Eternal Rest grant unto him O, Lord...

Requiescat in pace

Army Spc. Jason M. Johnston, 24 of Albion, NY, of the 82nd Airborne Division gave the ultimate sacrifice on December 26, 2009 in Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit with an IED.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,

and let perpetual light shine upon him.

May he rest in peace.

Time for a little laughter

If you don't know about "Jib-Jab",
and want to laugh your A$$ off,
you need to check out their annual Year in Review

Check it out, you won't be sorry!!

Goodbye 2009,
Hello 2010, let's hope it's better than last year!

Peace!

I forgot about "Uncle Jay". 
A friend send this to me, don't know too much about him, but this is pretty funny! 
Enjoy!

I just can't...

let my last post of Christmas Day be about death, so here is a little addition to the "Pearls of Sophia" for your pondering pleasure.

“It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you . . . yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand.”

~Mother Teresa

Requiescat in pace

Major Phillip Wise of the Salvation Army.

He was murdered Chritsmas Eve, outside of the community center where he worked with his wife, also a Major in the Salvation Army. 

His three children were witnesses.

Here is the story

A tragedy like this is awful anytime of year, at Christmas, and in light of this man's vocation, it makes this one all the worse.

My prayers go out to his family, friends and the Salvation Army.
I also pray that the people who participated in this cowardly attack see the error of their ways and turn themselves in.

SIGH...
Sometimes, as all you can say is 'wtf'?

Merry Christmas

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

Today we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Our Lord, come to us, as one of us. As a vulnerable human child, God sent Jesus, our Emmanuel, to live our human experience, so that He could then teach us how to live. Christmas is so much more than the presents, the food, and the decorations. It is about the abundant love that God has for us. It is about having the faith to believe that a baby can change everything. It is about finding that little piece of the Divine in each and every human being. It is about celebrating that Incarnation, of God made flesh; it is about coming out of the darkness.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.”

I have walked in the darkness for a very long time. Oh, there have been glimmers of light, shining through in people, I now know were sent by God, to be present with me, just as He is, but in a more tangible way, a way that I can see and touch and feel. That is the greatest give anyone can give, the gift of their presence. God did this for us on this day some 2000 years ago, He sent us His Son, His living presence among us. What an awesome gift! Let us rejoice today and everyday!

And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Merry Christmas to All!

Advent Reflections

It's the 4th week of Advent. It is the darkest few days of the year, my Dad died 3 years ago this week and I have been so sick I spent most of Monday and Tuesday in bed, only to go to work today and find a pile that will take me a week to get through.

It is times like this when my faith seems to be at it's lowest. 

Then I remember these words...

"Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

I wonder if Mary realized what an awesome gift her faith was. 

For me, that is all I want for Christmas this year.

O come, O Dayspring from on high

And cheer us by your drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadow put to flight.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,...

Requiescat in pace

Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Hansen

A soldier with connections to our area gave the ultimate sacrifice last week. Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Hansen, originally from Ohio, stationed out of Fort Drum, was serving in Afghanistan when wounded, he succumbed to those injuries a few days later at a hospital in Germany.

Losing a loved one is never easy, it is especially difficult during the holiday season.
I offer my prayers to SSgt. Hansen’s family and friends.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.

May he rest in peace.

Advent Reflections

Today is "Gaudete Sunday"

Brothers and sisters:

Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


In these words from this weekend’s second reading from St. Paul (Phil. 4:4-7) we are reminded that we are not in this alone. "The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all…,"

The dictionary defines anxiety as a painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind over an impending or anticipated ill. And as much as I hate to say it, I seem to live here. I am often worried about the state of affairs in our community, our churches, our state, country and world. There is much too much violence and disrespect and not enough love and understanding. Anyone who was stuck in traffic on Thursday night knows that “common courtesy”, is unfortunately a thing of the past. (Side bar: This is Rochester, NY people; it snows here, sometimes a lot, real quick! Pay attention; turn on your headlights, clear the snow off your car and SLOW DOWN!) There is a lot to be anxious about. And add to that all the “preparations” that need to be done- the shopping, the wrapping, the cooking and baking, and it becomes very easy to forget about what is actually is we are really “preparing” for.

St. Paul then tells us, “…but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” In other words, we need to talk to God. And share with Him all of our worries, our fears, our hopes and dreams. We need to praise and thank Him for all He has already given us and pray for the grace to see His hand at work in our lives.

As we reach this mid-point of the Advent season, let us take the time to look at what makes us anxious and worried, and offer those things up to God in prayer. “Fast” from the shopping, wrapping, baking, whatever for a day and spend the time contemplating the Nativity story. What was it like for Mary? For Joseph? What will it be like for me, when we celebrate the coming of our Emmanuel, God-with-us, the Word made flesh? Thank God for all He has done for us so far and for all that He will do. Share our time, our talent and our treasure with those less fortunate. Love more, criticize and condemn less.

God is sending us our Saviour, let us Rejoice!

Happy Advent

The Peaceable Kingdom?

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox.

The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea. On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, The Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.

Isaiah 11:6-10

The book of Isaiah has always been one of my favorites from scripture and I have reflected on this passage many times in my life. This passage was the subject of a daily meditation from the Henri Nouwen Society and got me to thinking and reflecting on it again. (As a side note, I am currently doing the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. It has been a wonderful experience so far, and has given me a whole new appreciation for the use of scripture and one’s imagination as very powerful tools for prayer.)

It was a tradition that we bought Dad a new ornament every year and along with other gifts and acquisitions that my Dad made throughout the years, I have amassed quite the collection of ornaments. While decorating the Christmas tree this year, I noticed that many of my ornaments are angels, depictions of the nativity and the lion and the lamb.

A powerful image, the lion and the lamb. I remember seeing one version of Edward Hick’s painting at the Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo, and also saw a later version in the National Gallery. Wonderfully deep, rich and symbolic paintings, and also an image that leaves itself open to a wide variety of interpretation, from the “cute-sy” to the somber.

As we come to the middle of the Advent season, the days get shorter and the nights longer, and as I reflect on the experiences of the past couple of years, I have seen this passage in a whole new light.

As I look around- in my church, in my community, in my workplace and seemingly, ingrained in society itself, there is a division that runs deep and wide.  We are about as far from the “Peaceable Kingdom” as Pluto is from the sun!

We have “red states vs. blue states”, “liberals vs. conservatives”, “orthodox vs. progressive”, etc, etc, etc. What we don’t have (at least enough of it to make a difference) is any attempt to look at what binds us together, that we are all beloved creations of a merciful and loving God.

As we enter more deeply into the mystery of the unfolding incarnation this Advent, I think it is wise to remember and celebrate our commonalities and set our divisions behind us and work toward the “peaceable kingdom” that Isaiah describes and so many have rendered so beautifully through the ages.


Happy Advent!

Advent Reflections

As we start the second week of Advent, we hear the words of John the Baptist calling us to repent and seek forgiveness for our sins, and then he reminds of Isaiah the prophet’s words, “Prepare the way of the Lord…”

Prepare. This is a word that will be heard a lot the next few weeks.

"I have to prepare for that party at work."  

"I have to prepare Christmas dinner for 14 people this year."  

"Our Christmas preparations are not going as planned; we don’t even have a tree yet!"

These are many of the things that seem to take the forefront in this time of Advent.

And with all the preparations for Christmas that keep us hurried and harried, I wonder

What am I doing to prepare myself to receive the gift of the incarnation?

Do I need to seek forgiveness from someone? To give it? Do I need to make amends for something I have done, or not done? Do I need to celebrate in the joy of reconciling with someone or mourn the fact that I must reconcile with myself that the reconciliation that I pray for may never come? Can I love and accept all that I am, good and not so good, solely based on my faith that I am a beloved creation of God, created in His image, to be His face to all I meet?

Advent is a time of waiting. A time of anticipation. A time in which to listen to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit, stirring deep within my heart. A time of emptying out all off the clutter that fills my soul, so that I may receive the present of God’s presence on earth as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

It seems to me that this is the most important preparation I can do for Christmas this year.

Happy Advent!

Pearls...

Love means to love that which is unlovable, or it is no virtue at all; forgiving means to pardon that which is unpardonable, or it is no virtue at all.

-~G.K. Chesterton

Advent Reflections

The past few years, amidst a sea of loss, grief and personal tragedy, I have come to a much deeper understanding and appreciation for the season of Advent. It is a time of waiting. A time of anticipation. A time of hope.


For someone who was not graced with the virtue of patience, waiting has never been easy for me. And this time of year, with everybody rushing around, hurried and harried, trying to get everything on the “To Do” list done, the long dark nights, the cold and usually the snow (a huge “Thanks be to God” for the lack of that so far this season!), it is easy to lose sight of what a special and wonderful time of year it is.

The Church gave us a wonderful gift with the lectionary cycle. In this week’s second reading, I have found my Advent prayer. A wonderful reminder for us all of what this season of waiting in joyful hope is really all about.

Brothers and sisters:
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love

for one another and for all,

just as we have for you,

so as to strengthen your hearts,

to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father

at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.

Let the wait begin!

Happy Advent!

Mea Culpa

First and foremost I want to offer an apology.
My attempt at sarcasm was not taken in the spirit in which I meant it. I have often seen many comments and posts on the blogs regarding our Bishop, many priests, pastoral administrators and the like, that use “cheeky humor” and sarcasm, and decided to try a little of it myself. What I was trying to do was bring to light what I felt was “hypocrisy” in the different camps, - “orthodox and progressive.”


I IN NO WAY WHAT-SO-EVER MEANT TO IMPLY THAT FR. ANTINARELLI IS A HYPOCRITE!

I do not know the man, and have only heard good things about him.

I did not know that the “sign of peace” was optional. It has been part of the liturgy my whole life. I am still not sure if I understand “how” it is optional, and who makes the decision if it is done or not done, so it looks like I have a lot of reading to do, and maybe some more questions to ask.

"Peace be with you"

My friends over at Cleansing Fire have posted about Fr. A at OLV “suspending” the sign of peace because of “flu concerns.” While I understand that many are concerned about the flu, this is not, I believe, what this is about. It is no secret that many Traditionally-minded Catholics have a problem with the sign of peace.
As quoted from Cleansing Fire

“Something tells me that the flu will not ever go away, in the eyes of the administration of Our Lady of Victory in Rochester.
And thanks be to God for that.”

I am a little confused.

I hear a lot about “rubrics” and “that is not what they meant with “Vatican II”, “No one has the right to deviate from the prayers of the Church due to personal beliefs.”(a comment from one of my posts).

Please enlighten me.
How is it OK that Fr. A is doing this, even though it is in blatant disregard of the following?

From the GIRM (that we are using now, not the new one that was just approved)

The Rite of Peace
82. The Rite of Peace follows, by which the Church asks for peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family, and the faithful express to each other their ecclesial communion and mutual charity before communicating in the Sacrament.

As for the sign of peace to be given, the manner is to be established by Conferences of Bishops in accordance with the culture and customs of the peoples. It is, however, appropriate that each person offer the sign of peace only to those who are nearest and in a sober manner.



From Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy)
A) General norms
22. 1. Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See and, as laws may determine, on the bishop.
2. In virtue of power conceded by the law, the regulation of the liturgy within certain defined limits belongs also to various kinds of competent territorial bodies of bishops legitimately established.
3. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.

Yet…have a guest lay preacher as part of a parish retreat, female altar servers, music by Marty Haugen, or dare to receive Communion in the hand, all of which fall into a “gray area” of interpretation and you have your faith and level of Catholicity called into question.

Would any one like a cookie with their cup of hypocrisy?

 I mean no disrespect to Fr. Antinarelli, or the good people over at Our Lady of Victory.  This is a perfect example of my "problem" with this whole "orthodox vs. progressive mentality", the rules seem to only apply if one is agreeable to them.  Rules are rules, and should be followed to the letter and the spirit of the law.  Maybe we should be using this "flu pandemic"(she says sarcastically), as a way to re-evaluate our practice of this custom and bring it back to a sober and sanctifiying moment in which we can forgive each other and then approach the altar with clean hearts.

Pearls...

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within."

~ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

The lovers, the dreamers and me

I have been going through some notes from class (I am studying sacramental theology this semester) and some of my journal entries from the past 9 weeks of my 19th Annotation experience (the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius) and there seems to be a recurring theme of “sign” vs. “symbolism”.


I ask that you indulge me for the next 3+ minutes, find your “inner child” and listen to and enjoy this clip.



The rainbow, in the Judeo-Christian culture, is a sign the God will never again destroy the earth. The “symbolism” that this “sign” has taken on in secular culture, to some, may seem the antithesis of the “sign”, but that is the beauty part of “symbolism”- it all depends on one’s perspective, so, in essence, no one has the ‘wrong’ idea!

Kermit is right about one thing… "someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me.”

And for me, this “rainbow connection” is peaceful co-existence of "orthodox & progressive" so that we may be the “one, holy catholic and apostolic Church” and work together to spead the Good News!

Peace to All!

The Inclusive Language Debate

Ahhh, language, what a beautiful thing!


The issue of “gender neutral” language in the liturgical setting seems to me, to be one of the proverbial “lines in the sand” between orthodox and progressive Catholics. My friends over at Cleansing Fire  have posed some interesting questions, so as to not hijack the “com box’ there, I give you my humble opinions on the matter here.

In some respects, I believe this whole debate is a bunch of malarkey!
Jesus was a man, there is no way around that, and whenever we refer to him, it should be as a man!
God, however, is neither male nor female, as we were both created in God’s image. God is more than that. In the relational aspect, God was Jesus’ father therefore that is how Jesus referred to God.

For me, that is also my image of God, as a loving, patient, father, waiting for me to “come home”. For others, though, that may not be the image of “father” that they have. Their image of father may be one of fear and intimidation and I don’t expect that is how God would want someone to feel about Him.

I pray the Liturgy of the Hours, in the format that most priest and deacons do, which was written by men and for men. When I read the word “men” as it relates to the community or the world, I do not see just the male of the species, but all of human kind, because I know that up until about 30 years ago, this was an accepted practice! We did not get so wrapped up in the “what you said vs. what you meant” mentality. (Which is a whole other post!)

And then there is the Holy Spirit. I have heard the Spirit referred to as the “wisdom of God”. Well, in Greek, a language that many of our Latin translations come from, wisdom was personified as a woman, Sophia. Again, is there any reason to “box” in the Holy Spirit to one gender? If the Holy Spirit is the “essence” of God’s unfathomable wisdom, love and mercy, is it right to say that it must be either/or?

For me, this is all a very personal issue and depends on my relationship with God. That said, I do believe that we need to have some “structure” as to our liturgical practices. My idea of how to “bridge the gap” between the two sides is this…

When referring to a specific person, Jesus, Mary, one of the apostles, saints, etc., use the specific pronoun.

When referring to God, unless it is in direct relation to Jesus’ relationship, leave off the qualifier. (God, the father, we ask that you hear our prayer…) We acknowledge the relationship when we end our prayer, “We ask this through Jesus Christ, your son…, without using “gender specific language”

The Holy Spirit is a tough one. In the Creed, when I pray it privately, I use the feminine pronoun to refer to the Holy Spirit (“with the Father and Son she is worshiped and glorified, she has spoken through the prophets…”). I guess it depends on my mood at Mass, and where I am, if I say it there, and if I do use the feminine pronoun, it is barely audible, as I do not want to offend anyone around me. I am not sure what I would do in this case, and am glad that I do not have to make the decision.

Which brings us to the most important thing, ultimately, it is up to the Church to decide on translations. This, from my understanding, is a very daunting and intimidating task, as many words have more than one meaning, and we cannot always be sure of context, syntax, grammar, etc.

I (we) can only pray that the people whose job it is to do these things act out of the knowledge that we all, male and female, were created in the image of a loving, benevolent, merciful God and that to use language to diminish that all encompassing love is, in my humble opinion, wrong.

Peace to All!

This is a joke, right?!

This was the question posed by a collegue when I reported the following from Harvard University.

Today, November 12, 2009 at 4:30pm, our infamous and disgraceful former Governor (and Attorney General)

Elliot Spitzer

will be giving a lecture at Harvard University, entitled,

"From Ayn Rand to Ken Feinberg- How Quickly the Pardigm Shifts.  What Should Be the Rational for Government Participation in the Market?

(Anyone from NY should remember his participation in the market...)

sponsored by......

wait for it....

The Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics!

And the word for today boys & girls-
hypocrisy!

 
God help us all!

Honoring All Who Serve

For all who have served,

THANK YOU

Your courage and sacrifice has not gone unnoticed,

we pray with you and for you,

this day and everyday!

MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU!

MAY THE LORD LET HIS FACE SHINE UPON YOU ,

AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU!

MAY THE LORD LOOK KINDLY UPON YOU

AND GIVE YOU PEACE!

Thank you for making America great!!

Lay Preaching & Canon Law, pt. 2

I will admit that there was a little fear when I finished writing my post on lay preaching, and I did hesitate before pushing "publish now", I must say I am very glad I did not hit "delete" instead!

A very special "Thank You!" to Dr. K. for his information and comments and thanks to all who commented, helping to make this post a "true dialogue".

I have had a chance to read Dr. K's documentation, and to talk to a priest who is a Canon Lawyer, and have come to recognize that canon law does indeed prohibit "lay preaching" when it comes to the homily.  I have been told that the DOR has it's own set of guidelines regarding "lay preaching" and I have talked to a couple of my contacts in the DOR about getting my hands on a copy, as of this posting I do not have it yet.

I am still not completely convinced that "lay preaching" at the time of the homily is an entirely bad thing, but I am willing to conceed that, at this time, it is strickly prohibited. Roma Locuta Est, Causa Finita Est

That said, I would like to continue this dialogue, in regard to when, exactly, is "lay preaching" allowed.

I propse the following scenarios:

• Assuming that the homily is "allotted" 15 minutes of Mass time, would it be acceptable for the priest/deacon to give a 10 minute homily, and let a "lay preacher" reflect for the next 5 minutes?
• The same scenario as above, with the "lay preacher" speaking after the "prayer after the Eucharist", but before the final dismissal?
• What about during "Communion Services" during the week that are in place of a "Daily Mass"?
• What about prayer services that do not include Eucharist?

I would also like to comment on something that I am afraid I hear all to often, both in "blog land" and in "real life" that I will admit "bugs" me to no end because my perception of the comment is that it is an "insult to my intelligence", yet in this diocese, I can see where this may be a problem.
The comment, "lay preaching blurs the lines between the the "sacramental priesthood" and that of the "lay preisthood". 
In a word, HOGWASH!!
I know the difference between a priest and/or deacon and a lay person, and I have yet to meet someone who cannot make that distinction.  As I said, in this particular diocese, the lines get blurred, I believe, when you have "alb-wearing lay preachers" homilizing and then standing behind the altar during consecration!  This situation, to me is much larger than the "lay preaching" issue, goes to help illustrate my point of "for who's glory" even more, and is something that I hope to explore in another post sometime soon.

I am looking forward to hearing more thoughts and insights on this issue.

And again, my deepest appreciation to all who have helped to make this a "true dialogue".

Peace to All!

Pearls...

                                                                                  

"There came a time when the risk to remain

tight in the bud was more painful

than the risk it took to blossom."

                                                                                     Anais Nin

Lay Preaching & Canon Law

So I have been reading the blogs for a few months now.  Admittedly, my motives in the beginning we purely from a "keep your friends close, but you enemies closer" perspective.  In light of my studies, my embarking on the 19th Annotation retreat, personal experiences as a member of some of the most "liberal" parishes in the DOR and a growing maturity in my faith that perspective is not so clear anymore.

There are still many things that I do not understand. 
And one of the things that I have some (OK, A LOT) of trouble with is the "it's not in the rubrics" or "canon law forbids this" stuff. 

So, never being one to by shy-
I'm going to jump in with both feet!

Let's start with some questions about "lay preaching".
Now, yes, I know this is a "hot topic" sure to bring strong reaction, my prayer is though, is that this helps to bring about a stronger response!  I am  not trying to use the Canon to suit my own agenda, I am looking for answers. 

Here you will find the Canon regarding preaching.

According to Canon 766~

Lay persons can be permitted to preach in a church or oratory, if necessity requires it in certain circumstances or it seems advantageous in particular cases, according to the prescripts of the conference of bishops and without prejudice to ⇒ can. 767, §1.

which states~

Among the forms of preaching, the homily, which is part of the liturgy itself and is reserved to a priest or deacon, is preeminent; in the homily the mysteries of faith and the norms of Christian life are to be explained from the sacred text during the course of the liturgical year.


Canon 767 is the one I see cited most often in describing "lay preaching" as liturgical abuse.
And while I know pretty much nothing about Canon Law, I do know a little about civil law, and enough to know that the most important phrase in these two canons is "without prejudice".

My understanding of this, in this context is: 
The homily is reserved to a priest or deacon,
but...
if need be, or better yet, if it seems advantageous, a lay person could preach a homily and it would not be a violation of Canon 767.

If you continue to read the whole section on preaching there are all sorts of very interesting things that could add a lot to this debate, but I think the most important ones are Canons 769 & 772.

As I said, I have no real knowledge of Canon Law, that is why I put this out there.  I have not taken Canon Law yet, but will have to to complete my degree.  I do not know any of the priests in the DOR who are Canon Lawyers well enough to bring this to them directly, so if there are any Canon Lawyers out there that can shed some light, that would be awesome!

Peace to All!!

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,

I am introducing a new feature to my blog.
I pray that it is not a regular feature, but I feel that it is an very important one.

A soldier from Rochester died recently (2 actually the past few months), and I want to do my part to make sure that our native sons & daughters are not forgotten.  I will be posting, sometime before Veteran's Day I hope, a listing of all those who have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom that are from the Rochester area.  If you have names of friends or relatives you would like to add send me an e-mail to oneofthewome@gmail.com. 
Before I say anymore, this post is not about how I feel about the war!! 

This is about honoring the men and woman who gave the ultimate sacrafice so that you and I can bit@# about it and the state of our govenment, each other, the world... WHATEVER!
It is about remembering that they were someone's child, parent, spouse or friend,
and a beloved child of God.
These men and women, and all of those who served before them and with them, deserve our respect, our prayers and our never ending gratitude for their service to our country.  Please honor them by not making this political.


Requiescat in pace

Army Pfc. Daniel J. Rivera, 22 of Rochester, NY, died October 18, 2009 in Mosul, Iraq.


Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace.

Peace to All!

Imagination: A gift from God

Over at Ten Reasons, Mr. Leonardi makes yet another comment against Bishop Clark that I find very confusing. I was not at the African Mass, and do not know for sure what context his (Bishop Clark's) comments regarding "imagine the day you were baptized" were used in. The thing I find disturbing is Mr. Leonardi's (and some of the commenter’s) total dismissal of using one's imagination (which is a gift from God, is it not?), as a means to cultivate a relationship with God. Nearly 500 years ago Ignatius, in his own conversion, used his imagination to become closer to God, and has given us, in his Spiritual Exercises, explicit instructions for doing so.

I recently have embarked on the journey that is the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, and I have found that through the use of my imagination, by putting myself into the scripture passage I am praying with on any particular day, I find myself really becoming connected with the Word, which in turn has helped me to start to cultivate a deeper relationship with God and Jesus, and to have a greater appreciation for the richness and traditions of our faith.
I think that this is an example of what bothers me most about some (read some, not all!) traditional Catholics. Here we have a form of prayer that has been part of the tradition of the church for nearly half a millennium, that is being, in my perception, lumped into a category of "new age-y, progressive thought that has no place in our church" (not Mr. Leonardi's words, but my perception based on my experience with the "traditional" set.)
Prayer is a very personal thing. I have tried many forms of formal prayer- the Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary, contemplative prayer, Lectio Divina- some bring me peace and consolation (the Liturgy of the Hours especially, as no matter what time I recite a specific "hour" somewhere, someone else is doing it also, giving me a sense of community), and others (like the Rosary, which I find distracting, repetitive and not at all prayerful) do not.  How I (or anyone else for that matter) find God through prayer is not what matters.
What matters is that I pray!

Peace to All!

What is essential?

Lessons from "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint Exupery

The fox said:

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret:  It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

I was reminded of this book in a conversation last night.  It had always been one of my favorites as a teen-ager/young adult.  I have not read it in quite a long time.  I think I need to pick it up again!

Peace to All!

"Your sins have been forgiven, go and sin no more."

How lucky are we that we have this awesome ritual called the Sacrament of Reconciliation?!

I will admit, that for much of my adult life (most of which was spent away from the church), I never really saw the need to confess my sins to another human being; I could just go straight to God.

And now, I see this sacrament as such a gift.

There is something about actually verbalizing my sinfulness, out loud and to another person, that gives me the sense of "letting go" of it, and allowing the unconditional love of God to manifest within my heart. There is a freedom in acknowledging my shortcomings and seeking the divine help of God, in knowing that I do not, ever, have to travel this road alone and that I am, and will always be forgiven and unconditionally loved by God.

Peace to All!

"Pearls..."

"Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action."

 Mahatma Gandhi

My Blog, My Rules!

To all anonymous posters-

While I have no problem with you posting, I do ask that you stay on topic.
Any post by an anonymous poster that is off subject, insulting, demeaning or rude will be removed.

This blog is for me to ponder things and to ask questions of a larger audience;  hateful, sarcastic comments have no place here and will not be tolerated!

As the title states-

"MY BLOG, MY RULES!"

if you don't like it- tough cookies!!

Who are the "great thinkers" of our day?

I attended a lecture today at SBSTM given by Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP.
One of the things that stuck with me was about the "great thinkers"- Aquinas, Benedict, the desert fathers and their contemporaries. And I started thinking, who are the "great thinkers" of today, and what are they thinking?

Someone else asked the question before I was able to, and I must say I was a little surprised by the answer,(*) so I am putting it out there for all in "blogland".

Who are some of the contemporary "great thinkers", (in the Catholic church and the larger world of Christendom), what questions are they asking, and how will those questions, and their answers effect us in the 21st century?

Peace to All!


*UPDATE 10/10:
To answer the commenter, no Bishop Clark was not mentioned. Actually the answer was that Fr. Timothy could not think of any one from this generation. He did mention Rahner, Conger, Schillebeeckx, (and a few others I can't remember) from the VII generation and said that for right now, he does not believe there are any "great thinkers" and that it is OK, because not every age can/should have them.

More questions about the CMA

Here is where the DOR websites new CMA allocation page. ( Sorry, I havn't figured out how to make a "link" yet, any advise would be appreciated.)

www.dor.org/sd/keepingthespiritalive.htm


It seems as though the original, where I got my information for an earlier post is now gone. That information has been replaced by an "Along the Way" column by Bishop Clark that gives a general overview, from his perspective, on what the CMA funds support.


HMMMMM......

I want to believe that the DOR, and the people who run it,
are honest, good-hearted people, who are trying to do good work, for the people of God. I can only speculate as to why the information was removed, and that, in my quest for "dialogue" seems to be counter-productive. I am hoping that this may have been an oversight, or that maybe, what we originally saw was not correct,and it is being corrected so that it can be re-posted. I don't want to believe that there is something "sinister" going on here.

I will be checking with the DOR about this, I guess I will just have to wait and see what their response is.

Peace to All!

God gave us two ears & one mouth for a reason

Dialogue: a discussion between representatives of parties of a conflict that is aimed at resolution.

This, in a word, is what I was hoping to find in the world of blogging. I am not sure if this is what is really going on and it has made me start to ponder a few things.

I found the blogs through an e-mail that was sent to me, from a rather progressive friend, as her example of the “evil, nasty, un-Christian people who have the audacity to call themselves Catholic” (her words, not mine!) My friend was referring to postings from the blog Ten Reasons regarding Joan Sobala, and some of the “changes” she has made to the parishes she is now “pastoral administrator” of.

I will admit that my initial reaction was that my friend was right, and then I started to read a little more, find more blogs, to do a little research and a lot of praying and soul-searching. The conclusion that I came to was that there are a lot of people out there, especially in our Diocese, who are hurting because of the actions of the people in leadership positions. I can understand and empathize with you all. I, too, have been deeply hurt by the actions of supposedly “pastoral” people, ordained and lay alike.

What was starting to make me uneasy though was the venom, hatred and animosity from both sides. Certainly not “dialogue” in any sense of the word. So I decided that I would create my own blog, and hoped that I would be able to facilitate some of the dialogue that I am looking for.

My initial foray into the “blog world” was not very positive. I have a tendency to be very passionate and emotional and I find that very hard to covey in writing. I have been trying very hard to make sure that any comment that I post to another’s blog is respectful, even when I have a different opinion. Because we are talking about religion, I understand that emotions are going to run high. Yet, I have to wonder, does either side really want true dialogue?

In a recent comment over at Cleansing Fire, I spoke of Sacred Heart Cathedral because it is what I know. Members of my family have been parishioners there since the early 60’s and the church had changed a few times (the church from the late 60’s when my parents got married looked nothing like the Cathedral I joined in the early 90’s and now the most recent renovation.) There are parts of the Cathedral that I really love, and there are things that I think are horribly wrong, but the bottom line is, what is done is done.
Enough money has already been wasted; let’s learn to work with what we’ve got.

Now, I am neither naïve nor trying to be provocative, as I was accused by one commenter, in thinking that I was not going to illicit very strong response, I was hoping to receive response, not reaction. Please understand I am not trying to diminish anyone’s pain. Being hurt by the church is a deep wound that takes a long time to heal, I know all too well!

But what can we do now, with what we have got.
Let us have a true dialogue and listen to one another, and try to come up with a resolution.

Peace to all!

"Pearls..."

This one is from The Talmud:

Every blade of grass has an angel that bends over it and whispers, 'Grow! Grow!'

What a beautiful image to remind us of God's awesome gift of the angels who guide and protect us!

St. Michael, St. Florian, St. Ignatius, HELP!

I witnessed something today that is becoming all too common, and quite honestly, really ticks me off!!!


I live and work near the intersection of Dewey & Ridgeway Avenues in the city, where there is a very large, very busy firehouse. Today, during the evening "rush-hour" Engine 10, was traveling eastbound on Ridgeway, lights and sirens, air-horn blasting, and
NO ONE WAS PULLING OVER TO THE RIGHT!!!!


It makes me nutty!!! These brave men and women are trying to do their jobs, and they do not need inconsiderate people on the road making it harder for them to get to where they are going!


I see this all too often with all emergency vehicles. It seems that everyone is always in such a hurry that they forget basic driving etiquette, as well as traffic law!


So, on this feast of St. Michael, let us ask him, the protector and defender of the faith, as well as the patron for police officers, St. Florian, patron of firefighters and St. Ignatius Loyola, patron of soldiers, to protect these brave men and women as they do their jobs.

And people, let us always remember,

"There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Police officers, firefighters, and all the members of our military services do this everyday, for their friends and for perfect strangers, we the people of the community!

Please let us keep them in our prayers and do what we can to keep them safe!

Peace to all!

"Pearls of Sophia"

The Greeks personified wisdom in the feminine as Sophia.
This will be an on-going feature of my blog as I find little pearls of wisdom that I believe should be shared.

And now for the first of many "pearls"~

"Prayer is the loving-attentiveness to the mystery within us."

John Main, OSB

Having recently started the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, I find this to be a true "gem" of wisdom.

For who's glory?

My former spiritual director, a priest, once asked me a very powerful question-

"Do you want to be a priest(ess)because that is what you believe God is calling you to, or because the "institution" says you cannot be?"

I will confess, my first thought was, "typical, arrogant male attitude".
Yet, for whatever reason (the Holy Spirit at work?), this exchange from over a year ago has been playing through my mind like a movie. And now, I see where this very wise man was leading me with his question. I will say that the journey has not always been a pleasant one, there have been plenty of pot-holes and detours along the way, and it has brought me to a place where I believe that I can now answer that question.

Growing up in the 70's & 80's, I was taught that I could do anything that I set my mind to- whether it was being the president, an astronaut, a firefighter, a teacher, etc. Being female should not and would not exclude me from seeking what I desire. I got very wrapped up in the feminist movement and believed that all barriers needed to be broken allowing women to pursue any goals that they wanted. It was a very secular, self-centered attitude, and one of the plethora of reasons that I ended up leaving the church for nearly 15 years.

When I returned to the church, one of my primary motivations for becoming involved and attending classes at SBSTM was so that I could help to "change the system" from the inside.
During a particularly difficult time in my life, which caused a deep crisis of faith for me, some friends suggested that I talk to this particular priest, who subsequently became my spiritual director.

It was through the teaching and example of this very holy man, that I now find, with much difficulty and humility that I have accepted the fact that he hit the proverbial nail on the head with his question.

Did I want to be a priest(ess) for God's glory, or for my own?

Surprisingly, the answer was it was for my own glory. It is very humbling for me to say that, and the shift in my attitude has taken me more by surprise than anyone I have shared these thoughts with.

What I have learned, through prayer, spiritual direction, and much reflection on my life as an American woman, who happens to be Catholic is, is that nothing I do should be for my glory, and all I do should be for God's glory!

Priestly ordination is not a "prize" to be obtained. It is a call to the holiness that is "In persona Christi", the living embodiment of Jesus on earth, in all his humanity and all his male-ness.

Catholic Ministry Appeal??

I have long had issues with the CMA. It is a very big conflict for me because I do indeed benefit from it. I would not be able to attend classes at SBSTM if it were not for the scholarships and tuition-assistance that I receive, and I am grateful for the support.
I am not so naïve that I don’t realize that money is a necessary evil. My problem is, if you (in this case the DOR) are going to ask me for more money, I want to make sure that you spending it wisely. I have seen lots of waste in the “day to day” operations of parishes that I have been involved with. I work in Health Care Management, and it is a struggle to provide the services needed and stay within my budget, and I try hard to keep my administrative costs low so that the majority of my budget goes to direct patient needs. Unfortunately this is not was happens with the CMA. Here is the breakdown from the DOR website-

2009-2010 CMA Allocations

(A)Faith Formation 10%Sacramental preparation, Adult Education, Campus, CYO Young Adult and Youth Ministry Programs
(B)Catholic Schools 5%Support for programs, aid to students and schools
(C)Catholic Charities 13%Support for the 10 regional offices / agencies serving people throughout our 12 counties.
(D)Parish Support Ministries 18%Liturgical, Urban, Rural, Multicultural & Jail Services, Subsidies & Programs
(E)Human Resources 4%Staff recruitment & training, support to St. Bernard School of Theology & Ministry
(F)Bishop's Ministry / Pastoral Planning 10% Bishop's Office, consultative councils and planning services
(G)Diocesan-wide Administrative & Support Services 19% Hospital Chaplaincy, Stewardship, Finance, Information Technology, etc.
(H)Pastoral Center Operation & Services 15% Operational and system costs of the diocesan offices
(I)CMA Campaign Costs 6% Campaign staff, materials, data processing and postage
Total Goal: $5,490,000

I have added the letters for reference, so now let’s look at this-

A-B-C-D, I think we can all agree that these are important ministries of any diocese, and I will call them as such.

E-F-G-H-I are for the most part, what I believe to be administrative (with the exceptions of Hospital Chaplaincy, if this is not ministry, I am not sure what is anymore, and support to STSTM for the reasons stated above.)

So let’s do a little arithmetic!

A+B+C+D= 46%

Which leaves 54% of the money donated to the Catholic Ministries Appeal actually going to administrative costs?

Add to this the whole process for coming up with individual parish goals (based on last year’s collections), and the fact that the individual parish has to make up for any short-fall, and only gets to keep 50% of any overage collected! And finally, there is no real input from the people of the Diocese as to how this money is actually spent (as far as I know)!

Now, I know that this is overly simplified, but it doesn’t change that if you are going to call something a “ministry appeal” shouldn’t the money collected actually go to ministry and not to the administrative costs of the Bishop’s office, the Pastoral Center, IT and Human Resources, and the cost of the actual campaign itself?!
And the fact the admistrative costs associated with the CMA is higher than the allotment for Catholic schools is just plain WRONG!

As I said before, I understand that it is important that we support our churches and our diocese. I am not sure how I would accomplish this, but I really think that the right thing to do for all involved is to prayerfully consider what exactly you are asking for and then do so with honesty and humility.
Our Diocese (and the world) would be a much better place if we all could!
Peace to All!

ooops, the link wasn't there

Here is where you can find the article by Fr. Dietzen

http://www.catholiccourier.com/tmp1.cfm?nid=87&articleid=108258&cfid=8838792&cftoken=96594395

I couldn't have said it better...

Hopefully the link will work so you can read the entire article. The emphasis is mine, as I believe that it time for all of us, conservative and progressive, to stop thinking "either/or" and start thinking "both/and".

It is always good to remember that ours is a big church. In all its 2,000 years it has been at its best and most alive when there has been room for a whole rainbow of ways for people to pray, to think, to live out their faith and grow in holiness.

Just because something does not appeal to us, doesn't necessarily mean there is something bad about it.

Without respect for, and willingness to explore, honest varieties within the appropriate framework of faith, the church stagnates, intellectually and spiritually.

Thank you Fr. Dietzen!

Why I chose to write under a pseudonym

I chose the pseudonym, Persis, (see Romans 16:12, more on that in a future post), not to protect myself, but to protect those whom I work for and my friends and family from being harassed by well-meaning, yet totally misguided individuals. All of the thoughts posted on this blog are mine and mine alone. I do not want it to be misconstrued as me speaking for any organization or institution. I believe that the only way to get beyond our differences is to discuss them, and that is what I am hoping to do with this blog. I will be respectful to all in my blog entries and in my comments to other posts, all I ask is for the same courtesy.

Into the unknown...

My first blog.

About time I came into the 21st century!!

This is my attempt to share the gifts that the Holy Spirit has bestowed on me.

I am a Roman Catholic woman from the Diocese of Rochester. I am saddened by the outright hostility that other bloggers in the DOR have exhibited towards Bishop Clark, much of the clergy and pastoral staff and anyone who happens to think that the reforms of Vatican II are a good thing. What saddens me even more is the mean-spirited, vicious comments posted on many of these blogs by so-called "Christians".

I did not start this blog to be berated, threatened or condemned to hell! I have started this blog to share my insights and feelings about about spirituality and religion.

Feel free to do so also, whether you agree or disagree.

The only thing I ask is that you are respectful.

Peace to All!

AMDG