Abbey-Roads2

Once there were two sisters…

Martha was the sister of Mary - the Mary people used to say had been a whore - but when morals plummeted in the 20th century and whores became commonplace, Mary became known as a feminist and an evangelist.  Both sisters lived with  their brother Lazarus - who was thought to be quite a stinker until Jesus raised him from the dead.  (Did you know when he was raised from the dead he was naked except for a winding cloth?!)

So anyway, Martha had panic attacks and would get very nervous while doing all the housework, while Mary usually sat calmly, sipping tea, twirling her hair, studying ”A Course In Miracles”.  This may explain why she (Martha) took a lot of valium, only it really wasn’t valium in those days, although she did grow poppies in the garden along with hemp - just to make rope and sandals of course.  (Martha knew the truth about Mary’s past and that is probably why she often became so indignant with her.)

Nevertheless - Martha loved to entertain (sounds like another Martha, doesn’t it?), and that is why she had the apostles over so often.  One day, while very busy on the set of her home-decorating-cooking show for the Bethanites, everyone showed up unexpectedly, hoping to eat and drink.  Mary, always the party girl, joined the guests and just sat on the window sill, with a goofy smile on her lips, listening to all the repartee.  After awhile, Martha complained about Mary being such a lay-about, although, when she was told she (Mary) had chosen the better part, Martha literally “threw in the towel” (which is how we got that saying today BTW), and told everyone to help themselves to the food (which is how buffets originated BTW), and Martha decided to do her own thing (which is what hippies did in the late ’60’s BTW).  Of course the family was always very fashionable, if not countercultural, and the story might have  ended there…

Yet few people knew Martha had been a portrait artist - that is why so many icons of Our Lady are mistakenly attributed to St. Luke instead - St. Luke was a doctor - a podiatrist in fact.  Some say that after rehab, Mary worked for a time as his nurse-receptionist, and she ordinarily washed the patients feet (with her hair!) before they could see the doctor - although that may have been a medieval invention.  (But you see how these stories can get all mixed up when you have an agenda.)  Anyway, that day Martha decided to paint her lay-about sister Mary’s portrait - as she sat on the window sill.  Yes, you guessed it - the painting became known throughout the world as the “Mona Lisa” and has been wrongly attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci ever since the 16th century. 

I know, I know - but the family name of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus was Winschki (’W’ pronounced like ‘V’), which Italianated became Vinci - the name of the town Leonardo was from in Italy.  (Leo’s mother’s maiden name was Winschki - his dad’s name was Nardino - so Leo took Leonardo as his nome de plume, if you will - and someone else attached Da Vinci - the “Da” meaning “of” or “from” Vinci in Italian - I forget which.)  Anyway, how the painting came into his possession is still a mystery, and another story entirely, although it could possibly make an interesting book and movie.

The End

(This story is totally fabricated, just like the Da Vinci Code and dissident interpretations of scripture.  You know - like the one about the centurion and his gay-slave-lover he asked Jesus to heal.  As if!) 

Secular press calls the Holy Father the biggest homophobe on the planet…

And yet uber-Catholics post photos like this inviting irreverent and sophomoric comments and captions.  How very, very sad.  Sad, sad, sad - to see unemployed people wasting their vocation and academic achievements on such nonsensical theatrics. 

“Why would God Chastise China?”

This may be another reason non-believers like to hate Christians.  Right in the middle of a great disaster and huge loss of life, that even secular media is calling apocalyptic, some religious person comes out with an article about God chastising China.   If indeed God was busy chastising China - the world ought to recognize the chastisement is meant for us as well.  What did our Lord say in the Gospel about the towers that fell?  “You will all come to the same end unless you repent.” 

“California Court Legalizes Same Sex Marriage.” 

And people are surprised?  The Court was divided- but the issue passed anyway - and if it goes to the US Supreme Court, I’m sure it will be thrown out.  The SS marriage issue is nothing more than an economic issue.  SSA couples simply want the legal rights heterosexual couples and their families enjoy - it’s not really about love.    In the American pantheon of idols; tax, health and monetary benefits, along with entitlements, are two of the most important.  (Even though Ellen was in love with Ann Heche, she will now wed Portia de Rossi, who is much prettier BTW.) 

“What’s with all the gay stuff?”

A question frequently asked here.  but just check out Lifesite News - there is always gay agenda stuff there.

That’s all.

Make a lot of money.

Well, not that much.  Anyway.  You know that guy, the one who was on EWTN with Raymond and Fr. Neuhaus when the Pope was here; you know, the one who is the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, did you know he makes $1,167,721.00 a year?  That kind of money can pay for a lot of marabou.  Story here.  (To be fair, his income really is modest by current CEO standards - it’s not a lot of money now days.  It’s fun to point out however.)

Have a nice Friday, you envious people at California Daily.  Who says it’s not all about money, huh? 

Family matters…

Last night a close-enough relative got married to someone she barely knows.. well, they’ve known one another for 3 months or so - he proposed after 12 days.  (My first mistake was asking if her mother did a background check on the guy.)  Needless to say, I did not attend.

The happy couple have been living together for a month or two - how does that work now days?  You get up in the morning, get ready for the wedding, go wherever it is the ceremony is to be held, and then you return home after the reception.  Where’s the mystery?  Or better, what’s the big deal?   

The wedding took place at a  hotel, and of course it wasn’t a Catholic ceremony.  Not that that is so unusual - it happens all the time in Catholic families - even the most uber-Catholic ones.  In this case it is a little unusual, especially since the young woman was raised in an Italian Catholic home, sent to Catholic schools - grade school through college, and her mother always insisted her daughter was a good Catholic girl - almost Maria Goretti-like,  when evidence suggested otherwise. 

“Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be apostate.”  That was a country western song wasn’t it? 

[This post probably should have been on my other blog, Abbey-Roads 1.] 

You know that word verification thing you have to go through on some blogs when you want to make comments?  I sometimes find it annoying, but sometimes it can be fun.  It can be like that scramble game in the newspapers where you have to unscramble letters to make a word.

I just ran into one that spelled, “tymafyi” - which when sounded out reminded me of Tina Faye.  See how fun that is.  (I know!  I didn’t even have to unscranble it.) 

Then - this is really weird, I was commenting on a post about gay pride - you will not believe the letters I had to copy out, “lesfggy” - “lesbian faggy” is what I got from that.  Some blogs have numbers too, I encountered one that had “2 g d 2 g 4″ - which I immediately identified as “too good to go for”.  Isn’t that so cool?  And what about this one on a blogspot where the blogger may be mentally ill (not you!); “mpdjir” - which I read as “multiple personality disorder jerk”.  (I’m not making this up either.)

Commenting - it’s fun!  Try it on my blogs sometime. 

If you have ever been to Rome, you will know what I mean.  Tell me the Sistine Chapel isn’t soft porn!  What is next, an illustrated “Theology of the Body” series, or “The Joys of Theology of the Body”?

(Just trying to get my stats up here!  I only get an average of 255 hits a day, and very few comments.)

[Watch for my upcoming expose on Roman priests.] 

Masons!

I found an interesting interview on Zenit with a Spanish priest’s investigation into Masonry.  (I’ll link to it and post a snippet or two after a few quick anecdotes of my own.)

Certainly, the Masonic influence upon society and politics since the French Revolution must be realized as certain by many knowledgeable Catholics, so I don’t really want to deal with all of that here.  Of course Masons are the bane of conspiracy theorists throughout the world, sede-vacantists, SSPX-ers, as well as neo-Nazis and white supremacists.  (Although, you rarely hear that liberals call people Masons - kidding.)

The cult effect.

Locally, there is a rather charismatic priest who genuinely believes most of the ills in society and the Church are due to the international Masonic conspiracy.  A good deal of his followers seem to agree.  Within those ranks are one or two who claim there are Masons even in the local Church.

One fellow, a PI (private investigator) now retired, suggested that even at one of the most conservative local Catholic parishes, Masons were stalking the sanctuary.  Alas - I quit my job before I could get details.  Intriguing huh?  Of course, people have accused Marcel Lefebvre of being a Mason as well, so it slices both ways.  (Although everyone knows Anibale Bugnini was a Mason.)  I think the nuns who taught me were Masons too, because we used to get tickets for the Shrine Circus.  No wonder Sr. Vivian was such a… 

Years ago I stopped in Chicago with a friend, on our way home after we drove to see JPII in Detroit.  My friend wanted to visit a weeping statue of Our Lady.  It was one of the weirdest experiences of my life.  An old Felician sister was there selling books and religious articles, spouting off about the infamous Cardinal Bernardin.  “He was a Mason!” she said, insisting he was in cahoots with the grand International Conspiracy of Masonic Jewish Bankers.  She was a nasty little woman indeed.  (Although I like the word cahoots.) 

This is really a serious post despite the labels.

(I just don’t want to come off as a conspiracy theorist.) 

Anyway, that’s all I have today on the subject, but here are a couple snips from the article with a link to read the entire thing.  Enjoy!

New Age connection.

Q: Does Masonry substitute itself for religion?

Father Guerra: Masonry, in line with one of its products, the New Age, prefers to use the term “spirituality,” which has a more subjective resonance than the term “religion.”

Some Masons say that they are Christians and deny that Masonry is a religion. They should rather recognize that they belong to two religions: the Catholic one and the Masonic one.

But in fact, at least for many, above all for the Masons who are agnostics and deists, Masonry is a substitute for religion. Indeed, Masonry is called a “religion” and sometimes “the religion” in Masonic writings and those of Masons.

They are everywhere.

Q: Is the famous Masonic conspiracy a myth?

Father Guerra: It is necessary to distinguish between Masonry and the Masons. Masonry, as such, does not aspire to power or at least to having it serve its own principles and interests.

Nevertheless, Masons are in fact present in every international organization in which decisions are made and in the multinational corporations that have an influence on economic and political power.

It is logical to think that they try to pass on their ideological principles — relativism, atheism, gnosticism — wherever they are and to irradiate them beyond their own context. - Zenit

“You can’t handle the truth!” - Jack Nicholson

So what if all of these Protestant converts coming into the Church - well some of them - are really Masons?  Or the Trads - yes the Trads - what if they…Or Fr. Richard McBrien- yeah, he has to be.  (Look for that little Fez thing they wear.)