Abbey-Roads2

After the fall.

The recent fashion weeks in Paris and Milan unveiled menswear collections for Spring 2009.  This year Donatella Versaci based a portion of her collection on Obama, just as last year she drew inspiration from Monsignor Ganswein.  Whatever.

The Parisian collections seem to have been the show-stopper of the entire season however, unveiling the androgynous look for men.  Gay Paris I guess.  Recall a few seasons ago how John Galliano’s (Dior) entire couture (women’s) collection was based upon the French Revolution, with mannequins made-up to look like sexy corpses, wearing jewels and crystals resembling bloodied necks, and so on.  The Paris fashion scene is decidedly debauched and decadent, and it shows. 

Effeminacy.

Although spin from Stephano Pilati of YSL declares - ”The original human nature was not like the present, the sexes were not two as they are now”  a statement taken from Plato, although preposterously updated for the New Age - it is in effect a political statement.  (The feminization of contemporary men is another story - although such fashions are part of the outcome.)  The Paris show is decidedly one of many  innovations designed to eliminate gender barriers and classifications traditional to Western civilization.  Thus people can laugh the fashion shows off as insignificant entertainment in order to hype menswear and garner publicity - but I believe such productions are much more politically motivated than many people are willing to admit.

“The most striking thing is the amount of crossover from women’s collections that seems to be happening,” Michael Roberts, fashion director of Vanity Fair magazine, told The Associated Press.  “A little bit of that goes a long way as far as I’m concerned. I just find it a little bit annoying that I’m supposed to be here for a week watching men’s shows, and I keep having to pinch myself to remind myself that I’m not in the women’s pret-a-porter,” he added. - Source

Pride.

Time will tell.  At one time gay pride parades were just a few hundred people marching in stereotypical gay costumes - and people laughed them off.  Today many still parade around dressed or undressed in outrageous costumes, although now days clergy, politicians, straight relatives and friends, along with thousands of other supporters  join in the celebrations in major cities throughout the world.  It has now become a formidable political movement, influencing government and religion, media and entertainment, and as always, fashion. 

Designer, Stephano Pilati underscored the union of genders with a line for men made in fabrics normally worn by women — crepe de chine, organza, shantung and silk voile, all fabrics which float rather than fall.

In an era obsessed with global warming and sustainable development, the 44 spring/summer 2009 collections displayed at the four-day men’s fashion shows ending Sunday featured light airy see-through linens, silks and soft feathery cottons. - Source 

Changing times. 

Of course, the entire collections were not completely androgynous, straight fashions were included as well.  Shrug.  So anyway, a friend sent me the text of the prophecy of St. Nilus, here is an excerpt:

“After the year 1900, toward the middle of the 20th century, the people of that time will become unrecognizable. When the time for the Advent of the Antichrist approaches, people’s minds will grow cloudy from carnal passions, and dishonor and lawlessness will grow stronger. Then the world will become unrecognizable. People’s appearances will change, and it will be impossible to distinguish men from women due to their shamelessness in dress and style of hair. These people will be cruel and will be like wild animals because of the temptations of the Antichrist. There will be no respect for parents and elders, love will disappear, and Christian pastors, bishops, and priests will become vain men, completely failing to distinguish the right-hand way from the left. - Prophecy of St. Nilus

Links:

Men’s 2009 Paris fashion blurs gender lines. 

Men’s fashion with a feminine touch; Paris 2009

Deconstructing Gender

(Thanks to Paula for the story and links.)

Our Blessed Archbishop John C. Nienstedt immediately after receiving the pallium from Pope Benedict XVI on June 29, 2008.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis is richly blessed.  Thanks be to God.

Photo credit:  Fr. Zuhlsdorf. 

Priests.

Two days ago, Father James Robichaud, a 56 year old Maine priest was found in his rectory, dead from a self-inflicted gun-shot wound to the head.  The day before he had received notice from his bishop that he would be suspended from priestly duties while an investigation into abuse allegations was conducted.  The alleged sexual abuse took place 30 years ago in Lowell, Massachusetts.  The day the priest was informed of his suspension, an ad placed in the secular newspaper by the diocese ran, asking that anyone who may have been abused by clergy in the past to come forward now.  The diocese said it had been an unfortunate coincidence the ad ran on the same day Fr. Robichaud was suspended.

I have no idea if Robichaud was guilty, we can’t really know these things when someone commits suicide - unless one admits to guilt before one pulls the trigger.  Locally, another priest hanged himself after he had been accused of murdering two men, one of whom purportedly was going to tell the police the priest was abusing young boys.  In fact, since the sex abuse scandal  broke, quite a few priests  have killed themselves, or, in some cases were found murdered.  That said - the recent suicides appear to be more desperate - almost as if the priest felt he was presumed guilty right off the bat, while it was up to him alone to prove his innocence.  Of course, this position is the complete opposite of our legal “presumption of innocence” accorded those accused of crime.

“Within the Catholic Church, the relationship between bishop and priest, is essentially feudal.”

Fr. Blake, of St. Mary Magdalen’s, UK  posted an interesting reflection last week concerning priests accused of crimes:

“One of the areas where priests suffer is the whole area of unsubstantiated sexual abuse, a single allegation and you are in the desert, possibly, forever. It is obviously important to protect children and the vulnerable but priests too have rights, and still there must, even in 21st century draconian England, and most especially within the Church, that just society, a presumption of innocence. 

Bishops can send priests who they simply don’t like, to distant, sometimes difficult parishes. A friend of mind in rather vulnerable spiritual and emotional state was sent to a difficult chaplaincy, to replace a priest who had just been arrested for abusing children. He wondered why people were avoiding him; it took him a couple of months to find out why, the bishop hadn’t bothered. His next appointment was to a parish his diocese wanted to close, again as a punishment, he tripled the congregation, eventually he left the diocese and ended up by joining a religious community.

The point I am making is that clergy and religious live on the whim of their superior. A priest, a religious, can appeal to Rome on a particular issue and although one might win a case, one has to live with the bishop or superior.

The Church’s presumption is that all superiors are the epitome of charity and justice, but what if he or she is a tyrant or mad or simply bad? There is no recourse; one simply has to live with the consequences. Some religious congregations have a mechanism for deposing superiors, but these are cumbersome. I have only heard of one bishop being deposed, and he really was mad. - Fr. Blake

“It is not the person who begins, but the one who perseveres unto the end that shall be saved. ” 

 Nothing now remains, dear friends, but for me to encourage you to continue as you have begun. Is it not only by perseverance that people earn their glory, and virtues, their reward? Clearly without it there can be no victory for the soldier or honour for the victor. It is the backbone of character, and the crown of virtue; it is the mother of merits and mediator of rewards. It is the sister of patience, the daughter of endurance, the friend of peace, the link of friendship, the bond of concord, and the bulwark of holiness. Take away perseverance, and service will be without reward, kindness without favour, and valour without renown. It is not the person who begins, but the one who perseveres unto the end that shall be saved.   (Letter 129:2 = B. S. James: n.131:2). - St. Bernard

St. Paul’s Outside The Walls.  First Vespers.

The New Liturgical Movement  has more photos.

Father Zuhlsdorf  has details on the Holy Year indulgence.

The readings from Mass.

The readings from today’s Mass seemed to me to be a news summary of the past weeks events and developments.  I realize this is a highly personal understanding however - in other words, it is just my take on today’s lectio.

Unity and peace.

The opening prayer for the feast of St. Irenaeus immediately impressed me as one reason why this day was chosen by the Holy Father as a deadline for the SSPX to agree to the conditions offered for reconciliation. 

“Father, you called St. Irenaeus to uphold your truth and bring peace to your Church.  By his prayers renew us in faith and love that we may always be intent on fostering unity and peace.”

Of course, we all know by now the great devotion to the early Fathers Pope Benedict XVI has, so it seems to me reasonable to assume this may be one reason why this day was chosen.  (Just thinking out loud here.)

Does God in His Providence ever chastise his people for their good?

I’m convinced that unconsciously, many American Catholics have been tainted by the “prosperity gospel” that has infected American Christianity since the days of Kathryn Kuhlman and Jim and Tammy Baker, fast forward to the mega churches of today.  (Don’t forget the gospel according to Oprah either, with her doctrine of the “law of attraction” - you always get what you want.)  I say this because the very idea of sacrifice, penance, suffering, or even chastisement seems to have vanished in “popular Catholicism”.  Yet the first reading from Lamentations does not speak about prosperity at all.

“The Lord has consumed without pity all the dwellings of Jacob; He has torn down in his anger the fortresses of daughter Judah; He has brought to the ground in dishonor her king and her princes.” - Lamentations 2:2

“Priest and prophet forage in a land they know not.” 

So why does God permit bad things to happen to good people?  If they were evil, or indulged in sinful ways, why didn’t He intervene to correct them?  Why would He permit misfortune and setbacks to punish them?  Of course, no one has to believe He cares either way.  But then again, today’s first reading suggests to me that sometimes Our Lord does indeed permit evil as a means of correction or at least “discipline” as St. Paul teaches.  Others might call it chastisement or punishment, as indicated by the prophet in Lamentations:

“Your prophets had for you false and specious visions; They did not  lay bare your guilt, to avert your fate; They beheld for you in vision false and misleading portents.” - Lamentations 2

As always - these things are for the proper authorities to interpret and analyze, are they not?  But as the famous philosopher Judy Tenuta always said, “It could happen!”

 “O God, search me and know me…”

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Editor’s note:  Going forward on this blog, I will try to insert light-hearted photos and smiley faces to appease those who may be offended by my posts; those who think I’m too serious and focused upon Church teaching, or think I take myself too seriously, or think I’m mean and hateful, or who think I think I am some type of Church authority, and whatever else that offends dissident souls.   Jesus was nice. ;) 

Common mystic prayer. 

From Fr, Longenecker: 

“Everything seemed suspended for a moment. Was it a moment or was it an eternity? The crucifix before seemed luminous. Then as I gazed at the bread and the chalice they seemed to be one with the crucifix and they all took on a different dimension. It was like they opened up. A window or a door opened onto light. This makes it sound like what I experienced was somehow ethereal or ’spiritual.’ It was the opposite. Everything was far more concrete, far more solid and shared in a greater dimensionality than I can express, and the words came into my mind, “This is Reality.”" - Source

Father’s experience reminds me of St. Teresa Benedicta’s (Edith Stein) reaction after reading the Life of St. Teresa of Avila; “This is truth!”

Today! 

“First it was artificial contraception, then abortion, then partial-birth abortion, then infanticide (all of which have been supported by many liberal politicians at one time or another, even some running for president) not to mention euthanasia, and outright killing of the disabled and sick. Actually, it’s even worse. Terri Schiavo wasn’t sick. She didn’t die from an illness. They killed her by starvation, a very cruel way to die.

Now it’s same sex marriage (no transmission of life, no fruit of natural love) and we call it inclusive and just. It is yet another nail in the coffin of a society that is clearly dying.

“All that evil requires to prosper is that good men remain silent.” The hour is late. We have had years to change course. Instead, we have obstinately refused and gone from bad to worse. May God have mercy on us, and grant us the courage and strength to act in accordance with that truth.” - Fr. Corapi, June 27, 2008

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

It is interesting, but something very Catholic, very Italian was once included in the manual of prayers for devotions to Our Mother of Perpetual Help.  It was a rather unusual prayer for the conversion of a sinner.  In part, it went like this:

O Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, Thou knowest so well the great value of an immortal soul…  All that has been done for his soul has been unsuccessful; if Thou dost not come to his assistance he will go from bad to worse.  Obtain for him an effectual grace that he may be moved and brought back to God and his duties.  Send him, if necessary, temporal calamities and trials that he may enter into himself, and put an end to his sinful course…  O Mother of Perpetual Help, show that Thou art the Advocate and Refuge of sinners.  Amen.

Of course these lines have been expunged from the current prayers to OLPH - probably to be “nice” - for contemporary sensibilities and all of that.

Whatever happened to that old “evil eye”?