Pentecost

It's the majestic feast of the Holy Spirit, the birthday of the Holy Church.

I love the Holy Spirit's title in the Creed: the Lord, the giver of life. :)

Veni Sancte Spiritus Veni, Sancte Spiritus, et emítte caélitus lucis tuae rádium. Veni, pater páuperum, veni, dator múnerum, veni, lumen córdium. Consolator óptime, dulcis hospes animae. dulce refrigerium. In labóre réquies, in aestu tempéries, in fletu solácium. O lux beatíssima, reple cordis íntima tuórum fidélium. Sine tuo númine, nihil est in hómine, nihil est innoxium. Lava quod est sórdidum, riga quod est áridum, sana quod est sáucium. Flecte quod est rígidum, fove quod est frigidum, rege quod est devium. Da tuis fidélibus, in te confidéntibus, sacrum septenárium. Da virtútis méritum da salútis éxitum, da perénne gáudium. Amen. Alleluia - Attributed to Pope Leo III

Come, Holy Spirit Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from Thy celestial home Shed a ray of light divine! Come Father of the poor! Come source of all our store! Come within our bosoms shine! Thou, of comforters the best; Thou, the soul's most welcome guest; Sweet refreshment here below; In our labor, rest most sweet; Grateful coolness in the heat, Solace in the midst of woe. O most blessed Light divine Shine within these hearts of Thine. And our inmost being fill! Where you are not, man has naught, Nothing good in deed or thought, Nothing free from taint of ill. Heal our wounds, our strength renew; On our dryness pour Thy dew; Wash the stains of guilt away: Bend the stubborn heart and will; Melt the frozen, warm the chill; Guide the steps that go astray. On the faithful who adore And confess you, evermore In your sev'nfold gift descend; Give them virtue's sure reward; Give them Thy salvation, Lord; Give them joys that never end. Amen. Alleluia

Jon Sim, at yesterday's Latin class, pointed out the beauty of the Latin prayers of the Mass compared to the I.C.E.L. translation. Here's a comparison of the prayers for Pentecost.

The splendid stained glass at Holy Spirit Church.
Photo from bernardoh

Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts!

"What will he do then?"

I dunno. Stutter? Ramble?

I wonder what the working relationship between President and VP are, behind the scenes.

Baffling

Fr Z comments on a grotesque-looking sculpture of Blessed Restituta Kafka who was murdered by the Nazis during Second World War that was commission and blessed by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna.

The episode betrays a lack of a sense of beauty and aesthetics as well as poor judgement by the Archdiocese of Vienna.

I'm with many of the commenters - what's happening to Cardinal Schönborn? I've been kind of a fan of his - he's a protege of Cardinal Ratzinger's.

The Church is Austria certainly is known for it's irregularities though...

Blessed Margaret Pole, Martyr

The English martyrs provide us with such good examples of fidelity to the faith in the midst of political pressure and persecution.

Blessed Margaret was born in 1471. She was the niece of two English kings, Edward IV and Richard III. Henry VII arranged her marriage to Sir Reginald Pole. He was a brave soldier and a friend of the royal family. By the time King Henry VIII came into power, Margaret was a widow with five children. The young Henry VIII was new to the throne and new to power. He called Margaret the holiest woman in England. He was so impressed with her that he returned some property her family had lost in the past. He also made her a countess. Henry trusted her so much that Countess Margaret was appointed the governess of Princess Mary, his and Queen Catherine's daughter. But then Henry tried to marry Anne Boleyn although he already had a wife. Margaret did not approve of the king's behavior. The king made her leave the court. He let her know he was very displeased with her. The king was even more upset when one of Margaret's sons, a priest, wrote a long article against Henry's claim to be head of the Church in England. (Her son was to become the famous Cardinal Reginald Pole.) Henry was out of control. He had become cruel and hateful. He threatened to get rid of Margaret's whole family. Henry sent people to question Countess Margaret. They were supposed to prove that she was a traitor. They questioned her from noon until evening. She never made any mistakes. She had nothing to hide. Margaret was kept under house arrest at the castle of a nobleman. Then she was moved to the huge tower of London. She never even had a trial. During the long winter months, she suffered very much from the cold and dampness. She had no fire and not enough warm clothing. Finally, on May 28, 1541, Blessed Margaret was led out of the tower to the place of execution. She was tired and sick, but she stood tall and proud to die for her faith. "I am no traitor," she said courageously. Margaret was beheaded. She was seventy years old. Am I willing to take the risk of losing the admiration of people because of my faith in Christ?

The World's Best Illusions

The three best visual illusions in the world were chosen at a gathering last weekend of neuroscientists and psychologists at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Florida.

Check them out here

John Harvard, Jedi Knight

Iohannes Harvard, Eques Iediensis

Praeses Bok, Decani et Professores, familiae et amici, atque omnes gradum suscepturi in hoc anno MMVII, salvete! Salvete et vos, imaginum mobilium cultores! Libenter vobis exhibeo aestivum nostrum spectaculum, quod agitur in orbis terrarum elegantissimo argenteo velamento, Theatro Tercentenario. Sono circumiecto, actoribus similibus caeli astris, et foricis frequentatis fruamini. Nos hodie ad fabulae nostrae Harvardianae exitum stupefacientem advenimus. Fabula autem nostra valde similis est argumento alterius fabulae. Illa enim pertinet ad arma virumque, et abhinc multum tempus incidit…procul longissime in via lactea. Vita nostra Harvardiana, videtis, similis est Bellis Stellaribus.

Abhinc quosdam annos, ad urbem Bostoniensem, universi rotae centrum, tamquam inexercitati equites Iedienses advenimus. Graphidum secundi ordinis copia numquam sociorum docentium atramenti rufi enses luciferos vincere potuit. Multi discipuli procul ab orbe natali primum erant. Quamquam spectaculi principes eramus, sollicitudines nostrae erant tam infinitae quam caeli stellae: “Quam personam ago?” “Litteras meas meminero?” “Quisnam praecipit?”

Cito autem amicitias calidiores sole fabricavimus, quae superare tempora difficilia nos adiuverunt. Han Solo, tuus dilectissimus Utentium Auxiliator, te servavit cum tuum IBM RII-DII libellum tuum Miltonianum ederat. Filia Regis Leia, praeclara femina inter omnes vias lacteas, crines tuos compsit celerius luce ante primam saltationem tuam. Chewbacca etiam, habitator perennis in Sede Scientiae, prohibuit ne nota mathematica tua in transcripto lacuna nigra fieret.

Sed nos discipuli huius spectaculi gregis dimidia tantum pars eramus. Huius saeculi sapientiae Iediensis Antistites, magistri scilicet nostri, partes suas tam scite egerunt ut palmam ferre mererent. Multi eorum assimulabant Obi-Wano; curati enim lautique erant. Alii vero…Yodam sapiebant. Omnes autem nobis consilium sapientiamque in artibus suis donaverunt ut universi exempla ducesque fieremus.

Hodie ex optima academia Iediensi in tota via lactea gradum suscipimus. Haec universitas nos armat illa Vi, fortiore etiam Mortifera Stella Novi Portus. Pergamena nostra similia sunt veris luciferis ensibus: pretiosissima sunt, mirabilia sunt spectantibus, et eripere e manibus hostium orbem terrarum possunt. Sapienter novis armis vestris utimini, socii Lucae Caelum Perambulantes.

Fabula nostrae vitae Harvardianae iam ad finem vergit et ad participium indicem. Ante disceditis, ne oblivisicimini agere gratias fautoribus benignissimis—parentes nostros dico—qui nos hanc fabulam agentes largiter sustinuerunt. Atque hoc spectaculum non ultimum est! Alumnorum Conlegium iam in fabularum officina laborat ut redire ad theatrum velimus et partibus sequentibus fruamur. Omnibus in corona sedentibus, gratias vobis agimus quod nostrum spectaculum tam benevole videritis. Precor ut illa Vis Harvardiana semper vobiscum sit!

English translation

:)

Charles Joseph McNamara, 2007 graduate, delivers the Latin Oration titled “Iohannes Harvard, Eques Iediensis” (John Harvard, Jedi Knight).

Playing Hard-to-Get with Our Lord

Via the Shrine of the Holy Whapping:

What her [St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi] experiences and prayer had given her was a familiar, personal relationship with Jesus. Her conversations with Jesus often take on a teasing, bantering tone that shocks those who have a formal, fearful image of God. [Oddly enough, I'd say in my own experience, the two don't always contradict one another...] For example, at the end of her forty days of graces, Jesus offered her a crown of flowers or a crown of thorns. No matter how often she chose the crown of thorns, Jesus kept teasingly pushing the crown of flowers to her. When he accused her, "I called and you didn't care," she answered back, "You didn't call loudly enough" and told him to shout his love. (Source.)

Suckers

Are we really all such suckers that we choose our governments on personal grounds, gripes and appearances? If so, we deserve everything we get, and ought to be ashamed of ourselves.

Asks Peter Hitchens of the Mail.

Apparently, yes we are...

Google

How do you find news, information and photos regarding the Catholic Church? One good way is to:

Hehe

Graphic via AmP. Originally from a story published by Ars Technica

Prayer for priests

O Jesus, I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests, for Your unfaithful and tepid priests; for Your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for Your tempted priests; for Your lonely and desolate priests; for Your young priests; for Your dying priests; for the souls of Your priests in purgatory.

But above all I recommend to You the priests dearest to me: the priest who baptized me; the priest who absolved me from my sins; the priest at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion; the priests who taught and instructed me; all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way. Jesus, keep them all close to Your heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.

Via Philip Johnson


THE CONFESSION - PIETRO LONGHI
GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI, FLORENCE

The Pope at Montecassino

Beautiful photos via Rorate Caeli

I love the roses:

Wikipedia prank?

I was reading the Wikipedia entry of former Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, who committed suicide today.

There's a short section that lists the reactions of the leaders of neighbouring countries. Roh's predecessor Kim Dae-Jung said the following:

"I've lost my life-long companion, with whom I took part in struggles for democracy and shared 10 years of a democratic government... I feel like I've lost a half of myself.

Allegations concerning his family members have been leaked to the press every day. He was probably unable to bear the pressure and tensions any longer. My heart goes out to his family."

Here, however, what Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had to say:

"I am happy that he did it! After all what is the point in living when life sucks? In fact I am also killing myself slowly with my chain smoking habit "

I couldn't believe it! What a stupid thing to say.

But when I Googled to verify, BBC reports this instead:

"I don't know how to express my sadness. I express sincere, deep condolences."

Is the Wikipedia entry a silly prank? It certainly seems so.

Finally, pray for the repose of Roh Moo-hyun. May his soul rest in peace.

He's very consistent!

BIDEN DISCLOSES SECRET VP BUNKER LOCATION

- The New York Post

Vice President Joe Biden, well-known for his verbal gaffes, may have finally outdone himself, divulging potentially classified information meant to save the life of a sitting vice president.

According to a report, while recently attending the Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, an annual event where powerful politicians and media elite get a chance to cozy up to one another, Biden told his dinnermates about the existence of a secret bunker under the old U.S. Naval Observatory, which is now the home of the vice president.

The bunker is believed to be the secure, undisclosed location former Vice President Dick Cheney remained under protection in secret after the 9/11 attacks.

Good job Joe!!!!

Basic Training In The Obama Era

Gentlemen, welcome to your first training session for Operation Charm and Awe. Please pay close attention as there have been some major changes in the way we will be conducting combat ops in the immediate future. On direct orders from the Commander-in-Chief himself, I am here today to brief you on the latest in weapons technology. Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the MM-350.

....

Sir, I was just reading a bit from the manual and have a couple questions about the list of phrases we are to use when engaging the enemy.

Go on.

Okay, like this one, “Kindly point that Surface-to-Air Missile away from my head. While I understand and respect that assertiveness is considered a very desirable characteristic among males in your culture, you are making me slightly uncomfortable. I merely want to take a few minutes to apologize for America’s egregious history of raping and pillaging the world community.“

Was there a question, soldier?

Yes. After he blows my head off, will it be considered a combat death even though I wasn’t actually holding a weapon, just a tricked out Mr. Microphone?

Check out the rest at The Nose On Your Face

What we need is virtue.

The new Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols.

Tweeting too hard: where self-important tweets get the recognition they deserve

Do check this site out. It a list of the most pompous tweets out there. What inflated egos!

Some of today's top tweets:
"I haven't chronicled my latest exploits here. I just feel that half of what I'm doing is unbelievable, and the other half is unacceptable."

"OMG i was saying how i couldn't afford the gas to fly daddy's jet to the riviera this summer, and this barista totally rolled her eyes at me"

"I'm about to go save up to 3 lives. What are YOU doing today?"

"@rebeccakelley You've written 243 posts in three years? I wrote 243 posts YESTERDAY. [high five]"

"Everywhere I go people are telling me that I should start modeling. I guess I am really that good looking. lol"

"this morning i passed what i thought was a calvin klein ad, but it was just a mirror...how WEIRD!"

And the All-time top self-important tweet:
1. "fan belt light came on in the 911 so now I'm driving the Cayenne Turbo S - the backup, backup car. Trying not to think about the Tesla..."

2. "it makes me sad, the more I have success the more people don't like me...."

3."@garyvee I had the biggest lemonade stand on the block when I was 6. Was even expermienting with variable pricing and freemium models :)"

Fraternal Rivalry

A Jesuit who jumped out of a plane by parachute had himself stuck on a tree.

Along came a man who exclaimed "Your parachute is stuck in a tree!"

You must be a Dominican, the Jesuit said.

Yes indeed, how do you know? replied the Dominican.

Well, that's because what you said was true, but also completely useless!

--------------------------

A man dearly wanted a Ferrari and thus he went to a Franciscan Friar to ask him to pray that he gets it.

Fr. could you pray that I get a Ferrari? he asked.

Being a simple man, the Friar responded. "My Son, What's a Ferrari?"

The man replied, "well its a very sexy and expensive car!

Hmmm... said the Franciscan, I don't think I can do that but I will make a novena for God's will to be done.

Not entirely satisfied, he next approached a Carmelite nun.

Sister, can you pray that i get a Ferrari?

Being a simple woman, the Carmelite nun replied "my child , what's a Ferrari?"

The man, slightly perturbed gave the same reply, "well its a very sexy and expensive car!

Slightly troubled, the Carmelite nun replied, well I don't think I can pray for that but I will make a Novena for you that God's will be done.

Feeling increasingly disastisfied, the man approached a Jesuit. "Well, Fr. i went to the Franciscan friar and the Carmelite nun asking them to pray that i get a Ferrari but they offered novenas for me that God's will be done, what can you do about it?

The Jesuit, with a puzzled expression replied "What's a Novena?"

--------------------------

A Greek Orthodox, and Evangelical, and a Jesuit are doing an archaeological dig in Jerusalem. They come across a Tomb that says, in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, "Here lies Jesus of Nazareth, who claimed he was King of the Jews, and was executed at Passover under Pontius Pilate".

Excited by the find, they open the tomb, only to be horrified to find a crucified body.

"Oh my goodness," says the Orthodox. "The Church and all the good it does is based on a false event."

"Oh my goodness," says the Evangelical. "The Bible, which has guided by entire life, is nothing but a lie."

"Oh my goodness," says the Jesuit. "There really was a Jesus."

Ascension Thursday

I didn't realise what a beautiful feast Ascension is :)

I attended Ascension Mass last evening by mistake - I intended to to go for the usual weekday Mass at St Joseph's BT at 630. But the church was empty and a boy (probably an altar server) told me that Mass was at 8. It took me a while to realise this was because of Ascension. So I prayed, read, walked around the beautiful church compound until 8, and attended Mass.

Today I attended Ascension Mass at the NUS Staff Club. It was Fr Val's last Mass at NUS. We'll miss him!

Here are some hymns that were sung at last evening's and this afternoon's Masses. Glorious :)


OUR LORD IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD

Our Lord is risen from the dead!
Our Jesus is gone up on high!
The powers of hell are captive led,
Dragged to the portals of the sky.

There His triumphal chariot waits,
And angels chant the solemn lay:
Lift up your heads, you heavenly gates;
You everlasting doors, give way!

Loose all your bars of massy light,
And wide unfold the ethereal scene;
He claims these mansions as His right
Receive the King of glory in!

Who is this King of glory? Who?
The Lord that all our foes overcame;
The world, sin, death, and hell overthrew;
And Jesus is the conqueror’s Name.

Lo! His triumphal chariot waits,
And angels chant the solemn lay:
Lift up your heads, you heavenly gates;
You everlasting doors give way!

Who is the King of Glory, who?
The Lord of glorious power possessed,
The King of saints and angels, too;
God over all, forever blessed.

I can't find this on youtibe, and the MIDI doesn't really do the song justice. It was composed by Charles Wesley.



ALLELUIA! SING TO JESUS



Alleluia! sing to Jesus!
His the scepter, his the throne.
Alleluia! His the triumph,
his the victory alone.
Hark! the songs of peaceful Zion
thunder like a mighty flood.
Jesus out of every nation
hath redeemed us by his blood.

Alleluia! not as orphans
are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! He is near us,
faith believes, nor questions how;
Though the cloud from sight received him
when the forty days were o'er
shall our hearts forget his promise,
'I am with you evermore'?

Alleluia! bread of heaven,
here on earth our food and stay!
Alleluia! here the sinful
flee to thee from day to day.
Intercessor, Friend of sinners,
earth's Redeemer, plead for me.
Where the songs of all the sinless
sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia! King eternal,
thee the Lord of lords we own;
Alleluia! born of Mary,
earth thy footstool,
heaven thy throne.
Thou within the veil hast entered,
robed in flesh, our great High Priest.
Thou on earth both Priest and Victim
in the Eucharistic Feast.

Lovely :)


HAIL THE DAY THAT SEES HIM RISE

Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluia!
to his throne above the skies; Alleluia!
Christ, the Lamb for sinners given, Alleluia!
enters now the highest heaven! Alleluia!

There for him high triumph waits; Alleluia!
lift your heads, eternal gates! Alleluia!
he hath conquered death and sin; Alleluia!
take the King of glory in! Alleluia!

Lo! the heaven its Lord receives, Alleluia!
yet he loves the earth he leaves; Alleluia!
though returning to his throne, Alleluia!
still he calls mankind his own. Alleluia!

See! he lifts his hands above; Alleluia!
See! he shows the prints of love: Alleluia!
Hark! his gracious lips bestow, Alleluia!
blessings on his Church below. Alleluia!

Still for us he intercedes, Alleluia!
his prevailing death he pleads, Alleluia!
near himself prepares our place, Alleluia!
he the first fruits of our race. Alleluia!

Lord, though parted from our sight, Alleluia!
far above the starry height, Alleluia!
grant our hearts may thither rise, Alleluia!
seeking thee above the skies. Alleluia!

There we shall with thee remain, Alleluia!
partners of thy eternal reign, Alleluia!
there thy face forever see, Alleluia!
find our heaven of heavens in thee, Alleluia!



Another one by Charles Wesley.

Volition

I posted this earlier, but I want to feature it again:

NO, Mr President!

Via CMR

Rosie O Donnell showing what a moron she is

UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH. WHAT IDIOTS!!!!!

"It's interesting that the judges are Catholic."
Their Catholicism had nothing to do with them banning partial birth abortion. Anyone with a brain and who's not a radical nutjob can see the utter evil that partial birth abortion represents.

If you want to make my blood boil, show me a clip of those harpies prattling on about issues they have obviously don't have the mental capacity to grapple with.

Now listen to a lady who has dignity, who has lived life to its full:

Archbishop Chaput on Notre Dame and the issues that remain

"I have found that even among those who did not go to Notre Dame, even among those who do not share the Catholic faith, there is a special expectation, a special hope, for what Notre Dame can accomplish in the world."

~ Reverend John Jenkins, C.S.C., May 17, 2009

Most graduation speeches are a mix of piety and optimism designed to ease students smoothly into real life. The best have humor. Some genuinely inspire. But only a rare few manage to be pious, optimistic, evasive, sad and damaging all at the same time. Father John Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s president, is a man of substantial intellect and ability. This makes his introductory comments to President Obama’s Notre Dame commencement speech on May 17 all the more embarrassing.

Let’s remember that the debate over President Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame was never about whether he is a good or bad man. The president is clearly a sincere and able man. By his own words, religion has had a major influence in his life. We owe him the respect Scripture calls us to show all public officials. We have a duty to pray for his wisdom and for the success of his service to the common good -- insofar as it is guided by right moral reasoning.

We also have the duty to oppose him when he’s wrong on foundational issues like abortion, embryonic stem cell research and similar matters. And we also have the duty to avoid prostituting our Catholic identity by appeals to phony dialogue that mask an abdication of our moral witness. Notre Dame did not merely invite the president to speak at its commencement. It also conferred an unnecessary and unearned honorary law degree on a man committed to upholding one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in our nation’s history: Roe v. Wade.

In doing so, Notre Dame ignored the U.S. bishops’ guidance in their 2004 statement, Catholics in Political Life. It ignored the concerns of Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon, Notre Dame’s 2009 Laetare Medal honoree – who, unlike the president, certainly did deserve her award, but finally declined it in frustration with the university’s action. It ignored appeals from the university’s local bishop, the president of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ conference, more than 70 other bishops, many thousands of Notre Dame alumni and hundreds of thousands of other American Catholics. Even here in Colorado, I’ve heard from too many to count.

There was no excuse – none, except intellectual vanity – for the university to persist in its course. And Father Jenkins compounded a bad original decision with evasive and disingenuous explanations to subsequently justify it.

These are hard words, but they’re deserved precisely because of Father Jenkins’ own remarks on May 17: Until now, American Catholics have indeed had “a special expectation, a special hope for what Notre Dame can accomplish in the world.” For many faithful Catholics – and not just a “small but vocal group” described with such inexcusable disdain and ignorance in journals like Time magazine -- that changed Sunday.

The May 17 events do have some fitting irony, though. Almost exactly 25 years ago, Notre Dame provided the forum for Gov. Mario Cuomo to outline the “Catholic” case for “pro-choice” public service. At the time, Cuomo’s speech was hailed in the media as a masterpiece of American Catholic legal and moral reasoning. In retrospect, it’s clearly adroit. It’s also, just as clearly, an illogical and intellectually shabby exercise in the manufacture of excuses. Father Jenkins’ explanations, and President Obama’s honorary degree, are a fitting national bookend to a quarter century of softening Catholic witness in Catholic higher education. Together, they’ve given the next generation of Catholic leadership all the excuses they need to baptize their personal conveniences and ignore what it really demands to be “Catholic” in the public square.

Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George has suggested that Notre Dame “didn’t understand” what it means to be Catholic before these events began. He's correct, and Notre Dame is hardly alone in its institutional confusion. That's the heart of the matter. Notre Dame’s leadership has done a real disservice to the Church, and now seeks to ride out the criticism by treating it as an expression of fringe anger. But the damage remains, and Notre Dame’s critics are right. The most vital thing faithful Catholics can do now is to insist – by their words, actions and financial support – that institutions claiming to be “Catholic” actually live the faith with courage and consistency. If that happens, Notre Dame’s failure may yet do some unintended good.

From the website of the Archdiocese of Denver.

Via Fr Z

You can always count on this great bishop for clarity.

Peace at last?

That's what the President is declaring. Sri Lanka's ruinous, hateful civil war is over.

I pray that peace will finally be ours.

Many of my Sri Lankan friends are triumphant: Facebook is full of patriotic messages, Sri Lankan flags, and the like.

I don't feel jubilant.

Chevanthie, a fellow Catholic and student at NUS sums my own feelings on the developments too:

YES I am proud to be SRI LANKAN I've been told I have a melancholic personality, maybe that's why I think there should be no celebration. Sinhalese and Tamil alike should unite in remembrance of those that have suffered and perhaps work towards a Sri Lanka that we all belong to. We should be sombre, not happy. Too many have died. . .

Yes. Too many have died for us to be jubilant. The terrorists have lost the war. I'm glad! But what a cost! Those thousands of innocent Tamil civilians who died during the last months of fighting are Sri Lankans too. They're our brethren. Where's their victory?

Perhaps one day both Sinhalese and Tamils can look at our island home and how far she has improved and say "perhaps all those deaths were worth it." That moment has not yet come. Until then, we should be working, praying, forgiving and rebuilding.

Today, we should be sombre, not happy.

Why Reduce Unwanted Pregnancies?

CMR:

I didn't watch Obama yesterday at Notre Dame. Didn't listen to him. There was no way I was going to ruin my Sunday listening to a speech I could've writen every cliche of myself including "dialogue" and "working together to reduce the number of abortions."

So, instead my children and I went to the library and then played on the swingset in the backyard. I wasn't thinking much about it until a friend of mine called and asked what I thought of Obama's speech. Now, mind you this friend is a very pro-choice liberal and was just calling to needle me.

He said I should've watched because the speech was really great and he thinks it would've changed my perception of Obama. I told him that I'm not concerned with what Obama says, it's what he does that bothers me.

My friend assured me it was a "middle of the road" speech and I would've liked it because Obama talked about something we can all agree on and that is reducing unwanted pregnancies.

I was a little tired and instead of going into what that actually means, I decided on a different tactic. I asked a simple question. Why? Why do you and Obama want to reduce abortions?

My friend for a few moments stuttered and finally just said, "What do you mean, why?"

I mean, why is it so important for abortion to be so rare that it warrants the President of the United States talking about it? If the fetus in the womb is just a blobby little choice and not a child at all, what do we care if abortion happens a thousand times a day and twice that on Sundays.

Isn't it up to the woman to do what she wants to do? If the creature in the womb is deemed not to be a baby by its "mother" who are we to question her and prefer that she not do it often. Isn't it a legitimate choice? Why is one abortion cool but eight...not in good taste?

Isn't the President forcing his morality on women by saying he wants to reduce abortion?

I mean, it's not like abortion has some kind of medical risk associated with it, does it? If so, I haven't read about it in the mainstream media?

My friend said I shouldn't make fun because it's a very difficult decision for women but all he was doing was refusing to answer. He hastily added that he thinks Obama really means that we have to watch out for the future implications of abortion. He said he read recently about gender based abortions and that we can all agree that is not a good idea.

Why, I laughed. You're saying it's not OK to kill based on gender a fetus that you're willing to deny its very humanity? How can you worry about it's male-ness or female-ness and not about its humanity?

My friend quickly retreated and asked about the NBA Playoffs. I let him because I could tell he was uncomfortable. I hoped that maybe I gave him something to think about. Probably not. But maybe.

But I think the question needs answering. Obama speaks endlessly about reducing unwanted pregnancies. He did so at Notre Dame:

“Let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions. Let’s reduce unintended pregnancies. Let’s make adoption more available. Let’s provide care and support for women who do carry their child to term."

My question is why?

Much like Bill Clinton saying he wants abortion to be "safe, legal and rare" and essentially every pro-choicer picked up on it. My question is "why?"

So next time someone defends their pro-choice-ness and says we can all agree that we want to reduce abortions, just ask them why.

And don't let them start talking about the NBA Playoffs like I did.

Update: Aggie Catholics have more on this very topic in their Notre Dame wrapup.