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Year: 2006

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Media

Justin Timberlake —“ I want, I want, I want

Justine Timberlake, the one time Mickey Mouse Club member, N’Sync ‘star’ and grandson of a Baptist minister allows the world to see into his troubled soul. From a CNN story: Justin Timberlake: ‘Idol’ champ ‘can’t carry a tune in a bucket’.

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Timberlake backtracked from criticism of “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks after telling Fashion Rocks magazine the 29-year-old soul singer “can’t carry a tune in a bucket.”

The story goes on into excuse making for his comments, because obviously he is a poor misunderstood soul who cannot form a clear sentence. You know, no one understands me or what I mean.

At the end of the story Timberlake’s true motivations comes out. He needs to make attention grabbing headlines because he has a new album coming out. It is desribed as follows:

Timberlake’s second solo album, “FutureSex/LoveSounds,” is set for release September 12. “Sexyback,” his first single from the CD, began playing on U.S. radio outlets last month.

…and he finishes by saying:

“I wanted (the album) to look to a time when everything was really sexy,” he says. “Maybe everybody was coked up, but who cares? It was hot. It was all about sex.”

I want attention, I want headlines, I want sex —“ all judged by his personal spirituality (see the Justin Timberlake wiki).

I think he has Madonna syndrome…

Current Events, Political

KILL THE HEATHEN!!!

The Most Reverend Thomas G. Doran, R.C. Bishop of Rockford Illinois publishes a column in his diocesan newspaper. Last week (August 10, 2006) Bishop Doran’s column was entitled: Reaping the whirlwind of abortion. Portions of the first three paragraphs read as follows:

As human beings, as citizens of a —first world country,— as Americans, and as Catholics, most importantly, we have to take count of the circumstances in which we live. We know that the only creatures of God that outlast time are those created having intellect and will. All other things, with the passage of time, break up or break down…

and

The seven ‘sacraments’ of their secular culture are abortion, buggery, contraception, divorce, euthanasia, feminism of the radical type, and genetic experimentation and mutilation…

Strong statements —“ I agree, especially coming from a R.C. Bishop in the United States. Also, with some exposition of the issues and catechesis on the Church’s position, effectively affirming R.C. teaching, and calling for compliance among Roman Catholics, it wouldn’t be a bad column. As a PNCC clergyman I would agree with 6/7ths of his statement.

Unfortunately, the Bishop decided to go ballistic, and not just a little.

The bookends to these statements are as follows:

I want to touch on this matter before we get too close to the November madness.

Many of the issues that confront us are serious, and we know by now that the political parties in our country are at loggerheads as to how to solve them. We know, for instance, that adherents of one political party would place us squarely on the road to suicide as a people.

and

These things they unabashedly espouse, profess and promote. Their continuance in public office is a clear and present danger to our survival as a nation.

He goes on to draw comparisons between the ‘evil political party’ AKA the Democrats and Nazi Germans. Then he concludes by calling for their extinction as follows:

It is the duty of every Catholic to support the work of the parish Pro-Life directors and commissions and to work for the extirpation from our society of all those who in any way foster or promote these things. I wholeheartedly endorse the activities of our Pro-Life Office in the sure and certain knowledge that divine justice will not allow those who act against human life to prosper.

Let me paraphrase:

It is every Catholic’s (thankfully he only speaks for R.C.’s) duty to work for the extinction from our society of all those (i.e., people —“ not just their ideas or philosophies —“ but the people themselves) who in any way foster or promote these things.

I’ve heard of defending life and the faith, but using a just cause to shill for one political party while thoroughly demonizing the other is unconscionable. Going even further than that is an abject dereliction of his Christian duty.

I imagine the Bishop is well educated, an S.T.L. and Doctorate in Canon Law —“ both from Rome. I just cannot understand why a Christian, a Prelate, and a leader would turn the message of faith and salvation into a message calling for destruction. Hate the sin, love the sinner has somehow been confused and twisted in Rockford.

…and, when someone, who has lost touch with reality, goes out to enact his command to make Democrats extinct, there will be lots of hand wringing at the Chancery.

Lee Penn over at the Conservative Blog for Peace did an excellent analysis of the whole piece in The seven unholy sacraments. Check it out.

…and just to add a bit, this from Fr John Fenton of Conversi ad Dominum: Mercy — Even for Those Who Insult You.

Current Events, Media, Perspective

Miscellaneous Stuff

There are a few things I’ve been meaning to comment on:

The Lord Madonna

Madonna has been using Christian symbolism from her beginning as a peppy, sex charged, pop star. Her name, the use of statues, anything Christian, etc., etc. is almost a constant component of her act.

Fr Joseph Huneycutt points this out in a post from about a week or so ago entitled: MADONNA: Sounds of Sanity.

I imagine that there are many explanations for this: she’s confused, she’s mentally unstable, she likes cheap PR tricks, it’s the only way she can keep her career alive (note that she rarely tours in the U.S. and can’t get a U.S. TV gig anymore), or she thinks she is a god…

Whatever the reason, I don’t bear her any ill will. She is simply a person who is so self-involved that she fails to see her own human value. She cannot see herself as God sees her.

Let us pray that she be given the grace to move from self-involvement to reality.

Islamo-Fascism

President Bush made a comment the other day in regard to terrorist plot to blow-up airliners in midair. He referred to the participants in this plot as Islamo-Fascists.

Now, I expect my president to be angered over plots to kill my fellow citizens (and any human being for that matter – yeah, I know). I expect him to express his outrage. I also expect him to use considered words – words that make some sense.

Calling the plotters Islamo-Fascists is one of the dumbest statements I’ve ever heard. Have you ever just starred at the TV incredulous over what you’ve just seen and heard? Well that was me.

Mr. President, if your grasp on political and historical movements is so weak as to mix metaphors on live television in the heat of anger (and I don’t believe for a minute that his indignation was anything other than contrived —“ he knew about this stuff for days or at least hours in advance of his words), then use a speech writer.

Fr. Jim Tucker has commented on this in his post: Commies, Fascists, and Other People We Don’t Like. It looks like he got a lot of flack and he followed up with: Sobran on Islamo-fascism.

In Mr. Sobran’s article he states:

In other words, Islamofascism is nothing but an empty propaganda term. And wartime propaganda is usually, if not always, crafted to produce hysteria, the destruction of any sense of proportion. Such words, undefined and unmeasured, are used by people more interested in making us lose our heads than in keeping their own.

Exactly.

Perspective

Home Depot – get it, got it, done

We received a call from a trucking firm on Monday advising us that our patio furniture would be delivered Wednesday. Yesterday afternoon at about 4:30 the driver called to advise me that our stuff was at the house. It was indeed there when I returned from Holy Mass last night.

I took a look at the shipping manifest. The shipment was prepared on July 31st, the Monday after I placed my order. It’s been traveling the country for sixteen (16) days.

All-in-all this whole process would have gone better if Home Depot’s staff were better trained, if their customer service knew how to communicate with a concerned customer, and if they had been honest in the first place, stating that delivery can take up to three weeks…

I appreciate the fact that customer service is difficult. I appreciate the fact that service itself is difficult (hey – I’m a deacon). Getting answers like ‘I’m stressed, busy, I haven’t been trained, I don’t know, etc.’ is not helpful.

What happened to the classic notion of getting satisfaction from having helped someone and knowing that you have done your job well? That would pre-suppose a connection with classic values born out of Christianity. It would mean that people understood that there is more to life than the paycheck and the bottom line.

Christian Witness, Current Events

How dare you say peace…

Check out the posting from Eunomia: War Is the Worst Solution. The writer is commenting on the Pope’s calls for peace and certain ‘Christians’ who are calling for his head, as noted in First Things.

It’s sad really when Christians can’t see history clearly (as the Young Fogey points out), can’t see their faith clearly, and can’t separate faith from a political agenda.

Faith and loyalty to God are so far beyond politics. As governments and politics change (you can check out all the examples throughout history), today’s Christo-politicos will become tomorrows dinner for lions.

All we have is our faith —“ let’s get with the program.

Saints and Martyrs

August 17 – St. Roch (Św. Roch)

Boże, który nas doroczną uroczystością błogosławionego Rocha uweselasz, spraw to łaskawie, abyśmy pokorę i cierpliwość jego naśladując, za jego przyczyną od zaraźliwych chorób duszy i ciała uwolnieni byli. Przez Chrystusa Pana naszego. Amen.

Saints and Martyrs

August 16 – St. Hyacinth (Św. Jacek)

Wszechmogący wieczny Boże, któryś wyznawcę swego św. Jacka wsławił karnodziejską wymową, świętością czynów, i blaskiem rozlicznych cudów —“ dopomóż nam, abyśmy naśladując jego cnoty, poprawili swe życie, i za jego wstawieniem od rozmaitych nieszczęść i przeciwności wolnymi byli. Przez Chrystusa Pana naszego. Amen.

Homilies,

Solemnity of the Dormition/Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.

In the Orthodox Church, the Epistle for the Solemnity of the Dormition is the great Christological Hymn found in St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, Chapter 2.

It seems odd, at face value, because the Epistle makes no specific reference to Mary. If we look at the Gospel for the day, taken from Chapters 10 and 11 of St. Luke, it is the story of Martha and Mary receiving Jesus into their home. Martha is complaining about Mary.

Except for the coincidence of names in the Gospel, there is no mention of Mary, the mother of Jesus in the first part of the Gospel.

Listen again to the opening lines of the Epistle:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus

Jesus is God incarnate. He set aside the magnificence of the heavenly host to be born of lowly estate, of a Virgin, with a carpenter as His stepfather and protector.

By the words of the Gospel and by Holy Tradition we recall Mary being born to Joachim and Anna, also of humble estate. By the particular graces given to Mary she found, written on her heart, the call to humility. The call to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus, even before she knew Him as the child she bore.

That is the miracle. God has written His name upon our hearts. God calls us to be like His Son, Jesus, who:

emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.

Jesus’ lesson in humility was part of Mary, and is part of us.

Mary was prepared to say yes to God because she knew that despite the risks, the possible divorce, her being labeled, and the probable stoning, God would take care of everything. Mary had complete trust and complete humility.

She didn’t rely on knowledge, practices, or any other human invention. She simply said yes to God.

In the second part of the Gospel, taken from Luke, Chapter 11, we read:

As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

By the particular graces given to Mary she found, written on her heart, the call to obedience. The call to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus, even before she knew Him as the child she bore. Mary listened to the Word of God and she obeyed.

Mary was a young girl, now with child. She has ‘enough problems’ as we would say. Yet her problems did not get in the way of her obedience. Upon hearing of her kinswoman Elizabeth she ran off to care for her. When Joseph said ‘we’re going to Bethlehem’ she went. When Joseph said ‘we’re going to Egypt’ she went. Not complaining, not focusing on her desires, she gave her life over to her Son, completely obedient to God’s will.

Jesus Christ was humble and obedient. Because of this humility and obedience:

God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

That is God’s promise to us. Not that every knee will bend at our name, but that the glory of the Godhead will be ever present for us to worship in the exaltation of heaven. That is our destiny; that is heaven —“ humility and obedience before God.

My brothers and sisters,

Mary was not only humble and obedient, by the particular graces she received, she remained pure. As with the call to humility and obedience, she was called to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus, purity and chastity.

The merit of Mary’s intercession, and the reason we celebrate her feasts, is completely tied to the threefold model of life she lived. Mary lived a life of complete love and dedication to God.

This model of life, perfect humility before God, perfect obedience to His will, and the grace to remain pure is the very reason for this Solemnity.

In beautiful iconography we see Jesus at His mother’s side. In His arms He holds her soul which He has taken from her at her death. The Apostles stand around her, ready to bear her to her tomb. Mary is entombed. In three days the tomb will be empty, her body having been taken to heaven, not by her power, but by her Son.

The tomb is empty specifically because of her life, lived in perfect accord with God’s will, written in her heart.

Mary need not be specifically mentioned in the Epistle or Gospel. Mentioning her name would be the mere recitation of a fact. Rather, the magnificence of her life is the fact that she lived it in accord with God’s will.

This is not just wonderful and marvelous; it is a call to you and to me. It is a call to remember, and to live in accord with the Word of God, written in our hearts.

Live the threefold model we are called to follow. Be perfectly humble before God, practice perfect obedience to His will, and remain pure in your relationships and in your dealings. Live the Christian life.

You have been given the grace, the message, a mother who intercedes for you, and Jesus who showed you the way —“ do not forget, and do not despise your destiny.

Saints and Martyrs

August 15 – Dormition/Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Wniebowzięcie N. P. Marji)

Trójco św. jedyny Boże, oddaję Ci cześć i nieskończone składam dzięki, za dobroć i łaskę udzieloną N. P. Marji, że chwalebnie wniebowziętą została. W imieniu tej przeczystej Dziewicy błagam Cię o przebaczenie mych grzechów od lat młodości aż do dnia dzisiejszego, o udzielenie mi wytrwałości w poprawie, o łaskę, o światło i o pomoc, któremi Trójco-Jedyny-Boże postanowiłeś mię zbawić i do siebie pociągnąć. Amen.

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