Abbey-Roads2

Strange lights seen in the sky over Florida and Arizona.

This is true - before great earthquakes - often times after they occur, strange lights have been seen in the skies; sometimes hundreds of miles from the epicenter of the quake.  What if the unidentified lights reported over Phoenix and St. Augustine have something to do with an earthquake?  Some people think they may be a demonic deception.  (I know!)  But I think it is either the result of natural phenomena or experimental aircraft.

I don’t know, what do you think?  Should I contact Michael Brown at Spirit Daily or not?

Links:

Earthquake Lights

Alaska Science Forum

Mysterious Lights in Southwest Sky

Catherine Alexandria: Lights, interplanetary reflections of subteranean plate tectonics as it relates to male and female vibrations.  (Thesis)

Seeking approval. 

Beginning in 5th grade, I used to volunteer every summer at the Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul, Minnesota.  One of the sisters from South America befriended me and took me under her wing.  Her name was Sr. Mercedes.  She had a very wry sense of humor and was quite funny.  Not everyone knew when she was joking, but I did since she always looked at me after saying something humorous, and she had this mischievous twinkle in her eye.  If I began to laugh, she would quickly place her finger to her lips to warn me not to give her away.

Many “pious’ ladies also volunteered at the Home.  (I love pious ladies so don’t get angry that I identify them as such.)  Some of the ladies were very impressed with the sisters, and despite their advanced age, they seemed to vie for the nun’s attention, as well as attempting to impress the sisters with their virtue and devotion.  (Perhaps as they may have acted with the school sisters when they were children.) 

It is not unusual for people to behave differently in front of religious.

One lady in particular seemed to corner Sr. Mercedes every time she was at the Home to volunteer.  The woman loved to discuss Fatima and talk about the sacrifices she made, and all the rosaries she prayed, as well as how she volunteered at the Cancer Home too.  Sometimes she would confide in Sr. Mercedes about fellow parishioners, friends, even priests who were not as enthusiastic about devotional matters as this lady was.   Not infrequently, that seemed to be Sister’s opportunity to duck out. 

Sr. Mercedes usually placed her hand on the woman’s shoulder and squeezed it gently, softly repeating,  “You veddy holy lady, veddy holy lady!”  Then she grabbed my hand and we went onto another project, that mischievous twinkle in her eye as we walked away.   I believe Sr. Mercedes was quite sincere in what she told the woman, since she once explained to me all of us are holy when we are in the state of grace.

That mischievous twinkle simply told me Sister had given the woman the approval and affirmation she had been craving - and the pious lady went away satisfied with Sr. Mercedes’ recognition.

Some bloggers can be like the “pious” woman.  A few may be like Sr. Mercedes, and some, like me, are easily amused.   So, lighten up - you are all veddy holy people.  ;) 

Oh, and the church-lady gossips.

“Oh my!  Did you see that?  Nancy Pelosi actually kissed the ring of the Holy Father when she was presented to him.”  “Not only that Mr. Aquinass, but she brazenly received Holy Communion at the Pope’s Mass!”  “So did John Kerry, Sr. Mary Pius!”  “I have never been so scandalized in my life.” 

So might have gone the dougnuts and coffee conversations in the Latin Mass church down the proverbial  block.  The pew-sitter’s magisterium hasn’t come down as hard as I thought they would on this scandal - or maybe I haven’t been reading the right blogs?  As it happened, I believe some people  would rather have had a huge brou-ha-ha on live television - creating an international incident - and perhaps even a greater scandal - than let people get by with what they did.  But was it such a scandal - or are many people just angry these folks exist?

Startling news.

Not every Catholic in the United States follows all the rules.  It has been that way for a very long time.  The errant politicians are not even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to dissident Catholics who perhaps revere the Holy Father but do not do as he says.  This is how people have been taught since the Council.  People do not change overnight.  Nor does everyone love the Latin Mass, and you can be sure of this, some Catholics even like liturgical dance, accompanied by that sort of contemporary music that makes some priests weep.  Sorry - no traditional triumphalism is possible yet.

I have to wonder if  ”Save the Liturgy, Save the World” folks understand that many Catholics who live in rural areas or small towns are just fortunate to have a regular Novus Ordo Mass on weekends?  Some of these people may have lived their entire lives without ever attending a Latin Mass; indeed,  they may die before one is ever celebrated in their parish church.  I think some people should tone down the rhetoric - at least give it a breather.

(Just something I’ve been wanting to mention.) 

His prayer after Communion.

At the Mass in Yankee stadium, the television camera remained a long time on the face of Pope Benedict while he made his thanksgiving after distributing Holy Communion.  The Holy Father’s eyes were open but  downcast, while he appeared to be completely recollected.  I was impressed that he seemed completely absorbed in prayer.  His demeanor  reminded me of St. Francis De Sales, who it is said, while deep in prayer, he simply looked down, his eyes downcast yet open, so as to avoid any ostentation of piety.

 With the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

As I embrace the Sacred Heart of Jesus with all that I am - my utter nothingness - I beg you my Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name and through Mary, to pour His Divine Life, animated by His Holy Spirit, unceasingly into my memory, my understanding, and my will - my entire being.  With each beat of His Sacred Heart, grant that fresh torrents of His Life and Spirit may flood my faculties.  Through this Divine inundation, purify me from all human dross, so that animated only by Jesus and His Spirit, I will be transformed into His crucified likeness!  Grant that my memory retain at each moment only the knowledge of His will and His infinite love; my understanding be moved only by the Divine operations of the Holy Spirit’s gifts, fruits, and beatitudes… while my will be lost forever in the most intimate union with Divine Love Itself - my Triune God!   Amen.  - author unknown. 

Some people have asked me what Monsignor is wearing under his trousers to create the line across his legs.  His trousers are for hiking and the lower legs zip off to make shorts.  (The photo was taken when he and the Holy Father were on vacation in the mountains.)   Monsignor is very athletic. 

Those of the “speak English and stay out of our country” set.

To my surprise Howard Dean has come to the defense of Pope Benedict XVI’s support of immigrants. 

“‘If John McCain is serious in his pledge to run a respectful campaign, he should immediately denounce Tom Tancredo’s insulting remarks about Pope Benedict XVI,’ Dean said.” - Source

So how did the former Catholic turned Evangelical, Tom Tancredo insult the Holy Father?

“Accusing the pope of “faith-based marketing,” Mr. Tancredo said Benedict’s comments welcoming immigrants “may have less to do with spreading the Gospel than they do about recruiting new members of the Church.” Mr. Tancredo, a former Catholic who now attends an evangelical Christian church, said it was not in the pope’s “job description to engage in American politics.” - Source

Mr.  Paranoid  Tancredo claims the Holy Father was entering into American politics with his statements.  Not at all, rather The Holy Father was speaking in defense of human rights and protecting the family.  Nevertheless, the fear-monger Tancredo, who once ran this political tagline in his campaign ad;  “immigrants rape your children” (Source) himself politicized the Holy Father’s statements, revealing his Evangelical religious bias as well.

They’re here!

The elephant is in the room, and the Holy Father was simply calling our attention to our moral responsibility in these issues.  Interestingly, the following headline caught my attention this morning:  “50 percent of LA workforce are immigrants”… 

LOS ANGELES, April 21 (UPI) — Los Angeles is at the leading edge of a U.S. demographic trend, with half of its workforce immigrants, many of them unskilled and speaking little English.As baby boomers retire, the same pattern will emerge across the country, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday. Demographers estimate that by 2025 most of the growth in the workforce will be from immigrants.Ernesto Cortes Jr., Southwest regional director of the Industrial Areas Foundation, said Los Angeles is at a crossroads.“The question is: Are we going to be a 21st century city with shared prosperity, or a Third World city with an elite group on top and the majority at poverty or near poverty wages?” he asked. “Right now we’re headed toward becoming a Third World city. But we can change that.”

The Migration Policy Institute used U.S. Census data to determine that one-third of immigrants have not graduated from high school and 60 percent do not speak English fluently. - Source    

So the other question has to be, “who is really supporting who?”   And maybe this one too, “why do we hate poor people?” 

Let it rip!

Okay, so if I never have to watch Raymond and Fr. Neuhaus again I will be a happy man.  LOL!  Not so much - EWTN really did do a pretty good job - although I doubt Raymond would ever make it on network television. 

It seemed as if I listened to him and Fr. Neuhaus for hours and hours as we waited for the Holy Father to depart JFK in NYC last evening.  The commentators went on and on and on, and then - just as the Holy Father arrives on the tarmac, Raymond had to go to break.   As the program resumed, the Holy Father could be seen walking up the stairs to board the plane.  Oh well.

Truly, I was just happy to see, and hear the Pope whenever I could, and then read what he had to say later.  I must say, Catholics really go in for the drama though.  Everyone all a twitter about the Mass in Washington.  LOL!  The discussion that caused!  I especially loved the commenters who claimed the music at the Mass was so atrocious they wept.  Omigosh!  Get a grip.

All in all I was thrilled with everything the Pope said and did.  I was especially impressed with his compassionate, humble embrace of the United States, and of course, his meeting with those who had been abused.  He came not to condemn but to listen and to show mercy and offer hope.  (I also appreciated the fact he addressed our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters in their language, as well as coming to the defense of immigrants.  Even though a few conservative  toes may have been stepped on by it.) 

Hopefully people will now stop trying to compare him to JPII.

The Way, and the Truth, and the Life. 

Saturday, in his address to the young people assembled at Dunwoodie in New York, the Holy Father pretty much described my conversion experience in 1972:

“Dear friends, truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live by belief because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. That is why authentic freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in; nothing less than letting go of self and allowing oneself to be drawn into Christ’s very being for others.” - Rorate Caeli

And I can affirm, what I refer to as my “second conversion” was a radical deepening of this truth.

I am convinced this is why I can attend Mass in either the extraordinary or the ordinary form with devotion, and still encounter, no - feed upon the living Jesus.  This is why I could live through years of liturgical abuse, and endure bad priests - as well as good priests… because “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”  And by sheer grace, my eyes are fixed upon him.

The Gospel is forever young.  Thanks be to God. 

[Fr. Zuhlsdorf  has a very good commentary on the Holy Father's address.]