How Smart Are You?

Am-I-Dumb.com - Are you dumb?

Anti-Catholicism and the (Campbellite) Churches of Christ

Recent developments on the ex-CoC* Support board have me thinking about anti-Catholicism in the (Campbellite*) Churches of Christ.

Here's my theory--anti-Catholicism is so ingrained in the churches of Christ that even after they leave, many people still do not realize how much of a hold the anti-Catholic rhetoric holds over them.

I grew up in a CoC where regular sermons were preached regarding the evils of Catholicism: praying to statues, worshipping Mary, believing you can work your way into Heaven, you can sin all week and go to confession on Saturday and it's all good, etc. I'm sure others can add to the list, but those are the biggies. I know I believed it all when i was still CoC. After study and meditation though I realized that I had been horribly mislead by the CoC preachers and Sunday school teachers. I'm sure they meant well and thought they were saving me from certain sinfulness, but it delayed my conversion for a long time because I didn't want to be Catholic. I didn't want to believe that all those awful things I'd heard about Catholics weren't really true.

What I've observed on the ex-CoC board is that even among those who have left, there is still an underlying anti-Catholicism. There's an attitude of "I don't know what I believe, but it's not anything like Catholicism" (thanks Stephanie!) I don't even think some realize they're doing it. Others though, are deliberately baiting Catholics. Even among the ex-ers, it's still not okay to be Catholic. The comments on the board have ranged from telling us we're sheep who can't think for ourselves and who couldn't hack it in the real world to calling our belief in tradition "unbiblical garbage."

I would ask all CoC members and ex-members to think about their attitudes. Why do you get upset that Catholics don't believe in Sola Scriptura? Why do you feel the need to make a barbed comment when the question/comment could easily be phrased in non-inflammatory terms?

I'm not really surprised that there is anti-Catholicism in the CoC. After all, Alexander Campbell himself wasn't a big fan of Catholics. See here.

*I use the terms Campbellite and CoC to distinguish the particular branch of restoration movement church of Christ. This is done purely for clarity purposes as the Catholic Church also refers to herself as the Church of Christ.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled progam...

News Flash - The Pope Really IS Catholic

We now return to regularly scheduled programming.

Move along folks there's nothing to see here. I don't get why people are surprised that the Pope claims the Catholic Church possesses the fullness of the faith. Would you expect anything less? He's the leader of the Catholic Church!

They're ALL Good Homilies, Father.

So Fr. Jan's Sunday homily got me thinking (I'm assuming that's what they're all supposed to do :) ) I'm pretty sure my train of thought arising out of the homily is slightly different from the point he wanted to get across though.

(Just for the record, I was listening and I got the point. There's no place for ego and selfishness when it comes to matters of faith.)

What got me thinking though was when Fr. Jan was talking about how the priesthood is not a good vocation for someone who desires to see results from their labors. He commented that the most he usually hears is "Nice homily, Father" after mass. Here's where that comment has taken me --

It seems to me as if most people tend to only see the negative about someone or something. It's so easy to point out what someone's doing "wrong." As a result, we don't stop to take the time to point out what they did well or what we appreciated. I think with priests and other clergy the good they do is taken even more for granted because that's what they're "supposed" to do.

Just because someone is doing their job doesn't mean that we can't take the time out to let them know how much we appreciate them.

So, Fr. Jan and priests everywhere--Thank you. You have a vocation that few are called to, so thank you for taking the time to be a pastor to your flock. Thank you for being there to celebrate mass even when it's obvious you don't feel well. Thank you for the well thought out homilies every week. You're there when we're sick, to bury our dead and baptise our babies. Without you we wouldn't have access to the sacraments. Without you I would have never found my way to the fullness of the faith after so many years of being "dead" to religion.

Thank you.

One of these days....

...when I am the benevolent dictator of this society I will make the popping and cracking of chewing gum a capital offense. Especially when said chewing gum is being popped and cracked eight hours a day, five days a week by my co-workers in adjacent cubicles.

What's Your Theological Worldview?

You scored as Roman Catholic, You are Roman Catholic. Church tradition and ecclesial authority are hugely important, and the most important part of worship for you is mass. As the Mother of God, Mary is important in your theology, and as the communion of saints includes the living and the dead, you can also ask the saints to intercede for you. Roman Catholic 96% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 75% Neo orthodox 71% Fundamentalist 46% Emergent/Postmodern 43% Reformed Evangelical 36% Classical Liberal 32% Modern Liberal 25% Charismatic/Pentecostal 25% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

June Devotion: Sacred Heart

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. "From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion." These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

The devotion consists in the divine worship of the human heart of Christ, which is united to His divinity and which is a symbol of His love for us. The aim of the devotion is to make our Lord king over our hearts by prompting them to return love to Him (especially through an act of consecration by which we offer to the Heart of Jesus both ourselves and all that belongs to us) and to make reparation for our ingratitude to God.

INVOCATION

O Heart of love, I put all my trust in Thee; for I fear all things from my own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

Devotion to the Sacred Heart was the characteristic note of the piety of Saint Gertrude the Great (1256-1302), Benedictine nun and renowned mystic. She was, in fact, the first great exponent of devotion to the Sacred Heart. In our efforts to honor the Heart of Jesus we have this prayer as a model for our own:
Hail! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and quickening source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, and burning furnace of divine love. Thou art my refuge and my sanctuary, 0 my amiable Savior. Consume my heart with that burning fire with which Thine is ever inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Thy love, and let my heart be so united with Thine, that our wills may be one, and mine in all things be conformed to Thine. May Thy divine will be equally the standard and rule of all my desires and of all my actions. Amen.
Saint Gertrude

FOR THE CHURCH

O most holy Heart of Jesus, shower Thy blessings in abundant measure upon Thy holy Church, upon the Supreme Pontiff and upon all the clergy; to the just grant perseverance; convert sinners; enlighten unbelievers; bless our relations, friends and benefactors; assist the dying; deliver the holy souls in purgatory; and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Thy love. Amen.

A PRAYER OF TRUST

O God, who didst in wondrous manner reveal to the virgin, Margaret Mary, the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart, grant that loving Thee, after her example, in all things and above all things, we may in Thy Heart find our abiding home.
Roman Missal

ACT OF LOVE

Reveal Thy Sacred Heart to me, O Jesus, and show me Its attractions. Unite me to It for ever. Grant that all my aspirations and all the beats of my heart, which cease not even while I sleep, may be a testimonial to Thee of my love for Thee and may say to Thee: Yes, Lord, I am all Thine;
pledge of my allegiance to Thee rests ever in my heart will never cease to be there. Do Thou accept the slight amount of good that I do and be graciously pleased to repair all m] wrong-doing; so that I may be able to bless Thee in time and in eternity. Amen.
Cardinal Merry del Val

MEMORARE TO THE SACRED HEART
Remember, O most sweet Jesus, that no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help, or sought it mercy was ever abandoned. Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts, we present ourselves before Thee, crushes beneath the weight of our sins. In our misery, O Sacred Hear. of Jesus, despise not our simple prayers, but mercifully grant our requests.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Novena to St. Therese of the Child Jesus

5 Day Novena to St. Theresa

O Little Therese of the Child Jesus, please
pick for me a rose from the heavenly gardens
and send it to me as a message of love.

O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God today to
grant the favors I now place with confidence
in your hands.....
(Mention specific request)

St. Therese, help me to always believe as you
did, in God's great love for me, so that I
might imitate your "Little Way" each day.
Amen.

More Catholic Than The Pope?

Apparently a group of House Democrats think so.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm a registered Democrat and a member of my county party's central committee. I think these politicians have a fundamental problem though--entitlement. They seem to feel they're entitled to take whatever actions they like when it comes to abortion and still be considered "good Catholics." I think it's time for these eighteen members of the house to rethink their priorities.

Are they going to serve God or man?

I'm a bad, bad, blogger!

I just realized I haven't posted since April! It's been pretty busy though. I had finals the first week of May. Then I had last week off and decided to enjoy my few days of freedom by working in my flower bed. Now I have to get into the summer routine as summer terms starts tomorrow. So much for free time! I have decided that I'm taking the second half of the summer off school. I need a sanity break!

Are you a tortured genius?

You Are 98% Tortured Genius

You totally fit the profile of a tortured genius. You're uniquely brilliant - and completely misunderstood. Not like you really want anyone to understand you anyway. You're pretty happy being an island.

Are You a Tortured Genius?

"A Chill Wind From Rome...."

The Legal and Catholic Blogspheres are abuzz with discussion of the Supreme Court's recent affirmation of the partial birth abortion ban.

A lot of the discussion is centering around whether the majority (all five of whom happen to be Catholic--Scalia, Roberts, Thomas, Alito and Kennedy) voted based on the law or voted based on religion.

I strongly suspect the majority vote was based more on the justices' theory of Constitutional interpretation much more than it was based on their religion. After all, it's not as if they did anything overly radical--they upheld a law that had been passed by Congress.

Sure, Alito, Roberts and Kennedy were dark horses but anyone who's ever read any opinions authored by Scalia or Thomas had to know how their vote would go. Neither of them sees a Constitutional right to an abortion.

What saddens me is that the discourse focuses on the justices' religion than it does on the state of our society. What kind of society legalizes infanticide? If you don't think it's infanticide, read the description of the procedure from the majority opinion.

Which Twentieth Century Pope Are You?

You are Pope St. Pius X. You'd rather be right than newfangled.

Monday Morning Quarterbacking

What is with the media and their Monday morning quarterbacking of the horrible events at Virginia Tech? No one was entirely sure what had gone on and the media were already criticizing university officials for their lockdown and slow notice to students. Have all these journalists forgotten their college days? Now, granted, my college days were in the dark ages (10 years ago) before everyone had cell phones and laptops, but I think this criticizing the Virginia Tech officials for what they did, didn't or shoulda done before the full story is even known is out of line.

My alma mater is roughly the same size and in the same type of setting as Virginia Tech. It took 20+ minutes to walk from one part of campus to the other. I can't imagine the university being able to get notice to all 20,000+ students had some tragedy occurred. As it was, there were riots on Court Street my freshman year, and I was even on Court Street when the events began to occur, but I didn't know there were riots until the next morning when my aunt in McAllen, TX called me and wanted to know why my school was being shown on CNN.

Sure we had campus police and I'm sure they had some kind of evacuation plan, but I'm also sure they never considered having to initialize it. They mostly dealt with underage drunks and thefts. I'm sure they never thought they'd have to deal with a gunman walking into a class building and opening fire. How would you even secure a classroom building?

What happened at Virginia Tech was horrible, but let the officials there deal with what needs to be done and don't armchair quarterback about an unprecedented situation.

Virginia Tech Shooting

Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

Stupid Files #1

File this under "Sin Makes You Stupid." I don't know what's worse, that my hometown breeds this kind of citizen or that city hall granted his group a permit to march through a predominantly-black area of the city. The same area of the city that was six year ago this month in full riot.

Apparently Cincinnati City Hall also makes you stupid.

Update: Well, apparently the march is temporarily off. Turns out the head of the loccal chapter has a warrant for his arrest. Imagine that.

It's the little things....

That I'm noticing most now that I'm an "official" Catholic. I put official in quotes because I'm starting to think I've always thought Catholic, even during my days as an evangelical, fundamentalist protestant :)

I realized this morning as I was putting on the beautiful, celtic cross my sponsor gave me at the vigil that I would have NEVER worn a cross during my CoC days. It just wasn't done during my days as an anti. I remember hearing screeds against cross-wearing from the pulpit. "If Jesus had been killed by guillotine or electric chair, would you wear that around your neck?"

Now I have the gold, celtic cross from my sponsor and a silver crucifix necklace blessed by my priest. My Scotch-Irish Presbyterian forefathers are probably turning in their graves at that!

Come to think of it, I guess I really shouldn't be surprised that my Scotch-Irish Presbyterian forebears turned Cambellite once they made it to Kentucky, should I?

Easter Vigil

Okay, Kasia. Here it is:

Vigil was wonderful. We had prayers with the pastor in the morning and we were all presented with a cross necklace our pastor blessed. After a mini-retreat we all went home to take naps!

Vigil started at 9pm, but we were there at 8:15 pm. Instead of being gathered around the fire while Fr. J processed out with the servers we waiting until the last possible minute to get outside because it was sooooo cold. We candidates were all dressed warmly, but the catechumens had shorts and t-shirts on underneath their "burlap sacks." We shivered through the blessing and lighting of the Paschal candle (which was at least 6 feet tall.) The pastor had recruited a few of the football players from the local Catholic high school to act as servers and to help with the candle. It took three big guys and a deacon to move it!

After the blessing and lighting of the candle, we all went back inside and the candle was brought in. We all lit our small candles while everyone processed in. Our parish did all nine readings--the first seven were done with only the light from the Paschal candle. When it came time to read the epistle only a few of the sanctuary lights were brought up.

After the readings and the homily, we went out into the gathering space for the baptism as we did the litany of the saints. The baptisms were highly emotional, I don't think there was a dry eye in the place. Our baptisms were done by immersion and if I recal correctly there were 7 of them.

We had almost an entire family come into the church--a mother, her school age son and her toddler daughter. The little girl was done last and as her mother was handing her to Fr. J she cried "nooooo!" Even Fr got a good laugh at that.

While our catechumens and pastor went to go get dried and changed, our parochial vicar led us in the renewal of our baptismal promises. We then went back into the church with lit candles and the choir sang some selections while we waiting for the pastor to come back out.

Then we candidates stood and were received into the church. We were then called by name to come to the front of the church for confirmation (there were about 10 of us.) Then there were three others who were also being confirmed and finally the newly baptised joined us now that they were dry and dressed in their albs.

Fr. J began by confirming the catechumens, then the three who were only being confirmed and finally the candidates. As we walked up to Fr. J, our sponsors handing Fr. H our cards with our confirmation name. I was the last person to be confirmed, by then Fr. J was just grinning from ear to ear.

Then came the big moment--Eucharist. I've been sitting through mass for months and feeling so incredibly sorrowful during the Eucharist because I haven't been able to receive and I've so desperatly wanted to. I have to admit, I was a little teary as I came up to Fr. J to receive the body of Christ.

Afterwards we had a reception in the parish hall for the newly received and the rest of the parishoners.

On a side note--a friend of my family gave me a rosary blessed by Pope John XXIII the next day. It had belonged to a friend of hers who had it blessed when she was married in 1959. How cool is that?

That's the cliffs notes version of Vigil. When I get time I'm going to try to write up something more complete.

Okay, Kasia. Now it's your turn :)

Family--Gotta Love 'em

I just got to spend a wonderful afternoon with my dad's family. I'll spare you the details, but let me just say that they put the 'fun' in dysfunctional.

Holy Week Begins

I have successfully made my first confession and now will spend the next week preparing myself for Easter Vigil. I fully intend to make a post detailing my impressions and thoughts after the Vigil.

For me this is a time of anticipation and sadness. Anticipation that I will finally finish a journey that began almost 10 years ago. Sadness because I seriously doubt I will have any family in attendance. Mom says she'll be there, but I'm not confident enough in that to even bother having the formation office reserve seats.