Diocese of Harrisburg


Christmas MMVIII

While not as equisite as Father Brighenti's parish in NJ, my little church was nicely decorated this year and many parishioners have expressed their appreciation for the Papa Benedetto style of the sanctuary. I moved the tabernacle to the center when I was first installed as pastor in June, 2002. We added the icons of the archangels for the 50th anniversary of the church in 2006. The crucifix on the right wall was redone with royal blue felt and gold framing back in 2003 (Opus Dei style).

Bishop Martin Lohmuller (retired auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia) and William Cardinal Keeler (archbishop emeritus of Baltimore) were the founding pastors of my two parishes, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Marysville (1956) and Saint Bernadette, Duncannon (1954).

We Three Kings of Orient Are

Epiphany Proclamation:

Dear brothers and sisters,
the glory of the Lord has shone upon us,
and shall ever be manifest among us,
until the day of his return.

Through the rhythms of times and seasons
let us celebrate the mysteries of salvation.

Let us recall the year's culmination,
the Easter Triduum of the Lord:
his last supper, his crucifixion, his burial,
and his rising celebrated
between the evening of the ninth day of April
and the evening of the eleventh day of April,
Easter Sunday being on the twelfth day of April.

Each Easter -- as on each Sunday --
the Holy Church makes present the great and saving deed
by which Christ has forever conquered sin and death.
From Easter are reckoned all the days we keep holy.

Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent,
will occur on the twenty-fifth day of February.

The Ascension of the Lord will be commemorated on the twenty-first day of May.

Pentecost, joyful conclusion of the season of Easter,
will be celebrated on the thirty-first day of May

And, this year the First Sunday of Advent will be
on the twenty-ninth day of November.

Likewise the pilgrim Church proclaims the Passover of Christ
in the feasts of the holy Mother of God,
in the feasts of the Apostles and Saints,
and in the commemoration of the faithful departed.

To Jesus Christ, who was, who is, and who is to come,
Lord of time and history,
be endless praise, forever and ever.

Amen.

---

20 + C + M + B + 09

Christus Mansionem Benedicat

(May Christ bless this dwelling place)

---

Polish, Slovak, Russian and German tradition is to use blessed chalk on the doorposts of the home at Epiphany. People are invited to inscribe the lintel of the home (the horizontal frame above the door) with the inscription shown on the reverse. The letters C M B come from the traditional (9th century) names for the "three kings" - Caspar, Melchior & Balthazar.

O God,
by your heavenly star,
you guided the Wise Men
to your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

May your blessing come to rest on our home and all of us.
Make our lives wise with your wisdom,
true to your teaching,
and enlivened by your love.
May your Word made flesh
make his home among us. Amen.

---

print your own Three Kings House Blessing Card for Epiphany by copying above

Now That's What I Call Papal Attire

  

January 1, 2009 (OF: Mary, Mother of God) (EF: Circumcision of the Lord)

Merry Christmas (Buon Natale)

In the twenty-fourth day of the month of December;

In the year five-thousand one-hundred and ninety-nine from the creation of the
world, when in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth;

In the year two-thousand nine-hundred and fifty-seven from the flood;

In the year two-thousand and fifty-one from the birth of Abraham;

In the year one-thousand five-hundred and ten from the going forth of the people of Israel out of Egypt under Moses;

In the year one-thousand and thirty-two from the anointing of David as king;

In the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel;

In the one-hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad;

In the year seven-hundred and fifty-two from the foundation of the city of Rome;

In the forty-second year of the reign of the Emperor Octavian Augustus;

In the sixth age of the world, while the whole earth was at peace— JESUS CHRIST eternal God and the Son of the eternal Father, willing to consecrate the world by His gracious coming, having been conceived of the Holy Ghost, and the nine months of His conception being now accomplished, (all kneel) was born in Bethlehem of Judah of the Virgin Mary, made man. The birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the flesh.

thanks to www.catholicculture.org

sacerdotal stocking stuffer

and if you've been a good priest this year,
you might get one of these from Saint Nicholas

thanks to Hound of Heaven and Fr. Tim Finigan

for non-papists, it is a Pope Pius clock, with all 12 Pope Pius'

ach du lieber

und I varned him before about static electricity venn you do not use Kling-Free sheets


(I always have the nuns send mine to the dry cleaners)

Mamma Mia (Moja Matka)

Last Year (October, 2007), my beloved mother was honored with the Sisters of Saint Joseph Spirit of Courage Award. Yesterday, someone found a reference to that on the Web and forwarded it to me. Here it is as it shows why my family (my brother Mark and I) love her so much and are so proud of her and to be her sons. Last month, she accompanied me and Father Brighenti on a pilgrimage to Lourdes and Fatima. When we returned, I took her to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. She spotted Newt Gingrich and got his autograph as well as former US Ambassador to the Vatican, James Nicholson. Earlier this year, she met the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi at the Vatican Embassy, when we were in town to celebrate my 20th Jubilee of Ordination. Since she was too ill to attend the Papal Masses in the Spring, His Grace was kind enough to give her a private audience a month later. Despite her youthful looks, she suffers from chronic back pain as a result of multiple disk injuries and degenerative arthritis. Nevertheless, the physical and emotional crosses she bears do not stop her from taking care of cloistered Carmelite nuns.

What is the SSJ Spirit
of Courage?

In 1997, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania announced the beginning of The Courage To Come Back in the Erie Diocese. The Courage To Come Back program had a two-fold purpose: to honor individuals who have shown remarkable courage in recovery from accident, injury, illness, addiction or economic adversity; and, to raise funds to support the various community service projects of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

The Sisters of St. Joseph adopted the Courage idea because it was a natural fit with their many ministries of education, health care, care for the elderly, social work, finding shelter for the homeless and affordable housing for mothers and children. In celebration of the tenth anniversary of Courage, in 2006 the name was changed to the SSJ Spirit of Courage Awards.

The quiet, daily acts of ordinary people who refuse to give up in the face of illness, injury or other adversity represent courage in its truest form. Yet, all too often, these people struggle alone with no fanfare and little or no recognition for their courage. They are the heart of the SSJ Spirit of Courage.

The highlight of the SSJ Spirit of Courage program is the Awards Dinner, which is held each fall. A variety of sponsorship opportunities for the dinner are available, all designed to give the appropriate recognition that is deserved for supporting the ministries and community service projects of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

The tremendous success of the SSJ Spirit of Courage has allowed the Sisters of St. Joseph to continue seeking and establishing ministries that serve the community. With nearly 350 Sisters and lay Associates, the congregation continues to affirm its mission of unity of neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God by undertaking whatever ministry that might bring about unity and by continuously responding to the changing needs of the world.

Liz Trigilio

In 1955 Liz Trigilio graduated from St. Vincent’s School of Nursing, and having experienced various assignments during senior rotation, was happy to begin working in the emergency room. Eventually, because of her efficiency, skill, and discipline, Liz became the ER’s head nurse. Her career, she reflects, was both exciting and rewarding.

Early Years…Happiness and Grief

Liz married in 1958 and became pregnant in 1960. At eight months, she recognized troubling signs: no movement from her baby, spotting, and finally, 48 hours of labor. Mary Jo was born with hyaline membrane disease, so her undeveloped lungs limited oxygen intake. Unfortunately, at that time, no viable treatment was available, and Mary Jo died within three days.

During the next six years, Liz and husband John welcomed two sons – John and Joseph. John Jr.
resolved to become a priest by the time he made his first communion; in middle school, he gathered family around the coffee table – arranged as altar – to offer Mass…including sermon. John was so sure of his vocation, in fact, that he entered St. Mark’s Seminary in 9^th grade. Joseph was born 2 years later. Though close in age, he was entirely different from John. Joe loved the
outdoors and preferred fishing and hunting to books.

Five years later, the Trigilio family was completed with the births of Michael in 1966, and Mark, a
year later. Michael, at nine months, wasn’t meeting his physical milestones; further, Liz noticed that his calf muscles appeared enlarged. Eventually, his development lagged behind Mark’s. After some frightening visits to the ER, and blood work, a neurologist diagnosed Michael with Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, a progressive and terminal illness. Still, Michael attended Blessed Sacrament, and Academy High School – confined then to a wheelchair – and Edinboro
University.

Life Lessons

Liz, continuing to nurse part-time, prepared tantalizing meals of homemade pasta for family and friends, welcomed guests galore, tended to Michael, and demonstrated her religious conviction. Husband John, a Sunday Catholic at the time of their marriage, grew to know and love the faith Liz epitomized. Liz also modeled her life on lessons from her sister Rita’s mother-in-law – “Look for the good in people” – and from the sisters at St. Vincent’s, who inspired her to “do good.” John and Liz never ended a day without kneeling together in prayer. Then and now, Liz regards herself unworthy of the blessings she’s received, even though her life has been filled with tragedy.

More Heartache

Michael’s muscular dystrophy progressed to the point that after three years of college at Edinboro
University, he became bed-ridden, requiring complete care; he could move only with assistance. For five years, Liz and John spent alternate nights with Michael, staying up, attending to his needs, and turning him every two hours to prevent bedsores. During this period, Liz began hand quilting to keep her awake, attentive to Michael’s call, and to offer a time for prayer and reflection. While she created 14 intricate and beautiful coverlets, which she could easily have sold, Liz gave away all but one of her heirloom pieces.

As Michael’s disease worsened, he lost nearly 60 pounds, but never complained. Faith-filled like
Liz, Michael prayed the rosary and trusted that “God listens.” In 1992, following a lung infection, Michael contracted pneumonia and died within hours. He was 26; physicians attribute Michael’s longevity, despite MD, to the extraordinary care he had received from his family.

Liz continued to work part-time, but John Sr. retired. Liz served family and community, sending
dinners to priests and older neighbors, and regularly visiting the Carmelite monastery. Again, crisis loomed when John Sr. was diagnosed with leukemia in 1995, necessitating chemotherapy and eventually, multiple blood transfusions each week.

In 1997, successive crises truly tested Liz, but empowered by her beliefs, she faced and endured
each trial with grace and serenity. At that time, Mark was diagnosed with leukemia, received chemotherapy, and was required to schedule regular check-ups. Months later, Joseph, then 33, was preparing to leave for a post July 4^th party. Though not demonstrative, he kissed Liz good-bye, and, sensitive to the deaths of Mary Jo and Michael, and particularly impacted by seeing Mark hospitalized, he asked: “Is something going to happen to me?” Liz calmed Joe’s worries, but his premonition would be fulfilled when his car was struck broadside by a speeding vehicle just minutes after leaving home. Joe was thrown through the sunroof, crushed, and killed instantly. The 17-year-old driver, drunk and high, had been speeding through the city at 75 miles per hour,
sideswiping parked vehicles and eluding capture.

When finally caught, the young man was arrested, jailed, and charged with vehicular homicide. At his trial, the Trigilio's showed such compassion that their forgiving response was featured in the Erie Times News. The young driver spent a very short time in confinement – possibly because of the Trigilios’ expression of mercy – however, should he break his probation, he is to be imprisoned for a minimum of seven years and the Trigilio family will be notified immediately.

Disheartened by Joe’s death, John Sr. seemed to lose hope; he died within six months. He had
undergone intensive treatment, receiving regular 12-hour sessions of IV therapy, and experiencing excruciating pain. When he told Liz he didn’t want to die in the hospital, she took him home where, once again, she served as nurse and loving caretaker. John died peacefully on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, surrounded by Liz, Mark, and Father John.

In Faith and Hope

Ordained in 1988, Father John has served a number of parishes in the Harrisburg area and is currently pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel and St. Bernadette’s churches. Additionally, he has co-authored six books (including Catholicism for Dummies), is president of a national association of priests (Confraternity of Catholic Clergy) and regularly travels to Alabama to shoot Web of Faith, an award-winning program aired on EWTN.

Mark, meanwhile, has undergone therapy for leukemia twice but has been in remission since 2004;
still, he must be re-evaluated semi-annually. Although his prognosis is good, with the family’s knowledge of this illness, a sense of concern is natural.

Clearly, Liz has known tragedy, yet she has known tranquility, born and nurtured through her profound faith. Today, she serves as medical officer, nurse, chauffeur, cook, and sacristan for Erie’s Carmelite monastery; travels with Fr. John; and enjoys counted cross-stitch. Younger than her six brothers and sisters, Liz has nursed her siblings through illnesses and mourned the deaths of three. Despite a host of personal heartaches, Liz has devoted herself to patients, family, and
community, exemplifying and honoring the ideals of Christian service. Like Florence Nightingale in profession, and like Christ in spirit, Liz Trigilio faces each joy, challenge, setback, and defeat with tranquility, not only modeling, but also inspiring both faith and courage.

Gaudete AND Bambinelli Sunday

The Third Sunday of Advent, is also known as Gaudete Sunday, where the priest wears ROSE vestments as opposed to the PURPLE or VIOLET he wears on the other Sundays and weekdays of Advent. Since the pontificate of Pope John Paul the Great, it is also called Bambinelli Sunday to commemorate the blessing of the Gesu Bambino (baby Jesus). Children of Rome flock to Saint Peter's Piaza where the Pope blesses the figurines of the Baby Jesus which the kiddies bring from their homes and then return them in time for the family display of the Nativity Set (Christmas Creche). According to a Zenit article, the Nativity scene has been part of Italy's culture for almost 800 years now. According to tradition, St. Francis created the first representation of the birth of Christ in the little town of Greccio in 1223.

Many parishes across the globe now honor Bambinelli Sunday by having the Pastor, Parochial Vicar or Deacon bless the 'baby Jesus' which each family brings to Mass that weekend. We normally ask the youngest ambulatory child to bring up the figurine and sometimes they are accompanied by their siblings. Even the adults, however, bring their little baby Jesus from their Nativity Sets, and get them blessed every year. This can be done BEFORE Mass begins or AFTER Mass ends or it can be done later in the day at noon or three o'clock (hour of mercy). BTW, if your parish forgot to plan this in time for this weekend, no harm in doing it next weekend on the Fourth Sunday of Advent (just one time).

(we inadvertently left it out of last week's bulletin, so guess what ... ?)

Requiescat in Pace

              

Birth. August 24, 1918, Auburn, diocese of Rochester, United States. His baptismal name is Avery Robert. Son of John Foster Dulles, United States Secretary of State, and Janet Pomeroy Avery Dulles; nephew of Allen Welsh Dulles, founding administrator of the Central Intelligence Agency; great-grandson of John Watson Foster, secretary of State of the United States; great-grandson of Theodore Medad Pomeroy, MC, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Education. Attended primary school in New York City and secondary education at private schools in Switzerland and New England. Raised a Presbyterian, he was a self-professed agnostic when he entered Harvard University in 1936. He converted to Catholicism on November 26, 1940. After graduation, served in intelligence in the Naval Reserve. In 1945 was decorated with the Croix de Guerre for his work in communication with the French navy. Later in 1945, he contracted polio in Naples, Italy. Joined the Society of Jesus, August 14, 1946, New York Province. Instructor of Philosophy, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, 1951-1953. Obtained a doctorate in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, 1960.

Priesthood. Ordained, June 16, 1956, Fordham University, New York, by Cardinal Francis Spellman, archbishop of New York. He was moderator of the freshman and sophomore Sodality of Our Lady, which included as its prefect sophomore Theodore McCarrick, later cardinal and archbishop of Washington, D.C. Later he was a member of the faculties of Woodstock College and of the Catholic University of America. Since 1988 he has been the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University. Member of the International Theological Commission, 1991-1997. He has held fifteen visiting professorships and numerous positions in theological organizations including the presidency of the Catholic Theological Society of America and the American Theological Society, which was founded by a group of Protestant theologians including his grandfather Allen Macy Dulles, a distinguished Presbyterian theologian. Consultor to the Committee on Doctrine of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Considered as the preeminent American Catholic theologian, he has received numerous awards. Among them, Phi Beta Kappa, the National Catholic Book Award, the Religious Education Forum Award, as well as the Cardinal Spellman Award for distinguished achievement in theology. He also has received 21 honorary doctorates and is well known internationally as an author and a lecturer. He has published 21 books and over 650 articles, essays and reviews. Many of his writings interpret and communicate the messages of the Vatican II Ecumenical Council.

Episcopate. Requested to be dispensed from the requirement of episcopal ordination and the dispensation was granted by Pope John Paul II.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of February 21, 2001; received the red biretta and the deaconry of SS. Nomi di Gesù e Maria in via Lata, February 21, 2001. Promoted to the cardinalate when he was over 80 years old, and thus, he did not have the right to participate in the conclave.

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Patroness of the Americas

December 9th was the Feast of Saint Juan Diego, and December 12th is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Juan Diego is the Mexican (of Aztek ancestry) to whom the Blessed Mother appeared in 1531. Cuauhtlatoazin was born in 1474 and baptized as Juan Diego in 1524 by Spanish missionary Franciscans brought over to the New World by Cortez. Our Lady imprinted this image (see right) on the Juan Diego's tilma, as many know, and to this day scientists cannot explain HOW the image got there. It is not painted, dyed or sewn. The process cannot be duplicated by modern technology and neither can the source be ascertained other than that of supernatural origin. One of MANY interesting facts on the tilma is:

Ophthalmological tests have found that MARY's eye is a human eye that appears to be living, and includes the retina, in which is reflected the image of a man with outstretched hands—Juan Diego. The image in the eye conforms to the known laws of optics, particularly to that which states that a well-lighted object can be reflected three times in an eye (Purkinje-Samson's law). A later study allowed researchers to discover in the eye, in addition to the seer, Bishop Zumárraga and several other people present when the image of Our Lady appeared on the tilma. And the normal microscopic network of veins in the eyelids and the cornea of the Virgin's eyes is completely recognizable. No human painter would have been able to reproduce such details.

This feature in addition to the accurate astronomic details and other fascinating dimensions make the image even more incredible especially when one realizes that this goes back almost 500 years ago. If 21st century science cannot explain or replicate the process, what does that say? Incidentally, more pilgrims per year visit the Basilica in Mexico City to see the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe than any other pilgrimage site in the world. More than Saint Peter's in Rome; more than Lourdes or Fatima; more than Padre Pio's. Recently, a Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse was consecrated by Archbishop Raymond Burke.

Support the Grand Duke

Confraternity of Catholic Clergy
121 William St
Marysville, PA 17053
www.catholic-clergy.org
December 8th, 2008
Feast of the Immaculate Conception

H.R.H. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
Palais Grand-Ducal
L-1728 Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Your Royal Highness,

On behalf of the priests and deacons of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, I extend our deepest gratitude for your decision to veto a bill which would legalize euthanasia in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Your courageous move is not only a testimony of your Catholic Christian faith but is also the mark of a true, virtuous ruler who seeks only the common good for his people in accord with the well established Natural Moral Law. Defending the innocent lives of the unborn and the terminally ill is not just a religious matter, but is an ethical and moral one which all human beings are expected to know and embrace, regardless of race, creed, or political affiliation. One of the most poignant lessons of the Second World War was that the Nazi atrocities were totally indefensible since they violated both Natural and International Law, both rooted in reason and thus applicable to every man and woman of history, past, present or future. The precepts of the Divine Law which govern believers further affirms that human life is sacred and must be given the utmost respect and protection. Even the ancient pagan Greeks and Romans demonstrated an awareness of moral principles which transcend time, territory, culture and language; which neither Caesar, the Senate nor even the People could dissolve or disregard. This recognition and adherence to a Natural Moral Law differentiates human beings from all other creatures since it affirms a universal human nature which establishes natural rights to each person, and not given or created by any constitution or government.

We pledge our prayers and support for Your Highness for doing the right thing for the right reason. If all civil leaders would follow the same virtuous path of doing the morally correct thing (in this case, vetoing an immoral bill), our society, culture and civilization would not only endure but thrive as well.

May Our Divine Lord and His Blessed Mother be with you and the people of Luxembourg.

Sincerely Yours,


Rev. John Trigilio, Jr. (President)

A Catholic Leader Votes His Conscience; How Novel

     

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg will veto a bill legalizing euthanasia which will inevitably result in a Constitutional crisis as Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker promises to strip the monarch of his already limited authority.  The last surviving sovereign Grand Duchy, Luxembourg is one of several remaining constitutional monarchies in the world.

Thanks to Father Tim Finigan (Hermeneutic of Continuity) who broke this story in the blogosphere, we are now aware of an actual Catholic leader who votes according to his properly formed conscience despite the personal and/or professional consequences.  We should all applaud, commend, support and pray for His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri for standing up and being counted (unlike many of his Catholic compatriots in Parliament who chose to vote for this bill that chooses death over life.)  Unlike Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi or Vice President Elect Joe Biden, this Catholic made a conscious choice to DEFEND LIFE.  The same cannot be said of his uncle, King Baudouin I of Belgium, who enacted euthanasia and same-sex marriage laws in his nation.

CHILL OUT

Jdimytai Damour, was 6 feet 5 and 270 pounds and died horribly on November when 2,000 shoppers literally trampled him to death. This mob was motivated by one purpose: GREED. While judges and juries can ascertain what legal negligence Walmart may incur, morally speaking, the primary culprits are the actual people who stormed the doors and WALKED ON A HUMAN BEING who died of asphyxiation. What were these crazed consumers seeking? Not food for the starving or clothes for the naked or shelter for the homeless, rather these folks wanted BARGAINS such as a Samsung 50" Plasma HDTV for $798; a Bissel Compact Upright Vacuum for $28; a Samsung 10.2 megapixel digital camera for $69 and DVDs such as "The Incredible Hulk" for $9.

Since the ends never justifies the means, it is never morally permissable to hurt let alone kill someone even if it is done by a starving or homeless person desperate for relief. Worse yet is the fact that these people were not an unruly mob as sometimes is depicted in the news when showing disaster victims trying to get very limited and scarce necessities (such as food, water and clothing). No, this was a purely CONSUMER driven incident where getting the best deal overrided common decency and even the Natural Moral Law. While no one deliberately or premeditatively killed this innocent man, unless they were sleepwalking, I find it incredulous that none of the 2,000 shoppers NOTICED they were walking on top of another human being? When police arrived with emergency techs, some of the crowd boohed as the store needed to be closed.

This pathetic behavior is of course the worst case scenario for abusing the real meaning of Christmas. A Savior is born in abject poverty, having His mother give birth in a manger (stable) rather than at home. Our Blessed Lord entered this world with nothing and He left this world with nothing (in terms of earthly possessions). Yet, our modern society has perverted the birthday of the Savior into an annual SHOPPING event. I heard recently from several Christians that they prefer Thanksgiving to Christmas and Easter because the former is more 'spiritual' whereas the latter two are much more commercialized. We Christians are the ones who allowed our holydays to degenerate into consumer holidays.

Jdimytai Damour need not die in vain. In addition to praying for his soul and for his surviving family and relatives, I suggest we VOLUNTARILY boycott all further Christmas shopping. Cook something instead of buying something. Give the gift of time instead of money. If necessary, purchase online or just essentials at local stores where you normally frequent. Avoid these crazy sales events. 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.

I know there are jobs dependent on what people buy at this time of year, but we cannot allow imprudent decisions to dictate morality. Salaries should be based on ANNUAL work not just a seasonal activity. Stores do not HAVE to have cut-throat sales at bizarre times of the day. If consumers avoided these insane events, merchants would stop having them. Merchants can be successful on their regular customers when they behave prudently and fairly. When I was growing up, my father took me and three brothers to the Boston Store every year a week or two before Christmas and we bought something for Mom (and while alive, our grandparents). Back then, Pennsylvania had Blue Laws, so ALL STORES WERE CLOSED ON SUNDAYS. There were crowds but they behaved civilly. Good manners were not absent, they were accentuated during the Christmas holidays. Everyone, from clerk to customer said MERRY CHRISTMAS. People were not pushing each other nor were they shoving others. People acted like human beings and not like cattle or a herd of animals.

Speaking with my colleagues, we noticed a continuing decline in church donations during the holidays. While many say the economy is forcing them to cut back, it is their parish where they cut first and most. If it were just a matter of my own salary, I would not be bothered. The reality is that the electric and heat bills, the salaries and benefits of our staff, and the mainenance and upkeep of the church building are totally dependent on the weekly offering made by our parishioners. The gas, electric and water bills come month after month regardless of how many people come to church or how much they donate. People get upset when their parish is threatened with closing but sometimes you wonder where are these same people when the collection plate does not increase in proportion to inflation and the cost of living as everything else does? When people plop in spare pocket change, that is not fulfillng the precept of the church to support your parish. The local waitresses and waiters at the dinor often get more in tips than the average weekly offering at Mass. Catholics have been reported to be the lowest givers (1% of income) yet when some of them become disgruntled and leave the Church, they will often join an independent, non-denominational Protestant church and give 10% or more each week. With that kind of financing, full time youth ministers and several assistant pastors can be hired. Many programs and facilities can be realized when there is consistent and generous giving. Former Catholics tend to give more in their new non-Catholic congregation. Sadly, they have turned their back, however, on the Real Presence as there is no valid Holy Eucharist and no valid Holy Orders in their new religion. Music might be nicer or livelier and the sermons might be more enthusiastic, but the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not about US it is about GOD. It is the supreme act of WORSHIP where you and I GIVE back to the Lord the ADORATION He justly DESERVES. We do not go to Mass to GET anything. We go to show our love FOR SOMEONE, i.e., for God. We RECEIVE more than we deserve insofar as someone in the state of grace is allowed to receive Holy Communion.

The consumer mentality which spawned a mob to crush a man to death just to get a bargain at a ridiculous pre-Christmas post-Thanksgiving sale has also infected many people's spirituality. People want spiritual bargains, from God and from His Church. Couples demand to be allowed to get married OUTSIDE instead of the House of God where it belongs. Parents don't like the regulations that require a PRACTICING CATHOLIC IN GOOD STANDING to be a godparent of their child at baptism. Ironically, these same parents are more picky and circumspect on who is their son or daughter's coach or pre-school teacher. Catholics can be tempted to reduce their weekly offering if they dislike the new pastor or have problems with the local bishop. If there is a family quarrell, does the father or mother stop paying the proprty taxes? Do they stop paying the phone, electric and other utlities? Entitlement is not just a sense that someone OWES me, it also produces a sense of CONTROL, as if the donor is now a stockholder or investor. Transparency is essential, by all means, to prevent abuse, but I have seen a few select BIG donors taking advantage of their generosity and pressuring the pastor or bishop to see things their way. Is that not a type of lobbying? No strings attached is what real giving is about. And giving (generosity) is the best remedy for GREED and AVARICE. If a local parish is not teaching and preaching orthodoxy and/or if the sacred liturgy is not reverent, licit and valid, then I urge people to ask their pastor to fulfill their legitimate needs and if they are not met, find a parish where these essentials are provided. The mediocre and bad parishes cannot survive if good Catholics stop doing and saying nothing. Parishes and dioceses which are faithful to the Magisterium and have a demonstrable love and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament and for the Mass and a deep filial devotion to Our Lady, then these places FLOURISH. Cafeteria Catholicism is not Catholicism and it is not even Christian. It is religious consumerism and like moral relativism, it is bankrupt.

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

Immaculate Virgin Mary, you were pleasing in the sight of God from the first moment of your conception in the womb of your mother St. Anne. You were chosen to be the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We believe the teaching of Holy Mother Church, that in the first instant of your conception, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race and your beloved Son, you were preserved from all stain of original sin. We thank God for this wonderful privilege and grace He bestowed upon you as we honor your Immaculate Conception.

Look graciously upon us as we implore this special favor:

(Mention your request here)

Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and our Mother, from your throne in Heaven turn your eyes of pity upon us. Filled with confidence in your goodness and power, we beg you to help us in this journey of life, which is so full of dangers for our souls. We entrust ourselves entirely to you, that we may never be slaves of the devil through sin, but may always live a humble and pure life. We consecrate ourselves to you forever, for our only desire is to love your Divine Son Jesus. Amen

I had the distinct honor and privilege of concelebrating Mass today, the First Sunday of Advent, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.  At the end of Mass, Msgr. Walter Rossi, rector, led the congregation in a novena prayer to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the USA

REAL first Thanksgiving: Catholic Mass in 1565 Florida

As Father Jay Toborowsky and others have pointed out, the FIRST Thanksgiving was NOT in 1621 Plymouth with Protestant Pilgrims, rather, it was in 1565 Florida (St. Augustine) with Catholic Spaniards and Native Americans.

Squanto was the Native American man who mediated between the Puritan Pilgrims and the Native Americans. Squanto had been enslaved by Protestant English but he was freed by Catholic Spanish Franciscans. Squanto was baptzed and became a Catholic Christian. So it was a baptized Catholic Native American who orchestrated what became known as Thanksgiving even in 1621.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Don't forget that in addition to PETITION, CONTRITION, and ADORATION, the fourth valid type of prayer is APPRECIATION (thanksgiving). The best way to express thanks is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass whereby the Holy Eucharist is made present by the Priest on the altar. The Greek word for 'giving thanks' is the root word (eukaristein) eukaristein) for EUCHARIST. Although not a Holyday of obligation, Catholic Americans should go to Mass on Thanksgiving BEFORE indulging in food and football.

In our Italian home, we had Turkey with trimmings PLUS lasagna, ravioli, meatballs, sausage, pumpkin pie and Sicilian ricotta pie. We ate for hours, rested, ate, rested, ate, etc. In between, my aunts and uncles and cousins yelled, screamed, ranted and raved about anything and everything. No holds barred. We were LOUD and spoke in three languages: English, Italian and Sicilian. My parents and grandparents, however, made sure we showed our gratitude and appreciation by going to Church for MASS before our culinary ecstasy and gastronomic nirvana. THEN CAME THE BRIOSCHI (Italian alka-seltzer)

Revising History

The famous and reputable Smithsonian National Museum of American History listed an interesting (but INACCURATE) item on their webpage:

It is a coffin for Dominican nuns and belonged to the Italian parents of a Dominican Sister who joined the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament in Oullins, France. In America, she and another woman founded the first Dominican monastery in 1880 in the United States, the Monastery of Saint Dominic in Newark, New Jersey.

Where the Smithsonian needs some remedial history lessons can be found in the opening paragraph of their web page where this casket is portrayed:

Though this country was founded in part by European religious communities rebelling against an ornate and hierarchical Catholic faith to which they had been forced to adhere , this trunk reminds us of other Catholics adhering to a simpler monastic life.

America was founded by dissident Catholics? I thought the PILGRIMS were members of the PURITAN sect of the Church of England (Anglican). Since Henry VIII formally severed ties from Rome in 1534, one could hardly classify these men and women as CATHOLIC. In fact, the Pilgrims were a branch of Puritans (formed in the 1560's under Edward VI) who sought to separate themselves from the Anglican Church (already separated from the RCC). The Church of England still had a hierarchy of bishops and priests and a formal worship ritual the Puritans found 'pope-ish' nevertheless, one cannot state that New England or the colonies were founded by disenchanted or disenfranchised Catholics fleeing their overbearing Magisterial taskmasters in Europe.

Most of the immigrants who were Protestant fled Protestant countries for political or economic reasons. Catholic immigrants were not fleeing from Rome or from Magisterial 'control' over their beliefs. The colony of Maryland was founded by Charles Calvert, 1st Lord Baltimore, in 1629 (when he applied to Charles I) and fulfilled under his son, Cecil Calvert, 2nd Lord Baltimore (who received the charter in 1632). Maryland was the ONLY British colony where Catholics were legally free to practice their religion, own land and hold public office. Once Virgina made the Anglican religion (Church of England) mandatory for citizenship, then Puritans fled north to Maryland which had religious tolerance. Once they settled, however, the quaint colonial pilgrims decided to seize authority and subsequently outlawed both Anglicanism and Catholicism in Maryland.

The article on the Smithsonian web page is MISLEADING at best since it implies that Catholic immigrants were seeking assylum from Vatican control. On the contrary, EUROPEAN (French, Italian, Irish, German, Polish, Slovak, Spanish, Portugese, etc.) Catholics came to the New World AS Catholic Christians and sought to maintain ties with Rome, theologically and ecclesiastically. Their motivation to come to America was mostly economic or political in the sense that they often fled Protestant controlled parts of Europe which persecuted Catholics OR secular rulers who made life miserable by their abuse of power. Claiming that Catholics came here to flee Roman authority is PURE and SHEER NONSENSE.

True, the Pilgrims wanted to flee the high church Anglicans in England and start their own Puritan brand religion in the colonies. They would have resented being called "Catholics" however.

The Dominican (and Franciscan, Benedictine, Carmelite) nuns and later the Sisters of Mercy and Sisters of Saint Joseph (to name just a few) lived SIMPLE lives because they took solemn vows of POVERTY, CHASTITY and OBEDIENCE. Unlilke the Amish and the Menonites, the Dominican nuns did not impose their spirituality on all members, just the consecrated women who lived in the monastery. The neighboring Catholic laymen and laywomen and diocesan clergy were not forced or coerced to embrace the charism of poverty where there is no private ownership. So, it is wrong to infer that the Dominican casket was a sign of contradiction to defy Papal teaching on private property ownership. Look at the simple pine box the pope is buried in at his funeral ceremony.

MILLION MEMBER MARCH

     

Fr Z has an excellent video on his blog.  I URGE all responsible and respectable Catholics to mobilize this year and aim for a MILLION (1,000,000) MEMBER attendance for the March for Life, January 22, 2009.  The new President will be sworn into office a few days earlier and there is a good chance that the Democrats will have a filibuster-proof Congress as well.  If so, FOCA (Freedom of Choice Act) will be inevitable.  Since so many good intentioned but misguided Catholic Christians voted for Barak Obama in this recent election, we need to demonstrate our staunch and unequivocal PRO-LIFE stand.  Yes, we are NON-VIOLENT and yes, we will show proper respect to our lawful civil authorities, from the President to the Governor and so on.  Nevertheless, we must SHOW our SOLIDARITY now more than ever.

URGE your pastor, parochial vicar, principal, fellow parishioners, friends, family members, etc., to plan NOW to attend the MARCH FOR LIFE in Washington, DC, January 22, 2009.  You know that the Inauguration will get historic and record numbers in attendance.  It would be an embarrassing shame if we could not equal or surpass that number for the the March for Life.  This is NOT an anti-Obama demonstration.  The election is over and he is our legitimate national leader.  We must PRAY for him and we must show respect and civil obedience.  We also need to SHOW him and his colleagues that pro-lifers are NOT going away.  We will fight for the right of the unborn until all the unborn are SAFE.

Forget about expensive Christmas presents and elaborate New Year's Eve parties.  Make a point to attend the March for Life and let's get ONE MILLION people to attend this PEACEFUL and PRAYERFUL assembly for LIFE.  Unless you live too far away, are physically or economically prohibited, have to work, etc., I would seriously ask myself if I would be guilty of a sin of omission were I not to attend this March.  Only you, your conscience and the Good Lord can determine the answer to that question. If you are unable, PRAY for those of us who are going, encourage others to go and consider making a donation so that your parish Youth Group can take a bus and be there.  Like the civil rights marches during the lifetime of Dr. Martin Luther King, we NEED as many people as possible to be there to show Washington and the entire nation that this is a crucial issue.  This is far more important than billion dollar bailouts and stock market crashes.  This is the FUTURE of our world at stake.

James Bond 007

           

[don't take this post too seriously. just wanted a little levity to dispel the anxiety of bad weather and bad economic news]

Just as Pope Benedict XVI cleans up the abuses proliferated by some in the Ordinary Form and restores the elegant reverence of the Extraordinary Form as a valid option, Hollywood is now reinventing and deconstructing my childhood hero, James Bond.  007 was an anchor for me in High School Seminary as I would watch every Bond movie and imagine that I was a secret agent for the Vatican on special assignment.  When you're 14 years old at the time, your imagination has to do something, doesn't it?  The old (or more accurately, TRADITIONAL James Bond) was a man's man of single purpose.  He was on a mission to save the world.  He was loyal to King and country.  He was overtly anti-Communist and had the self-confidence which made him suave and debonair.

CHRONOLOGICAL CONTINUITY. I desperately miss Q and the famous 007 gadgets, but what bothers me most is the disrupted time-line.  I can buy the premise of going back to Bond's origin and roots, but since he's been around for half a century, especially during the Cold War, why do we have the contemporary M in modern era with an adolescent 007?  Would it not have made chronological sense to set the origins BEFORE the Cold War, say immediately after WWII?  These last two movies make it seem as if there were no Bond before this one whereas the previous ones had some sort of continuity.  If these newer Bond movies are about his PAST, then they should be set in the PAST.  The public has known 007 since 1962 (a vedry good year, BTW, to be born, that is).  Sir Sean Connery, for me, is the quintessence and epitome of Bond.  My least favorite was George Lazenby then Timothy Dalton.  Sir Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan tie for second place.  The jury is still out on Daniel Craig.

Whether the KGB or SPECTRE (headed by the infamous Ernst Stavro Blofeld), the enemies of truth, justice and Great Britain are always defeated by the wit, class, ingenuity and the special devices of 007.  Now, we have a Bond who is uncouth and without toys.  It is like a religion without sacraments or doctrines.  A shell.  Satire without degenerating into sarcasm, that is what I liked about Bond's sense of humor.  Dry and witty.

I used to pretend that the theological dissidents were members of SPECTRE and that my job was to infiltrate and frustrate the enemy.  Later on in major seminary, it was more graphic to endure the theological, liturgical and moral abberations.  My real life hero then became Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn whose Gulag Archipeligo described vividly the psychological and emotional mind-games the liberals engaged in to prevent orthodox and traditional seminarians from getting ordained.

I'm grateful my other boyhood hero, Doctor Who, got back on track.  The long haitus after the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) retired in 1989 was broken in 1996 by the movie version with the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) and then the much anticipated and awaited resurrected (regenerated) TV series in 2005 with the Ninth (2005) and Tenth Doctors (current) (Christopher Eccleston and David Tennnant, respectively).  Tom Baker (#4; 1974-1981) is my favorite and he, too, attended high school seminary (monastery).  Yet, I also liked the crumudgeon First Doctor (William Hartnell) and the eccentric Second (Patrick Troughton).  Jon Pertwee (#3) was just too flamboyant and a little 'light in the loafers' as we used to say.

The latest premise, however, that the Timelords are extinct from a final war with the Daleks makes no sense to me since the entite population of Gallifrey could have escaped annihilation by going backward or forward into other times and places.  I like CONTINUITY and HISTORICAL ACCURACY in my movies and television programs, even the fictional and SCI-FI.  Lack of it shows intellectual sloth, IMHO.