A new Catholic Light baby!
Eric and Paige Johnson had Christopher Steven Johnson on Feb. 14th - he's a healthy little tyke that's got the nickname "Critter." Please keep Eric and his family in your prayers and if you have a moment drop Eric a line (address is in the left sidebar.)
For those of you just joining us, Eric is an author on this blog that is currently in an undisclosed location (wink, wink) with the Marine Reserves.
"BERKELEY, Calif. - Students at a California university used cookies instead of protest signs on Wednesday to demonstrate against college affirmative action policies... For the same chocolate chip cookie, whites were being charged $1.50, Asians $1.25, Latinos (Hispanics not from Mexico) $1.00, Chicanos (Hispanics from Mexico) 75 cents, American Indians 50 cents, and blacks 25 cents.
...only about 30 cookies, bought in bulk from a big-box store, were sold."
Listen here!
Michael Dubruiel caught this from Zenit.org. It's a quote from JPII.
Hence, it is necessary, to constantly discover and live the beauty of prayer and of the liturgy. One must pray to God not only with theologically precise formulas, but also in a beautiful and dignified way. In this connection, the Christian community must make an examination of conscience so that the beauty of music and song will return increasingly to the liturgy. It is necessary to purify worship of deformations, of careless forms of expression, of ill-prepared music and texts, which are not very suited to the grandeur of the act being celebrated.
Food for thought. Any comments?
And over at musicam sacram
Liturgists can sometimes fall all over themselves trying to justify what they are up to. A.A.E. has some great observations on how silly some of the questions are.
I may have excelled in this school system
Arm Wrestling OK in Swedish Schools
Includes a classic phrase you don't read in the news very often: "She was as strong as a bull."
Norah Jones
It's all over the news today - Norah Jones and her 5 grammys. (If you are out of the cultural loop that makes it sound like she has 5 grandmothers...) She's got a great voice. I enjoyed listening to "Don't Know Why" about 3 times before I got hung up on how trite it is. And I tried the rest of the album samples on Amazon. Equally trite. All this makes the whole thing very disappointing to me: a woman with a great voice sings tired-sounding ditties and ends up getting all manner of accolades. To top it all off, journalists are calling her tunes "jazzy" - that's like calling the speeches of Al Sharpton "intellectually stimulating."
Maybe she'll sing some better music next time. But I doubt it.
Someone at PETA will be up all night agonizing over this one...
SNOW
We're getting a foot+ here, but managed to make it to Mass. Teresa drove our minivan in an excellent fashion. 75 people were at Mass, including our intrepid organist and 4 people from the choir. The pastor seemed impressed and grateful that we made the extra effort to get there. I was just happy to make it and pray - it was a very prayerful Mass.
It's still coming down... need to shovel after breakfast.
Write Eric Johnson
Here's another reminder to drop Eric some snail mail if you have a chance. News clippings, stories from other blogs, humor, etc. Soldiers deployed abroad love that stuff. And if you've enjoyed reading his contributions here, then you can imagine how much he'll enjoy getting mail from people he's never even met, particularly being thousands of miles from home.
Sgt. Eric M. Johnson
2nd MEB, 4th CAG, Det B
Unit 76002
FPO AE 09511-6002
Pierre - that nasty american hurt my feelings! Pass the brie!
A short post about possible war with Iraq and the role of France (besides cutting white sheets into little squares that can be tied to sticks and waved in the air.)
BANG!
Fascinating article about the first light of the universe. Based on this info, scientists now believe the universe will continue to expand and as stars peter out, light will grow dim and the universe will get colder and colder.
Man is small in the grand scheme - a blink of the eye in what happens in the cosmos. And yet, we are loved by God. Surely the immensity of what we see around us must speak to the immensity of God.
Send Mail to Our Own Marine
Here's where to send U.S. Mail to Eric Johnson, St. Blog's very own activated reservist. I'm posting this because I think a note of prayer and encouragement can go a long way when you are several thousand miles from family, friends and comfort.
Sgt. Eric M. Johnson
2nd MEB, 4th CAG, Det B
Unit 76002
FPO AE 09511-6002
In Between Book Deals, Articles, Interviews, etc.
Amy Welborn is going to blog on Mondays at the blog formerly known as "In Between Naps." Thank God it wasn't too long a nap. Pay her a visit!
Update on Sgt. Johnson & Family
Paige has not had her baby yet, but is hoping to before Friday because Eric is still on the "cruise" to the "destination." Apparently, there's a satellite phone available to him for important family events until Thursday when they "disembark" at their "tropical port of call" and therefore Paige would love to have the baby before Friday so they can speak. So please make that your intention for this week!
Dude - Why did Dell cancel my contract?
Goofy Dell Computer spokesman busted for marijuana possession.
Update on the Australian Fencepost
This is just sad and stupid. So this whole thing started stupid and ended stupid.
Running out of time
I was praying the rosary on my way to work and started to think about time, and how much time I've wasted in my life. And I started thinking about death, and how in the grand scheme of eternity we are all very close to death. It wasn't a sad or morose thought, just realistic - the acknowledgement that there's much to do and so many opportunities to love that we need to take advantage of before our time is gone. Might be a good theme for a homily since so many of us value comfort and complacency over charity...
Orthodoxy riled over 'St. Rasputin'
A bitter rift has opened in the Russian Orthodox Church over a campaign to canonize Rasputin and Ivan the Terrible.
St. Blog's and Beyond
"Good Catholic Music" - the expression of "De Gustibus." How many of you can hmm all those hymn tunes?
Hurl alert: Chocolate-flavored beer.
Could be good. Could be bad. I bet bad.
I hope to meet this guy sometime.
Would some care to make a Pro-War Cartoon?
Minions, underlings and lackeys - unite under the banner of Marcus Sheavillicious!
Snow today
12:41am - I woke up because a cat was walking on my face. I thought it was 2:41am and saw there wasn't too much snow. I was disappointed. Got a drink of water and realized it was only 12:41 and was happy because it was supposed to snow all night.
4:52am - Both cats are dancing the cha-cha at the foot of the bed. I kick them out of the bedroom. I notice there's lots of snow.
6:31am - I rise, feed the ungrateful cats and pour coffee. There's 6+ inches of snow on the ground. I email a couple of clients I was supposed to meet with and let them know it's not going to happen. I read Fr. Pat's morning prayer meditation. I bring my wife some coffee.
7:10am - We're out in the snow with our big black dog. She loves it. Teresa says, "The snow is dry and powdery!" and she fires up the leaf blower and starts blowing the snow off the driveway. That doesn't work so well, but she manages to clean off the cars and the walk way on the side of the house. I start shoveling.
8:25am - I'm still shoveling. The snow plow has been down the street 10 times and I'm now tempted to run down the street waving a $20 bill: "Mr. Plow! Help a brother out!" I keep shoveling. I have a long driveway.
9:02am - I'm finished shoveling. I realize I should get to work because the streets aren't bad. I take a shower and go to work.
4:21pm - I decide to leave work since the temps are dropping and it's real quiet since all of DC is at home with the Swiss Miss. On my way home a get a little salmon to cook for dinner.
6:45pm - Teresa is still working. I start cooking. We eat and clean-up.
7:30pm - It's finally time to play in the snow. We get snow outfits on and let the dog out. It's dark but we don't care - we've got a big long hill in the back yard and the dog loves to chase the sled. We made big, deep tracks in the snow and almost got the dog to drag the sled back up the hill.
at
It's now almost 9pm. Teresa is asleep on the bed, the dog is crashed out under the bed. The cats are sleeping in an undisclosed location - they need to be rested so they can be ready to eat at 3am.
dog@work.com
I brought my dog to work today. I put a harness on her and wore dark glasses so security would think she's a seeing-eye dog. Just kidding.
I walked her right in the building and after several minutes of sniffing and greeting, she's just lounging around. Every now and then she looks at me like, "This is not home. I have never been here before. I would like to get back in the car and go home."
So far we haven't run into any snacks, i.e. dogs that are smaller than her.
It's never too early...
...to start thinking about Lent. I think this is a good meditation on giving being more valuable than "giving up" for Lent.
LENT 2003: "IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE"
VATICAN CITY, FEB 6, 2003 (VIS) - Pope John Paul's Message for Lent 2003, on
the theme "It is more blessed to give than to receive" was presented today
in the Holy See Press Office by Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, president of
the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum," Msgr Karel Kasteel, secretary and Fr.
Oreste Benzi, founder of the Pope John XXIII Association.
Archbishop Cordes stated that the words of Jesus - "It is more blessed to
give than to receive" - seem to have received a "universal consensus" if we
look at the world of charitable institutions, corporations involved in
charity, governments preparing budgets to benefit the poor, needy and
underprivileged and fund-raising events for charity sponsored by actors,
sports figures and politicians. He noted, for example, from personal
experience how airlines, sponsoring a specific foundation, asked for
donations aboard flights or how, in airports, passengers are asked to help a
specific cause.
He asked: "Is this widespread action of good works perhaps proof that
Jesus' statement has found global recognition and that maybe it is
superfluous today to underscore it? But upon closer examination we see that
both recipients and donors can have aims that are quite diverse in their
activity for others."
The archbishop recalled other words of Jesus: "But when you give alms, do
not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." Philanthropy and
solidarity have even become "a business", he stated, which can lead to "the
possibility that those who run it take a substantial quota for their own
needs." Sometimes philanthropy is undertaken, he said, to improve one's
personal image or that of a company.
Archbishop Cordes pointed out that Pope John Paul's reminder that "It is
more blessed to give than to receive" is a "new exhortation to give but it
also imposes clear limits." He highlighted the Pope's statement about the
generosity of those missionaries and members of movements who help the poor,
needy and underprivileged throughout the world, saying: "They become
instruments themselves for their brothers and sisters, in the sense that
today's Lenten Message gives in which the Holy Father describes the highest
form is availability for those who suffer as 'the disinterested gift of
oneself for others'."
He emphasized that it is this altruistic, selfless form of charitable
giving to which we must return, putting aside hopes for personal glory or
recognition or reward.
Fr. Oreste Benzi, affirmed the archbishop, is one of those persons who
have totally given of themselves. As founder of the John XXIII Association,
he has worked since 1968 with young people to help the materially and
mentally impoverished. The 186 centers worldwide assist "so-called normal
families with prostitutes, former drug addicts and alcoholics, as well as
the physically and mentally handicapped." The archbishop described Fr.
Oreste as "a simple man, who is changing the world 180 degrees. His motto
is: 'The young do not need something, they need someone'."
Fr. Oreste asserted that, "In a word to the poor, to the least, I have to
give them the answer they need, not the answer the establishment wants that
everything and everyone is well. Sharing requires belonging, not just a
performance. It is necessary to remove the causes of injustice and
marginalization. We cannot just help victims, we must prevent them from
becoming victims, according to St. Augustine and the teaching of the Fathers
and Magisterium of the Church. Charity cannot cover up problems, it must
resolve them. We can't just shed tears on the hungry; we have to unmask who
is making them hungry. One cannot only move against terrorist acts. One has
to defeat terrorist systems."
"The Church herself," he stated, "is justice. Promoting acts of justice,
the Church shows her true identity and attracts all people. The Pope is the
proof of this."
Holy Heart-attack, Batman
Australian Wins Fifth Straight Empire State Run-Up
He has made the long trip to New York yearly despite the absence of prize money for the competition. "It's for the trophy, the honor and the glory."
Well - he's honest...
Why are restaurant reviews so boring?
I was reading this while drying my hair this morning and thought - why do I want to take my own life when I'm reading a restaurant review? It is the pedantic use of metaphor or the romantic-era descriptions of the decor? Am I envious that someone gets paid to eat and write about eating? Or am I just hungry?
Here's an example of what kills me about restaurant reviews:
One forkful of Roberto Donna's meatballs, shaped from pork and soft as custard, and I'm hooked on his new bar menu.
Like most Americans, I don't relate well to the word "forkful" because it's never, ever used in normal conversation or writing. "How about another forkful of custard, Bobby?" Mouthful is better. That thought actually makes me hungry. Of course, if writing for people outside the Washington beltway the writer would be advised to use the word "Helpin'."
Custard is not what I want my meatballs to be like. Meatballs should be made from beef, veal and pork and have no resemblance in look and feel to custard. Meatballs: it's all in the name. Meat in a ball shape. And using the word "shaped" instead of "made" is just silly. I also don't trust writers who use the phrase "I'm hooked" - it's cheesy like a savory french souffle! (HA! I am just making fun of his style.)
Restaurant reviews would be more fun with phrases like this:
You'll need to skip breakfast and lunch if you want better than 50/50 odds that you'll enjoy your dinner at...
I read "Game Sampler" on the menu with the description "the Chef's assortment of wild game served with vegetables and rice" and I thought: What's the wild game available around DC? Pidgeon? Squirrel? Stray cat?
The restaurant was just dark enough that I didn't notice the bernaise sauce on my tuxedo coat until after I after I arrived at the Washington Opera for the gala opening of "La Boheme."
Ever have dreams about Pop tarts, corn dogs, fish sticks or Cheez-its? You will after an evening at x.
You have to work hard to mess up breakfast.
Family Blog
I got an e-mail from this gentleman, here's the text for you all as he requested I post it on the blog.
My name is David Reuter and I am a Professional Counselor with 22+ years of counseling experience. (See: http://www.peaceinthefamily.org/phone.htm#train) My wife Jane and I are Catholic and alumni of Franciscan University (we met there 25 years ago!). We have been married for 22+ years and have three wonderful children--Matthew 17, Rachael 16, and Monica 5!
Our love for our family and our Faith have inspired us to do all that we can to help support and strengthen marriage and family life in the Church--therefore we are currently in the process of developing The Center for Peace in the Family, an outreach of The Apostolate for Peace in the Family which we formed several years ago.
We are now offering Professional Marriage, Family and Personal Counseling by telephone. We are on the list of "Best Catholic Sites" at CatholiCity and are linked to by The Internet Padre and New Advent among other Catholic sites.
We also are developing a Resource Page with many links to Catholic family supportive sites: (see http://www.peaceinthefamily.org/resources.htm), articles, mental health links and a printable Marital Health Inventory. (More to come...)
We now provide a day-to-day reflection on, or simple presentation of Familiaris Consortio at: http://peaceinthefamily.blogspot.com/
We are making an effort to "cast our nets" out into the deep of the internet community and support those who are struggling to maintain "peace" in their marriages, their families, and their own hearts and minds.
We are a Catholic family trying to make a difference---and a living! We fully support and appreciate your internet presence and beliefs and would love to have your support as well. We believe that there is a great need for Catholic-oriented marriage and family counseling that is not available in many communities. Will you help us get the word out?
Please stop by for a visit at http://www.peaceinthefamily.org/ . I believe that our sites could be excellent additions to your Apostolates or Links section.
If you do not think our sites appropriate, it would be most helpful to receive such feedback.
Thanks for your time. Happy Blogging!
Sincerely In Christ,
David and Jane Reuter
The Center for Peace in the Family
Become What You Are
Arkansas, USA
St. Blase yesterday
Teresa and I got home around 4pm, unpacked and she went down to the office. I went to the grocery store to get important provisions like chicken wings - wife.com was going to make me wings "from scratch." We didn't get a chance to eat before Mass at 7:30pm at our parish.
Mass was packed - I think the blessing of the throats is a big deal for many people. I kept thinking the priest would need the intercession of St. Blase after saying the blessing 100+ times.
