Abbey-Roads2

Although practicing Roman Catholics never thought Confession was outdated. 

I noticed an interesting news item concerning Internet confession sites again today.  This has been a novelty news item in the past year, once again getting notice on Spirit Dailyand a few blogs.  One blog describes it as “Disturbing“.  I say, not at all.

The Catholic Church had it right all along.  With the advent of psychoanalysis in the 1920’s, then psychological counseling and support groups in the 1970’s up to our own day, people have felt a pressing need to confess, as it were.  Hence the Internet confessional, supported by protestant churches, seems to be a natural.  Unfortunately, all of these means of auricular confession lack one major component, the sacramental encounter with Christ, as well as His forgiveness and absolution of sins through the ministry of the priest. 

It is one thing to confess one’s sins, it is quite another to receive forgiveness for one’s sins.  In telling another the sins one has committed, whether in an on-line chat-room or even in a blog, one’s sense of guilt may be alleviated, however, sacramental confession removes the quilt entirely.  The sin is so completely removed by the blood of Jesus, it no longer exists, whereas a sin posted on a website remains.

The encounter of penitent and priest, who represents Christ and has been ordained with His power to forgive sins, effects the sacrament.  It is not a virtual encounter, but a real physical experience, it is a sensible sign.  The sacrament was instituted by Christ to give grace, and is the visible means of the transmission of grace while remaining the  normal means for receiving the forgiveness of serious sins after Baptism.  The sacrament also provides a remedy for sin, as well as the means of making satisfaction for sin - in and through the penance imposed by the priest.

The Sacrament of Penance can also be a convenient way to receive spiritual direction in one’s spiritual life.  Even if the penitent has no serious sin to confess, venial sins may be confessed, thus supplying an increase in grace as well as bestowing actual grace.  It is not uncommon for a soul to experience actual grace in such a manner as to free him from the attachment to a particular habitual  sin, sometimes spontaneously or over time.

No, I don’t think the desire to confess one’s sins on the Internet is really very disturbing, after all, confession is good for the soul.  It is just too bad people do not understand the Catholic Church and Her sacramental system, along with the great benefits of the Sacrament of Penance.  

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Obviously, since we can switch liturgical calendars at will, in the old calendar, today would really be the feast of St. Catherine of Siena.  So I’ll write a bit about her today.

The Dialogue

St. Catherine’s greatest work remains her “Dialogue” or the dictation she gave regarding her ecstasies and revelations from God the Father. I also like the biography Blessed Raymond of Capua wrote. He was her spiritual director, appointed by the Dominicans because they were afraid that she was not authentic. Fra Raymond certainly found out otherwise. An excellent book to read on Catherine’s doctrine remains her “Dialogue” however, published by Paulist Press and translated By Dr. Suzanne Noffke with a preface by Giuliana Cavallini – both excellent scholars.

The Dialogue contains very good and practical teaching on prayer and the spiritual life. The text is so lofty and rich it would be excellent to use for lectio divina or mental prayer.  In the popular imagination, St. Catherine is often represented as a sort of firebrand, some even think of her as a sort of female Savanarola. That is really not the case however. Great penitent that she was, she was nothing but charity in regards others - especially sinners.

I love the story of how St. Catherine nursed a cantankerous old woman who despised the Saint, yet Catherine cared for her amidst great revilement, enduring daily abuse. In the end of course, the old woman was converted, although, unconverted as she had been, Catherine loved her and served her as if she was serving our Lord himself.  The Saint would not return to her cell in the evening and complain about the woman, or complain that she had to serve her – Catherine genuinely wanted to nurse her - it wasn’t as if it had been a task she had been assigned to do.  Charity does not measure or weigh, much less limit itself in doing good. 

It is so hard to explain this to spiritual people - much less comprehend myself, yet I believe her love of God and neighbor was so focused and intense that the abuse she endured was not repellent to her. It was almost as if it did not cost her anything – but of course, it did – remember, the saint wasn’t in ecstasy all of the time. Nevertheless, Catherine didn’t measure or tabulate her penance, prayers or works – she did not keep an accounting system or set limits upon herself. Neither was her work an end in itself. In the Dialogue our Lord taught her,

“It would not be right to make penance or other bodily works either your motivation or your goal, for as I have already said, they are only finite…Let no one make the judgment of considering those great penitents who put much effort into killing their bodies more perfect than those who do less. I have told you that penance is neither virtuous nor meritorious in itself. Were that the case, how unfortunate would be those who cannot perform actual works of penance. The merit of penance rests completely in the power of charity enlightened by true discernment.”

There is much to read in the “Dialogue” I believe is useful for those who wish to practice prayer while living in the world.  Catherine was a lay person, living in the world. She was not a nun but a third order Dominican. Her teaching concerning recollection, entering the cell of self-knowledge, etc. was much beloved by Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity and many other enclosed contemplatives. It seems quite obvious to me she is proof that contemplation and the active life are very compatible, and well adapted to lay people.

She had a troop of disciples as well, who called her “Mama’.  Mama Caterina! Pray for us that we may imitate you in charity and mercy and gentleness toward one another without ever counting the cost. Obtain for us light in the school of self knowledge and the grace of profound recollection. Let us do good without noticing ourselves, our hearts fixed upon Jesus alone.  neither fearing our faults, nor esteeming our merits, but trusting in Him alone.

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What are you doing the rest of your life?

People have asked me what am I doing now that I’m retired.  After soon growing tired of blog-slapping my former employer, I got to work gardening.  (I had a very funny post up the other day that I took down because it had been troublesome to some people.  I never imagined I could make people cry.  I felt really bad and realized I had to stop.  Sometimes what I think is funny just ends up being mean.  I’m not a good person.)

My garden.

The layout of the back yard is formal, with a lilac woods beyond the back hedge-wall.  I once had an English style perennial floral border, but I took it out and replaced it with hostas because the rabbits ate the flowers.  I love the rabbits and preferred them to foxglove, lilies, salvia, and sage, among other florals.  The rabbits actually leave the hostas alone, although other gardeners say they eat their hostas.

Anyway - my gardens are pretty much green gardens, walled by hedges, which I love trimming and forming.  The back hedges, which form an architectural wall, separates the shade garden, (St. Joseph’s Wood, as I call the lilac woods - the lilacs are trimmed into trees) from the formal room.  The hedge is cottoneaster, which is a good northern substitute for privet or boxwood.  I have to get back there to re-stake and trim however.

In the front of the house I have yews, which are a delight to trim.  I’m changing the yews from a ball-ed effect into a continuous serpentine hedge, it’s been two or three years of training, and they are not quite solid yet, hence it looks a little wavy.

The rest of my gardening is done in Provence-styled, stone and terra-cotta pots, with lots of topiary; a 15 year old myrtle tree, a 6 year old rosemary tree, along with boxwood twists.  They winter in the basement with silver mylar walls and lots of grow lights.  (I got the idea from seeing marijuana growers and their set up in their basements.  No, I do not grow that stuff, nor do I use it.)  Other pots will be lavendar and geraniums.  I grow tomatoes and other vegetables in pots as well.

I may be putting in some clematis this year where two arborvitae topiaries winter killed last year - I have to find two nice towers for them to climb.  I don’t want clunky wood, but so little is available in my area.  I think I want wire obelisks, so I’ll hunt at some of the better garden centers - not the big guys, but the smaller ’boutique’ centers.  The smaller guys usually have more interesting landscape material, and often have more European inspired garden accesories one can usually only find on the coasts.

So that’s what I’ve been doing, when I get the gardens set, I want to paint the trim on the house, but I also will start working on my art again - soon! - I miss my painting.  There is a commission on the horizon, thanks to a friend in Rome.

Maybe gardening and painting will make me a better person.

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Pius V and St. Dominic with the Madonna of the Rosary.  April 30th is the feast of Pius V in the reformed calendar.  The Ordo of the Mass of Pius V is also referred to as the Tridentine rite.  (In the old calendar, May 5th is celebrated as the feast of St. Pius V.)

“O! Happy fault!…that caused the appreciation and restoration of the glorious liturgy of St. Pius V!”)

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“To lose always and let everyone else win is a trait of valiant souls, generous spirits, and unselfish hearts; it is their manner to give rather than receive even to the extent of giving themselves.” - John of the Cross

“Perfection is attained through a succession of failures.” - Me

(Today is the feast of St. Peter Martyr, pictured, as well as St. Catherine of Sienna.  St. Peter of Verona is my namesake and patron.)

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When I was working, before I developed some health issues, I got to the office between 6:30AM and 7AM and often worked until 6PM.  I wasn’t able to get to daily Mass, but my habit of prayer, rising around 4AM was centered upon the Mass, my daily Lectio taken from the readings of the day.

I grew accustomed to attending Mass at the church of St. Agnes in St. Paul because the Mass was always well celebrated, and I liked it that the priest faced the altar, communion was received kneeling, etc.  By preference, I avoided Mass at more liberal parishes where they used altar girls, distributed communion standing and in the hand, etc.  You get the picture.

Lately, I started going to daily Mass at my local parish in Minneapolis.  There is a new pastor there since I last attended - he’s a good Catholic priest, and a former military chaplain. It’s a typical “Novus Ordo” parish - they pray the Our Father holding hands, greet each other at the sign of peace, but everything done is permitted and Mass is celebrated with the priest vested and conducted with dignity.

I realized how much I had been denying myself by not attending daily Mass in my own neighborhood, because I preferred a more traditional liturgy. 

I sit off to the side, towards the back of the church, hence I see the faithful people who lived through a very liberal, somewhat tyrannical pastor, who broke all of the rules.  (That’s when I stopped going there.)  These people didn’t stop going to daily Mass.  I marveled at their perseverance, their daily fidelity.  Many look much older after 6 years, of course, they were pretty old when I knew them before.  They are delighted with their new pastor.

I realized that the Mass is the Mass - Tridentine rite or Novus Ordo, to stop daily Mass because you are not happy with the way the rite is conducted, is an error I believe.  It’s not a sin to miss daily Mass, yet one is depriving oneself of communicating intimately, “bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh” with Christ.  Jesus says in the Gospel, “whoever feeds on me will have life because of me!”  “Feeds” - these folks daily feed upon the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus…they came to him daily, despite any liturgical abuses, despite not liking the pastor, and maybe despite the fact they may have preferred the traditional Mass of their youth. 

They recognized the gift of God.  I’m so grateful to be able to attend daily Mass once again.  I’m so grateful for the gift of the priesthood, making it possible for me to receive the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus.  I am so going to try and keep my eyes fixed upon Jesus, not so much on how Mass is celebrated, or the lifestyle, behavior, or theology of the priest, but upon Jesus, who inspires and perfects our faith.

I know some trads who will no longer attend the Novus Ordo Mass, and insist upon only attending the indult Mass, even if it is just on Sunday.  A few will not even stop to visit the Blessed Sacrament in a NO church, because they have a doubt as to whether or not the Eucharist was truly confect-ed at a NO Mass.  That is just sad.  I know of at least one person like this who has completely lost the faith, I believe in part, because of her prejudice.

Keep the faith, try to attend daily Mass, or at least visit the Blessed Sacrament when you can.  The Devil is very seductive and will use any argument to dissuade people from attending Holy Mass.

“I am the living bread come down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.” - John 6

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Perhaps he’s just an outspoken Coadjutor. 

I like the press I’m hearing on the coadjutor Bishop John Nienstedt.  I chuckle at the term, “hard-liner” as if he is going to come in like Savonarola or something.  I’ve heard some trads have misgivings about him - why?  I have no idea and I really don’t want to know at this point.  Some people would only be happy with Christ returning and cleansing the temple as he did in the Gospel.  Point is, the Holy Father appointed a coadjutor and we ought to be pleased and thank God for his loving providence.  (While not forgetting to thank him for Archbishop Flynn as well.)

I liked the fact that one of the things Bishop Nienstedt said at a recent news conference touched upon the topic of this nation’s “Contraceptive mentality”.

“At the news conference, Nienstedt lamented “the contraceptive mentality in this country” that has made Catholic families smaller, saying it has made parents more reluctant to encourage their sons to become priests and imperiled some Catholic schools. “If we want to keep the schools alive, we have to tell Catholics to have more babies,” he said.”  Mpls Star Tribune

Most priests and bishops are comfortable with condemning abortion, fewer are likely to condemn contraception, when in effect, contraception continues to remain the principal culprit behind our societal moral collapse.  Humanae Vitae, Paul VI’s prophetic encyclical spelled it all out for us.

One reason priests are unwilling to speak out against contraception is because a good share of Catholics continue to contracept, or have done so and see nothing wrong with the practice.  For one thing these couples who disregard Church teaching happen to be some of the more affluent families in many a suburban parish community.  (It can be a ka-ching thing.)  Whether in the suburbs or the inner city, contracepting couples have been pretty much well educated that it is nobodys business but their own, and at best, it’s a decision between their conscience and their personal God.

Mothers and daughters - contraception is generational.

Meeting young men and women in the workplace and marketplace, waving their Catholic college degrees, you just know many of them have been educated with this pro-contraceptive mentality from their days in Catholic high school.  Their baby-boomer moms (some of whom I know) probably took the pill, while now wondering if there is a link between the pill and breast and uterine cancer.  Although their daughters may defend the use by insisting the new birth control methods are so much safer now.  (Being an abortafacient, they probably are on one level, they simply kill the embryo, without harm to the woman - at least as far as we can tell at this point.)

Catholic grandmas, convinced they raised their kids right, are proud to see their grand-daughters educated by Catholic colleges, now married, working in a career.  Unfortunately, grandma often has no idea her beautiful, Catholic grand-daughter will only succumb to a planned pregnancy when and if she decides to.  And if grandma does figure it out - well, it’s none of her business.

Although, other Catholics sometimes make it their business.  I’ve heard co-workers discuss who is contracepting and who is not in a Catholic company.  If they find out that a couple is not having children due to fertility problems, they let everyone know this as well - so as not to allow for the scandal of someone else suggesting the couple is contracepting.  It’s weird for me to hear that stuff, because I really don’t think it is anyones business.  Sometimes people who are so worried about scandal end up becoming the source of the scandal.

Yet what is our business?

Our business is to get our schools, Catholic schools in particular to continually and consistently teach what the Church teaches regarding contraception.  That it is intrinsically evil.  Every good cafeteria Catholic knows this, or should know it, even if he or she was more or less taught that one’s conscience is above the teaching of the Church and that their choices are between God and themselves.

It is also our business to encorage priests to speak against the practice from the pulpit, and in the Sunday bulletins.  When a community does not hear contraception condemned for what it is from the pulpits (which offers a chance for priests to correct the bad education Catholic colleges have been doing) then the error perpetuates itself through the generations.  Thus, moms and daughters become ‘co-contraceptors’.

Abortion is hardly spoken about from the pulpits, and when it is, it’s usually around election time.  With the new morning after pills, abortion and contraception have merged, as it were.  They can finally be recognized as one and the same thing now.  Hence, I find it timely that the Coadjutor, Bishop Nienstedt should mention anew the contraceptive mentality in this country, reviving an interest in the abuse of contraceptives in family planning.

Perhaps he may even have something of interest to say about the widespread practice of NFP by Catholics.  NFP stands for Natural Family Planning - which, it seems to me, is still a form of birth regulation, albeit acceptable in the Catholic Church.  I’m not saying it is bad to use NFP, because it is encouraged by the Church, and although I know little about it, it just sounds like another form of birth control to me.

The contraceptive mentality.

Many people want big houses, big cars, boats, cabins, all the electrical gadgets and conveniences money can buy, with two kids and a dog.  They can’t have more kids because everything is so expensive; the kid’s education, their amusements, their car, their vacations, their hair and clothes - so you just can’t afford more kids.

When their kids get married, these usually don’t want kids of their own until they are ready for them - because they want to have fun, perpetuate the honeymoon, and acquire all the luxuries they left behind at home first, and then maybe they’ll have 1.2 kids - that is, if their careers permit.

Personal satisfaction, luxury and success has become far more important than a family.  It’s the return, the reward for all of that costly Catholic education.

The contraception mentality is so deeply embedded in the culture, even good Catholics will look askance at a family of 13 and say things like, “How can they afford to support so many kids?”  ”No wonder they home-school.”  Or, “All that woman is is a baby factory.”  And, “That husband certainly must have a high sex drive.”  

Yep, even devout Catholics will say that stuff.

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I’m in ecstasy!

Always!  Always turn to Our Mother of Perpetual Help with confidence!

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In gratitude for favors granted from Our Lady of Perpetual Help.  If you have not devotion to Our Lady, especially under this title, I highly recommend you start now - she acts swiftly.

Thank you Mother of Perpetual Help for the grace you have granted me.

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