Thursday, March 31, 2011

From "Former Altar Boy" to "And a Catholic Priest"

Not all that long ago, by my standards, there was what amounted to a set format for a particular sort of news item. it went like this:

[Accused], former altar boy, [crime] [victim]. [details].

Just fill in the names, the nature of the crime, and a few facts: and you're that much closer to having the evening news ready for broadcast.

A decade or so before that, it was [Accused], Vietnam vet, [crime] [victim]. [details].

Folks hearing that in the news might reasonably - if not accurately - get the impression that altar boys were destined for a life of crime: and that Vietnam vets weren't to be trusted.

Folks in the news business finally stopped - after veteran's groups and Catholics raised a stink.

'Some Kinda Plot,' Just Lazy, or Something Else?

There are quite a few possible explanations for the 'Vietnam vet/former altar boy' format, including:
  1. It's part of a vast conspiracy
  2. Journalists are lazy
  3. People write what they believe is true
I think #3 is probably the best fit with reality. Here's why:

1 - It's part of a vast conspiracy

Not very likely, in my opinion. Conspiracy theories can make good stories - like the explanation for weirdly-expensive items in military spending in "Independence Day" (1996). Entertaining as The Invaders was, though: I really don't think that space alien mushroom people are plotting against us.

I think conspiracy theories satisfy some needs. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (January 14, 2009)) That's not the same as thinking they're true.

2 - Journalists are lazy

I've worked under deadline pressure. I can see how it might make sense to use a familiar format, one that's sure to get editorial approval, instead of taking time to pry a new angle out of one more convenience story holdup.

That's not necessarily being lazy: that can be 'not getting fired.'

Particularly for a reporter whose editor really believed that Vietnam veterans are poor, uneducated victims of the military-industrial complex: brainwashed killing machines loosed upon the Masses.

Or, more recently, an editor who's convinced that altar boys are debauched victims of authoritarian oppressors: and not really to blame for the crimes they have to commit. Psychologically speaking, of course.

Those two paragraphs are full of stereotypes - and I've discussed 'conventional or formulaic conceptions or images' (Princeton's WordNet) before. (March 20, 2011, March 8, 2011)

3 - People write what they believe is true

I think that most folks don't lie: No, that's not quite true.

I'm pretty sure that Moses wouldn't have come down the mountain with " 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor' " (Exodus 20:16) if distorting the truth wasn't a fairly common problem. Or being tempted to, at any rate.

What I'm talking about is folks being comparatively honest about what scares them silly, or makes them mad.

I think it's likely that the folks who went ballistic over fluoride in the drinking water really believed that it was some kind of plot - or at least unnecessary.

By the same token, I think - and hope - that the folks who are convinced that acid rain, power lines, and/or handguns are gonna kill us all: really believe what they say and write. Or, if they're aware that they're making up their facts, believe that 'facts aren't important when revealing the truth.' Can't argue with logic like that - and that's almost another topic.

"...And a Catholic Priest..."

Here's what got me started thinking about stereotypes, perceptions, and assumptions:
"A former Nicaraguan foreign minister who once called President Ronald Reagan 'the butcher of my people' has been appointed to represent Libya at the United Nations after its delegate was denied a visa, the Nicaraguan government said on Wednesday.

"Nicaragua said the former minister, Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, 78, an outspoken critic of the United States and a Catholic priest, would replace the Libyan diplomat Ali Abdussalam Treki, who had been unable to obtain a visa to enter the United States..."
(The New York Times) [emphasis mine]
I'm not sure why The New York Times decided to add "and a Catholic priest" to their mini-bio of Miguel D'Escoto Brockman. It's an interesting detail, certainly - but so is his master's degree in journalism from Columbia University. And his position as former president of the United Nations General Assembly.

But The New York Times decided to put add "and a Catholic priest" right after "an outspoken critic of the United States."

Seriously: I do not know why that was done.

I suspect that "and a Catholic priest" got placed near the top of the article because the editors thought it would catch the attention of readers - and therefore sell more papers.

I also suspect that The New York Times editorial staff hasn't changed all that much in the last few years.

I think that 'America's newspaper of record' serves as the hometown newspaper for an influential part of New York City's population. Which isn't a criticism: I think local newspapers serve an important function.

I am also of the opinion that folks whose world consists of the 'better' parts of Manhattan, and possibly the more upscale suburbs, aren't nearly as cosmopolitan as they think. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (October 21, 2008))

'Liberation Theology' - Bad Idea

Finally "and a Catholic priest" may - particularly given the rest of the new Libyan representative's background - indicate that the fellow's dedicated to 'liberation theology.' I've discussed that sort of thing before:
"...There are even rules about when it's okay to mount armed resistance to oppression. (Catechism, 2243) That's not the same as 'liberation theology;' and America isn't even close to being ready for the sort of housecleaning that's going on in Libya. In my opinion. I've discussed liberation theology before. (footnote 4 (January 27, 2009)) Short version, it's a bad idea: and the Holy See says so. (August 6, 1984)..."
(March 5, 2011)
Somewhat-related posts:
News and views:
More:

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Authority: My Wife's Right

I said, earlier this week, that my conversion to Catholicism was odd, considering the problems I have with 'authority.'

My wife corrected me: I'm fine with authority, she said. I like authority, she said.

She's right.

Thinking about it a little, I realized that what I'd done was confuse my attitude toward pompous nitwits with a professional title and a fancy desk, with my attitude toward rational process and proven traditions. It's why I drive on the right side of the road - and would drive in the left lane if I was in a country with that rule.

It's also why I decided to join the organization whose authority goes straight back to Peter - who was given "the keys to the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 16:18-19)

Somewhat-related posts:

Haiti: T-Shelters, Catholic Relief Services, and Lent

Japan's earthquake, earlier this month, is still very much in the news. I've written about that before in this blog, and elsewhere. (Apathetic Lemming of the North (March 29, 2011) Folks in Japan still need help.

So to folks in Haiti.

A year ago last January, about 300,000 Haitians were killed by an earthquake. Survivors still have a great deal of work ahead, putting their country back together. Happily, they're getting help: from quite a few places.

Which reminds me of Lent.

Stick with me: there really is a connection. Lent is the season in the Catholic Church's calendar, starting Ash Wednesday, when we focus on prayer, fasting and almsgiving. ("The Lenten Season," United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) Or are supposed to, at any rate. And that's another topic.

"Prayer" and "fasting" are fairly common words in American English, but "almsgiving" isn't used all that much. Not in my experience. So, it's definition time:
"ALMSGIVING: Money or goods given to the poor as an act of penance or fraternal charity. Almsgiving, together with prayer and fasting, are traditionally recommended to foster the state of interior penance (1434; cf. 1969, 2447)."
("A," Glossary, Catechism of the Catholic Church)
Okay. That's clear enough. There is (as usual) more about almsgiving in the Catechism. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1434-1439, 1969, 2447)

I wrote about pitching in to help folks in Japan a few days ago. (March 20, 2011) I still think that's important - and have donated to Catholic Relief Services.

But, like I said, folks in Haiti need help too. Actually, there are quite a few places around the world where "almsgiving" can be directed. I put a link to Catholic Relief Services near the end of this post. No pressure: just there if you think donating is a good idea.

Folks in Japan are dealing with a huge amount of cleanup - and a few mildly melting nuclear reactors. Haiti's situation isn't quite so dramatic right now: they're in the 'building temporary shelters' stage, at least in some places.

Excerpt from a CNS article:
" 'T-shelters' help Haitian quake survivors begin rebuilding their lives"
Dennis Sadowsk, Catholic News Service (March 14, 2011)

"The stack of prefabricated walls, roof joists, corrugated steel and construction supplies at the end of the road brought a smile to Justin Auguste's face.

"After spending 14 months in makeshift housing since the powerful Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake, the 78-year-old former cattleman knew that soon he would not have to sleep on the ground.

" 'God came down today with the shelter,' he said March 11, peering from under a tattered wide-brimmed straw hat that shaded his face from the hot midday sun.

"For nearly an hour, Auguste, 78, had instructed friends, family and neighbors which pieces of housing to carry to the tiny plot a quarter-mile away reserved for his transitional shelter, or 'T-shelter,' provided under a program operated by Catholic Relief Services and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development....

"...A construction team hired by CRS planned to build the 12-by-16-foot, two-room shelter the next day. For Auguste, that meant the teams who stepped up to carry the parts could not delay.

"Auguste and his family are among thousands of earthquake survivors who now live in the plywood-walled T-shelters. Those deemed eligible to receive the structures agreed to provide a bit of sweat equity: applying a coat of paint.

"The agency is under contract to provide 4,000 T-shelters, which will house 20,000 people. To date, about 2,500 have been completed, said Eddy Ambroise, manager of the Varreux Yard in Port-au-Prince, where 146 workers produce about 40 prefabricated structures a day....

"...In addition to the Varreux plant, residents in local communities have been employed in cash-for-work ventures. One part of the program finds workers clearing earthquake rubble from streets. The debris is carted to nearby sites where other workers used hand-operated crushers to pulverize the material into the basic ingredients of cement. Some of the cement is bought by CRS for use in the concrete pads on which the T-shelters are built. Some is used by entrepreneurs to make concrete block for construction.

"The shelter program is part of an effort by CRS to address the wide-ranging needs of some of the 1.5 million Haitians who lost their homes in the earthquake. To reach that goal, CRS has ended its work in the camps for displaced Haitians and has turned to rebuilding communities.

" 'Our main objective is to elevate communities to ideally a little bit better than where they were before the earthquake, but at least as closely as possible to where they were before the earthquake,' said Niek de Goeij, head of the agency's Community Resettlement and Recovery Program....

"...August Marie-Sonie, 26 said the T-shelter she shares with her three sisters is more comfortable than the tent they occupied for months after the earthquake leveled their home. She said the next step is to move into permanent housing so she can focus on returning to school to complete her education in accounting.

"Area leader Matthew Accene recently started building an addition onto his T-shelter to give more space to the eight members of his family. He also coordinates a security team that patrols their section of the Terrain Toto site each night to ward off criminal activity....

"...'People are really satisfied with the change,' he said of the relocation from Port-au-Prince. 'The idea is that CRS continues to work here and that the government eventually buys and divides the land and gives responsibility to the residents to build our own home.

" 'It's what everybody wants in this camp,' he added. 'Everyone who lives here has nowhere else to go.' "
Mr. Sadowsk tells us that the T-shelters are designed to last about three years - which should be enough time for the folks living in them to get something more permanent set up. Meanwhile, as August Marie-Sonie said, those corrugated-metal shelters are better than a tent.

The CNS article also shows that the T-shelters that Catholic Relief Services is putting up are part of a government contract from the U.S. Agency for International Development. As I've said before, I think charitable giving should be carefully thought out. (March 17, 2011) I can see how a person might consider that, since 'the government' is helping build (temporary) housing for Haitians, there's not much more to do.

Maybe so: but it's possible that Catholic Relief Services could still use financial help, for something other than building 16-by-eight-foot shelters. Again, it's just a thought.

Related posts:
In the news:
More:
  • "Haiti"
    Catholic Relief Services
  • "Haiti"
    United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
List of my Haiti-related posts:

Monday, March 28, 2011

"Baby Joseph" Baptised: My Take

He's sick, and probably won't live. Even if he does, he'll still be sub-standard. He's got a defective central nervous system.

On strictly practical grounds, he should be killed. Or simply not fed, and allowed to die.

Happily, Catholics aren't 'practical.' Not that way. We're told that culling inferior specimens from the gene pool is wrong. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2268) Even if it's 'for the good of the race,' or because the person wouldn't enjoy a 'quality life style.'

The "he" in the first sentences is "Baby Joseph," Joseph Maraachli, an infant with Leigh's syndrome, or Leigh's Disease. Young Joseph is, from descriptions of the disorder, in for a rough life: and a short one.

Even so, I don't think it would be 'humane' to kill him now. I'll admit to a bias: I'm defective, too. Even so, on the whole I prefer being alive. Even with my flaws.

Not that the few decades I've been given is all there is to life. In a way, I can't die. Not permanently. (Catechism, 988-1014, 1020-1050) I've mentioned that before. (February 22, 2011)

Here's what got me started, from today's news:
"Godfather: Baby Joseph's baptism shows life's eternal destiny"
Benjamin Mann, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (March 25, 2011)

"The godfather of Baby Joseph Maraachli, whose fight for life has attracted international attention and support, says the terminally ill boy's recent baptism was a testimony to the eternal destiny of human life.

" 'It's a tremendous testimony to the sanctity of life,' said Jerry Horn, senior vice president of the Catholic pro-life ministry Priests For Life, who was Joseph's baptismal sponsor. 'So many people worked together in concert to bring him here, for a purpose greater than we could anticipate.'

" 'We were doing what we could to save the life of a child – which is why we do what we do, in the pro-life movement,' Horn reflected. 'But God's plan is eternal, and it goes far beyond ours.'

"The 13-month-old boy received the sacrament from a Catholic priest in St. Louis, Missouri on March 18, two days before receiving a tracheotomy on March 21...."
Related posts:In the news:Background:

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Third Sunday of Lent 2011

Readings for March 27, 2011, Third Sunday of Lent:

Third Sunday of Lent 2011

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
March 27, 2011

A brief foot note to answer the question of why the Jews didn't like the Samaritans? It was because the Jews saw them as mixed blood, as some of the Jews married people from outside the Jewish community and so they saw this as a type of betrayal.

"Give me a drink," Jesus asked of the Samaritan woman. In His thirst, Jesus reveals His humanity, His simplicity, and even, do we daresay, His neediness. Water is an ordinary thing we all need to live. What's amazing is how our Lord quickly moves the conversation from the lowly water of earth to living water that comes from the heights of heaven. He will stir up a great thirst in the heart of this public sinner and help her see the beauty of God's love for her.

Our Lord has a knack for constantly bringing us to higher ground. We even see this approach in the Psalms: "As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for You, O God." Here is some guy, possibly David at work as a shepherd. He notices a thirsty deer as it searches for water. Then he raises the earthly scene to heaven, turns it into a prayer, "that's how much I thirst for you."

It might not work for you (assuming you don't run into many deer during working hours), but the images aren't too foreign to us. Like a toddler longs for a sippy cup, like a sports fan longs for a beer, like a suburbanite longs for expensive coffee, our Psalm writer notices the daily event, and then connects it to a deeper thirst in his heart. Finally comes the prayer, and notice how personal it is - it is a prayer addressed to God. He doesn't say, "I thirst for God," he says, "God, I thirst for You."

It is a great question to ask ourselves: "How often throughout the day do I talk to our Lord?" How often do I lift a thought, and word, a name or a face up to the only one who can bless my World? I'm sure everyone here has inklings of it; maybe we have some set times for prayer, and these are essential. But we might suddenly realize that we talk too much of ourselves or to others. Or we carry on prolonged conversations with our worries or even our sins. Sometimes those ordinary events remain grounded on earth, because we haven't directed them personally to God.

Lent, on the other hand, calls us to discover that I can carry out a constant conversation with the Lord. I begin to hear God speaking to me in the midst of my daily activities and that He is waiting for me to raise my mind and my heart and my work to Him. And how do I know that? Because you're here today for Mass. You're trying this Lent to become closer to Christ. Because, like the woman at the well, you realize that Jesus Himself has started the conversation with you!

'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.

More reflections:
Somewhat-related posts:

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Response to "Why indeed be Catholic?" - "Me Too!"

Once in a while I run across something that helps me take stock of some part of my life. Sometimes it's how to drive during winter, dental hygiene, or website design.

This week, it was about being Catholic:
"Why indeed be Catholic?"
Therese J. Borchard, Featured Our Turn, TheCatholicSpirit.com (March 23, 2011)

"You never really know when you're going to be called on to defend your Catholic faith. I certainly wasn't prepared for it as I sat down at a job interview. However, two minutes after my interviewer reviewed my resume, he looked me squarely in the eyes and said, 'Religion is evil.'

" 'Are you a relative of Bill Maher?' I asked him....

"...'Being Catholic is a way of seeing the world. It's in the small things. It's inescapable.'...

"...The conversation made me go back and read the book “Why Be Catholic?” by Franciscan Father Richard Rohr with Joseph Martos, so that I am better prepared next time. They list eight grounded reasons to be Catholic:

"1. The appreciation of creation....

"...2. A universal vision. The Catholic Church has a worldwide faith, with many different cultures and customs....

"...3. A holistic outlook....To be Catholic means to connect your faith with your life experience....

"...4. An invitation to personal holiness....

"...5. An experience of community....

"...6. A call to social transformation. I have found that whenever you throw out Mother Teresa's name, people tend to stop their arguments about why they hate the church. They do this because she is just one example of the church's commitment to social transformation.

"7. A profound sense of history....The Catholic Church has been around for 20 centuries. That's four to five times the age of the oldest Protestant denominations and 10 times the age of the United States!

"8. An optimistic attitude....."
I recommend reading the original article - which I hope is kept on TheCatholicSpirit.com's website. An all-too-often ignored piece of website wisdom is keeping pages where visitors can find them: and that's another topic.

That eight-point list gives me an opportunity to:
  • Do a little navel-gazing
    • Re-evaluate my attitude toward my faith
  • Review this blog, and
    • See what I've been missing
    • And what I haven't
The navel-gazing, or self-examination, or whatever it's called, is going to take more time than what I've allotted for this post. Review of this blog, in light of that list: that, I've got time for:
  1. "The appreciation of creation"
    • The article's author limited this to the sacraments:
      • Baptism
      • Confirmation (or Chrismation)
      • Eucharist
      • Penance
      • Anointing of the Sick
      • Holy Orders
      • Matrimony
    • Some I've paid some attention to in this blog
      • Eucharist
      • Penance
      • Matrimony
    • Others, not so much
      • Baptism
      • Confirmation
      • Anointing of the Sick
      • Holy Orders
  2. "A universal vision"
    • This, I have opined about
  3. "A holistic outlook"
    • I've written "too heavenly minded to be any earthly good" quite a bit
  4. "An invitation to personal holiness"
    • As a Catholic, I'm expected to conform my will to God's
      • How much of that I accomplish is another matter
  5. "An experience of community"
    • For me, this is mostly my family
      • But everybody's different
  6. "A call to social transformation"
    • This may not mean what it seems
  7. "A profound sense of history"
    • Almost 20 centuries
      • And counting
    • And that's just since the Incarnation
  8. "An optimistic attitude"
    • You've probably met someone who thinks that gloominess is next to Godliness
      • So have I
    • Behind all that fasting and penance is Jesus
      • Whose first miracle was getting drinks for a wedding party
Now, rehashing some of what's in that list - - -

About the Sacraments

There's a lot to learn about the sacraments. A pretty good place to start, I think, is Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1210. The sacraments that I haven't discussed all that much are those that aren't quite as closely woven into my daily life, like Holy Orders. Although that's tied into the Eucharist - and I do write about Mass quite a bit. Anointing of the Sick isn't practiced all that much in my part of the world, even by Catholics. Our loss, I think.

"A Universal Vision"

This is an aspect of Catholicism that I have focused on. I'll link to some of the posts later on.

"A holistic outlook"

This sounds like some of the goofier health fads of recent decades: but as defined in the article, it's a good point. A 'faith' that doesn't affect a person's view of the world and our place in it is - useless, in my opinion. At best.

"An invitation to personal holiness"

Invitation, yes. Accomplished, hardly. Working on it, yes. Moving on.

"An Experience of Community"

I'm not the most 'social' person in the world. A lifetime of undiagnosed major depression and ADHD-inattentive probably has something to do with that. That said, the community of believers is a wonderful aspect of the Catholic Church. In my opinion.

"A call to social transformation"

I've run into folks who seem convinced that
  • God is
    • A Republican
    • A Democrat
    • An American
Then there's Fred Phelp's "God Hates America" church. (see Another War-on-Terror Blog, "Tolerance Only Goes So Far" (October 31, 2007)) This ties into the "universal vision" mentioned earlier. Bottom line, as I see it, is that we are supposed to help those who are sick, hungry, or imprisoned. (Matthew 25:35-40) I also think it's a good idea to consider "social justice." Which doesn't mean that I'm a bleeding-heart liberal, or an uncaring conservative.

There's quite a bit written about social justice, by authoritative Catholic resources. (Catechism, 1928-1942, for starters)

I'm about as sure as I can be that curing the ills of society doesn't mean turning the clock back to the 'good old days' of '50s in America. Which is almost another topic. Again, I'll be linking to some related posts.

"A Profound Sense of History

Another aspect of Catholicism that I keep coming back to.

"An Optimistic Attitude"

This is important: particularly since American culture tends to assume that Christianity is Calvinism. In my opinion. And that's another topic.

"An Appreciation of Creation"

The article's author - correctly, I think - focused on the sacraments.

I think that an "appreciation of creation" in Catholicism also displays itself in the Church's attitude toward science. Which isn't the 'ignorance is bliss' notion that's endemic to America's frightfully faithful folks. I've discussed this before.

Not-entirely-unrelated posts:
More:
  • "Why indeed be Catholic?"
    Therese J. Borchard, Featured Our Turn, TheCatholicSpirit.com, Official Publication of the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis (March 23, 2011)

Friday, March 25, 2011

Lenten Chaplet: From Venezuelan Wood to Metal and Synthetics

I finished writing about a Lenten chaplet a few minutes ago. "Chaplet" is what I call the series of prayers, and the knotted cord with a crucifix that helps me keep track of which prayer I'm at.



That's a photo of a card with instructions for praying the chaplet, and three chaplets.

All three are made of synthetic fiber and metal: typical materials for this sort of thing, in our culture.

The original chaplets were made from Venezuelan wood and leaf fibers - but as far as I know, all that matters is that whatever you use be flexible enough to wear, and durable enough to last at least 40 days.

Venezuelan?! There's a story behind that, which I'll get to after a little about blessings:

Blessings, Beads, and All That

This isn't an exhaustive discussion on Catholic teachings about the rosary, blessings, and their theological implications. As I've said before, I write with the authority of "some guy with a blog."

First of all, a "blessing" is a sort of prayer that invokes God's power:
"BLESSING: A blessing or benediction is a prayer invoking God's power and care upon some person, place, thing, or undertaking. The prayer of benediction acknowledges God as the source of all blessing. Some blessings confer a permanent status: consecration of persons to God, or setting things apart for liturgical usage (1671, 2626)."
(B, Glossary, Catechism of the Catholic Church)
The Catechism discusses sacramentals (not the same thing as sacraments) in some detail. (Catechism, 1667-1676, summary 1677-1679)

The cord and crucifix I'm wearing were blessed by Father Statz, along with many others that are being used during this Lent. The prayer was short, to the point, and punctuated with a sprinkling of holy water.

Catholic Practices, a Reality Check

I've mentioned the (imaginative? creative?) beliefs endemic to the region I grew up in. I think that Catholic beliefs and practices aren't - to be charitable - well understood in parts of America.

Despite what's sometimes assumed, the Catholic Church has some strict rules about magic and superstition.

Prayer beads, knotted strings, and the crucifix I wear aren't magical.

I'm a practicing Catholic, and the Church has a word to say about sorcery, charms, and divination: Don't. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2110-2111, 2115-2117)

Maybe you knew someone who's Catholic, and who uses a saint's statue as a magic charm. I'm not surprised: there are over 1,000,000,000 of us walking Earth at this moment, and some of us haven't learned the faith as well as we might. Which is yet again another topic.

Now, as promised, back to Venezuelan wood:

About This Lenten Chaplet

My family, and quite a few folks in Sauk Centre, Brooten, and a few other towns here in central Minnesota, have been praying this Lenten Chaplet for the last few years.

The chaplet got started in Venezuela, though. Father Statz and Father Todd, who now live in Sauk Centre, were in Venezuela when they developed this chaplet as a way to encourage prayer during Lent.

The original prayer cords had wooden crucifixes, carved from a sort of tree that grows in Venezuela. The cords were woven from fibers the folks got from the leaves of that tree.

In central Minnesota, our crucifixes have been metal and the cords some synthetic fiber: which is consistent with how our regional culture makes things.

As far as I know, what the cord and crucifix are made of doesn't matter, as long as the materials are sturdy and flexible enough to be worn and used for a minimum of 40 days.

There isn't a 'right' kind of crucifix, again as far as I know: the style has been a little different each year, probably depending on what was readily available at the time.

Prayer: Ignorance Not Required

A person doesn't have to have a doctorate in theology to be a practicing Catholic: but ignorance isn't encouraged, either. At all.

As a practicing Catholic I'm expected to read - make that study - the Bible. That's something anybody can do: literate or not. Each Sunday, at Mass, we hear part of the Bible read; and after three years we've gone through a cycle that covers a great deal of the Word of God. If census reports are your thing, like Numbers, being able to read is a help.

As for studying God's creation, I've discussed Catholics like Copernicus and Mendel before. (September 7, 2010)

Somewhat-related posts:
Resources:

Lenten Chaplet How-2

I'm wearing a necklace: sort of. I call it a "chaplet," the same word I use for the sequence of prayers I'm saying each day during Lent.


A card, outlining how to pray the chaplet, with the knotted cord and crucifix I've been wearing and using. March 9, 2011.

Or, more accurately, most days. I've already missed the daily routine: but got caught up. Which is another topic. ("Lenten Chaplet: Missed a Day, Caught Up" (March 18, 2011))

How to Pray This Lenten Chaplet

The words, exactly as printed on the card in that photo, are in an earlier post. (March 10, 2011) Here they are again, with a typo corrected:
"LENTEN CHAPLET

"Once you have received your cross, go back to your pew and start to pray. The first name that comes to mind is the person you will be praying for a deepening conversion of faith during these 40 days of Lent.

"Each day you will pray:
"Apostles' Creed - knot that ties the cross on the necklace.

"Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be (Around your neck are 21 knots, representing these three prayers to be said seven times).

"Any time after Good Friday, give your Chaplet to the person you have been praying for."
Sounds simple: and it is.

The trick, for me, is remembering to pray each day: occasionally praying twice in a day to get caught up.

Don't Remember the Words? No Problem!

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has a "How to Pray the Rosary" page that includes text for all the prayers involved in this Lenten Chaplet:

Not Your Usual Rosary Beads

The knotted cords we use to keep track of where we're at in this chaplet aren't your usual rosary beads.

For one thing, there isn't a single bead on them - not the ones I've used, anyway. Our cords have knots where beads could be.

For another, chaplet's prayers aren't the 1-1-3-1-10-1-10-1-10-1-10-1-10 sequence of prayers in the rosary, the sequence of beads (or knots) in a standard rosary set of rosary beads wouldn't be much help with this chaplet.

Making a Chaplet

Here's another picture of the card and knotted cord I'm wearing, mostly to give an idea of their size:



Another, showing the string/cord/necklace I'm using this year, and two I received after previous Lenten seasons.



Members of my family think I needed "a deepening conversion of faith." And they're right. Which is yet another topic.

I'm not the best go-to person for crafts - so here are links to how-2 guides you may find useful:
The list is repeated at the end of this post.

As someone who's prayed the chaplet for a few years, I'll share my experiences as a user - which may help folks who want to make their own.

I suggest that the clusters of three knots (or beads) be significantly closer together than the last knot in one cluster, and the first in the next.

The cord, when finished, needs to be long enough to fit over someone's head. The one I'm wearing is about 26 inches / 66 centimeters long. I can get it past my nose, but it's a snug fit. How long should the cord be when you start? That's more than I know: Maybe those resources will help.

The cord I'm wearing is a synthetic fiber, and the crucifix metal. The original chaplets were made from Venezuelan wood and leaf fibers - but as far as I know, all that matters is that whatever you use be flexible enough to wear, and durable enough to last at least 40 days.

Venezuelan?! There's a story behind that, which I'll get to in another post.

Somewhat-related posts:
Resources:

Thursday, March 24, 2011

I Read It Where?!



The Magnificat® Lenten Companion (www.magnificat.com) is a good resource for Lent, in my opinion. Hats off to the folks who made this available at Our Lady of the Angels church in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

A sort of introduction in the booklet makes some good points:
"The directions on the packet of flower seeds read: 'Seeds need darkness to germinate.' It makes me think of myself. I want to grow. I want to become more than I am. Yet, so often my self-guided efforts leave me feeling empty.... The 'germination,' the better life that I seek, must start in darkness. Lent is that darkness. It is not something dreadful or depressing. Rather, Lent takes us back to what really matters in life...."
(Father Peter John Cameron, O.P.)
There's almost a hundred more pages.

Don't worry: I'm not going to copy the whole booklet. There's the matter of intellectual property rights, and besides - transcribing all those words, and then proofing them, would be a really big chore. Just one more thing, a point that jumped out at me:
"...There is a temptation to see Lent as a time of self-improvement, during which my focus is on myself. However, my sin shows me that my hope can never be in myself. My only hope is that someone save me. St. Paul said:..."
(Father Richard Veras)
Father Veras goes on to quote St. Paul:
"For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. ... Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, I myself, with my mind, serve the law of God but, with my flesh, the law of sin."
(Romans 7:19, 24-25)
-And I am not going to start discussing Gnosticism. Bottom line, about that: God made this creation: and God doesn't make junk. There are more erudite ways of putting that idea, of course. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 285; Benedict XVI, General Audience, 28 March 2007 | Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, St Peter's Square, (March 28, 2007))

Lent, Reading, and a Lavatory

I've noticed, over the years, that I'm not all that good at keeping up a 'one page a day' reading schedule. With Lent, 2011, I think I've got a solution.

Each day, I spend a certain amount of time in the bathroom (or lavatory, or whatever you call it). It's one of those unavoidable routines that comes with being a living, breathing human being.

In American culture, quite a few men take the sports section of the newspaper with them. During Lent, I've been taking The Magnificat® Lenten Companion along: and generally get a page or two read.

Okay: so that doesn't seem very 'spiritual.' The way I see it:
  • God knows how the human body works
    • I don't think He's offended by His own work
  • I'm going to take several minutes each day taking care of some biological needs
    • During that time I can
      • Put my mind in 'neutral'
      • Read part of the Lenten Companion
Maybe I'm missing something - but I'm getting that Companion read during this Lent, which is more than I've managed some other years.

Somewhat-related posts:

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Police: 'It was reasonable' to Fire-Bomb a Woman

Before getting to police officers who said that fire-bombing an old woman was a "reasonable" thing to do, I'd better make a few important points:
  • The woman is okay
  • It was a small bomb
  • I don't hate the police

'She was Asking For It?'

It's like Will Rogers put it: "Well, all I know is what I read in the papers." (Will Rogers, New York Times, Sept 30 1923, via The Quotations Page)

I'll be back, with opinions, after these excerpts from yesterday's news:
"The 'tepid' and 'rude' police response to a firebomb attack on a pro-life demonstrator outside a Kalispell, Montana abortion clinic merits disciplinary action, the head of a Catholic legal group said.

"Poor police response to these types of incidents could 'legitimize' the tactic, warned Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Chicago-based Thomas More Society.

" 'There has to be an utter condemnation of the use of violent tactics from both sides of the abortion debate. Any kind of coddling, or treating it as a normal thing would only provoke violent actions,' Brejcha told CNA on March 21.

"Participants in the local 40 Days for Life prayer vigil were on the sidewalk near the All Family Health Care abortion center on March 17 around 6:15 p.m. An unidentified assailant threw a homemade incendiary device at an elderly woman, although it landed behind her.

"The device, a water bottle filled with a flammable liquid, made a loud popping noise like a big firecracker and burst into flame.

"Brejcha criticized the initial police reaction as 'tepid' and 'outrageous.'

" 'The officer responding to the 911 call took half an hour to get to the scene. He was very brusque and rude. When the 77-year-old lady held out her hand to greet him, he just ignored her and walked right past her,' Brejcha said.

"When asked if he was going to have the residue collected as evidence, he said there wouldn't be any fingerprints and he 'just called the garbage folks to collect the debris.'

"When the coordinator of the 40 Days event called the desk sergeant to complain about the officer's 'rather nonchalant response' to a 'serious bombing incident,' he continued, the desk officer 'pretty much said what the police officer said.'

"According to Brejcha, the officer remarked that 'it was reasonable that people would react this way when you're out there protesting on a public sidewalk.'...

"The Thomas More Society is in contact with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms about the Kalispell case.

"Brejcha said that the FBI and the ATF have been 'very active in policing the activity of pro-lifers at abortion sites.'

" 'We expect them to be equally aggressive in this matter.' "
(CNA) [emphasis mine]

"Reasonable" to Fire-Bomb a Woman?

I'm inclined to believe that a police officer would say that "it was reasonable that people would react this way when you're out there protesting on a public sidewalk."

Remember: I've got a pretty high opinion of American law enforcement.

I've also been around for about six decades: and I spent my teens in the '60s.

I remember when old coots - who were about the age I am now - would express the opinion that people who didn't agree with them about America, the flag, and all that should be shot. Or "go back where they came from."

Happily, very few of the crazy kids of the period were actually shot for expressing the 'wrong' opinion.

Tolerance, Freedom of Expression: Still Important

Quite a bit has changed since the '60s. 'Red-white-and-blue-blooded real American patriotism' has given way to the 'inclusive non-judgmental gender choices' sort of thing. Tomato, tomahto, in my opinion.

My guess is that the "rude," "tepid" police officers Tom Brejcha discussed grew up in an American where abortion was legal, and folks who opposed killing babies were regarded as hate-filled ideologues by the 'right sort.'

I think efforts to marginalize today's non-establishment folks is the flip side of "America: love it or leave it." (April 1, 2010)

I also think that one of the things that helped America endure has been the remarkable degree of tolerance this country has shown for folks who didn't quite toe the part line. It's not a perfect record, of course. We live in a fallen world - and that's another topic.

I've been one of 'those people' who weren't on the same page as the establishment for most of my life. (January 26, 2010, January 12, 2010) It's helped me appreciate the importance of not assuming that 'they had it coming' when someone I don't agree with gets attacked.

Finally, the Kalispell crew isn't necessarily typical of Montana law enforcement. Mr. Brejcha told CNA that he "received many calls from Kalispell police officers and others in the area, disagreeing 'strongly' with the officers' response."

Related posts:
In the news:

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Oh, For the Days of Yore?

I don't think nostalgia is a bad thing, by itself: but it's well, in my opinion, to know what the 'good old days' were really like.

Take elections, for example. I'm an American citizen, and I vote when election years come. I've written about politics, how much I trust governments, and citizenship, before:

Elections? It Could be Worse

I see that I've mentioned being in line to inherit the thaneship of Cawdor. (September 12, 2010; Apathetic Lemming of the North (January 29, 2010)) It comes from being related to the clan Campbell, and appalling number of people would have to die before the title came to me. That's almost another topic. And yes, it's the same place Shakespeare mentioned.

The point is that one of my kinsmen, quite a long while ago, got some of the lads together and hacked his way into Cawdor castle. That was how folks handled regrettable rulers in the 'good old days.' Before elections, term limits, and all the legal and social machinery that goes with running a constitution-based federal republic with strong democratic traditions.1

On the whole, I think that the sort of elections America has - weird commercials, hanging chads, lawsuits, and all - do less damage, on average, than the old-fashioned methods.

Elections, Evil Rulers, and Rules

I've said this before: Quite a few folks believe the Catholic Church has rules about everything.

There's something to that. For almost two millennia, the Catholic Church has been explaining just what's involved in 'love God, love your neighbor.' (Matthew 22:36-40) People being the way we are, rules help.

There are rules about what those in authority, and those under the authority of others, should do.

There are even rules about what to do when those in authority don't follow the rules. Interestingly, we are allowed to mount "armed resistance to oppression." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2243) That set of criteria are about the same as the "just war" definition, a little further on. (Catechism, 2309)

Please note: In my considered opinion, election silliness notwithstanding, the United States is not even close to requiring military intervention.

Other countries, not so much. In my opinion.

Which is what I wrote about earlier today:
1 see "United States," World Factbook, CIA (last updated March 16, 2011)

'Just War:' Unpleasant, but Not a Contradiction in Terms

Recapping what I said in the last post, I think war is not nice. Things get broken, and people die. I also think life is precious. Sacred.

And I think that keeping the boss of Libya from killing his subjects is a good idea.

Never Mind Who's in the White House

Remember, this isn't a political blog.

For what it's worth, I didn't vote for the current American president. I emphatically do not, and cannot, support many of his policies.

So much for internal American matters.

Libya, a Colonel, and Lots of Dead People

Colonel Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi has been boss of Libya since 1969. ("Libya," World Factbook, CIA (last updated March 16, 2011))

Quite a few Libyan's don't think he's a good leader. Many of them said so.

The Libyan colonel didn't like that, so he had them killed. That was, in a way, a quite natural response: I don't think most folks like being criticized.

Survivors still won't say that the colonel is dandy.

Qadhafi says he's the ruler of Libya, and has enough enforcers to back up his claim: so what business is it of anyone else which of his subjects he kills? Libya is some country off on the other side of the Atlantic anyway, and I don't know anybody there.

Remember: I don't think war is nice; and this isn't a political post.

"Just War:" During THIS Administration?!

I think that the American president may have violated some protocols. Members of Congress have been fussing about not being consulted. They may have a point, but that lot doesn't have a good record for being able to keep secrets. And that's a topic for another blog.

I also think that a serious, sober look should be taken at how this country handles national security. It isn't the 18th century any more: or the 19th; or the 20th. And that, again, is a topic for another blog.

What I'm discussing in this post is whether or not it's right to stop someone from killing people who won't say he's a good leader. Even if he's got enough enforcers to get the job done, and says he is so a good leader.

That, I think, is what we're looking at in Libya. And, for that matter, Bahrain. In my opinion. Bahrain's boss hasn't ticked off enough of his neighbors to make a coalition possible - again in my opinion - and that, yet again, is a topic for another blog.

"Just War" and Libya: Point by Point

It's not particularly hard to find a definition of the "just war" doctrine. What's hard is figuring out whether any particular circumstance fits the criteria:
"The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration. The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time:
  • "the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
  • "all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
  • "there must be serious prospects of success;
  • "the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.
"These are the traditional elements enumerated in what is called the 'just war' doctrine.

"The evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2309)
Whether or not acting before Qadhafi's enforcers killed the last person who wouldn't applaud the colonel was right or wrong is, I'll admit, a judgment call. Happily, one I don't have to make.

That won't stop me from thinking about it, though. Looking at the "just war" requirements:
  • "the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;"
    • I'm not sure how many dead people it takes to be "lasting, grave, and certain"
    • But dead is dead
      • It doesn't get much more "lasting, grave and certain" than that
  • "all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;"
    • This, I think, is a genuinely uncertain point
      • It's possible to say that the next U. N. resolution will convince Qadhafi to be nice
        • Or the one after that
          • Or the one after that - - -
  • "there must be serious prospects of success;"
    • Before the colonel's enforcers started wiping them out wholesale, Libya's opposition were winning
      • Without
        • A command and control center
        • Outside help
      • Some of the colonel's own forces decided to
        • Join the opposition
        • Leave Libya entirely
    • With an multinational coalition operating under a United Nations mandate?
      • Yes, I think folks who aren't on the colonel's cheering squad can win
  • "the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition."
    • This, I think, is another uncertain point
    • Not acting without certain knowledge of all possible outcomes sounds nice
      • But probably requires abilities that living human beings to not possess
        • Which brings up the nature of knowledge
          • And other topics
      • Divination, by the way, is on the 'don't do' list (Catechism, 2115)
    • My guess is that Libya could be worse off without Qadhafi
      • But not by much
      • And it seems that a fair number of Libyans are determined to oust him
        • Whether they get help or not

Can't We Let the Police Handle This?

I don't think that the death penalty is necessary in the United States. Bear with me: capital punishment connects to "just war."

My position on the death penalty emphatically does not come from feeling that rape and murder are okay. Partly, it's because I think that this country is able to restrain dangerous criminals without killing them. (October 2, 2008)

I think that, someday, maybe, there will be an "international authority with the necessary competence and power" to simply arrest someone like the Libyan colonel. (Catechism, 2308)

Until we have something like Tennyson's "Parliament of man, the Federation of the world," we'll have to make do with the United Nations. Or whatever's cobbled together after that.

I do not think that the United Nations is perfect. At all. But, for now, it's the best we've got for handling out-of-control national leaders.

And that's yet again one more topic.

Somewhat-related posts:Background:
This post is one of a series being written today:

Assumptions, Making Sense, and Politics

Before getting into what I think of the mess in Libya and elsewhere, I'd like to make a few points clear:
  • I think life is precious
  • I think war is not nice
    • Things get broken
    • People get killed
That list 'obviously' makes me one of those bleeding-heart liberals who make red-white-and-blue-blooded Americans sick: because I think that the death penalty is not necessary in the United States. (October 2, 2008)

It also 'obviously' makes me one of those hate-filled, heartless conservatives who make caring, sensitive citizens of the world sick: because I think that sometimes people have to be prevented from killing other people.

Which is why I think interfering in the internal affairs of Libya is probably the right thing to do. Even though the current president of the United States isn't the candidate I voted for.

My views, I think, make sense: and I'll get back to that.

This isn't a 'Political' Post

I don't do "political" posts. Not in the sense of claiming that whatever some particular person or party does is the most intelligent, sublime, ineffably insightful expression of wisdom that the world has ever seen: and that everyone who disagrees is stupid, a traitor, or a stupid traitor.1

First, I don't think any one politico or party is always right: or wrong. I have yet to meet someone who never made a mistake. And that's not what papal infallibility means. Which is another topic. (Catechism, 891)

Second, I don't see a point in trying to paint the world in a simplified pallet of "good guys" and "bad guys." And that's a somewhat mixed metaphor - more topics.

Finally, I tend to see quite a bit of 'political' writing as being heavy on emotion, with a sprinkling of facts, and a meager seasoning of reason.

I have nothing against emotions: but I don't trust them for decision-making. The mind can do odd things when emotions take control. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 23, 2008)) And that's yet another topic.
This post is one of a series being written today:

'Jesus was a Pacifist/American/Vagrant'?!

Now and then, over the decades, I've run into someone who says or implies that 'Jesus was a pacifist.' Others have given the impression that they think Jesus was an American: or 'almost as good.'

First of all, a reality check: Jesus was, is, and will be. That's Christianity 101.2

I think that it doesn't make sense to try fitting someone like my Lord into a conveniently-labeled philosophical box.

As for what His Church has been teaching for the last two millennia:
  • That didn't conform to what optimates and populares believed during the first few centuries
  • It doesn't conform to what conservatives and liberals think now
  • Philosophical fashions will continue to change
    • While the Church continues to teach
      • Learning will still be optional
    • In my opinion
I've discussed the matter of contemporary philosophies and Catholic teachings before.

Related posts:
This post is one of a series being written today:

Pacifism?

There are folks who really, sincerely, believe that violence is absolutely, positively, unequivocally, never, ever supposed to happen. I recognize that a pacifist may hold such a belief sincerely, and without ulterior motives.

I also think that embracing such a philosophy can occasionally require mental gymnastics.

Like the fellow in a story.

"Thous Standest Where I am About to Shoot"

This fellow was a member of a small religious community. They believed, fervently, in pacifism. This was generations ago, somewhere in rural America.

One night the man was wakened by sounds in another part of the house. Clearly, someone had broken in - and the armed intruder clearly intended to harm the fellow's family.

This fellow had a long gun: his community were pacifists, not vegetarians. Pointing the gun toward the intruder the man said, "Friend, I would not harm thee for the world: But thou standest where I am about to shoot."

My own opinion on pacifism is that sincere pacifists will prosper: as long as there are non-pacifists to protect them.
This post is one of a series being written today:

My Take on Libya, War, and Getting a Grip; Mostly Links


This post is one of a series being written today:I've organized a list of other posts that relate to what's been written today:
Posts, with some duplicates from the first list, about war, faith, reason, emotions, Catholicism, perceptions, politics, assumptions; and then some news and background:
News and views:
Background:

1 I didn't vote for the current American president. It's very unlikely that I will vote for him in the next presidential election. I strongly disagree with many of his policies.

I am not "for" President Obabma.

I am not "against" President Obama, either.

I do not believe he is the personification of evil, a diabolical agent of chaos and un-Americanism.

Such a belief would be, in my opinion, as silly as the views expressed by an otherwise-sensible person, that President George W. Bush was "diabolical."
2 He is the Word of God, Messiah, the Son of the living God, who was tortured to death - but didn't stay dead. Jesus lives, an will come at the end of time to judge the living and the dead.

Can't say that I'm looking forward to that: but that's the way it is. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Christ, 240, 241, 436, 442, 369, 595-, 668-670, 678-679; and Matthew-Revelation)

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Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

Background:Posts in this blog: In the news:

What's That Doing in a Nice Catholic Blog?

From time to time, a service that I use will display links to - odd - services and retailers.

I block a few of the more obvious dubious advertisers.

For example: psychic anything, numerology, mediums, and related practices are on the no-no list for Catholics. It has to do with the Church's stand on divination. I try to block those ads.

Sometime regrettable advertisements get through, anyway.

Bottom line? What that service displays reflects the local culture's norms, - not Catholic teaching.