Dom Bettinelli's got a good idea here, but I'd extend it: St. Columba should be the patron of the open source software movement. "Information wants to be free" and all that.
Richard Chonak: May 2008 Archives
From time to time, you may have noticed on this blog some beautiful prayers written by the esteemed theologian and professor Jean Galot, S.J. of the Gregorian University. Fr. Galot passed away on April 18 at the age of eighty-nine, and one can only congratulate him now at drawing nearer, ever nearer, to the Sacred Heart of our Lord.
Take me, O Heart of Christ!
Take me, O Heart of Christ, in all that I am,
take me in all that I have and that I do,
in all that I think and all that I love!
Take me in my spirit, that it may cling to Thee;
take me in my willing, that it will but Thee;
take the depth of my heart, that it love only Thee!
Take me, O Heart of Christ, in my secret desires
so that you be my dream and only goal,
my one affection and my complete happiness!
Take me for the work of Thy great mission,
for a complete gift toward my neighbor's salvation,
and for every sacrifice in service of your people!
Take me, O Heart of Christ, without limits, without end;
take even what I've failed to offer Thee;
and never give back to me what you have taken in hand!
Take for eternity all that is in me,
that one day I may, O Heart, possess Thee,
in the embrace of Heaven take Thee and keep Thee!
--by Jean Galot, S.J.
I've set up a little web site dedicated to translations of his prayers.
No, it's not April 1. I really am cheering for the Archbishop of L.A. who has barred dissident Australian bishop Geoffrey Robinson from speaking in the Cardinal's diocese during his book tour.
Thank you, Eminence, for joining the Australian bishops in their particular effort to spread sound teaching of the Catholic faith.
A "truth and reconciliation" commission in South Korea reveals that in the 1950s, government forces killed thousands of innocent people who were swept up in searches for Communist sympathizers, while US authorities ultimately in command looked the other way.
It is painful to find out about these crimes, but their dispassionate revelation aids the "purification of memory" for which Pope John Paul II called so many times: a step in making peace between peoples.
How much do we need such reconciliation within our country?
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| Mrs. Gallagher's title for our Lady: "The Matrix" |
The followers of phony mystic Christina Gallagher occasionally drop by to post comments denying all charges of wrongdoing against her. This is helpful to me, 'cause I don't follow the case very often, and it serves as a reminder to check out the Irish papers for the latest flap involving Mrs. Gallagher and her international House of Prayer franchise, which is disapproved by the authorities of the Church and the Inland Revenue.
Here are some recent bits of news about the case:
January 2008: The Sunday World tabloid posted splashy photos (pdf) of Gallagher's posh lifestyle: residing in a mansion (not in her name, of course), tooling around in a BMW, etc., and reported on the fundraising campaign (pdf) that appears to have paid for the house.
RTE radio's Liveline show spent a couple of segments talking with callers and with Mrs. Gallagher's laughably evasive spokesman Fr. Gerard McGinnity about Gallagher's lifestyle: an mp3 podcast is online. When asked about the house's wide-screen TV and a Jacuzzi bath for paying guests, the priest explained that Mrs. Gallagher wanted the place to be made as nice as possible for our Lady.
(In a second segment (mp3), a director of the House of Prayer doesn't seem to know much about the HOP's finances.)
February 2008: Abp. Michael Neary (Tuam) issued a letter to all parishes reiterating no Church approval for Gallagher's activities.
March 2008: Irish primate Cardinal Brady was holding "ongoing discussions" with Fr. McGinnity.
For background, here's a 2006 post on the subject.
UPDATE: Thanks to jerry for reminding me to update!
June 2008: While police and tax authorities investigate the House of Prayer, the HOP offers to refund money to dissatisfied donors.
