Abbey-Roads2

“The Suicide of Dorothy Hale” Frida Kahlo

I think my medium is painting. I honestly never heard or viewed Kahlo’s work until my gallery owner told me my things reminded him of her. I then proceeded to read about her and appreciated her art, although I found it rather narcissistic and self-pitying - despite the fact her admirers insist otherwise. In my opinion they are wrong.

Yet her somber message is something I also try to convey in my art, using as she did, the archetype of Spanish colonial retablo and ex-votos. (We are both derivative in that respect.) I just cannot convey in writing what I can in painting. For me, painting documents life much more satisfactorily; that is why I use art in my posts - and that is because I’m not a very talented writer.

I’m rapidly losing interest in the blog. I am so bored with Catholic blogs and the controversies, with the gossip and sarcasm. A lot of hot air. My post, “The Waiting Room” - written while I was at the auto dealership was meant to express that. Jabber, jabber, jabber - about nothing.

Who cares? I don’t care if the priests of NYC are trying to get rid of Egan. I don’t care if the SSPX gets reunited with Rome. I don’t really care if Flynn gets replaced in MPLS/STPAUL. I honestly don’t care that Fr. Altier was transferred from St. Agnes. In fact, I don’t care about a lot of things. I think it’s the political climate with the elections coming up that I feel this way - that it’s all such bull-shit. “Hot air!” as Fr. Eckert would say. Is blogging really contributing to anything meaningful in life? (My blog that is - although I’m pretty bored with the ones I visit as well.)

Maybe I need a break. I know I have to start painting.

To Eastern Orthodoxy, that is:

[snip] “Rod candidly admits that his devotion to Christ was eclipsed by golden calves of his own making. These include:

All-consuming anger — “I became so tormented over what had happened to those children at the hands of the Catholic clergy and hierarchy that I could see nothing else but pursuing justice. And my own pursuit of justice allowed me to turn wrath into an idol. I didn’t know I was doing this at the time. . . . That is something that could happen to anybody, Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox or what have you. Be warned.”

Politicized faith — “I can look back also and see that my own intellectual pride helped me build a weak foundation for my faith. When I converted to Catholicism in 1992 . . . it was a sincere Christian conversion. But I also took on as my own all the cultural and intellectual trappings of the American Catholic right.”

Churchcraft as a hobby — “I had become the sort of Catholic who thought preoccupying himself with Church controversies and Church politics was the same thing as preoccupying himself with Christ. Me and my friends would go on for hours and hours about what was wrong with the Church, and everything we had to say was true. But if you keep on like that, it will have its effect.”

Clericalism — “Without quite realizing what was happening, I became a Professional Catholic, and got so caught up in identifying with the various controversies in the American church that I began to substitute that for an authentic spirituality. This is nobody’s fault but my own. Part of that involved hero-worshipping Pope John Paul II, and despite having a healthy awareness of the sins and failings of various bishops, exaggerating the virtues of bishops my side deemed ‘orthodox.’”[snip] -New Advent blog

I like the term “Churchcraft”. Gosh I know a lot of people who all day get into that, and they get so angry…I better check the log in my own eye now.

You have to read her most recent post on the state of moral affairs in Britain. Here is an excerpt:

“Blair has played a major political role in ensuring the collapse of morals in our country. He has led us into an appalling war which will result in the destruction of one of the few countries in the Middle East where there were reasonably strong Christian communities, which may well now disappear. Our Armed Forces are under extreme pressure, our crime rate soars, and Government policies openly promote schemes to smash traditional marriage and family life. Yet deluded Americans still talk about “Tony Blair, man of integrity”…..please, please look at what is actually happening, and don’t have an image of Britain that is based on 1950s films!” Joanna Bogle

Sounds like the U.S. By the way, in the upcoming elections it sounds as if the Republicans are going to be losing their ass - I mean seats - in Congress.

After being sick for several days - the Dr. said today it is bronchitis - he always knows without my saying anything that I still smoke. It seems I got a bad cold with a sinus infection that turned into bronchitis - I’m spared a recurrence of pneumonia however with an antibiotic. Hold the lectures and scolding please - I’m depressed enough.

So where am I now? I had some engine problems and I’m in the Honda dealership waiting room, it is supposed to take two hours. Providential huh? Thankfully they have internet access.

The television is on and the waiting room is full of people. There is a Muslim woman speaking loudly on her cell phone and people are complaining that they cannot hear the TV because of it. One of the computers is not working so there is a Muslim man (the woman’s husband) next to me talking to it. What if he were to get online and plan a terrorist attack on the Foshay tower? Oh! He finally got on! I looked around to see if he got on, just to keep an eye on what site he went to…He googled suitcase nuclear weapons…Just kidding.

His wife is still on the phone and says an occasional word to him and he barely responds. How does he put up with the constant talking? She has to wear a veil and cover everything up, but she can shoot her mouth off all she wants in public. I should have brought alcohol with me and she maybe would leave, like the Islamic cab drivers who will not carry fares who have alcohol.

(I’m just documenting my experience here, so don’t be offended.)

Now my ’specialist’ comes in and tells me that I need a new tire because I have a nail in one, they have a special and can replace all of them, so I said yes. This will take my bill over $500 today. Isn’t that something though! She brought me a complimentary bottle of water.

Oh! The Muslims left. But now a deaf person came in and turned the TV up again.

The Muslim guy is back now! He asked if I’d mind if he used the phone on the wall right behind me. He can see what I’m writing. I have to save to draft and I’ll go to my other blog - oh! You didn’t know I had one? Yeah that’s right, it’s Rome-ing Catholics…

What if he had a simitar? He’s behind me and people get beheaded from behind - their throats slit and sawed through…

On the news they are discussing another terrorist attack - anthrax - anonymous envelopes from corner mailboxes. I think there are better ways. They are now saying some large scale event is due to happen before the end of the month of Ramadan - even claiming al-Quieda says Muslims in the U.S. should leave the country. (I think it’s CNN, are they just filling time?) Anyway, the Muslims are still here - I think they are Somalis.

I don’t really think that all Muslims are terrorists, but I think many people wonder about these things every time they look at white-Anglo-Saxon-protestants in burkas. (I don’t want to sound racist.) Now the Muslims left. Whew!

I just heard North Korea’s test really was nuclear. Well that settles that. Ms. Rice is now on talking about Iran’s programs of do’s and don’ts, now N. Korea. Well the U.S. is telling them! People just can’t have access to nuclear power and stuff. We rule!

I wonder why they don’t turn on Oprah? Better yet, Judge Judy. CNN just repeats the news over and over. Oh! Stocks closed at the 7th record high in 10 days! Like there isn’t going to be a big crash soon. Gosh! Greed clouds judgment, huh? A correction is coming.

So what else should I write about? What a racket the auto industry is? How I just got taken today? How much I’d like to go out and have a cigarette right now?

I turned around and this white lady is starring at me as I write. Do you stare at people when you’re waiting someplace? I do, although I try to do so without being noticed. I sit and try to figure out their story, their age, occupation. I can always spot single women. With one glance I could tell you some things about this woman. She’s divorced and single, has a good job. Gets her hair done - hi-lighted of course. She’s very trim so she goes to the gym more than once a week, likes to shop because she has nice clothes. Very much in control of her life. probably a teenaged daughter or niece, because she’s kind of trendy. Skinny is a dead give away for some single women - but not always - there are other markers.

Oh my gosh! - Kathy - whatever her name is - is here now! She’s the comedian that was on Seinfeld - oh! What is her name? She was on the episode where she was doing her stand-up routine about Jerry being the devil…she is so her voice double. I can’t believe it. I looked - it’s not her, but she could be her voice double for sure. Kathy Griffin! That’s her name!

Looked over my shoulder and skinny divorced lady is still watching me - she has an annoyed look on her face - another sign of being single.

This is a documentary, isn’t it? Too bad I don’t have a camera. What if I changed careers and took people’s cars to the service center for them and just blogged, blogged, blogged, while I waited - I could get a web-cam.

It’s like the casino here, they just came around with water and asked me how I was doing. (I’ve only been to the Casino once.)

Did I ever tell you about my friend Joe? He got married just over a year ago. I email him things like this at times - just insane ramblings. He threatens me with restraining orders - just to be funny. He wishes I was his Dad.

Oh - repeat news on N. Korea - or should we now call them, Nuke Korea. I guess the device was small. I wonder if it would be small enough for a suitcase. I doubt it, if it’s still too big for one of their missiles.

I’m bored with this now.

Today is the feast of St Margaret Mary Alacoque, to whom Our Lord revealed the modern devotion to His Sacred Heart.

It is the refuge of sinners.

I stole this picture from Don Marco’s blog because I like it so very much.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in you.

Don Marco has a beautiful Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart on Vultus Christi. While the Penitent Blogger has some of St. Margaret Mary’s words on the vision of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.