What is he thinking...?!

Di Fide Catholica and Fallacies & Fashions both have excellent posts about Bishop Hubbard of the Diocese of Albany’s decision to distribute free needles to drug addicts.

I could speak volumes about this, and maybe I will in a later post, but for now I leave you with this…

Giving free needles to drug addicts is like treating a bullet wound with a band-aid.

It’s not going to work, and it will only make the problem fester even more.

Praying the Rosary

Praying the rosary is not one of my favorite forms of prayer.


That said, the following plea for help comes as a great surprise to me.

A few years ago, I came across a way of praying the rosary that was a little different than anything I had ever heard before. I believe it was from a convent in France, but I have since lost the link.

The rosary was prayed in the typical matter, except that the mystery being meditated on was recited between the two stanzas of the “Hail Mary”, and included a petition for the grace to live the mystery as Jesus did.

For example, using the 4th Sorrowful mystery, (these are my words, just so you have an example of what I am looking for) one would pray~

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,

blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Jesus, as you carried your cross, you showed us the perfect example of what it means to do your Father’s will. Grant me the grace so that I too may bear my crosses in that same example of love and obedience.

Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners

now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Does anyone out there is “blogland” have any idea where I might find something similar to this. I am feeling called to maybe try this devotion again, and am thinking about using it as part of my Lenten practices this year, so any help or suggestions for praying the rosary would be much appreciated.

"Teaching" Mass

Cleansing Fire had a post about an upcoming “teaching” Mass at St. Jude’s. The idea intrigues me, as I have never been to a “teaching” Mass. In theory, I have no problem with the idea. Actually I think it may be a good one, if it is done properly.


I know that, especially in the DOR, there is always a fear that things like this will not be done in a dignified and respectful manner.

I came across a “teaching” Mass program that covers a different part of the Mass, one each week for 5 weeks on the web from the Diocese of Baker in Oregon. I like the idea of stretching the teaching out over 5 weeks, and the hand-outs are a great idea. I am not sure if something like this format, all at once, in one Mass will be as effective, but I guess it is worth a shot.

I have no idea of what the “teaching” Mass at St. Jude’s will be like, but if it is anything like this format, I think that this may be a very good thing.

Thoughts, comments?

"Pastoral Planning"- An oxymoron if I ever heard one!

You can find the latest news on the “Pastoral Planning” that is going on in Irondequoit over at Cleansing Fire.

I have been a part of this “process”, both actively in my former parish, and as an “outsider looking in” at another. I also have a good friend who was involved in the “planning process” in her own parish in the Eastern Greece/Charlotte cluster, and we have discussed our general mistrust of the whole process many times.

So I submit to you the epitome of oxymorons-

“Pastoral Planning”

Pastoral: of or relating to spiritual care or guidance especially of a congregation.

Planning: the act or process of making or carrying out plans, specifically: the establishment of goals, policies and procedures for a social or economic unit.

Ummmm…., not -  even -  close- ,  folks!!!

We need much less of this and a lot more leadership here in the DOR. This process, not only in Irondequoit, but in every other instance I know, has dragged on, pitted one parish against another, and has ultimately caused more division, animosity and mistrust than anything else.

I am a department manager, and while I like to give my staff a lot of latitude, sometimes I have to make the difficult and often unpopular decisions, it comes with the territory.  I don't always like it, but "that's why I make the big bucks!" (LOL)

Should we expect any less from our Church leaders?

Pearls...

Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil big enough to draw on the ceiling.

~G.K. Chesterton

Give me a nice big cup of hot cocoa and this sounds like the perfect way to spend this frigid weekend!!

Pearls...

O, God, give me the courage and strength

to be worthy of being called a Christian.

                                                               Karl Rahner, SJ

Eternal rest grant unto him O, Lord...

Requiescat in pace

Marine, LCpl. Zach Smith, 19, of Hornell, NY was killed in action in Afganistan this past week by an I.E.D.
My prayers go out to his young wife (they were married this past summer), his family and the people of Hornell.

Eternal rest grant unto him O, Lord

and let pepetual light shine upon him.

May he rest in peace.

Semper Fidelis

Why shouldn't we wait?

I have very mixed feelings about the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal.

Some of it, I see no problem with. Other parts, I feel have lost something in translation.

The current translation is the only one I know. I find that there is a rhythm to the Mass that I find comforting, almost soothing. The new translation, from my understanding, is a more literal translation of the original Latin. I am not a linguist. But I do know that translating involves not only translating the word, but also conveying the proper meaning of the word in the context it is being used. In Greek, there are at least four words for love, whose use depends on the object of that love.  In English, we use one word, “love”, when we talk about the feelings of a husband for a wife, a parent for a child, or for how we feel about chocolate- the same word, but three distinctly different connotations.

Which brings me to the question, why is literal better?

Why is “consubstantial” better that “one in Being with”?

Why is “incarnate” better than “born of”?

My feeling on these two examples is that the new translation takes away the relationship aspect of the humanity of our faith. “Incarnate” brings to mind a “mystical” sort of coming into the world, without the very personal, very human experience that Mary had in carrying and giving birth to Jesus. “Consubstantial”, of the same substance, seems more of a chemistry term to me than one that describes the relationship of God and Jesus, and that of Jesus’ nature of being both truly human and truly divine.

I think we should wait. I would like to hear some discussion as to why a more literal translation is thought to be better. I understand that many people are concerned that some priests take it upon themselves to change the words as they see fit. Do we really think that this won’t happen with the new translation? Shouldn’t we spend our efforts and energy on combating these abuses, instead of just changing the words?

Thoughts, comments..?

Pearls...

Another gem from Blessed Teresa of Calcutta~

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world."

Is the world going bonkers?

I believe that abortion is a terrible evil that we need to combat. How we should do that, I am not really sure. But what we need, I believe, is to have a mentality that ALL LIFE IS SACRED, and unfortunately when it comes to the abortion debate, apparently this is not the case.
In a story that I first saw on the “ticker” of Fox News this morning, and you can read here, the AP reports that judge Warren Wilbert will allow accused murderer, Scott Roeder,(who btw, does not deny that he is guilty) to argue that he should not be convicted of pre-meditated, first degree murder, but of voluntary manslaughter in connection with the death of Dr. George Tiller.
Kansas law defines voluntary manslaughter as "an unreasonable but honest belief that circumstances existed that justified deadly force."
How exactly can one believe that this madman, who walked into a church, pointed a gun at the head of a parishioner and pulled the trigger  was justified in his use of "deadly force"?  Maybe (and I am saying maybe only as a hypothetical, I believe what Mr. Roeder did is murder, plain and simple, the same thing he was accusing Dr. Tiller of), I might buy this so-called defense if Mr. Roeder was at Dr. Tiller’s clinic, but in his church?!
You have got to be f****** kidding me!
Murder is murder is murder.
None of us have any right what so ever to play judge and jury and take away someone’s life. I do not agree with some of the things that Dr. Tiller did in the scope of his medical practice, but the man did not deserve to have his face blown off, in his church, during Sunday services.
How anyone can justify killing someone, and claim to be a Christian is beyond me.

Mr. Roeder should be convicted of 1st degree, pre-meditated murder, and should be punished for what he did. Case closed!