Abbey-Roads2

The Vatican rejects gay ambassador.

Call me naive, but I did not think it would make a whole lot of difference who a country sent to the Vatican as ambassador.  I’m certain the Holy See has accepted people at variance with Church teaching, such as atheists and communists as ambassadors in the past, so you can understand why I’m confused by this.  Considering the source - I’m sure I don’t have the complete story - there has to be more to it.  Of course, I don’t know much about the world of international diplomacy either, perhaps someone who does would be kind enough to comment?  Here is what I know:

“The next French envoy to the Holy See has been chosen after Roman Catholic officials rejected the first candidate because he is gay.

AFP reports that another candidate was rejected because he is divorced.

The rejected gay candidate, Jean-Loup Kuhn-Delforge, is in a civil pact with his partner and is a career diplomat.

The Pope visited France last month and was happy to be received by Presi dent Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni, who divorced his first wife to marry Ms Bruni.” - Source 

If Obama is elected, Caroline Kennedy has been talked about as the next ambassador to the Vatican.  How would that work out?  She is pro-abortion and pro-gay.  As everyone knows, I completely support Church teaching on homosexuality, divorce and remarriage, life issues, and so on - I’m just wondering out loud here - not arguing against Vatican protocol or siding with gay dissidents. 

Every government has the right to accept or reject the credentials of foreign diplomats.  I have read that the Vatican expects ambassadors to conform to Catholic morality, hence the rejection of divorced and remarried candidates as well.  Nevertheless, I still do not understand how that works with atheists, communists, protestants, and Muslims?

Thanks to Pewsitters for the link.

The Governor says the State may need a $7 billion loan.

Governor Schwarzenegger is saying the State of ‘Caulifornyah’  may need the mammoth loan to cover day to day expenses; because of the effects of the Nation’s financial crisis upon the state with an economy that was once estimated larger than the size of the French economy.

“Absent a clear resolution to this financial crisis,” Schwarzenegger wrote in a letter Thursday evening e-mailed to Paulson, “California and other states may be unable to obtain the necessary level of financing to maintain government operations and may be forced to turn to the federal treasury for short-term financing.” - Los Angeles Times 

So what will happen if states go bust?  Just think about it.  Think of all the services that would stop - the people out of work. 

What does your Angel look like?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see and converse with him? St. Gemma Galgani did. So did Frances of Rome. Didn’t Padre Pio do so as well? St. Catherine Labore had her angel appear as a little child to wake her and escort her to visit with Our Lady in the chapel at Rue de Bac.

Perhaps, if we were able to see him, we would try to hold onto him, maybe even suggest making  “three tents” - well, one or two - like Peter said at the Transfiguration. We would probably want to simply “be” with him while neglecting our duties and responsibilities. We might fail in our exercise of charity, seeking our own consolation in a friendship that we cannot penetrate or adequately embrace…such a thing is for the soul and God alone.

We must be content with the invisible.

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - Saint-Exupery, “The Little Prince”

A page from my Bible, sketched during our cell time after vigils - while I was in the monastery.  I was attempting to draw my guardian angel as I meditated upon the readings for the feast day…  And I spontaneously sketched this - despite the fact I like to imagine my angel in a much different way. 

(I use this same Bible today, which was a gift from my dear friend David.)

Links:

The Angels

And why doesn’t the rest of the world notice?

Hindu extremists will not relent with their terrorism and carnage, and they continue to go unpunished by the Indian Government, while Christians are being slowly exterminated.  It is not ethnic cleansing this time - it is religious cleansing, and the secular world doesn’t care.

Christian woman axed to death in Orissa. 

“In a pre-dawn attack in two villages in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Hindu radicals attacked sleeping Christian families, killing one person and injuring ten. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the violence and urged the state government to act to ‘ensure law and order and protection to life and property of all citizens.’ UCA News reported that the homes of 4,500 Christians have been burned and that 50,000 are now hiding in the forest. “ - Catholic Culture

Turning a blind eye.

We looked away in Rwanda and elsewhere in Africa; we still look away at Christians persecuted in Iraq and other Muslim countries; and now we look away as Hindus slaughter their Christian brothers and sisters in escalating and uncontrolled violence.  Is it racism permitting a grizzly kind of population control while we go about exploiting poor countries, that allows us to turn a blind eye?  Or is it an underlying secularism, even a hatred for religion?  I don’t know.  I just don’t know.

Photo:  What axed to death looks like.  Photos of Serbs axed to death by Croations in the early 1990’s.  The rest of the West was outraged at the time…  Why?  Because the people looked like us?

Don’t try to stop me!

Seriously, pray for all the people who will lose their jobs, their homes, maybe even their lives, in this financial crises.

Photo source.

A reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes.

“All speech is labored; there is nothing one can say.  The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor is the ear satisfied with hearing.” - Eccl. 1   

How Jesus treats his friends.

“Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.” - Matthew 7: 21-23

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Art: St. Sebastian - by Mimmo Rotella

In this case, people with mental illness.

I don’t know where that saying originates, but it’s a good one - especially if a person finds they are powerless over a chronic and debilitating illness - such as mental illness.  No, I’m not calling these people names or making fun of them -many people with mental illness lead full and productive lives- I use the saying loosely to remind us of the mercy of God concerning those whose (moral) responsibility may sometimes be diminished by circumstance or mental health.  One of my dear friends is bipolar and I suspect a few of my family members have been as well.

Mental illness is a terrible cross to bear - even if there are medications and treatment for it today - people continue to fear it and ostracize those who suffer from it.  As a child, St. Therese of the Child Jesus had a mysterious vision of her father’s intense suffering - a form of mental illness associated with stroke - that would beset him at the end of his life, and for which he was hospitalized.  (Mr. Martin and his wife Zelie will soon be beatified (October 19), thus along with their daughter, they could be wonderful intercessors for people who have mental illness - not forgetting St. Dymphna of course.) 

The way of spiritual childhood.

I mention Therese because a biographer or two believe she suffered from some form of mental illness as a small child, from which she was cured by Our Lady of the Smile - not all agree on the nature of her illness however, nor her father’s - so don’t get mad at me for posting it.  Nevertheless, I believe her “little way” of confidence and love is well suited to anyone who suffers the ravages of mental illness - often doing the things they do not will to do, and unable to do the things they would prefer to do.

Sr. Mary Martha has a wonderful post featuring a letter from a woman who suffers with bipolar disease.  The letter and Sister’s response, along with  compassionate reader’s comments are well worth your time.  Click here:  “Brother Martin“  and scroll down from Sister’s poll to the post.

And then don’t forget our friend Jackie Parkes who has written extensively about the illness.