Thoughts and opinions from a Priest in the PNCC
The most well written, concise, and understandable article I’ve ever read regarding statistical analysis of your blog’s performance.
Doug Karr, guest blogger at Have Laptop Will Travel shares his well written Blogging E-Metrics Simplified (PDF) in Blog E-Metrics.
I recently switched to Google Analytics and wow – I can see what’s going on in a snap.
The Young Fogey has two links related to computer issues. Besides the outward reference to a well known computer company in the first, Those mean-spirited Apple ads, what is implied in the second, What to do when your computer bogs down, does a much better job of conveying that company’s sales mantra —“ It just works.
I converted the family a few weeks ago. The kids and I are enjoying —“ and I do mean enjoying —“ a Mac mini. My wife is outfitted with a 20— iMac which allows her to multitask, enjoy, and manage the rest of us without constant crashing and burning.
Set-up was a breeze, and the computers did indeed work right out-of-the-box.
I was spending so much time in computer maintenance that it was affecting other things, and the constant problems frustrated my wife and kids. Now I have more quality blogging time 😉
My wife dabbled in Macs many years ago. I had one experience, in seminary, in the language lab, with an Apple IIe —“ and it worked.
Anyway, I’m still on a PC, now with dual flat screen monitors, and a newly outfitted nVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS video card. My Dell with a 3GHz processor, the new video card, and 512 of RAM will serve for a while I think (excepting the fan which sounds like a Russian tractor). I’m still hoping to see a MacBook Pro under the Christmas tree. Anyone want to be a Christmas angel? If you’re looking to convert do so – on faith.
Oh, and if you’re interested, take a look at my first work computer – the Osborne I. It was a great computer and got me hooked on spreadsheets. Mmmm data analysis…
Przesławny biskupie i męczenniku, św. January, który życie swe dałeś za wiarę Chrystusa, uproś nam u Boga tę łaskę, abyśmy prawdziwe nasze szczęście upatrowali w miłości Boga, który będzie jedynym przedmiotem naszej wiecznej szczęśliwości w niebie. Amen.
From the Associated Press via the Toronto Star: Catholic nun forgave killers as she lay dying:
NAIROBI, Kenya—”Sister Leonella, a Catholic nun who devoted her life to helping the sick in Africa, used to joke there was a bullet with her name engraved on it in Somalia. When the bullet came, she used her last breaths to forgive those responsible.
“I forgive, I forgive,” she whispered in her native Italian just before she died Sunday in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, Rev. Maloba Wesonga said at her memorial mass in Nairobi yesterday.
Sister Leonella’s slaying, outside the hospital where she worked, raised concerns she and other foreigners killed in Somalia recently are victims of growing Islamic radicalism in the Horn of Africa country, where a hardline Muslim militia has been expanding its reach.
…
Sister Leonella, whose birth name was Rosa Sgorbati, had lived and worked in Kenya and Somalia for 38 years.
Ożywiaj nas i umacniaj w wierze, wszechmogący Boże, za przyczyną błogosławionej Idy, abyśmy nie przywięzując się do rzeczy ziemskich, niezachwianą ufność w Tobie jedynie w każdem pokładali zdarzeniu. Przez Chrystusa Pana naszego. Amen.
Today’s Albany Times Union has an article on the security preparations taking place prior to the observance of the upcoming Jewish holy days.
In Faith, vigilance mark holy days: Seattle shooting incident makes security a concern for local Jewish congregations the writer notes the coincidental tie-in between Albany and the shootings that took place at a Jewish Center in Seattle. Based on that coincidence, and the propensity of attacks on Jews by hateful or deranged people, local Jewish leaders are stepping up precautions.
A few excerpts:
As in the past, that preparation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation inviting regional Jewish leaders to a security briefing. About 60 of them attended the 90-minute session last month. The FBI’s Albany field office chief, John Francis Pikus, participated.
…
Agudat Achim’s second vice president, Jeffrey Handelman, attended the FBI meeting in Albany. After officials assured the Jewish leaders they knew of no local threat, he said, someone followed up with another question: Did you know of a specific threat in Seattle?
“And they said ‘no,’ ” Handelman said. “So you know, it’s the kind of thing — it’s just a random crazy person. There’s no way to really secure yourself against all of that.”
Tight security for the High Holidays is nothing new. Armed police at the door, armies of trained ushers, entry by ticket only — all of these are familiar precautions that synagogues have used in the past and will use again this year.
…
At Temple Israel, it was both the Seattle shooting and recent bloodshed in the Middle East that led the synagogue to plan on more police officers and ushers for the High Holidays this year. Roaming security volunteers will monitor the inside and outside of the building.
…
ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman said the shooting, “while the work of an individual who acted alone, was a reminder that the Jewish community must make security a priority each and every day, and especially during the High Holidays.”
In the Capital Region, plenty of temples are heeding that message.
“Many of them mentioned it at the security briefing,” said Shapiro, of the United Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York. “They’ll have more people outside. They’ll be more vigilant.”
All of this brings up some very interesting questions.
The FBI uses staff resources to hold a 90 minute meeting for Jewish groups to advise the attendees that nothing is going on? I think a simple letter would have handled that outlay of information. Here are a few lines they could have used: Regarding the upcoming holy days, the FBI is aware of no explicit threats to the local Jewish community. We advise you to keep vigilant and to take appropriate security precautions.
As a matter of fact, the FBI could send that letter to every religious group in the country. You know, Christians are targets for extremists too (ref. the latest calls to “break up the cross, spill the liquor and impose head tax, then the only thing acceptable is a conversion to Islam or [sic] killed by the sword.”).
It is all very well and good that the law enforcement community is reminding faith communities to be careful. However, shouldn’t we be asking a question closer to the core, what is the appropriate faith response?
Deacon Dan Wright has an excellent analysis of the issues surrounding the Pope’s speech and the backlash from both Muslim and Christian extremists. He writes on what the Christian response should be. In My Very First (Official) Rant he says in part:
Christian people, what is going on? Are you so easily manipulated by the real evil at work? Can you not see the spirit of divisiveness?
Exactly! We’ve bought into divisiveness, building barricades, manning our doors with police officers, and holding FBI meetings out of fear. We are buying into, or creating a spirit of fear. That fear is inconsistent with St. Paul’s challenge to us. It is inconsistent with the voice of the martyrs who stood on very firm ground in the face of fear. It is inconsistant with a life lived in Christ.
For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.
Hardships take many forms: outright persecution, subtle persecution, bigotry, and forgiveness. The onus is on us – how do we respond? St. Paul’s words are as good today as they were during the persecutions of Nero. Stand on the strength of your faith, live the gospel.
Wzorowy biskupie, błogosławiony Tomaszu z Willanowa, wyjednaj nam u Boga żywą wiarę mocną nadzieję i gorącą miłość, abyśmy kochając go całem sercem naśladowali ciebie i miłość naszą stwiedzali uczynkami miłosierdzia względem bliźnich naszych. Amen.
O Doktorze przezacny i świadku Chrystusa chwalebny! Walczyłeś nauka i żywotem o prawdę Kościoła katolickiego, zwyciężyłaś i wieniec twój zabezpieczyłeś w niebie. Wyproś nam u Boga, abyśmy trzymając się Twej nauki, z tobą kiedyś wiecznie królowali. Amen.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
When we consider the vast number of pages that have been written in regard to philosophy, science, theology, and the humanities, when we sum all that up, and look back across history, we may think that we have a right to be pretty proud.
We may think – ‘Look, mankind has created a lot. We’re pretty smart.’ The inherent danger in that declaration is equating accomplishment with truth. Do we rely on the array of what we have created as truth, neglecting God?
I think that captures the trend in humanity – one that has existed even before Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.
Remember, the scribes and pharisees of Jesus’ day lived that kind of existence. They relied on the words and thinking of the teachers that came before them. They certainly had the word of God to rely on, but it obviously wasn’t enough, especially in light of all the interpretations that followed, the oral teachings of their fathers and the Midrash. The Scribes and Pharisees needed the commentary of the Talmud to expand and clarify God’s Law, to codify the code so to speak.
Codifying the code is not wrong in itself, nor would the Pharisees and scribes have been singled out for Jesus’ criticism based on that fact alone. They fell rather on their reliance on those interpretations and codifications to the exclusion of God’s truth. Their code was not in line with God’s code.
The words of the psalmist, his poetry and song, come to completion in Jesus. Jesus worked to refocus The Jewish people on the truth of His Father.
If God is your center and source, if God is your help, if the laws of God are written in your hearts and used as the point of reference for your life, no one can prove you wrong.
Jesus lived in perfect oneness, in perfect unity with His Father. His Father’s will was His own. His Father’s laws were His benchmark. He tried to impress this on His followers. He tries to impress it on us – today, right here and now.
—Who do people say that I am?—
Who indeed! Someone wrote to me recently saying: ‘The Muslims don’t criticize Jesus.’
I responded by implying – ‘I guess it depends on what you mean by criticism.’ If we have no faith, if we are not focused on God, then we would say, Sure, they even write about him (small h) in their book. As a matter of fact we would be pretty close to Islamic belief, Jesus was a nice guy and a great prophet… with a great mom.
If however we have true faith, a true understanding and centering on God, the truth of God revealed to the world, then we would say ‘They do indeed criticize Jesus. They criticize Him (capital H) because they deny who He is.’
My brothers and sisters,
What kind of faith did Peter and the apostles exhibit?
Peter said to him in reply,
—You are the Christ.—
Can we join with Peter and acknowledge Jesus as God and man, as the Messiah and the Savior? Can we stand up and tell the vast majority of the world’s population that they’ve got it wrong?
A pretty brave declaration from Jesus’ closest followers don’t you think? We would be considered pretty brave for saying that today – you know, we might offend someone.
Unfortunately, it was the kind of declaration that in all its truth and power soon fell victim to the parade of human accomplishment.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
Peter was ticked. Jesus just said:
the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
I just declared that You are God, lets go accomplish what I understand You are going to accomplish. What are you talking about? The documents I have in front of me say You are wrong. Here, let me straighten You out.
Peter found and quickly lost the center. He found the faith to proclaim the truth, then the awful weight of our humanity’s self-serving aggrandizement fell upon him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, —Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.—
That about captures it.
Is God God to us? Do we center and judge by Him? Do we work with and relate to each other as He would want us to? Can we make simple proclamations of faith.
Our Orthodox friends say a lot with very few words. The continually pray one little prayer:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
A simple proclamation of faith – Jesus is God. A simple acknowledgment that we fall short of what God wants from us.
I encourage you to pray this prayer all day. Repeat it often, and contemplate its meaning. Above all focus yourself on Jesus – God incarnate.
St. James reminds us:
What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
Faith judged by purely human standards has little value. Faith lived is everything.
Proclaim Jesus as God in all we do; let us live out the fullness of the faith.
Boże, któryś św. Korneljusza biskupa, męczennika, do chwały Twoich świętych wynosił, spraw łaskawie, abyśmy z radością świętego jego obchodząc, przykłady cnót jego naśladowali, i ogniem miłości wiary świętej płonęli. Przez Chrystusa Pana naszego. Amen.