And the way of a pilgrim.

I’ll be thinking about “defensive detachment” and perhaps writing about it as an ascetical discipline - as it played out in the lives of St. Alexius, St. Roch, and St. Benedict Joseph Labre… 

Then again, maybe not.  But I’ll be off for a day of recollection and penance today. 

[Art:  St. Basil of Moscow, Fool for Christ]

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She’s alive!  She’s alive!

(And bitching!  Oy!)  Marian is off the ventilator and doing well - miraculous in itself, since she was very close to death, although she will have to be in nursing care for awhile before she returns home. 

As soon as she was off the ventilator and fully aware of what happened, Marian yelled at her sons because they let her be placed on life support  after surgery.  Marian is a member of the Hemlock Society.  She is a feminist.  She is not Catholic, in fact she is an agnostic of Jewish descent.  She’s very nice though.

I pray for her all of the time - for her conversion.  Evidently she had no supernatural experiences while she was comatose.  I will keep praying, will you too?

Thanks again for all of your prayers - and most especially the Masses - nothing is ever wasted. 

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I don’t believe in coincidence.

I’ve been waiting for the images to emerge and Fr. Zuhlsdorf has posted some gems.  I was especially interested in the Holy Father’s arrival by ship in Sydney.  Between these current images, and those of him arriving in Cologne a few years ago, I cannot help but see the actualization of the vision of St. John Bosco.  I’m convinced Benedict XVI is THE Pope from the vision who captained the ship almost immediately upon his predecessor’s death.  Viva il papa! 

 (I know! - I write about this all of the time - maybe more than the gay stuff - but I find our Holy Father to be very encouraging and consoling in these dark days.  What if the dock was filled with Salesians as the Pope’s boat docked?)

Links:

Fr. Z’s photos

Prophecies of St. John Bosco

The Pope of the prophecies

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St. Alexis.

From the Roman Martyrology for July 17:  “At Rome, in a church on the Aventine Hill, a man of God is celebrated under the name of Alexius, who, as reported by tradition, abandoned his wealthy home, for the sake of becoming poor and to beg for alms unrecognized.”

St. Alexis is the pilgrim saint St. Benedict Joseph Labre was inspired to imitate by following the pattern of his life.  Interestingly, at the shrine of St. Alexis in Rome, the saint is sculpted in a pose similar to how St. Benedict Joseph Labre is depicted on his sarcophagus.  The above photo from his shrine in Rome shows St. Alexis beneath the same stairway he lived and died under.  (Photo source) 

St. Alexis is the patron of pilgrims and beggars. 

“Oh!  If I had the wings of a dove, to fly away and be at rest!”  Antiphon from the Office of St. Bruno.

Links: 

St. Alexis, Man of God, July 17

Pictorial Lives of the Saints

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“Come over to me all of you and you will be filled with my fruits.”- Sirach 24:18

“And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus!” - Luke 1:42

I have loved today’s feast from my earliest youth, I was only 4 years old when I became acquainted with the scapular of Mt. Carmel, and therefore, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.

I also love this image of Our Lady.  Thanks to Elena for posting it.   

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Our Lady’s habit.

As Catholics we are extremely fortunate that Our Heavenly Mother offers to clothe us in her very own habit, the brown scapular of Our Lady of Mt Carmel.  What a wonderful grace it is to wear her holy habit, the saints of the Carmelite Order all attest to this, and the order has graciously shared this privilege with the laity throughout the centuries.

During a difficult period in the Carmelite Order’s history, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel appeared to St. Simon Stock and gave him the Brown Scapular, which became part of the Carmelite habit. Lay people are privileged to wear a smaller version of this habit even today. It consists of two pieces of brown wool connected by cords that one wears over their shoulders, a piece in front on the chest and a piece resting upon the back. Our Lady attached great significance to this “livery” and promised that those who die wearing it shall never suffer eternal fire. It is one of the most highly indulgenced sacramentals in the Church, one that intimately connects the person wearing it to the Carmelite order. In addition it is an outward sign of one’s consecration to Our Lady as well as a guarantee of her protection and patronage - very much like the religious, or monastic habit is to the consecrated soul.

The scapular or “schema” as the monastic habit.

The monastic habit dates back to the early desert fathers; in fact, St. Pachomios (+346) seems to have codified it in addition to establishing the cenobitic life for monks.  It was called the ’schema’ which comprised the scapular over the tunic.  An angel wearing the schema appeared to Pachomios and instructed him that by the wearing of the habit the monk will overcome the temptations of the flesh. 

This story aside, heavenly inspired religious habits with scapulars are common to most religious orders, whether in the East or the West.  The scapular itself is otherwise believed to have originally been used as a work garment, similar to an apron, except it was worn over the shoulders, or the scapula - hence, the name.  Nevertheless, the legend associated with St. Pachomios suggests otherwise.  Some contemporary western monastics often seem more willing to offer distinctly practical and utilitarian origins to the monastic habit, as opposed to spiritual or supernatural purposes, perhaps it allows the habit to be more easily dispensed with as a religious essential. 

The gift of Our Lady’s habit.

In western tradition, various legends hold that Our Lady herself conferred habits upon various religious orders, which includes the Carmelites.  Through the person of St. Simon Stock, the Carmelites received this addition to their habit in an apparition of the Blessed Virgin to the saint.  Our Lady promised, that to those who persevered in wearing this habit, that is, persevering in the vocation it signified, such a person would enjoy her special patronage and protection, especially at the hour of death, and she would preserve them from the eternal fires of Hell. 

The Carmelite order in turn extended this privilege to the faithful, promoting the devotion of wearing a portion of the scapular of Mt. Carmel.  A confraternity was established with special regulations, and the scapular, devoutly worn, united the wearer to the Order in a special way, enjoying many benefits and privileges associated with the good works of the Order.     

Links:

Catechesis for the Brown Scapular

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Thoughts on relativism.

A local - hate to say it - “gay activist” wrote a post on relativism entitled, “Thoughts On Relativism”.  It was essentially a contradiction and challenge to what Archbishop Nienstedt writes for our archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Spirit.  (I’m not linking to any of this.)

I found the post curious since the author seems desirous of rebutting any and all accusations of relativism leveled against any of the dissidents he represents, by what reads to me to be a nearly perfect definition of relativism.  He wrote:

“…most contemporary US Catholics form their convictions and make their moral judgments in reliance on what they have learned from broader communities than just the Catholic Church. Can we be sure that we have absolute truth? No. Depending on how much responsibility we take for inquiring, we can only get as close as humans have currently come to it. It is relative truth, relative to our time, our cultural programming, and our finite minds.” - Wild Reed

That is pretty much the relativist creed, isn’t it?  Oh!  I get it - perhaps the author actually means to defend  the dictatorship* of relativism.

(*Pope Benedict XVI often refers to it as a dictatorship.)
 

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I beg you with tears.

Please, please pray for my best friend’s mom, Marian Becker. She is in very serious condition at a hospital outside of Washington D.C.. Please pray for her - a Divine Mercy Chaplet, a rosary, and if you are a priest, a Mass. Remember how very important just one soul is in the eyes of Our Heavenly Father. Thank you.

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Something is just off here.

An openly gay (active), ‘married’ Episcopal bishop from the United States was heckled during a speaking engagement at an Anglican church in the UK.  Part of the congregation seems to have applauded the protester  - although I think they were more likely trying to ‘clap down’ the heckler.  Anyway, the man was escorted out and the apostate bishop was permitted to continue his speech, sermon, homily - whatever they call it.  (Video) 

Following the outburst, Bishop Robbinson continued his talk by asking that everyone “pray for that man.”  Resuming the focus of his address, he continued:

“This discussion of homosexuality we are having in the Church is not so significant because of what it says about homosexuality, but of what it says about God. 

“When someone stands up and says homosexuality is an abomination, does that make you want to get to know God?”

Bishop Robinson emphasised that the congregation should reject fear.

He said: “I think God wants us to be bold, I think God wants us to take risks, I don’t think God wants us to be afraid. 

“You know, whatever you think makes you unworthy, I don’t think God wants to hear it any more.”

“All you have to do is turn up and open up your heart.” - BBC NEWS 

I’m fairly certain there is just a little bit more a person has to do.  It really isn’t just enough to show up and open your heart; Jesus - God said, “Repent and believe in the gospel” adding, “follow me.”

Photo credit:  Get Religion  (The photo is NOT Gene Robisnson’s wedding.)

Note:  Bishop Robinson was first married to a woman and has a family from that marriage.

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After Terri.

Reports are that all over the United States unquestionably conscious cognitive disabled patients are being left to die by dehydration, in the same manner as Terri Schiavo. 

“Another young person has been dehydrated to death in the same hospice in Florida where Terri Schindler Schiavo met her court-ordered end. Bradley Whaley, 26, was severely brain damaged by an overdose of drugs and was minimally conscious, according to media reports. He died July 2 after the Hospice of Florida Suncoast removed his food and hydration tube.

Wesley J. Smith, a lawyer and critic of secular bioethics, wrote of the case that it illustrated the new medical ethics paradigm, based on “quality of life” criteria, in which patients who cannot speak or feed themselves are now at risk of being killed by dehydration.

“For more than ten years I have been telling anyone who will listen that unquestionably conscious cognitively disabled patients are being denied sustenance in every state in this country–so long as no family member objects,” Smith writes.” - Source
 
 

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