New on the Blogroll: PrayTheRosary.com

There's something new on the blogroll, under 'Something Else:'

• PrayTheRosary.com
  • "Prayer Change Everything;" live Rosary online, prayer requests.

A tip of the hat to Justin Stroh, on Google Plus.

"Press On:" Bill Gates, Calvin Coolidge, and Bartimaeus

Readings for October 28, 2012, 30th Sunday in Ordinary time 2012:

• Jerimiah 31:7-9
• Hebrews 5:1-6
• Mark 10:46-52

---

30th Sunday in Ordinary time 2012

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
October 28, 2012

I would like to share with you today three separate topics. The first one from a document received from Rome by Benedict the 16th's reflection on the year of faith. The second topic is from Francis Cardinal George referring to October as the month of the most holy Rosary and also a little about the apparitions of Our Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima. Third will be a brief reflection on the blind man Bartimaeus from the Gospel of today.

The holy father on his Wednesdays general audience, he continues his catechesis on the year of faith, this is what he says, "Dear brothers and sisters, in our series of Catholic catechesis for the year of faith we now consider the nature of faith more than simply knowledge about God, faith is a living encounter with Him. Through faith we come to know and love God, who reveals Himself in the Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ, and in so doing reveals the deepest meaning and truth of our human existence.

Faith offers us sure hope and direction amid the spiritual confusion of our times. Before all else, faith is a divine gift which enables us to open our hearts and minds to God's word and, through baptism, to share in his divine life within the community of the Church. Yet faith is also a profoundly human act, engaging our intelligence and our freedom. When we welcome God's invitation and gift, our lives and the world around us, are transformed. May this year of faith help us to live our faith fully, and to invite others to hear about faith in God's word, opening their hearts to the Eternal life which faith promises.

Part two: October is the month of the most holy Rosary, a devotion associated in modern times with apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima in 1917, which she always requests in these private revelations that echo the public revelation in the gospel: "repent, the kingdom of God is at hand."

From that time when untold millions came to a violent death through war and atrocities to violent even to contemplate has taken place to the present day. However Mary did promise that her Immaculate Heart would triumph. This promise, too, echoes the gospel itself: the risen Christ is victorious even over sin and death. There is a question to be contemplated, and that is, why have entire civilizations seem to have been faded out of history?, and who will be next? Remember the words of Mother Teresa, any nation that kills and destroys the unborn cannot continue to stand as a nation!

Consider too the present political campaign that has brought to the surface of our public life the anti-religious sentiment, much of it explicit the anti-Catholic, that has been growing in this country for several decades, the secularization of our culture is a much larger issue then political causes or the outcome of the current electoral campaign, important though that is.

Some of you will recall it is from this sentiment that Cardinal George made this statement: "I am correctly quoted as saying that I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square." What is omitted from the report is a final phrase I added about the Bishop who follows the possible last martyred Bishop: "his successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church is done so often in human history." He goes on to say, what I said is not "prophetic" but away to force people to think outside of the usual categories that limit and sometimes poison both private and public discourse." The heading for this article is simply, "The Wrong Side of History" I will leave now, this second part, to your reflection and meditation.

Bill Gates failed in his first business. But he learned from the experience and started of another business, which he called Microsoft. Persistence pays off.

Pres. Calvin Coolidge once said, "nothing in the world can take the place of persistence, talent will not, genius will not, education will not, persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."

Long before Bill Gates and Calvin Coolidge, Bartimaeus was putting persistence into practice. He wanted to have his vision restored, and nothing was going to stop him. He first had to get in front of the crowd's lining the street. He found his way to the front, and sat on the side of the road to await the coming of the one who could heal him. When he heard the crowd coming, he began to call out to Jesus, when people tried to silence him Bartimaeus called out the louder, "Son of David have pity on me." What do you want me to do for you? Jesus asks. The blind man replies, Mater I want to see! The response of the master is simply, go your way your faith has saved you!

I'm sure that all of us at one time or another can relate to the blind Bartimaeus, for blindness is not only in the eye but with our relationship to our God and to one another. This simple little story of the blind man can cause all of us to reflect on any area of blindness that we know exists in each of our natures and likewise can holler and call, Lord Jesus son of David have mercy on me!

---

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

---

More reflections:

• "Reflections from Sauk Centre's Our Lady of Angels Church"

Related posts:

• Persistence and perspective
  • "Taking Life a Thousand Years at a Time"
    (June 10, 2012)
  • "Being Catholic: Within Reason"
    (April 5, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Religious Freedom and the Cardinal
  • "We Won: Quite a While Ago"
    (January 13, 2011)
  • "Joseph's Bones, a Promise, and Passing the Word"
    (December 20, 2010)
    Particularly
    • Children, and their Children's Children
  • "Time, Change, Culture, and This Catholic"
    (December 2, 2010)
• Faith
  • " 'But who do you say that I am?' "
    (October 10, 2012)
  • "The Man Who is Truth"
    (May 26, 2012)
  • "Faith and Obedience"
    (March 25, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Faith, Yes: Blind, No
  • "Hope, Joy, and 'More Despondent Than Thou?' "
    (January 8, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Oh Woe, All Ye Faithful?
    • Hope isn't Irresponsibility
    • 'Gloominess is Next to Godliness?'
    • Hoping, and Working, For a Better World
  • "Faith, Works, and Spirituality for Dummkopfs"
    (October 5, 2011)
• Prayer
  • "Remembering the '60s; Praying for America"
    (November 6, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Litany For Liberty
  • "What Kind of Christian Prays For His Enemies?!"
    (May 18, 2011)
  • "Japan: Earthquake, Tsunami, Burning Reactors, and Snow; a Little Help?"
    (March 16, 2011)
    Particularly
    • Prayer is Good: So is Charity
  • "Smashed Statues: An Opportunity for Prayer and Charity"
    (November 25, 2010)
  • "What a Beautiful Day! And Thank God for Rain"
    (June 9, 2010)

92: Not Bad, for Such a Hot Evening

The Wunderground.com report for Sauk Centre, Minnesota, says it's only 83 °Fahrenheit: but that it feels like 90 °F. 'It's not the heat, it's the humidity.'

That would explain why I worked up a sweat, just sitting and praying this evening.

'Only' 92 folks showed up. My guess is that the heat is a factor. The Beckers, who organized this freedom rosary, have been doing a head count each evening. The top number so far is 98 people.

I'm not sure if tonight's 92 includes my wife and #3 daughter, who showed up toward the end. They'd been learning & assisting at the evening's Soo Bahk Do class, but were able to get out early.

I hope it won't be so warm tomorrow evening: but I plan to go, anyway.

On a lighter note, one of the announcers told us that there would be root beer floats for everybody on the evening of July 4: the last of these freedom rosary prayer meetings. I think that's a nice touch: although, being diabetic, I'll waive that treat.

Related posts:

• "Heat Advisory: But I'm Praying, Anyway"
  (July 1, 2012)
• "A Non-Event That Never Happened"
  (June 30, 2012)
• "Power Outages, Mosquitoes, and Prayer"
  (June 28, 2012)
• "Freedom Rosary: For Me, It's Personal"
  (June 28, 2012)
• "We Pray For Freedom"
  (June 25, 2012)

Heat Advisory: But I'm Praying, Anyway

There's a heat advisory for my part of Minnesota.

It's hot, which I knew.

Strenuous outdoor activity isn't a good idea, which I also knew.

The heat advisory ends at 10:00 p.m., long after we'll be finished with this evening's freedom rosary.

I'm 60, and need to be a bit more careful than I was a few decades back. But prayer and singing isn't exactly "strenuous activity," so I'll be joining my neighbors in the garden between Our Lady of the Angels church and the rectory.

At this moment it's raining, with bright sunshine. No surprises there: radar indicates a strong knot of rain passing by Sauk Centre. If I was outside, I would probably hear thunder.

That micro-storm will be long gone by the time prayers start. If another one pops up while we're out there: we'll enjoy cooler conditions. I'm not sure how the sound system will hold up, though.

Vaguely-related posts:

• "A Non-Event That Never Happened"
  (June 30, 2012)
• "Power Outages, Mosquitoes, and Prayer"
  (June 28, 2012)
• "Freedom Rosary: For Me, It's Personal"
  (June 28, 2012)
• "We Pray For Freedom"
  (June 25, 2012)
• "Curing the Sick, Helping the Poor; Yes: Killing the Innocent; No"
  (June 24, 2012)

A Non-Event That Never Happened

I got back from another freedom rosary a few minutes ago. There weren't quite as many as on some previous nights: but there wasn't all that much space left over in the garden between Our Lady of the Angels church and the rectory, either.

The evening wasn't nearly as warm as I expected, either: which was a welcome surprise.

What one of the men there said wasn't, sadly, a surprise.

The Score So Far: Zero and Zero

He's been trying to get a response from the local newspaper, and a television station. His idea was that the local news media might want to at least mention what's been going on.

I see his point. This freedom rosary involves a serious issue, and is being done by several dozen folks. That doesn't sound like much, but the total population of Sauk Centre is around 4,000: and this is a local project.

So far, the score is zero telephone calls returned, zero emails responded to.

My neighbor is peeved. My response is more like resignation.

When I became a Catholic, I knew that I was throwing away most opportunities for respectability. At least in the eyes of America's establishment. Like the fellow said:

"There are not a hundred people in America who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions of people who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church — which is, of course, quite a different thing."
(Bishop Fulton Sheen, Foreword to Radio Replies Vol. 1, page ix (1938), via Wikiquote)

"The Establishment?"

I think every society has a set of "who hold influential political positions, important posts in business or academia, and the many others who like things pretty much the way they are." (September 15, 2011) In my youth, "the establishment" in America was almost entirely male: and either WASP or trying desperately to seem sufficiently WASPish to get along.

Today's establishment looks different, and has a different preferred reality. But the old 'all the news we feel like printing' attitude is still there.

I can understand how a significant number of Catholics, gathering daily to pray about religious freedom, might be an event that 'establishment types' might like to ignore. We are, after all, threatening the status quo. Besides, there's always the danger that more Americans might catch on to what's actually happening.

Maybe I'm being unfair.

Or, not. It's like the fellow with the 'wrong' ancestry never finding the editor in his office: after a while, it stops looking like a coincidence. Still, it could be worse. After all, this freedom rosary is merely a 'non-event that never happened.'¹

Related posts:

• " 'A Consistent Ethic of Life,' Reality Checks About Religion, and a New Widget"
  (April 27, 2012)
  Particularly
  • What Folks Know, That Just Ain't So
• "'Nazi Pope,' Urban Legends, Academic Standards, and the News"
  (April 17, 2012)
• "Fulton Sheen, Bias, and the Catholic Church"
  (March 28, 2012)
• "Return of the Pedophile Priests Rides Again: The Sequel"
  (November 18, 2011)
• "Cultural Chaos, Divisiveness, and CNN"
  (April 1, 2010)

---

¹ One of the 20th century's more noteworthy leaders is credited with having handled criticism of his administration by declaring the troublemakers "unpersons" who never existed. ("Joseph Stalin: An Annotated Bibliography of English-Language Periodical Literature to 2005," David R. Egan (2007) pages 227, 239, excerpted in Google Books)

Power Outages, Mosquitoes, and Prayer

I spent another hour in the Marian garden between Our Lady of the Angels church and the rectory. These clear, still, nearly-cloudless evenings are nice: but when the wind goes down the mosquitoes come out. This is Minnesota, after all.

I could share some platitude about suffering for my faith, but seriously: mosquitoes?! That would be silly.

Two unexpected power outages this afternoon, one while I was writing, another while I was 'talking business' with my son-in-law, gave me opportunities to practice patience.

I need more practice.

Tomorrow morning's post is wrapped up. And I've already explained why I'm out facing Minnesota's mosquitoes each evening.

Related posts:

• "Freedom Rosary: For Me, It's Personal"
  (June 28, 2012)
• "Memoirs of a Lab Rat"
  (June 28, 2012)
• "We Pray For Freedom"
  (June 25, 2012)
• "Curing the Sick, Helping the Poor; Yes: Killing the Innocent; No"
  (June 24, 2012)
• "Freedom to Act Like God Matters"
  (June 23, 2012)

Freedom Rosary: For Me, It's Personal

First, a clarification about the local freedom rosary's schedule. The plan here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, is to pray each evening at 7:30 p.m.: including the evening of July 4. Now, on with this post.

Prenatal Testing? "It Depends:" Definitely

"Should expectant couples get prenatal testing?" (Paul Schlenker, Google+)

That's a good question. I firmly answered, 'yes; no; it depends:'

"For some couples, I think not getting prenatal testing might be a gross neglect of parental duty. Genetic disorders are known, which are much easier to deal with if they're caught early.

If, however, one assumes that prenatal testing always means killing a child who does not match expectations: in that case, it is not a good idea.

The issue isn't prenatal testing: it's why the technology is used."
(Brian Gill's comment on a post by Paul Schlenker, Google+ (June 27, 2012))

Bioethics questions involving birth defects and 'therapeutic' abortions are more than just public issues for me:

• "Memoirs of a Lab Rat"
  (June 28, 2012)
• "Baptism of Desire: Or, Two Thousand Years of Not Knowing Everything"
  (May 3, 2010)
  Particularly
  • What's the Big Deal With Unbaptized Infants?

Freedom Rosary

It's the personal angle that makes going to my parish's 'freedom rosary' each evening easy. That, and the (so far) good weather.

I don't have statistics to back this up, but I think there's a higher percentage of folks with disabilities at these prayer meetings, than in the general population.

Part of that may be because 'they have nothing else to do:' although I'm an example of 'the disabled' who has held jobs. Granted, I'm retired now.

In my case, though, sitting outside with 50-plus other folks for an hour of prayer wasn't a matter of 'finding something to do.' Particularly when I can do online research:

• "Planned Power Outage, Lots of Quiet, and Me"
  Through One Dad's Eye (June 28, 2012)

Most days, I'm concerned about getting all the tasks done: not whiling away idle hours. And that's another topic.

Life, Conscience, and Me

I was in the garden between the parish church and the rectory yesterday evening, and plan to be back today, because I think:

• Human life is sacred
  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2258)
• Religious freedom is vital
  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109)
  • For everybody
    (Catechism, 2106)
• Having an well-formed conscience is important
  (Catechism, 1776-1794)
• Some actions are always wrong
  (Catechism, 1789)
  • Even if the President says it's okay
    (Catechism, 2242)

Catechism, 2242, doesn't specify "president." The document is for all Catholics, not just those living in America. The terms used are "civil authorities" and "public authority."

The point is that there's a moral order in creation that can't be changed by an act of Congress, presidential proclamation, or a Chancellor's emergency powers. Not even the Supreme Court of the United States has that sort of authority.

And that's yet another topic.

Related posts:

• Fortnight For Freedom
  • " '...A Time to Stand Up' "
    (June 27, 2012)
  • "Freedom Rosary: Another Day, Another Hour of Prayer"
    (June 26, 2012)
  • "We Pray For Freedom"
    (June 25, 2012)
  • "Curing the Sick, Helping the Poor; Yes: Killing the Innocent; No"
    (June 24, 2012)
  • "Fortnight for Freedom Resources; Religious Freedom Backgrounders"
    (June 14, 2012)
• Authority
  • "Freedom to Act Like God Matters"
    (June 23, 2012)
  • "John Fisher, Thomas More, and the Big Picture"
    (June 22, 2012)
  • "Obedience, Yes: Blind Obedience, No"
    (March 12, 2012)
  • "Authority: My Wife's Right"
    (March 30, 2011)
  • "The Catholic Church: Authoritarian, Which Isn't Necessarily a Bad Thing"
    (October 2, 2008)

Freedom Rosary: Another Day, Another Hour of Prayer

I spend another hour in the Marian garden between the parish church and rectory, praying. A tip of the hat to Dr. Erik Rivers, for letting me use photos he took this evening.

Freedom Rosary, Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota. June 26, 2012. Photo by Dr. Erik Rivers.

Freedom Rosary, Sauk Centre, Minnesota. June 26, 2012. Photo by Dr. Erik Rivers.

Related posts:

• "Decisions: Ethical, and Political"
  (June 26, 2012)
• "We Pray For Freedom"
  (June 25, 2012)
• "Curing the Sick, Helping the Poor; Yes: Killing the Innocent; No"
  (June 24, 2012)
• "Freedom to Act Like God Matters"
  (June 23, 2012)
• "John Fisher, Thomas More, and the Big Picture"
  (June 22, 2012)

Decisions: Ethical, and Political

The rules are quite simple:

• 'Love God, love your neighbor.'
  (Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:29-31, Luke 10:25-27; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1822)
• Everybody's our neighbor
  (Matthew 5:43-44, Luke 10:29-37; Catechism, 1825)

God, Love, and Weaseling

Things get complicated when folks try weaseling out of those simple rules. I think that's why the Catholic Church has been pointing out that 'love God, love your neighbor, everyone's your neighbor' implies:

• Murder is wrong
  • Even if the victim is
    • Sick
      (Catechism, 2276-2279)
    • Helpless
      (Catechism, 2270-2275)
    • Yourself
      (Catechism, 2280-2283)
  (Catechism, 2259-2262, 2268-2270)
• Religious freedom is vital
  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109)
  • For everybody
    (Catechism, 2106)

Freedom Means Freedom: For Everybody

I'm a practicing Catholic, so I have to follow 'all of the above.' That includes supporting religious freedom: for everybody.

Even if I could, somehow, 'make people' believe what I do: I couldn't because the Church says I must not force by beliefs on other people.

I do, however, hope that Catholics living in America will be allowed to continue acting as if God matters.

Praying for Freedom

That's why I went to the Marian garden between the parish church and rectory, and prayed with about 1/80 of the folks who live here in Sauk Centre. I stopped counting when 54 folks had gathered: and more came after that.

Violins and song at the Freedom Rosary, Marian garden, Our Lady of Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota. June 25, 2012.

Another really nice evening. June 25, 2012.

We plan to keep praying for the rest of Fortnight For Freedom because if something isn't done, Catholics in America will have to decide whether to practice their faith, or follow orders from the national government.

Life, Death, and Rules

The feds have decided that nearly every employer and every taxpayer must pay for what's euphemistically called 'women's health services.' Catholics who are in medical professions will be required to kill innocent people: or face the wrath of Washington.

I've posted about this before:

"...To qualify for the privilege of not killing people, or paying assassins, organizations must:

• "Be non-profit
• "Exist to inculcate religious values
• "Primarily serve and employ
  members of their own faiths

"Think about it. If a hospital exists to cure the sick, it doesn't qualify. If a business makes a profit, it doesn't qualify. If a church hires people without discriminating on the basis of religion, it doesn't qualify...."
(June 23, 2012)

"I was Only Following Orders?"

Around the middle of the 20th century, A German chancellor's efforts to enact some forward-looking principles of eugenics got Western civilization's attention. When the dust settled, 'I was only following orders' stopped being a nifty excuse for going along with a rogue ruler.¹

As a practicing Catholic, I'm expected to obey legitimate authorities. I'm also expected to not obey orders issued by "a public authority which oversteps its competence" that demand actions "contrary to those of an upright conscience." (Catechism, 2242) (March 5, 2011)

"Decide Today Whom You Will Serve"

Hard choices are nothing new. A couple dozen centuries back, Joshua delivered this 'take it or leave it' set of options:

" 'Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve him completely and sincerely. Cast out the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

"³ If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.' "
(Joshua 24:15-15)

More recently, folks in England got opportunities I sincerely hope Americans won't face.

John Fisher was killed 477 years ago last Friday, for not cooperating with Henry VIII's decision to be a sort of mini-pope. Thomas More lived a little longer, but was executed July 6, 1535, for the same reason.

They're recognized as Saints. Henry VIII went through several wives before dying: but didn't produce a viable male heir to the throne. And that's another topic.

Decide This November, How You Will Vote

Something 21st century America has that 16th century England lacked is opportunities to swap out the country's top leadership. We have an election coming this November:

"Supreme Knight urges Catholics to put faith first while voting"
Benjamin Mann, CNA/EWTN News (June 22, 2012)

"Catholic voters must demand respect for their moral convictions and the Church's freedom in 2012 and beyond, the head of the Knights of Columbus said in a June 22 speech.

"The faithful 'must have the courage to act boldly,' by insisting that candidates 'respect the integrity and mission of the Catholic Church and its institutions,' Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson told journalists gathered for the 2012 Catholic Media Conference in Indianapolis.

"As they cast their votes, Catholics 'must have the courage to tell candidates that if they want Catholic votes they will have to respect the fundamental principles of Catholic social teaching,' the head of the Catholic fraternal order said.

"Anderson said the faithful should seek to 'debate and vote on the full range of Catholic social teaching – including prudential issues that raise serious moral questions.'

"But this can only be accomplished if Church members stop supporting 'candidates who advocate policies that are intrinsically evil.'..."

Candidates who don't support evil? I think America is ready:

• "Public Officials with Ethical Standards: A Radical Idea For Today's America"
  (June 29, 2010)

Related posts:

• Having standards
  • "Curing the Sick, Helping the Poor; Yes: Killing the Innocent; No"
    (June 24, 2012)
  • "John Fisher, Thomas More, and the Big Picture"
    (June 22, 2012)
  • "Decide: Life, or Death"
    (June 21, 2012)
  • "Hope, Joy, and Working for a Better World"
    (September 13, 2011)
  • "Citizenship, Rules, Marriage, and Not Being Decently Quiet"
    (March 5, 2011)
    Particularly
    • Obedience, Yes: Blind Obedience, No
• Politics and freedom
  • "John Fisher, Thomas More, and the Big Picture"
    (June 22, 2012)
  • "My Way, or the Highway: Academic 'Freedom' at Iowa's Top Law School"
    (April 6, 2012)
  • "Upset Applecarts: A Hopeful Sign"
    (March 5, 2012)
  • "Party Politics, Reality, the Big Picture, and This Catholic"
    (October 1, 2009)
  • "Conservative? Liberal? Democrat? Republican? No, I'm Catholic"
    (November 3, 2008)
• Faith and politics
  • "Freedom to Act Like God Matters"
    (June 23, 2012)
  • "Evil is Not Nice, Religious Freedom, and Other Radical Ideas"
    (May 4, 2012)
  • "The Establishment Clause; Religious Freedom; and Getting a Grip"
    (October 5, 2011)
  • "Separation of Church and State, Assumptions, and Fear"
    (September 2, 2011)
  • "Freedom of Religion, or Freedom From Religion?"
    (June 1, 2009)

---

¹ Some results of our last reminder that evil is not nice:

• "Nuremberg Trials"
  Wikipedia
• Nuremberg principles"
  Wikipedia
  • Principle IV
• Nuremberg Code"
  Wikipedia

We Pray For Freedom

I spent part of yesterday evening outside, between the parish church and rectory. Several minutes after I arrived, my son showed up. We'd both heard that folks would be praying there at 7:30.

Freedom Rosary, Marian garden, Our Lady of Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota. June 24, 2012.

Flowers, Vines, and - a Sound System?

I'd wondered why the family who had suggested this series of prayer meetings had a sound system set up. A few folks clustered together can generally hear each other well enough, particularly in a quiet spot like our church's Marian garden.

Over 50 folks came, not quite a 'capacity crowd.' I could have made myself heard in the back rows: but I wasn't leading the prayers, and a good sound system helps anybody speak audibly to that many people.

Most of the prayers were familiar: I recognized the Litany for Liberty; and an appeal to St. Thomas More, the Patron of Religious Freedom.

Saints, Prayer, and Being Catholic

In my dialect of English, I could say "we prayed to St. Thomas More," and an informed Catholic would know what I meant. "Praying to" Saints is verbal shorthand for saying "asking Saints to pray with us." I've been over this before. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 823, 828, 946, 1090, 2113)

• "Saints: That's so Medieval"
  (February 14, 2010)
• "Oh, For the 'Good Old Days?' "
  (November 28, 2010)
  Particularly
  • Art and the Catholic Church: Statues, Yes; Idolatry, No

Briefly, I'm a practicing Catholic, so I worship one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Catechism, 232-260, particularly 253) Worshiping any creature, knowing what I do, would be daft.

Being Catholic, I realize that there's more than just 'me and God.' Quite a lot more.

I 'pray to God.' Some of these prayers are formal, like the "Our Father." Sometimes I 'just talk to God.'

But, since I know there are people who are a lot 'closer' to God than I am, I think it's just common sense to ask them to put in a word about my concerns, too.

'Knowing Someone at Headquarters'

I believe that eternal life is real. (Catechism, 1020-1050)

Some folks have "lived a life of exemplary fidelity to the Lord." (Catechism, 2156) After the end of their life, they "are in glory, contemplating 'in full light, God himself triune and one, exactly as he is'." (954-959) Over the course of two millennia, the Church has documented quite a few of those folks.

The Saints in Heaven aren't little gods. They're people, creatures like me: except that they're dead and 'at headquarters,' with my Lord. I think it makes sense to ask them for help. (Catechism, 956)

Do Numbers Matter?

Where determining what is real, and what isn't, I think asking lots of people what they think has limited usefulness. Someone involved in product development and marketing, or politics, must pay attention to opinions about cheeseburgers, perfume, and haircuts.

But, like I've told my kids: 'If three hundred million people really believe in a stupid idea: It's still a stupid idea.'

That's not the same as believing that if 'the masses' believe something, the opposite must be true:

"By a curious confusion, many modern critics have passed from the proposition that a masterpiece may be unpopular to the other proposition that unless it is unpopular it cannot be a masterpiece."
"On Detective Novels," Generally Speaking: a Book of Essays, London: Methuen (1928) via "Quotations of G. K. Chesterton," The American Chesterton Society
(and see National Library of Australia Catalog)

I've been over that before, too:

• "Benedict XVI in Germany, My Take: Dissent, Conversion, and Knowledge"
  (September 30, 2011)
• "April 9, 2011, Blogging, the Vatican, and Getting a Grip
  (April 9, 2011)

Over 50 folks showed up to pray yesterday evening. I intend to be there again at 7:30 this evening, and hope that others decide to do the same: and are able to come.

But - do I think it matters, how many folks are there? Sort of, although the threshold seems to be pretty low. Matthew 18:20, and all that. What's important is my Lord:

"For where two or three . . . midst of them: the presence of Jesus guarantees the efficacy of the prayer. This saying is similar to one attributed to a rabbi executed in A.D. 135 at the time of the second Jewish revolt: '. . . When two sit and there are between them the words of the Torah, the divine presence (Shekinah) rests upon them' (Pirqe Abot 3:3)."
(Matthew 18, Footnote 17)

Will my faith be shattered, if 'our prayers aren't answered?' No. (Catechism, 2728) If my faith depended on 'happy endings,' I'd have left the Church when Elizabeth died. (June 4, 2011)

Praying for Freedom

These evening prayers are my parish's response to the call to prayer, fasting, repentance, education, and action called Fortnight For Freedom. I'd have been at the earlier meetings, but didn't hear about it until Father Statz Mass yesterday. By the way, he said this is the sort of thing Vatican II was talking about: the faithful acting at a 'grassroots' level, coming up with ways to achieve the Church's goals.

"Fortnight For Freedom" isn't about me and the rest of the parish forcing everybody in America to be like us. What we want is the freedom to not pay others to kill innocent people. There are nicer ways to put it, but that's the bottom line.



I've posted link lists to resources that tell about what the Catholic Church really says, and what we can do. This one is still 'current:'

• "Fortnight for Freedom Resources; Religious Freedom Backgrounders"
  (June 14, 2012)
  • Fortnight for Freedom resources
    • Reflections for the Fortnight for Freedom
      • Litany for Liberty
      •  Letanía por la Libertad
      • Reflections for the Fortnight for Freedom
      • Reflexiones para la QUINCENA POR LA LIBERTAD
    • Religious Liberty FAQs
  • 'Conscience' bulletin inserts (June)
  • USCCB HHS Mandate bulletin inserts (February)
  • Background: Why Ethics Matter
    • HHS Mandate, and Why Catholic Hospitals Won't Kill
    • Why Catholic bishops in America are concerned
    • Letters

Related posts:

• Faith and freedom
  
  • "Curing the Sick, Helping the Poor; Yes: Killing the Innocent; No"
    (June 24, 2012)
  • "Freedom to Act Like God Matters"
    (June 23, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Freedom, Conscience, and an Archbishop
  • "John Fisher, Thomas More, and the Big Picture"
    (June 22, 2012)
  • "Supporting Freedom, and Other Subversive Activity"
    (June 22, 2012)
    • "The Faith Community" - But Whose?
      • "Adversarial" - No Surprises Here
      • You Won't Kill? How Selfish!
      • 'It's Okay: They're Not Real People'
      • Getting a Grip About "Progressive"
      • "Deep Pockets" - Those Nasty, Rich, Catholic Oppressors?
    • Knights of Columbus Partisan? Yes and No
      • Supporting Freedom, and Other Subversive Activity
    • School Bus Firebombed? Ignore it, They're Catholic
      • Criminal Investigation: Maybe
  • "Decide: Life, or Death"
    (June 21, 2012)
• Why I care
  
  • "Fasting, Penance: and Infinite Depths of Joy"
    (June 3, 2012)
  • "Martial Arts and the Battle for Purity"
    (April 15, 2012)
  • "The Man Who Wouldn't Stay Dead"
    (March 11, 2012)
  • "An Eternal Life I can Live With"
    (August 27, 2011)
  • "We Won: Quite a While Ago"
    (January 13, 2011)

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:

• "How to Pray the Rosary"
  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
  (From www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/discerning-men/upload/how-to-pray-the-rosary.pdf, (Marcy 10, 2014))
  • Apostles' Creed
  • Our Father
  • Hail Mary
  • Glory Be
  • Hail Holy Queen (on *.pdf* page)

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:

• "How to Pray the Rosary"
  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
  (From www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/discerning-men/upload/how-to-pray-the-rosary.pdf, (Marcy 10, 2014))
• "How to Tie Rosary Knots"
  eHow
• "Make a Cord Rosary "
  Rosary Makers Guide

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:

• "Lenten Chaplet: Missed a Day, Caught Up"
  (March 18, 2011)
• "Lenten Chaplet, and a How to Pray the Rosary Resource"
  (March 10, 2011)
• "Ash Wednesday, 2011: Smudge on My Forehead, Chaplet Started"
  (March 9, 2011)
• "Celebrating Mass, Flossing My Teeth"
  (October 20, 2010)
• "Superstitions, Catholicism, and a Really Bad Experience With the Ark"
  (July 13, 2010)

Resources:

• "How to Pray the Rosary"
  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• "How to Tie Rosary Knots"
  eHow
• "Make a Cord Rosary "
  Rosary Makers Guide

Prayers Over the Kitchen Sink

We've got two sheets of paper taped to the window frame, over the kitchen sink. One of them's been there for a while, the other went up a few days ago.



The older, more wrinkled, one is a meditation for someone who has received the Eucharist earlier in the day. The new one is a prayer request from someone I met on Twitter.

Both are there to remind members of this family to pray: meditating on what's happened that day at Mass; and asking for help with someone's health issue.

The window over our kitchen sink isn't particularly "spiritual." It's one place in the house where we all stop at least once a day: which makes it a good place to post reminders. In these cases, to pray.

What is Prayer?

One thing prayer is not is 'making God do things for me.' I heard somewhere that prayer is more about conforming our hearts to God, than bending His will to ours.

Here's a somewhat more detailed (and official) definition of Catholic prayer:

" 'Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.'² But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or 'out of the depths' of a humble and contrite heart?³ He who humbles himself will be exalted;⁴ humility is the foundation of prayer. Only when we humbly acknowledge that 'we do not know how to pray as we ought,'⁵ are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. 'Man is a beggar before God.'⁶"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2559)

There's quite a bit more on the subject, of course. (Catechism 2558-2565, for starters)

Prayers by the Bushel

As a practicing Catholic, I've got quite a selection of kinds of prayers to choose from:

• Novenas, sets of prayers to be said over a nine-day period
• Short, informal, prayers of the "please help me find those keys" sort
• Long-established memorized prayers like the St. Michael's prayer
  • I'll get back to that one
• The set of prayers we call "the Rosary"
• The Lord's Prayer
  • Which is part of the Rosary

There are prayers to be said when getting up in the morning, before meals (my family does that), prayers to be said at particular times during the day: after about two millennia of accumulated traditions, a person could probably find prayers for every waking moment.

After a few hours, that'd be hard on the throat. And leave no time for anything else.

Some religious orders do a very great deal of praying. You might say "it's what they do."

Apart from the meal-time prayers, I don't have prayers that I say at fixed intervals during the day. It's not that I think it's a bad idea: it's just that I haven't seen any clear instruction that I should.

On the other hand, for years now I've prayed the St. Michael's prayer whenever I hear a siren: plus a few words, asking help for whoever's responding to an emergency. Those words have to be pretty generic, sometimes, since I can't tell what sort of emergency vehicle the siren's mounted on: but I figure the heavenly analog of dispatchers can sort it out.

Later tonight, when I do the dishes that need hand-washing, I'll put in a word about that prayer request I read on Twitter. It's no big deal: just part of being a Catholic.

• "A Chaplet for America"
  (June 15, 2010)
• "Prayer, Medicine and Trusting God"
  (March 4, 2010)
• "A Lenten Chaplet, Routines, and Catching Up"
  (February 24, 2010)
• "Haiti Earthquake: Send Help if You Can, and Pray for the Folks Living There"
  (January 12, 2010)
• "Praying for America's Leaders"
  (July 2, 2009)
• "A Prayer for the Dead"
  (June 25, 2009)

Second Sunday of Lent, 2010

Readings for January 31, 2010, Second Sunday of Lent:

• Gn 15:5-12, 17-18
• Phil 3:17-4:1 or 3:20-4:1
• Lk 9:28b-36

---

Second Sunday of Lent, 2010

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
February 28, 2010

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While He was praying His face changed in appearance and His clothing became dazzling white.

I want to talk to you today about prayer. Prayer being the first of the three concerns we hear about in Lent:, Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving. It should be clear to us that these three modes of living the Christian life should not be only a Lenten exercise but should give witness to who we are and to whom we belong, at all times of the year. In the quote I just shared with you Prayer changes everything about us too, as it did for Jesus. Prayer changes our appearance, our demeanor, our outlook on life, our very relationship with one another.

By the words of Father Harden we read that Prayer is the voluntary response to the awareness of God's presence. This response may be an acknowledgment of God's greatness and of a person's total dependence on Him (adoration), or gratitude for His benefits to oneself and others (thanksgiving). Or sorrow for sins committed and begging for mercy (expiation), or asking for graces needed (petition), or affection for God, who is all good (love).

In another place he writes that to Pray always, as recommended by Paul, is the desire to always be united to God. Is also called the prayer of the heart. He goes on to say that this prayer need not be conscious awareness of God's presence. It implies that a person is constantly ready to do the will of God.

It's interesting to note that to Pray implies that we use words. Doxology is formula of praise to God. For example, "Glory to God in the Highest," recited or sung at Mass is known as the greater doxology. "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit" is the lesser doxology. "For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever," is a doxology that we say after the Our Father at each Mass.

This brings up the Our Father: You'll remember that one day the apostles asked Jesus to teach them how to pray as John has taught his disciples and Jesus said when you pray say, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.' Amen

I've been reading of late that the Our Father is so perfect a prayer that all prayer must reflect what Jesus taught in The Our Father. It consists of seven petitions, of which the first three are concerned with the interests of God, and the last four are requests for divine assistance to man. Plus the fact that it is the common prayer of all Christians.

Knowing myself as I do, I must confess that the hardest part of praying for me is to keep my mind on what I am praying. I talked to a priest about this in the past and was not given much advice other then, join the human race. I stand at the alter with father and before long my mind is off to, God only knows where, pulling myself back to what's going on and making a new resolution and sure enough I'm back to my old ways. Why oh why? The most sublime prayer of all time is taking place and the mind roams.

I remember a retreat a long time ago and it came up that we must find ways of making our body to be a part of the words of our prayer. For example: that is why we fold our hands at Mass to help our mind to conform to the words of the Mass. It helps to pull us back to the reality of what is taking place. Why do we kneel other than to conform or body to the most important happening of the day in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Another example; we pray the rosary and about the third or fourth Hail Mary we have lost track of the mystery that we are supposed to be praying. Please don't tell me that I'm the only one that has this problem. I remember one Saturday we were having Catechism here in the west sacristy and I don't remember what was going on but Father challenged one of the boys that if he could go out and kneel in front of the Tabernacle and say a mystery of the rosary without distraction he would give him a dollar, a dollar was a lot of money in those days. He didn't take Father up on the challenge as he knew full well he would be thinking about receiving that dollar.

Why do we make the Sign of the Cross, rather then just saying, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Isn't it to give witness to our Words? Take it a step futher then, why not make the sign of the cross when saying, Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit?

When I was a young boy, mother was telling me how they prayed the rosary in German. Simply it was that you would insert in the Hail Mary a reflection of the Mystery. Some of you may already know this because sometimes I do pray the rosary this way in public.

Quick lesson: You would say, Hail Mary full of Grease the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the Fruit of your womb, Jesus, who was announced, Holy Mary - - - - -. That was for the Annunciation. You do this for each Hail Mary to keep your reflection on the mystery. For each mystery the reflection refers back to Jesus. Each mystery may go something like this: who visited, who was born into the world, who was presented, who was found, who was in agony, who was scourged, who was crowned, who carried the cross, who was crucified. This gives you an idea of what you can insert for each mystery. Here is something else you may not have considered; by carrying your rosary with you at all times is like you have the New Testament either in you pocket or handbag. And now that the Luminous have been add we really have a very complete New Testament, in the simple praying of the Rosary. Pray, Pray, Pray that you may be transformed as was Jesus. Amen

---

More:

• "Reflections from Sauk Centre's Our Lady of the Angels Church"

The Rosary is a Gang Symbol: Who Knew?

I read in the news that Tabitha Ruiz has worn her silver and ruby beaded rosary ever since she was a child. It's a gift from her mother.

And, it's verboten at Seagoville High School, near Dallas, Texas.

A security guard stopped her at the door.

That rosary is gang-related, according to the security guard. And, presumably, according to the school's principal.

To be fair, there's a nugget of truth in saying that rosaries are gang symbols.

" 'Lately they've been seen wearing religious jewelry such as the rosary worn by gang members, so it is a factor,' said Sr. Cpl Kevin Janse of the Dallas Police Department.

"Although rosaries are not specifically banned by name in the district's dress code, a DISD spokesman did say, 'It's up to the principal's discretion. We chose to err on the side of caution.' "

There's another point of view, of course. " 'If we back down to everything the gangs are doing, the gangs win,' said Taire Ferguson. 'Why should we take away her choice to express her religious beliefs because gangs are doing it? It's not right.' "
(Quotes from MyFox Dallas.)

I think I understand the school officials and law enforcement on this one.

• Some gangs have, in fact, used rosaries as identifying symbols, or at least as fashion statements
• Catholics use a great number of symbols and objects as part of the way they practice their faith
• Protestants, by and large, don't
• America has been a predominantly Protestant country, and so the relatively symbol-free Protestant expression of faith is the cultural norm
• People departing from a norm stick out, by definition

And, since 'normal' people don't wear rosaries, and some gang members do, it's natural enough to assume that rosaries are gang symbols, and that people who wear rosaries are gang members. If I remember my logic correctly, that's an inductive fallacy. It's also a very human thing to do.

Besides, the Seagoville High School principal may be trying to protect students from being mis-identified as gang members, by banning rosaries. If that's the case, I trust that the dress code also bans all colors and articles of clothing that gangs use for identification.

A policy which, potentially, would turn the school into a nudist camp.

This sort of policy, which in effect tells people to check their religious practices at the door, makes me more sympathetic toward Muslims, Sikhs, and others whose system of belief encourages them to look a bit less like Yankees than most of us do.

More, at "Student Told Rosary is Gang Symbol" (MyFox Dallas (September 16, 2008)).

Still more, at "Who Knew? Assertions, Assumptions and Assorted Weirdness from All Over"