7QT: Great Christmas Music edition, 12/27/14

I enjoy singing in my parish choir on large feast days--the choir splits into parts and the instruments blend together with the voices to concoct a heavenly melody.  I sang in the midnight Mass choir this year, and it was a moving experience.  The musicians were incredible, and the vocal talent (myself aside) was impressive.  I felt like we were standing with the angels, singing the praises of the Lord around the heavenly throne.  

In honor of all those who have laid their musical talent down in service of the King of Kings, here are 7 quick takes on great Christmas songs.  Merry Christmas!!!!

--- 1 ---

The Coventry Carol, by the singers of King's College, Cambridge.  Beautiful polyphony!  

--- 2 ---

Gaudete, by the all-female group Medieval Baebes (bonus points for the funny name & spelling).  They're kind of new agey, but this is a nice offering from their Christmas album.  

--- 3 ---

"O Holy Night" takes a big voice to get the most out of the composition... and Celine Dion has a big voice.

--- 4 ---

"What Child Is This" is one of my favorites, and there are many, many good versions out there.  One I just discovered is by a trio of women, the Gardiner Sisters.  I love the harmony they do on the chorus!

--- 5 ---

"Silent Night" was originally written for guitar, but that hasn't stopped musicians from around the world from translating it into their own language and into a gorgeous choral arrangement.  This version is performed by The King's Singer.

--- 6 ---

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

--- 7 ---

Nat King Cole's Christmas album is a standard in our house every year.  One of those guys that makes singing sound effortless!  I haven't heard this carol, "A Cradle in Bethlehem," anywhere else other than this album.  It's too bad--a lovely, peaceful song that fits the season perfectly.  

For more Quick Takes, visit thisaintthelycceum.com

Preface of Praise: 2nd Advent Preface

This is the second of the two prefaces used in Advent.  For some thoughts on the first one, click here.

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,

always and everywhere to give you thanks,

Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Christ our Lord.

For all the oracles of the prophets foretold Him, 

the Virgin Mother longed for Him 

with love beyond all telling, 

John the Baptist sang of His coming 

and proclaimed His presence when He came.

It is by His gift that already we rejoice at the mystery of His Nativity, 

so that He may find us watchful in prayer

and exultant in His praise.  

And so, with Angels and Archangels...

After the usual introduction, the preface mentions the oracles of the prophets twice.  Yes, the prophets foretold Him: Micah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Malachi, and more prepared the way of the Lord in the Old Testament.  The preface then names two figures who were objects of some of the prophecies, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist.  In 1:23, Matthew directs us to Isaiah 7:14: "behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel."  Both Matthew and Luke cite the Old Testament prophet, saying that John the Baptist "is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'"  The duo of Mary and John exemplify the Advent virtues of waiting, faithfulness, and preparing for the Messiah.

The inclusion of Mary in this preface is a good reminder to us that this is her special season.  She's the perfect model for us in any aspect of Christian living, but in Advent especially.  She displayed great trust in God to accept His plan of the Incarnation.  When her cousin Elizabeth exclaimed joy at Mary's coming, Mary's response was a song of praise to God: "my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord..."  She could have given any other response ("thanks, nice to see you too") and chose to praise God.  If

The final portion of the preface references Jesus' coming in a way that includes in three tenses.  We rejoice that He has come already, in the past tense.  He was born, grew up, engaged in His public ministry, was put to death, and rose from the dead.  Christ also comes to us in the present--entering the hearts of all of us, if we let Him.  Conversion is an ongoing process that we should be engaging in until our dying day.  The third and final coming is Christ's triumphant return at the end of time; all things will be revealed, and we'll see a new heaven and a new earth.

All that, encapsulated in one prayer!  In the prefaces, we pray with the entire Church, as she urges us along with the Lord, to "put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch" (Luke 5:4).  

7 Quick Takes: Advent edition, 12/13/14

--- 1 ---

I realize this should probably start with a religious post, but... the teaser for the new Star Wars movie came out!!!  A couple weeks ago, but it was released since I last wrote.  Many serious SW fans are worried that the hiring of J.J. Abrams will destroy the integrity of the franchise.  I share their fears, although I don't have the same hatred for J.J.  First, the prequels sucked.  Bad.  Can J.J. do any worse than George Lucas?  At this point, I'm choosing to answer 'no.'  Second, even if Episode 7 isn't great, it has to be fun, at least.  Kind of like J.J.'s Star Trek movies.  

--- 2 ---
Need good listening for Advent?  Try the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles.  In the glut of Christmas music, they made an album specifically for Advent, Advent at Ephesus.  It's on my iTunes.  Beautiful!  

--- 3 ---
Also on the notes of Advent, and adding in some shameless self-promotion: I've written about prefaces before, and I've written on one of the two Advent prefaces.  By the way, the preface is the prayer that immediately precedes the "Holy, Holy, Holy" at Mass.  For a longer explanation (much longer), check this out.  The prayers cover lots of ground theologically; the mysteries of our faith are packed into this joyful prayer.  Advent has two prefaces, and here's my reflection on the first one.  

--- 4 ---

There is something magical about the Christmas season!  The lights on the tree, all of the ornaments (some that have been with me my whole life), Christmas lights on the house, and the cheesy B-movies on Hallmark and Lifetime.

--- 5 ---
As my book for Advent, I've picked up Pope Benedict's The Infancy Narratives, the third installment in his Jesus of Nazareth series.  He's very insightful, you'd think he'd been studying & reflecting on the Scriptures his whole life.  Whereas the first Jesus of Nazareth book was a little more of a thick read, this is easier without being any less substantial.   

--- 6 ---

The Dodgers made a flurry of deals this week, and only time will tell how good they were.  Still, it looks like we're off to a great start in the offseason.  They signed a fourth starting pitcher, and traded for a better catcher, a new second baseman, and a better shortstop.  People around the league say that the Dodgers have a very gifted front office--I trust them more than previous regimes.  

--- 7 ---

Yeah, can't think of anything to fill this last one, as usual.  

For more Quick Takes, visit thisaintthelycceum.com

Preface of Praise: 1st Advent Preface

There are two prefaces used for the four Sundays of Advent; the great solemnity of Christmas has three prefaces.  Neither of the Advent prefaces are assigned to a particular Sunday, so I assume it's up to the presider as to which he uses.

The preface has the usual beginning:

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Christ our Lord.

...but that shouldn't mean we gloss over it.  We have a duty to give thanks to God, given how HUGE of a gift He gave us.  We may feel that this an odd way of thinking--like the Church is saying that we're forced to have such an attitude.  Doesn't that fly in the face of our God-given free will?  It's understandable to have that thought, but it's missing an important element: the magnitude of God's gift to humanity.  Eternal life!  The promise of infinite love!  Can we really thank God enough??  In light of that, is it really that much of a stretch to say that we have a duty to offer temporal, finite thanks for an eternal, awesome gift?

For He assumed at his first coming the lowliness of human flesh,
and so fulfilled the design You formed long ago,
and opened for us the way to eternal salvation,
that, when He comes again in glory and majesty,
and all is at last made manifest,
we who watch for that day
may inherit the great promise in which now we dare to hope.
And so, with Angels and Archangels...

The first two lines harken back to Eden.  Lest we forget, sin wasn't part of what God wanted for humanity.  It was humanity that chose sin, and thereby ushered suffering into the world.  God wasn't content to leave us to our own devices--through Jesus, the way, the Truth, and the life, the "way for eternal salvation" was shown to us.

One big theme in this preface appears twice: Jesus' coming, the literal meaning of the word "advent.  The missionary impetus of the Catholic Church grew out of Jesus' command at the end of His first coming (go to the final few verses of Matthew's gospel) and anticipated His second coming.  We just finished up a couple weeks of second coming/end of the world readings at Mass and it's a subject of which the Church reminds us.  Remember: look ahead to the life to come.  Take care of your soul, for we never know when the Lord will call us home.

What awaits us is "the great promise" of our Lord, the author and deepest desire of our hearts!

Breaking through Apathy, Catechetical Enemy #1

Sometime last year I participated in Eucharistic adoration with a little praise & worship music thrown in; I helped with the musical side of it.  Being in the front, I had a clear view of the whole church--and the kids who, by their body language, couldn't care less about what was happening.  I don't mean that in a judgmental way; there's no way I could possibly know what was going on in their mind or their soul.  Were seeds planted?  Were they interiorly enjoying it while exteriorly loathing it?  Who knows...

I found out later that day that the adoration was specifically for a confirmation class.  After learning that, I wasn't surprised.  Sorry folks!  The teachers of those classes and the associated youth ministers are great.  They do something very difficult and thankless.  The kids?  Man.  I've volunteered with confirmation class kids in religious education/youth group in multiple parishes, three in Oregon and one in California.  My experience at adoration was entirely consistent with all three parishes.

Here's how I'd summarize my confirmation class experiences to date, as a catechist:

1) For the most part, the kids were there because their parents made them.

2) Based on their level of knowledge of the faith, it seemed like most of the kids' families were not practicing.  And here I'm not critiquing an incorrect pronunciation of 'anamnesis'; it was basic matters of faith.

3) The sacrament seemed like a stamp on a passport, or a culturally expected formality.

I don't think my experiences were unique to me.  Here are some thoughts and feelings:

Sorrow.  It breaks my heart for a few reasons.  First and foremost, I have to admit, is my pride.  This is my faith, my church, and, well, my music that they're brushing off.  In addition to any selfish reasons, it's sad that a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit is treated on the same level (or worse) as an after-school club, a sports team, or any other extracurricular activity.

Something's wrong with our system...  Joanne McPortland wrote this blog post a while ago that ignited a maelstrom of discussion on the subject of children's catechesis.  Her main takeaway is a good one: if the parents & adults aren't catechized, even the most effective catechesis might not stick.  It's really simple math:  

[Religious education for one hour a week + Mass for one hour a week (hopefully) = 2 hrs/week] vs. [school all day, Mon-Fri + TV, movies + video games + sports after school and on the weekends = waaaaay more than 2 hrs/week]  

Solutions?  I'm not an expert educator, and I don't have the most extensive parish experience.  Still, I have two thoughts on what to do.

The biggest challenge, in my eyes: how do you communicate this is special?  Part of this is the witness of the teacher.  I remember from an old confirmation class years ago, one of the volunteer teachers was asked by a kid about the Catholic teaching on abortion.  She conveyed what the Church officially taught in a voice that sounded like she was rolling her eyes.  The connotation in her voice said so much more than her words!  On the other side of the coin, listen to someone like Mark Hart give a talk.  He's excited and he's very convincing that he's convinced about the truth of the Catholic faith.  In all likelihood, very few catechists have the ability/experience to be a dynamic speaker like Mark Hart.  Still, everyone who loves their faith has something they can say.

In my archdiocese, confirmation is done in high school.  At this age, I think a confirmation program ideally should have a specific goal: helping transition the kids from a child-like faith (not in the biblical sense, see Matt 18:3) to an adult faith.  How exactly to do this?  heh heh... good question... the kids should have a mix of things: experiences with different types of prayer, learning about the faith, reading the Scriptures, and frequent sacraments.  In essence, what every adult believer should have as part of their life.

I hope the landscape changes.  In the meantime, I'll be working on becoming a better witness.

St. John Bosco's Dreams

I picked up a book of the dreams of St. John Bosco recently, looking for something light I could read before bed.  I haven't been disappointed, it's a easily readable but very substantial book.  I bought the Tan edition of Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco after reading his dream of the two pillars.  It was at once a comforting dream as a sobering one.   I won't spoil it, it's worth reading.

I was mostly ignorant of St. John before reading this book; I only knew of him as the patron of youth. After reading this, I see him as a spiritual master, an expert in spiritual warfare, and a mystic.  The book of St. John's dreams is worth reading.  Each of the forty dreams has its own chapter; they're pulled from his memoirs and the memoirs of his confrers.  The anecdotal style make them an easy read--but don't mistake 'easy' for 'fluffy.'

St. John frequently had dreams that identified the boys in his Oratory.  One of those, "A Dream About St. Dominic Savio," featured St. John being reunited with one of his pupils, St. Dominic.  At the end of their conversation in the dream, St. John asks about how he can help the boys at the Oratory.  St. Dominic hands him three lists: unconquered, casualties, and overcome by evil.  The first list was small, noting the names of the boys who had not been conquered by evil.  The second group, casualties, was comprised of boys who had previous run-ins with evil, but had been healed through Confession and the Eucharist.  The final group is a fairly obvious one, with a twist.  When St. Dominic handed St. John the list, he forbade him to open it in his presence.  It gave off an unbearable smell that, in his dream, forced St. John to vomit uncontrollably.

On one hand, we're curious creatures and want to know the future, our fate, and so on.  On the other hand, there are things that--even if only subconsciously--we would rather not know.  Reading this particular dream, two questions raised in my mind.

First, which list would I be on?  It isn't a question of which list I think I should be on.  The lists came from the Lord, Who sees and knows our hearts; He Who created us; He Who will be our judge.  What list would the Lord put me on right now?  There were many names on the final, stinky list that surprised St. John.  Who's to say that I'm any different?

Second, can you imagine the effect on the boys of the Oratory?  St. John related his dreams to the boys, and used them as teaching tools to effect further conversion of heart.  When he read the lists in his dream, he knew many of the boys on them.  Even further, he talked to the boys on the stinky list individually.  "Hey bro, can we talk?  That dream I told all you guys about... you're on the wrong list and on the path to hell."  Not that I'm disparaging St. John; better that the boys would know, and hopefully they turned their hears back to God.

Our Lady also figured prominently in some of St. John's dreams.  In "A Fiendish Elephant," the large beast (=Satan) starts attacking boys on the playground.  Our Lady's mantle became enormous and she threw it around the boys to protect them; all their wounds are healed when they're taken in by her.  She cries out, "Venite ad me omnes!" Come all to me!

It made me smile.  Here is Our Heavenly Mother, loving us, fighting for us, protecting us.  From that dream, St. John gave advice to his boys that we can all take to heart: "Turn to her; call on her in any danger.  I can assure you that your prayers will be heard."

St. John Bosco, pray for us!

E-Book Club - "The Lord" ch. 4

One of the good lines in this chapter helps me understand a passage that I've never fully understood.  When Jesus descends into the Jordan to get baptized by John, and John initially refuses--Jesus responds, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness" (Matt 4:15).  It obviously made sense to John at the time, since he proceeded to baptize the Lord of Lords.  

Guardini had a brief line to describe this scene: "But Jesus insists on placing Himself completely within human law." (pg. 20-21)

Also, it's good to be reminded how intricately woven Jesus & John's lives were.  Since John was killed in the early part of Jesus' public ministry, we don't hear about him as much as the other disciples.  Guardini's narrative puts a few things together: John's disciples questioning about fasting, Jesus' disciples' jealousy at John's baptizing, and Jesus' disciples request for prayer lessons.  I didn't think about it before, but those two circles probably interacted more than we're told in the gospels.  That makes sense, as 1st century Palestine was only so big... 

On pg. 22, the difficulties of the prophetic life are described, and this, too, didn't occur to me before.  I'll have to read 1 Kings 17-19 like Guardini recommended.  

E-Book Club: Romano Guardini's "The Lord"... Chapter 3

Ch. 3: The Incarnation

The major line that stood out to me was: "But love does such things!"  The Incarnation is a deep mystery, not only because all divinely-rooted mysteries have infinite depth.  The heart of this mystery is the very heart of God.  Out of all the ways that the Father could've offered salvation to humanity... why this?  Love!

"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God" (1 John 3:1)
"God so loved the world that He gave His only Son..." (John 3:16)
"Who shall separate us from the love of God?" (Rom 8:35) (answer: NOBODY!)
"And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." (Col 3:12-15)

I liked Guardini's line, "When it is the depth and power of God that stirs, is there anything of which love is capable?" (pg. 15)  I think of Paul's conversion.  A Pharisee who was so convinced of the truth of his own faith and of how false Christianity was!   Another example is how the Church began with some scared disciples in Jerusalem.  Add the Holy Spirit, stir, and a missionary explosion.  Countless saved souls, martyrs, saints!

Love just does those things.

Our Lady of the Rosary, 10/7/14

Today is the great feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, and I had the opportunity to go to Mass on my lunch hour.  The readings felt out of place at first, but the Holy Spirit had some remarkable subtlety when those passages were chosen.

The first reading, from Galatians 1, had me confused.  Paul speaks of his "former way of life" as a Pharisee who persecuted the earliest Christians.  That's fine, but for a feast day of Our Lady?  Then came:

"But when he, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart
and called me through his grace,
was pleased to reveal his Son to me..."

The Immaculate Conception hit me right in the face.  Mary, too, was set apart from her mother's womb, destined to be the mother of the Redeemer.  The Lord accomplished it through His grace; in Mary's case, being full of grace.  Although their vocations differed, Paul, like Mary, was the bearer of Christ to the world.  

The Psalm for today was a selection from Psalm 139.  I could hear the Blessed Mother praying these words, with the tender heart of a handmaiden of the Lord.  Here again, I heard the Immaculate Conception: 

"Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works."

An important theological point that non-Catholics often miss is that the veneration we hold/display for Our Lady is dependent entirely upon Christ.  Her role is there because of Him; she was preserved from original sin because of Him; we call her Our Mother rather than His Mother because of His gesture on the cross.  This point could not have been lost on her, either.  These lines don't offer thanks to God for this or that thing.  The Psalmist prays a beautifully humble prayer: thanks to God goes back to the beginning, for our very being was sculpted by His hands.  If the Psalmist hadn't written this, I could picture Mary writing it.

Finally, the Gospel reading: the well-known story of Martha & Mary in Luke 10.  Just like its predecessors, this reading seems an unusual pick.  However, praying the rosary brings us into an encounter with Jesus.  After all, Mary knows it's not all about her; everything she does, every heavenly effort she makes on our behalf is to lead souls to Her Son.  (see John 2:5)  The lesson that the Gospel reading is trying to teach us is clear: sit at the feet of Christ, as Mary did; recognize the "one thing" that should be our first priority.  In the rosary, we have such a wonderful avenue to contemplate Christ.  

Mary, beloved Mother, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!

7QT: Lazy blogger edition, 10/4/14

--- 1 ---
Onto a new book!  Romano Guardini's The Lord.  I'll be putting up discussion posts if anyone has the book and is interested.  We're only on ch. 2 so far!  I remember reading bits and pieces of this book for one of my classes.  I was amazed at the depth of it... so much so that I bought copies as presents for a couple people.  And now, 10 years after I read those bits and pieces, I'm finally getting around to reading the whole thing (hopefully).  

--- 2 ---
I've also finally finished reading through the Gospel of Matthew, chapter by chapter.  I'd really recommend the commentary that I used: The Better Part by Fr. John Bartunek.  It's meant to assist in lectio divina but I mainly used it as a commentary.    

--- 3 ---
Speaking of great resources, did you know Scott Hahn has a website that has free Bible study resources?  Check out www.salvationhistory.com.  I just started listening to the one on Matthew's gospel.  Very cool so far!

--- 4 ---

Fall is here, and the cooler weather is a welcome reprieve from the hot sun.  Hot sun by Oregonian standards is anything over 80, I believe.  I love fall weather but I'm not looking forward to months and months of rain.    

--- 5 ---
New special saint in our lives: St. Leo the Great.  Pope in the 400s and a major influence on the Council of Chalcedon.  Pretty awesome pastor in a turbulent time: heresies like monophysitism and manichaeism.  Check out his famous Tome on the person of Christ.  In a related note, our baby Leo is due in three short months!  Can't wait!

--- 6 ---

The Dodgers have no postseason gear, unlike their new nemesis, the Cardinals.  Makes me very sad... and wishing they'd start chopping the payroll down.  

--- 7 ---
I can never think of a final QT.  Consistency, right? 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

E-Book Club: Romano Guardini's "The Lord"

Romano Guardini published his book The Lord in 1954.  He was a favorite of the young Fr. Joseph Ratzinger, and it's easy for me to see why.  I read some pieces of this book for a theology class years ago, but it's taken this long for me to actually start reading the whole book.

I have an older edition, so the page numbers might be a little off...

Ch. 1, Origin & Ancestry

One of the first neat things that stood out to me was on pg. 4, the paragraph that starts "Only in the flesh, not in the bare spirit..."  The Incarnation/Logos and the dwelling place of God among His people in the OT... a beautiful combination!  It reminded me of a Scripture paper I wrote for a class.  One of the words I examined was "tabernacle."  I was surprised to see that the same word "tabernacle" was used a variety of times.  It was the tent that housed the ark of the covenant; it was at the Transfiguration, when Peter offered to build 3 booths; it is the house of the Eucharist in the New Covenant.

What stood out to you?

Msgr. Knox and the Parables of the Kingdom

I wrote previously on the parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew.  They fascinated me then, and I read a great reflection on them that continued the wonder.  Alongside reading the Gospel of Matthew, I've been making my way through In Soft Garments by Msgr. Ronald Knox.  He uses the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven to put a frame on the issue of the Church and human progress.

Here are some extended quotes, and any attempt at a summary wouldn't do him justice.

"... the growth of the mustard seed shows you the Christian Church as a body which swells in size, whereas the spread of the leaven shows you the Christian gospel as an influence which radiates fore and communicated it to its neighbourhood.  The tree takes something from its surroundings; takes nourishment from the earth and the moisture and the sunlight, and so grows bigger: and the Church takes something from her surroundings, takes the souls of men from the world and incorporates them into herself.  The leaven gives something to its surroundings, infects them with its own life; so the Christian gospel gives something to its surroundings; communicates to mankind its own spirit of discipline and its own philosophy of life." (pg. 166-167)

"One word needs to be added, not less important.  Our Lord says that the mustard tree is to grow out of all recognition; he doesn't say that it is to grow indefinitely; does not mean us to understand that there will ever be a time at which the whole of mankind will be even nominally Christian.  His prophecy that his Gospel will be preached in the whole world is sufficiently fulfilled if all mankind has a real chance of hearing it.  Similarly, when he says that the leaven hidden in the meal spread till the whole was leavened, I don't think we are necessarily to understand this as meaning that there will be a time at which the principles of Christian charity towards one's neighbour will dominate the counsels of humanity.  We are to understand that the Christian message will make itself felt throughout the world which harbours it, not necessarily that it will triumph.  Don't be disappointed, therefore, if it appears--it may perfectly well come to appear so in your lifetime--as if things were going backwards instead of forwards, as if the world were relapsing into barbarism instead of following along the path marked out for it by what we call civilization.... the social influence of the Church is in reality a by-product of her activity; it is not her life.  Her business, ultimately, is with the individual soul, and the promises by which she lives are not limited within the these narrow horizons.  The leaven is there, and it does not lose its virtue with the centuries.  But whether in our particular age the time is ripe for its manifestation, that we cannot know."  (pg. 172-173)

The latter quote put the modern world into good perspective, I think.  Couldn't Knox be writing for today, and not the 1930s?  Doesn't the world seem to be going backward instead of forward?  It slips my mind frequently, but it's key to our spiritual life: Christ has won the war, yes, but the victory will not come in this world until the end of time.  Until then, we are in the midst of the battles.

7 Quick Takes: Etc. & Lighthouse Catholic Media favorites edition, 8/29/14

--- 1 ---
We're having a baby boy!  It's surreal and wonderful seeing the baby on the ultrasound.  He was much bigger (of course, which is a good thing) and his little head has grown a lot... he's going to be a good looking kid, that's for sure.  One of the highlights of my life: seeing the little guy play with his foot on the ultrasound. 

--- 2 ---
Happy birthday to my big sister Kristy, who turned __ a week ago today!  (age removed to protect the innocent)   

--- 3 ---
There were some college football games earlier this week, but Notre Dame opened their season with a nice win over Rice today.  In Oregon, football season reignites the major rivalry between the Ducks and Beavers.  Seriously, it's a big deal.  Sure, you hear about college football being big in Texas, and the Midwest, etc.  But it is here too, it's just big everywhere!  I remember teaching a parish CCD class that was made up of 3rd and 4th graders.  We did a coloring activity one night, having the kids trace an outline of their hand and color them.  Yeah, out of the 6-8 kids in the class, at least two or three colored their handprint in Beavers or Ducks colors.

My son will be a Notre Dame fan and can just be amused when people go crazy with Ducks or Beavers fervor.

--- 4 ---

I'm still part of the CD of the month club with Lighthouse Catholic Media.  I highly recommend it!  At the very least, their website is worth checking out.  There are talks from the most well-known Catholic evangelists as well as many other gems.  To fill up the rest of my quick takes, I'll list some of my favorites.  

First up: Scott Hahn's Abba or Allah?  Ecumenical efforts can be confusing sometimes.  In some cases, actual unity/reconciliation is possible with other Christian denominations.  In other cases, like the dialogue with Islam, unity is utterly unrealistic.  For the latter cases, dialogue seems to take a look at the things we do have in common, and working together on those fronts.  Do you want an authentically Catholic take on the similarities/differences between Catholicism and Islam?  Check out this talk.


--- 5 ---

Fr. Robert Barron has been getting more and more well-known over the last few years.  In my humble opinion, it's well deserved.  I really like his cultured & philosophical take on the Catholic faith.  His Sunday sermons are reliably good, too.  His talk, Who Do You Say That I Am?, asks of us the question that Jesus asked His disciples in Matthew 16:15.  Jesus claimed to be God, and the Church has taught that very tenet since her first breath.  

--- 6 ---

I love a good conversion story, and John Pridmore's is a dramatic one: From Gangland to Promised Land.  (Lighthouse also sells his book with that same title)  I sometimes underestimate the power of God's grace, and stories like Pridmore's remind me.  Imagine a thug in the London criminal underground converting to the Catholic faith.  And then imagine that same guy becoming a missionary, speaking at schools, jails, and parish missions throughout the British Isles.  A great listen!

P.S.  I'd recommend reading his blog or liking his Facebook page.  He sends out updates of his mission work and testimonials of his listeners who returned to the Lord.  It's uplifting!  

--- 7 ---
How about an apologetics tome within a conversion story, a la Rome Sweet Home?  Both my wife and I have listed to Steve Ray's Born Again?  Faith Alone? talk from Lighthouse multiple times.  He's engaging and incredibly knowledgeable about the Catholic faith. 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7 Quick Takes: Great News & French Saints edition, 7/24/14

First, with some fantastic news: 

Thanks be to God!  We're very excited and incredibly happy; our prayers have been answered!  15 weeks and all is well.  Please keep us in your prayers as our baby & my wife grows bigger and cuter.  

When we pray a litany of saints after the rosary, we (=I) sometimes go on and on.  Recently, I noticed how many saints on our list are French.  And I says to meself, says I, what a good 7QT that would be!  The title links for each saint go to the Catholic Encyclopedia entry on newadvent.org.

--- 1 ---
St. Joan of Arc

I've written about her before, here.  A great book on her life is by the French historian Regine Pernoud, The Retrial of Joan of Arc.  Lighthouse Catholic Media just started selling copies of Mark Twain's biography of St. Joan, for $5 (plus shipping)!  Well, it is abridged, I just discovered.  :(  Anyway, it's worth reading this brief Wikipedia page.  Mark Twain was fascinated with St. Joan and put a lot of work and research into this book.  


--- 2 ---

St. Bernadette
Extra points for St. Bernadette, a close, personal friend of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Her life was marked by a great degree of suffering, both from her health and from her religious superior.  As a nun, her superior felt it was her mission to constantly tear down and humble the terrible pride she saw in  Bernadette.  I've come to appreciate this more as I've grown older: it's very difficult to be graceful/grace-filled in humbling situations.  I'm much more inclined to justify myself, get angry, etc. and those situations can completely ruin my day.  And there's St. Bernadette, who faced that on a near-daily basis, who responded by deepening her love for others.

--- 3 ---
St. Genevieve
St. Genevieve lived at the end of the 5th century and a little bit into the 6th century, and was awesome.  In addition to having a beautiful name (the frontrunner if we have a baby girl), she had a hand in saving Paris.  Twice!  The first was when Attila the Hun was approaching with his army; Genevieve exhorted the city to pray, fast, and trust in God as opposed to getting the heck out of there.  The residents did, and the Huns left Paris alone.  Next, when the city was under siege by Merowig (two kings before Clovis), Genevieve's influence caused Merowig and his successors to deal very kindly with the inhabitants of Paris.  (which would not have been a common thing in those days)

--- 4 ---

St. Martin of Tours
I've written about him before as well, and like St. Joan, there's a great book on him by Regine Pernoud.  His zeal for the faith--as well as his care of souls--drove him to preach the Gospel everywhere he could.  He risked death many times to convert the villages he visited, and the Lord was with him.  

--- 5 ---

St. Therese
Her spiritual autobiography is very well known; The Story of a Soul is a step inside the mind of a saint.  Another interesting read is a lesser-known book that was popular when I was in the seminary, Maurice and Therese.  St. Therese corresponded with a seminarian who was studying to be a missionary in Africa.  Worth picking up for any Therese-o-phile!

--- 6 ---

St. John Vianney
In English we know his French title, and St. John is commonly known as the Cure of Ars.  Ever notice?  St. John was so extraordinary that he was widely known in France as "the priest of Ars."  Nothing else needed saying; his reputation for sanctity spoke for him.  Wow.

--- 7 ---
So many saints are needed in every age, but ours especially.  It's sad that the Catholic faith is dying in France, as it is in many countries in the West.  For anyone that reads this: please say a prayer for the nation of France.  There is such a rich heritage of French saints, from the earliest days of the Church (e.g. St. Irenaeus who served there as a priest & bishop in the 2rd century).  May it please God to send more saints to France in our day!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7 Quick Takes, Soccer edition 7/5/14

--- 1 ---
Last weekend, Archbishop Sample consecrated the Archdiocese of Portland to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  He encouraged the First Saturday devotion, the instructions for which are here.  At the Fatima apparitions, Our Lady requested this herself.  Specifically, all the actions that day are to be done in reparation to the Immaculate Heart.   Good for our Archbishop!  We're lucky to have him.  

--- 2 ---

I was reminded this week of the value of fasting.  I always seem to forget, especially when someone at work brings in donuts... or refills the candy dish at their desk...  On Thursday, I became wrapped up in projects and didn't notice the passage of time, missing my lunch.  I figured I'd use it as an opportunity to fast.  The result?  It helped me so much, almost like I was seeing with different eyes.  It was easier to combat all my usual struggles.  It's amazing how slow I am to learn, since I've experienced this before.

--- 3 ---
A shameless plug again for the Fr. Bernard Youth Center Golf Scramble.  Want to sponsor me?  Donating is easy and it's online!  Go here, select my name (John K) from the drop down menu, and donate as many millions as you're able. 

--- 4 ---

In honor of the World Cup, here's a very funny audio clip of Gary Miller, an old ESPN anchor, attempting to read the commentary for some soccer highlights...

--- 5 ---

The USA had a tough loss against Belgium in the World Cup, but I can't say that I was too surprised.  Soccer is slowly starting to catch on as a mainstream sport, but it hasn't quite yet.  Generally, our best athletes play other sports first: football, baseball, or basketball.  There was a speculative article on Bleacher Report a week ago, wondering if Kobe Bryant, Calvin Johnson, Chris Paul, LeBron James, LeSean McCoy, and other athletes had played soccer their whole lives.  We'd have a formidable team!

--- 6 ---

Lately work has been getting more and more stressful.  One of the biggest effects I feel is on the weekend, more than the week.  Weekends are free!  I can wake up, have a cup of coffee, and leisurely start my day.  Sure, it gets filled with yard work and errands, but it's so much better than being at work!  I am lucky to have a job to support me, don't get me wrong.  More and more, I'm in great need of a break.

--- 7 ---
Great point today in the homily; the gospel reading was warning about pouring new wine into old wineskins.  The priest noted that our souls, weakened by sin and sloth, can turn into those old wineskins.  That is, it becomes so much harder to hold onto grace.  I never thought of it that way before, and it was a good insight.  

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7 Quick Takes: Sports & Fundraising edition, 6/21/14

--- 1 ---
I had a treat this afternoon in the form of golfing with two of my brothers-in-law.  We went to the local course and I birdied the 9th hole!  A great way to finish the day.  A good drive, a perfect (for me) approach shot, and a miracle putt to hole out.  None of my golf vices were used on that hole, either--mulligans, ignoring penalties, or swearing!  

--- 2 ---

My current read: Search and Rescue by Patrick Madrid.  The way it's formatted... the book is 256 pages long but could easily get under 200 if it was formatted a little tighter.  I've gone through it pretty quickly so far, and I really appreciate his approach.  His first principles are in the right place: 1) having the humility to know God is the one who turns hearts, not us, and 2) love is paramount.  Love of God, love of the truth, and love of everyone for the sake of God.    

--- 3 ---
Speaking of golf again, the golf fundraiser for the Fr. Bernard Youth Center is on Saturday, August 16.  It's a great charity that serves youth; it depends largely on the generosity of donors.  Donors like you! Could you spare $5, or $50?  Email me or leave a comment with how to get in touch with you.   Check out the FBYC website to learn about the organization!

--- 4 ---

Probably the best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw, pitched a no-hitter against Colorado on Wednesday.  It was tremendous!  The elite pitchers can really embarrass hitters... and Kershaw made some guys look downright foolish as they chased balls in the dirt.  He's a solid Christian and, by all accounts, a terrific guy.  He and his wife have a charity that benefits schools in Africa--and it's not just the obligatory foundation.  They've been going to Africa every year since they were in college, I think.  Thank The Lord for good people!

--- 5 ---

My wife and I did end up going to the In Mulieribus concert a couple weeks ago.  Some pretty amazing polyphony and beautiful voices!  They recorded a live album that night, and I've never been so tempted to shout "WOO!" nor been so terrified to sneeze.  It's worth checking out on iTunes if it's available yet.

--- 6 ---

We watched "The Quiet Man" on bluray on Monday.  It was in memory of my wife's step-grandfather, who was originally from Ireland.  The movie stars John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara (can you have a more Irish name than that?) and is a delight.  I was stunned at the quality of the bluray!  It looked like they filmed the movie with modern cameras & technology.  Kudos to the folks who remastered it; I had no idea they could work such magic.

--- 7 ---
A repeat of the shameless sponsorship request (what's a blog for, after all?): help FBYC continue its service of youth and bringing them to Christ!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Easter Prefaces

I’ve written about prefaces before, and it’s a great thing to come back to: they encapsulate many tenets of the faith in a few short lines.  The function of the preface is to kick off the Eucharistic Prayer—after the priest calls upon the assembly to lift up our hearts to the Lord, they respond that it is right and just. 

Why is it right and just?  The preface answers the question!  It lists the mysteries of salvation.  The priest is reminding us that, when we sing the Holy, Holy, Holy, we should really rejoice and give praise to the Lord. 

We always have cause to give praise to God for all He has done for us/in us… but the Easter season is something extra special.  The prefaces reflect that quite literally.  I’ll pull a Fr. Z and put my comments in bold.  Each of the five Easter prefaces start with the same sentence:

“It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, at all times to acclaim you, O Lord,

(this is similar to the formula used in other prefaces—but wait, there’s more!)

but in this time above all to laud you yet more gloriously,

(let’s remember that the Paschal Mystery is THE foundational narrative to our faith, it’s a huge deal)

when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.”

(notice the emphasis on sacrifice and the tie to the Passover)

 

That extra part of the first sentence of the preface is overflowing with meaning.  If the Paschal Mystery is THE foundational narrative to the New Testament, the Passover was THE foundational narrative to the Old Testament.  It marked a new chapter in Israel’s history, cemented their identity as the Chosen People, and featured the direct involvement of God stepping into human history and saving His Chosen People.  The Paschal Mystery accomplished those same three things and is the perfect fulfillment of the Passover!  And if we really want to set our nets out into the deep, our thoughts could drift to…

• the Lamb of God and the Eucharist.  None of the gospel writers note that a lamb was eaten at the meal, but for a Passover meal to be a true Passover meal, as Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God (formerly-named Rosalind Moss) would emphasize, you had to eat the lamb.  They all consumed the first Eucharist... hmmm... and one of Jesus' titles was one given by John the Baptist: the Lamb of God.  Hmm, Jesus is also called that in the Book of Revelation...  

• the events of the Passover and the flight from Egypt saw the Israelites passing through water to be delivered from their pursuers… prefiguring baptism!  And within baptism, we’re reminded of the intimate unity we have with the Lord and our Church in the Mystical Body of Christ… the missionary zeal that the Lord assigned us, to go out to all the nations… it even leads into the other sacraments of initiation, confirmation and Eucharist.  

And we didn't even get into the specialized text of the prefaces!  More on that for another day.  

The Blast Zone

This weekend, we watched "August: Osage County" starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.  This does contain spoilers, so if you're interested in seeing the movie, first please reconsider.  If you still want to see the movie, stop reading.  Good acting throughout, but not a light movie.  Very dark, despite the previews.

The movie chronicles a few days in the life of an extremely dysfunctional family.  Unfortunately, "extremely dysfunctional" is an understatement.  The twists and turns of the plot reveal level after level of pain.  Just when you think it can't get any worse for the family, it does!  What I found interesting in the movie was how each character dealt with pain.  My CPE supervisor would've had a field day with this movie.

Okay, final warning about the spoilers.

You look at the events of the movie, and how tragic they are.  The drug-addicted Meryl Streep; Julia Roberts, whose husband recently left her and who can't relate to her daughter; one sister who engages in an incestuous relationship because she can't find anything else; another sister who "has everything she wants" but also has a massive front built up to shield her from the deep sadness inside her; the alcoholic husband of Meryl, who hires a cook to take care of his wife and then leaves her, only to commit suicide.  Quite literally, every character in the movie has a deeply traumatic flaw/pain/event and it all explodes in the end.

I tried to imagine real people going through that... a real family.  It would be a wonder if there weren't more suicides!  Three thoughts struck me.

First, that simple verse from the letter of James: the wages of sin are death.  Not might be death, only death if you don't psychologically process your sins well.  A very plain equation.  Sin = death.  Bringing in adultery, addictions, and other dysfunction into life?  There's only one outcome if we don't root it out of our lives.

Second, sin is not a private matter.  No matter how we try to convince ourselves to the contrary (and our culture is convinced that sins can be private), we have to go back to the previous point.  Introducing sin into our lives inevitably affects others.  In the movie, two couples' poor choices scarred their lives, all of their children (4 total), their children's spouses, and their grandchild couldn't escape, either.  At its very nature, sin is destructive--of grace, of good things, and of anything good in our lives.  Give Satan his chance and he'll make the most of it.

Third, as I had compassion on these fictional folks in the movie, I realized that the explosion of darkness and sin wasn't a sudden onset.  These poor people set the stage for this nastiness long ago.  Meryl Streep & her husband chose addictions rather than a life-giving marriage (in the opening of the movie, the husband tells the cook that he and his wife had made an arrangement long ago, not to bother each other about their respective addictions).  Meryl's sister chose to have an affair to cope with her husband's smoking habits (not cigarettes).  The mess that their families became was a direct result of those choices.  Isn't it the same with us?  Problems we have in our spiritual life don't usually come out of nowhere.

Although I was somewhat depressed after watching this movie, it was an interesting insight into human nature.  It convinced me, even more than before, of how much we're in need of a Savior.  Thank you Lord!