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Politics

What in the world?

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

I wonder how in the world anybody at a Catholic High School would think it would be a good idea to rent out their gymnasium for a Sen. Obama campaign stop. But Newman Catholic High School in Mason City, Iowa must have thought so. Here is a senator as pro-abortion as they come who as a state senator did what he could to block a Illinois state version of the born alive infants act. He voted to block the partial birth abortion ban and is in favor of embryonic stem-cell research. He is also in favor of homosexual marriage. So you have a Senator in favor of not only abortion but infanticide once the child is born and yet he is allowed to boost his campaign at a Catholic High School.

Though I am also not in favor of any candidates at any level of office speaking either in Catholic churches or Catholic schools.

As a side note I do wonder what the Obama banner covers up on the knight’s shield and especially wonder if it might be a cross?

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Book Review

In this house of Brede

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

One of the nice side effects of becoming Catholic is that I have opened up my reading horizons. Most often I would read from SF and Fantasy, then with a smattering of military fiction, horror, suspected novels, and an occasional mystery and perhaps whatever might catch my eye in the new book stack at the library. Since my conversion I have opened up to a much wider world of literature based on recommendations from other Catholics.

I just finished In This House Of Brede by Rumer Godden and I was just about stunned at how good of a novel this is. The story takes place in a made-up Benedictine abbey in England as a career women finds she has a vocation and leaves her successful career behind her to become a nun. This book is certainly no pious stereotype of perfect contemplative nuns, but instead a book that reads more like an autobiography than a novel. The characters in the story are so real that you forget you are reading a novel. From the abbess down to the novices each person described could easily find their counterpart in real life.

Rumer Godden who his the author os some sixty books wrote this book after her conversion to Catholicism and spent three years living outside of a Benedictine abbey researching for this book. Her research certainly pays off because there is such an authenticity to her description of the Benedictine life and the struggles among the nuns to grow in holiness. There is also much wisdom in the book given as advice among the nuns that shows the author must have had a very deep understanding of living the spiritual life. The prose in the book is just a joy to read and there were many points where I dog-eared a page to be able to go back to something that was written. This is something that I pretty much never do with fiction. At one point she explains to one of her subordinates about being enclosed in the abbey.

"Enclosed?" this unfamiliar word seemed to ring in Penny’s ears. "You mea-shut up?"

"Not shut up. The walls are not to keep us in but to keep you out."

"But why?"

"An enclosed order is like a kind of power house, " said Mrs. Talbot. "A powerhouse of prayer; you protect a power house not to enclose the power, but to stop unauthorized people getting in to hinder its working."

This book being written in the aftermath of the Vatican Council you also get some of the feel in the abbey of some of the whirlwind of changes that were affecting religious life, though you only get the feel of this towards the very end of the book. But you certainly get the idea that the author was less than pleased with some of the changes for change sake made. One of the nuns laments and dreads the idea of the priest praying Mass facing the community saying it will be as if the priest is giving a performance and not leading us to God as he faces the altar. Though the majority of the book does not give in to criticisms but the daily life and difficulties of these nuns in community.

This is a great novel from a wonderful writer and one I look forward to reading more of.

Julie from Happy Catholic has been reading from another of the author’s books called China Court. Julie got permission to read this on her Forgotten Classics podcast even though the book is still in copyright. Check it out here .

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News

A beautiful gesture

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

A reader sent me this lovely story.

While surfing the Internet earlier this month, a Cincinnati Jew found a way to help his Christian friends and celebrate the Christmas spirit.

Jeff Harris, a lawyer with a Downtown law firm, was reading a story noting that someone had stolen a Baby Jesus figurine from a Bal Harbor, Fla., Nativity scene.

Harris dipped into his pocket and paid for a replacement.

Im Jewish and Christian people have always done nice things to me, Harris said Monday.

A lawyer for 31 years, Harris read of the theft from Dina Cellinis private Nativity scene in Bal Harbor, on the barrier islands immediately east of near Miami.

Believing the Nativity scene was municipal property, Harris sent am e-mail to city officials asking if he could pay for a replacement Baby Jesus.

Each Christmas season as a thank you to all my Christian friends I try to do something to acknowledge what a great country this is to live in and to acknowledge the tolerance and good will of the Christian community, Harris wrote in an e-mail to Bal Harbor officials.

Harris sent the e-mail Dec. 5 the first day of Hanukkah. Officials forwarded the e-mail to Cellini.

I couldnt believe it. I was so excited but, by the same token, I thought it might be a prank, Cellini said Monday.

A Florida attorney, Cellini looked Harris up and confirmed he was a Cincinnati lawyer.

She called him to accept his generous offer to buy the replacement Baby Jesus. made in the Renaissance style.

The figurine was made in Italy but Cellini was told by the company that it had one in Chicago.

Harris called the company, bought it and had it shipped to Florida.

This is unbelievable. Hes a complete stranger, has no connection to south Florida, Cellini said Monday.

He did this out of the goodness of his heart. Its a beautiful gesture.

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News

Transmit the message of Jesus Christ

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Sandro Magister comments on and posts in full Pope Benedict’s pre-Christmas address to the Roman curia three day.

..To be disciples of Christ – what does this mean? In the first place, it means coming to know him. How does this happen? It is an invitation to listen to him as He speaks to us in the text of the Sacred Scripture, as He addresses himself to us and comes to meet us in the common prayer of the Church, in the Sacraments, and in the witness of the saints.

One can never get to know Christ only theoretically. One can master the knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures, without ever having met Him. Integral to knowing Him is walking together with Him, entering into his sentiments, as the letter to the Philippians says (2:5). Paul briefly describes these sentiments as follows: having the same love, forming together one soul (sýmpsychoi), going in agreement, not doing anything out of rivalry or vainglory, each not looking out only for his own interests, but also for those of others (2:24).

Catechesis can never be only an intellectual instruction, it must also always become an apprenticeship in communion of life with Christ, an exercise in humility, justice, and love. Only in this way do we walk together with Jesus Christ along his way; only in this way is the eye of our heart opened; only in this way do we learn to understand the Scriptures, and encounter Him.

The encounter with Jesus Christ requires listening, it requires a response in prayer and in the practice of what He tells us. In coming to know Christ, we come to know God, and it is only by beginning from God that we understand man and the world, a world that otherwise remains a meaningless question.

Becoming disciples of Christ is, therefore, a journey of education toward our true being, toward authentic human existence.

…In this regard, I am pleased to recall the letter kindly sent to me last October 13 by 138 Muslim religious leaders, to testify to their common commitment to the promotion of peace in the world. With joy I responded by expressing my steadfast adherence to such noble intentions, and at the same time emphasizing the urgency of a common effort for the protection of the values of mutual respect, dialogue, and collaboration. Shared recognition of the existence of one God, the provident Creator and universal Judge of each one’s behavior, constitutes the premise of common action in defense of the effective respect of the dignity of each human person, to build a more just and supportive society.

But does this desire for dialogue and collaboration at the same time mean, perhaps, that we can no longer transmit the message of Jesus Christ, no longer propose to men and to the world this call and the hope that is derived from it? Those who have recognized a great truth, those who have found a great joy must transmit it; they simply cannot keep it for themselves. Gifts so great are never intended for just one person.

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Liturgy

"Liturgical Purgatory"

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Fr. Z posts a great article on liturgical music from Michael Knox Beran at National Review.

But if good music does not always save the soul, bad music never does. When the electric guitar sounds during the Sacrifice of the Mass, the cherubim weep.

I don’t know about the cherubim weeping, but I can certainly shed a tear when this happens and it is not a tear of joy. As someone who plays the electric guitar and who is a certified head banger I never want to hear electric guitar used in the liturgy and think only very rarely that an acoustic guitar can be used in the liturgy properly.

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Parody

When parody comes true

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

BAL HARBOUR, Fla. A baby Jesus statue, part of a Nativity scene here, will be equipped with a Global Positioning System after the disappearance of a previous statue, which had been bolted down.

“I don’t anticipate this will ever happen again,” said Dina Cellini, who oversees the display, “but we may need to rely on technology to save our savior.”

The Mary and Joseph statues will also be fitted with GPS devices, she said. The devices are being bought with residents’ contributions and Cellini’s own money.
Cellini has also installed a Plexiglas screen in front of the display.

Since this is a real story it looks like once again I have been involved with prophetic parody.
One year ago today I wrote the following parody.

 

Do you know where you Baby Jesus in your Nativity set is? With the rash of Baby Jesus thefts across the country whether it be public or private land how can you be sure? Do your check your lawn often fearing some Nativity scene napper with who know what nefarious scheme? Or perchance that it will be stolen only to be returned later with glued on devil horns as happened recently in Norwalk, Connecticut. Have you considered even resorting to using a chain attached to the leg of the Baby Jesus regardless of the aesthetics of this act?

If so you might consider our new product – Find Jesus®! Our plastic Baby Jesus plastic doll product Find Jesus® comes with and embedded GPS transmitter, external antenna, and combined with our unique receiver you will know where it is at all time. You won’t be omnipresence, but you will know where Jesus is at all time. No more late night worries or concerns will plague you.

This GPS loop transmitting antenna cleverly disguised as a halo will ensure that you can track your Baby Jesus no matter where it is taken

The provided GPS receiver will help you track down your property if it does come up missing. This small compact unit will give you an exact location at every moment. If it detects that it has been moved from the preset position an alarm is sounded immediately. Simply follow the onscreen and audible instructions to retrieve your Baby Jesus or to provide the police with its location. Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep which he was willing to go look for and find. Return the favor and Find Jesus®.

You might wonder how we can offer such compact and beyond state of the art technology? We have developed a new process called Niño Technology. Niño Technology provides very small programmed machines that operate the receiver and transmitter.

So do you know where your Baby Jesus is? You will if you have Find Jesus®
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Punditry

Blair Switch Project complete

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Tony Blair joins Catholic Church

Former prime minister Tony Blair has left the Anglican Church to become a Roman Catholic.

His wife and children are already Catholic and there had been speculation he would convert after leaving office.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Conner, who led the service to welcome Mr Blair, said he was "very glad" to do so.

Last year, Mr Blair, who is now a Middle East peace envoy, said he had prayed to God when deciding whether or not to send UK troops into Iraq.

And one of Mr Blair’s final official trips while prime minister was a visit to the Vatican in June where he met Pope Benedict XVI.

‘Regular worshipper’

Mr Blair was received into full communion with the Catholic Church during Mass at Archbishop’s House, Westminster, on Friday.

Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor, who is the head of Catholics in England and Wales, said: "I am very glad to welcome Tony Blair into the Catholic Church.

Fr. Z. has some cogent remarks about this in consideration of Mr. Blairs past support for homosexuality and abortion.

At the same time, none of us are finished products yet. I suspect Mr. Blair or other politicians will not change his positions if they are constantly blasted with nastiness. Persuasion is needed. In no way does this condone public denial of Catholic doctrine. I am trying to underscore the fallen dimension of our human experience.

Thus, I am glad that Mr. Blair desired closer unity with the Catholic Church and acted on it. However, I would like some clarifications.

Hopefully we will get some clarifications on this. If he has not changed his positions that are contrary to Church teaching I would certainly like to know how the Cardinal would justify brining him into the Church at this time. As I have mentioned before in connection to this is that one of my favorite stories from Alice Von Hildebrand’s book "Soul of a Lion" about her husband Dietrich is that when he was taking private instructions to come into the Church he announced to the priest that he was ready to enter the Church. The priest knowing Dietrich’s opposition to the Church’s teaching on contraception told him he would not bring him into the Church unto he accepted this. Dietrich then made an act of faith and said that he believes all that the Church teaches and then later became a great teaching on the truth of the evil of contraception.

None of us enter the Church perfected, though I would think that when we make the Profession at Faith when being received into the Church and saying that we believe all that she teaches that there should be a reasonable chance that we are telling the truth. To bring someone in that we knew to not hold all that the Church teaches would be to have them perjure themselves before God.

I sincerely hope that he has had a change of heart and if not that he will in the future.

Update: I see that Diogenes is on the same page as myself on this:

Tony Blair recants position on abortion!

Well he did, didn’t he? And somehow I just missed the headline?

In order to be received into the Catholic Church, one must make a profession of faith, affirming that one believes all that the Church teaches. And the Church teaches that support for abortion is gravely wrong, and so now we know– don’t we?– that Blair recognizes his past public stance was gravely wrong. Don’t we?

Don’t we?

Hello? Hello?

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Humor

Candidate's favorite books

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

If true this is a pretty funny.

"Who is your favorite author?" Aleya Deatsch, 7, of West Des Moines asked Mr. Huckabee in one of those posing-like-a-shopping-mall-Santa moments.

Mr. Huckabee paused, then said his favorite author was Dr. Seuss.

In an interview afterward with the news media, Aleya said she was somewhat surprised. She thought the candidate would be reading at a higher level.

"My favorite author is C. S. Lewis," she said.

Candidates do have strange answers at times to this question. Mitt Romney replied before that Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard was his favorite novel. On one level that answer makes a lot of sense since L. Ron Hubbard and Joseph Smith have a lot in common in that both made up their own religions. But on a literary taste level Battlefield Earth was just a so-so SF novel that really needed an editor. Though if Mitt had replied that Battlefield Earth was his favorite movie I think that would have totally disqualified him from running for president. But Mitt seems to have flipped (what a surprise) on his literary choice since his Facebook entry lists a bunch of novels as his favorites and none of them were Battlefield Earth.

Mike Huckabee’s Facebook page lists his favorite books as "
The Holy Bible, To Kill a Mockingbird, Mere Christianity, and anything by Francis Schaeffer." So he really blew it with the seven year old and would have done much better mentioning Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

Sen. John McCain’s favorite novel is "For Whom the Bell Tolls" which is also the theme for his campaign.

For Rudy Giuliani his selections "Testimony by Nicolas Sarkozy, Churchill, Their Finest Hour, Profiles in Courage, Lincoln, Babe: The Legend Comes to Life" seem like books he would ask someone to come up with to make him look smart. Can you trust a guy that can’t list one piece of fiction other then his conservative credentials?

Neither Duncan Hunter or Ron Paul’s Facebook page list any favorite books.

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