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12:50am |
Updated status on Facebook.
Deacon is at church waiting for children’s confessions to conclude.
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12:54am |
Posted a tweet on Twitter.
At church waiting for children’s confessions to conclude, then a quick Christmas play practice and basketball practice. Busy, busy.
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3:22am |
Posted a tweet on Twitter.
At Subway. The whole world is out post storm.
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4:12am |
Updated status on Facebook.
Deacon had lunch at Subway. Now to shopping. First stop the craft store for a Christmas floral display.
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11:33am | Inside the Republic sit-in |
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12:18pm | The war over peace |
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1:00pm | 27 Years ago |
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1:21pm | December 13 – St. Ambrose from Concerning Repentance |
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1:21pm |
Posted a tweet on Twitter.
New blog post: December 13 – St. Ambrose from Concerning Repentance http://tinyurl.com/5hpyfg
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2:28pm | Third Sunday of Advent (B) |
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2:28pm |
Posted a tweet on Twitter.
New blog post: Third Sunday of Advent (B) http://tinyurl.com/6csuq9
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Lastly, Paul teaches us that we must not abandon those who have committed a sin unto death, but that we must rather coerce them with the bread of tears and tears to drink, yet so that their sorrow itself be moderated. For this is the meaning of the passage: —Thou hast given them to drink in large measure,— that their sorrow itself should have its measure, lest perchance he who is doing penance should be consumed by overmuch sorrow, as was said to the Corinthians: —What will ye? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of meekness?— But even the rod is not severe, since he had read: —Thou shalt beat him indeed with the rod, but shalt deliver his soul from death.—
What the Apostle means by the rod is shown by his invective against fornication, his denunciation of incest, his reprehension of pride, because they were puffed up who ought rather to be mourning, and lastly, his sentence on the guilty person, that he should be excluded from communion, and delivered to the adversary, not for the destruction of the soul but of the flesh. For as the Lord did not give power to Satan over the soul of holy Job, but allowed him to afflict his body, so here, too, the sinner is delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the serpent might lick the dust of his flesh, but not hurt his soul.
Let, then, our flesh die to lusts, let it be captive, let it be subdued, and not war against the law of our mind, but die in subjection to a good service, as in Paul, who buffeted his body that he might bring it into subjection, in order that his preaching might become more approved, if the law of his flesh agreed and was consonant with the law of his flesh. For the flesh dies when its wisdom passes over into the spirit, so that it no longer has a taste for the things of the flesh, but for the things of the spirit. Would that I might see my flesh growing weak, would that I were not dragged captive into the law of sin, would that I lived not in the flesh, but in the faith of Christ! And so there is greater grace in the infirmity of the body than in its soundness. — Book I, Chapter XIII.
…Martial Law was declared in Poland. For those who think “planned economies” and government intervention in markets is the best solution recall:
The photo’s caption reads: “Nagie haki i pusta lada w sklepie mięsnym, 29.12.1981 r.” or “Naked hooks and empty counters in a meat market, December 12, 1981.” That was the day before Martial Law was declared.
This interesting tale at Friar Rick’s Weblog: Moving the Sign of Peace at Mass was forwarded to me:
There has been talk about moving the Sign of Peace during the Eucharistic Liturgy to another location. In some cultures there has been a feeling that the Sign of Peace gets —out of hand—. I’m not sure what that means… perhaps it’s not what Western Europeans consider prayerful. The National Catholic Reporter in the US has a good editorial about this that I would like to share. It really captures my feelings…
Two things here: The first is the negative reference to “Western Europeans.” Of course Friar Rick has a huge picture of a bunch of “multi-ethnic” Canadian folks standing where — in front of the Vatican, in Western Europe, at the top of his blog. I don’t understand his point? Does Rome have it all wrong
The second is the oddball reference in the National Catholic Reporter article to the best place for the “sign of peace.” Rome wants to move it to the offertory! I can understand the penitential rite, or its current position, but the offertory? That makes no sense whatsoever. I can just imagine the mess — the collection, the offertory song (as most U.S. parishes shy way from proper Church music as defined by the Roman Church), plus the peace… Oy vay — throw in a liturgical dance and you’ll have a real hootenanny.
For any Roman Catholics, who may be dismayed by these changes, perhaps a bit of catechesis is in order, compliments of Frederica Mathewes-Green in item five from “First Visit to an Orthodox Church: Twelve Things I Wish I’d Known
5. With Love and Kisses
We kiss stuff. When we first come into the church, we kiss the icons (Jesus on the feet and other saints on the hands, ideally). You’ll also notice that some kiss the chalice, some kiss the edge of the priest’s vestment as he passes by, the acolytes kiss his hand when they give him the censer, and we all line up to kiss the cross at the end of the service. When we talk about “venerating” something we usually mean crossing ourselves and kissing it.
We kiss each other before we take communion (“Greet one another with a kiss of love,” 1 Peter 5:14). When Roman Catholics or high-church Protestants “pass the peace,” they give a hug, handshake, or peck on the cheek; that’s how Westerners greet each other. In Orthodoxy different cultures are at play: Greeks and Arabs kiss on two cheeks, and Slavs come back again for a third. Follow the lead of those around you and try not to bump your nose.
The usual greeting is “Christ is in our midst” and response, “He is and shall be.” Don’t worry if you forget what to say. The greeting is not the one familiar to Episcopalians, “The peace of the Lord be with you.” Nor is it “Hi, nice church you have here.” Exchanging the kiss of peace is a liturgical act, a sign of mystical unity. Chatting and fellowship is for later.
Or, the Friar and his flock could join the PNCC. Bishop Bigaj, Bishop-Ordinary of the Canadian Diocese, would be happy to discuss it with you. You won’t even have to worry about liturgical wars. We didn’t destroy the liturgy, and we didn’t throw out tradition for the sake of being contemporary. We have both, and that based on natural development — and in English, French, Spanish, Polish, or whatever language works for your people. All are welcome in the PNCC.
From the NY Times: Even Workers Surprised by Success of Factory Sit-In
By the time their six-day sit-in ended on Wednesday night, the 240 laid-off workers at this previously anonymous 125,000-square-foot plant had become national symbols of worker discontent amid the layoffs sweeping the country. Civil rights workers compared them to Rosa Parks. But all the workers wanted, they said, was what they deserved under the law: 60 days of severance pay and earned vacation time.
And to their surprise, their drastic action worked. Late Wednesday, two major banks agreed to lend the company enough money to give the workers what they asked for….
The article gives the inside story on the sit-in and the workers’ victory. The way the business owner, Richard Gillman, steadily manuverded behind the workers’ backs is a sad testament to the way he ran his business. A new corporation, a new location, disappearing equipment, non-union workers, not a word, then blame it all on the banks. Sure they had their part, but Mr. Gillman selfishly tried to milk the whole process for personal gain. His lasting memorial will state: ‘Sure, give the workers their due, but give Gillman a Mercedes too.‘
It is too bad for Mr. Gillman. He ignored and undercut the ‘dark skinned, ethnic, Union workers’ because he probably figured they couldn’t help his business. Too bad for him, with their enthusiasm, courage, knowledge, and dedication they likely would have saved it.