A prayer for God's Wisdom

Also from the Apostleship of Prayer website:

God of my fathers, Lord of mercy, you who have made all things by your word, with you is Wisdom. Send her forth from your holy heavens and from your glorious throne dispatch her that she may be with me and work with me, that I may know what is your pleasure. For she knows and understands all things, and will guide me discreetly in my affairs and safeguard me by her glory.

-from Solomon's prayer, Wisdom 9: 1-11

Another wonderful prayer intention from the Holy Father. Pray with him!

From the Apostleship of Prayer:

General Intention

Scholars. That scholars and intellectuals, by sincere search for the truth, may come to know the one true God.

Pope John Paul II wrote of faith and reason as the two wings by which the human spirit can find truth (Fides et Ratio). Himself a prominent scholar, Pope Benedict XVI laments the trend toward relativism among today's intellectuals. He asks us to pray this month that intellectuals will seek truth sincerely and, by so doing, come to know God.

The union of Christian faith and classical reason, the Pope has said, led to the flourishing of the gospel in the first and second millennia. Faith and reason worked together as scholars and scientists expanded the world's knowledge. They built an intellectual tradition on the idea that all truth is God's truth. But that view of truth has weakened in our secular age (Benedict XVI, Address to Academic Community, Prague, Sep. 27, 2009).

The relativism the Holy Father deplores holds that truth is not absolute (true for everyone at all times), but is only true for some people some of the time. Under relativism, truth is no longer objective like a hard fact of physics or math, but is subjective, personal and changeable, like a feeling. (Absurdly, their assertion that truth is relative is itself a claim to absolute truth.)

Benedict says that relativistic scholars tend toward partial and temporary conclusions. Relativists tend to assign the same importance to every idea and be swayed by what is fashionable, convenient, or well-funded.

Meanwhile humans yearn for truth, "and it is to this yearning that religious faith, the various arts, philosophy, theology, and other scientific disciplines, each with its own method, should seek to respond" (Benedict XVI, Sep. 27, 2009).

We pray that scholars and teachers will again seek truth and come to know the one true God.

Reflection:
How will you open yourself to ongoing learning that will help you share your faith with others?

Reading:
Romans 1: 19-23 For what can be known about God is evident to them... Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.

---

Links

Pope Benedict's Address to Members of the Academic Community during his September 2009 visit to the Czech Republic

Pope Benedict's Address to Catholic educators during his April 2008 visit to the U.S.

Pope John Paul II's encyclical "Faith and Reason"

Go to the Apostleship website for the reflections on the Missionary Intention.

St John Bosco, Priest, Apostle of Youth

Today is the feast of the great Don Bosco founder of the Salesians.

Check out this Salesian blog.



Wow, he dealt with some difficult boys!


Not too sure what's going on here, perhaps an investigation/veneration of St John Bosco's incorrupt body.



J.P. Sonnen blogs about a visit to Turin and St John Bosco's remains.

--------

Admirable apostle of youth, founder of religious Congregations, catechist, educator, writer, and a light that shone brightly in our time, you know that one of the greatest powers today is the power of the Press. Prompt editors to be always truthful and to work for the good of human beings, thus serving the greater glory of God. Amen.

(Source)

O glorious Saint John Bosco, who in order to lead young people to the feet of the divine Master and to mould them in the light of faith and Christian morality didst heroically sacrifice thyself to the very end of thy life and didst set up a proper religious Institute destined to endure and to bring to the farthest boundaries of the earth thy glorious work, obtain also for us from Our Lord a holy love for young people who are exposed to so many seductions in order that we may generously spend ourselves in supporting them against the snares of the devil, in keeping them safe from the dangers of the world, and in guiding them, pure and holy, in the path that leads to God. Amen.

(Source)

Early papal footage :)

Very cool! :D

Via Roger Kumpel. Though there are some disagreements that this is Pius X. Could be Pius XI

Wholly and absolutely to submit ourselves to the authority of our ecclesiastical polity

I'm taking a module where we study the works of French writer Michel de Montaigne.

This week's readings contained a surprising admonishment from Montaigne:

Now, that which seems to me so much to disorder our consciences in the commotions we are now in concerning religion, is the Catholics dispensing so much with their belief. They fancy they appear moderate, and wise, when they grant to their opponents some of the articles in question; but, besides that they do not discern what advantage it is to those with whom we contend, to begin to give ground and to retire, and how much this animates our enemy to follow his blow: these articles which they select as things indifferent, are sometimes of very great importance. We are either wholly and absolutely to submit ourselves to the authority of our ecclesiastical polity, or totally throw off all obedience to it: 'tis not for us to determine what and how much obedience we owe to it. And this I can say, as having myself made trial of it, that having formerly taken the liberty of my own swing and fancy, and omitted or neglected certain rules of the discipline of our Church, which seemed to me vain and strange coming afterwards to discourse of it with learned men, I have found those same things to be built upon very good and solid ground and strong foundation; and that nothing but stupidity and ignorance makes us receive them with less reverence than the rest. Why do we not consider what contradictions we find in our own judgments; how many things were yesterday articles of our faith, that to-day appear no other than fables? Glory and curiosity are the scourges of the soul; the last prompts us to thrust our noses into everything, the other forbids us to leave anything doubtful and undecided.

- From "That it is Folly to Measure Truth and Error by Our Own Capacity"

When I read it a few days ago, I wrote "CAFETERIA CATHOLICS!!" on the margin. So the Church has had to deal with this scourge in the past too. Haha. The passage led to an interesting little discussion in class.

Montaigne here is talking about Catholics in the aftermath of the Reformation who sought to compromise with the Protestants on certain doctrines in the hope of establishing harmony and order. Montaigne warns that instead they were emboldening the opponents of the Faith in their attacks against the Catholic religion. Moreover, the apparently trifling articles of faith these Catholics sought to jettison might in fact have been of great importance.

"We are either wholly and absolutely to submit ourselves to the authority of our ecclesiastical polity, or totally throw off all obedience to it: 'tis not for us to determine what and how much obedience we owe to it."

Montaigne goes on to describe how, during his younger years, he too picked and chose facets of the Catholic Faith to omit or neglect. After conversing with wise and learned men though, he realised that this was mere vanity and stupidity, and that Catholic doctrines were "built upon very good and solid ground and strong foundation."

Reading this was such a pleasant surprise because the initial impression I had of Montaigne was that he was completely a man of the world, sceptical about everything, and therefore, probably most cynical about the Church.

I'm so glad it was discussed in class. One student was very disappointed with this passage because she found it was at great odds with Montaigne's statements in previous pages on independent thought.

I do not think that independence of thought and a questioning mind are at odds with obedience to the Church. After all, Montaigne's faith, and his advice to obey the Church, are not the results of blind, unthinking belief (even "blind" faith is not bad in itself I think). He gives the Church his obedience after much thought. Apparently even this is not enough for some people - today's "progressives".

For them, the only indicator of a questioning mind is the unquestioning rejection of every authority, and of all that is holy.

Joy Behar with more sick and stupid drivel

Wherever there's an opportunity to say something ugly and souless, Joy Behar's on the job in an instant. Here's her latest garbage:

The Tim Tebow Super Bowl Ad controversy is heating up with women's groups across the nation. So naturally it was not surprising that it became a topic on conversation on Tuesday's edition of The View.

What was surprising was Joy Behar's comments regarding Tim Tebow, including the following quote:

“The only argument against any of it is, that, you know, he could just as easily become some kind of a rapist pedophile. I mean, you don’t know what someone’s going to be,”

Sure, and Ms. Behar could have been a productive, intelligent, helpful member of society, but instead she is on "The View." Well, at least she inspires viewers to think, "Wow, if she can hold a job, the sky is the limit for me!"

Behar continued, saying, "In this case, he [Tebow, that is] turned out to be great; but it's not an argument about abortion or not abortion..." I suppose she is correct in the sense that she actually didn't offer an argument or anything resembling coherent, post-first-grade thought. Instead, she suggests that killing an unborn child can be justified on the grounds the child might turn out to be a "rapist pedophile."

Read the rest at Insight Scoop, which also features this:

By the way, the controversial commercial, which was produced by Focus on the Family, hasn't even been made public yet. But that didn't stop Jehmu Greene, President of Women's Media Center, from going on "The O'Reilly Factor" in order to prove that she is just as witless and soulless as Joy Behar.

Also, from CMR:

CNN quoted NOW President Terry O'Neill saying something so outlandish I'm surprised CNN quoted it. Well not really but...you know.

"A fetus is not a life, sorry," NOW President Terry O'Neill told CNN. "And no, nobody's religious conviction justifies taking women's ability to shape their own futures away from them."

OK. Where do I start?

Uhm. Whether fetus is life is inarguable. To say it's not is anti-science. I know us conservative types are the antediluvian primates who are anti-science and all but what O'Neill said is just imbecilic.

A fetus is not life? That's not the question. The question of life is scientific. She might argue that it's not life worthy of human respect, which is also absurd, but at least she'd have been attempting a moral argument rather than a scientific one.

The fact that CNN didn't press her on this ridiculous assertion tells you all you need to know about CNN.

Proaborts lie. They do. Sorry. But to be fair, they have to in order to support their decision.

"To fight for those who cannot fight for themselves"

This enough to boost any pro-lifer's courage I think. God bless Senator Cao. Say a prayer for him and his fellow human rights advocates, fighting for the most innocent of society.

Thanks Carina for sharing:



What an opening line:
"Abortion is a destructive perversion of our society. It is a distorted emphasis on rights to the disregard of individual responsibility."

And he brings in Pope Benedict too.

Here's the transcript of the entire speech, from C-SPAN:

Mr. CAO:
Thank you, my friend from New Jersey, Christopher Smith, for yielding me time.

I just want to say that you have been my mentor, and you have been my friend, and I have been very honored to be part of your life and to have known you all of these years. So thank you very much.

Madam Speaker, abortion is a destructive perversion of our society. It is a distorted emphasis on rights to the disregard of individual responsibilities.

Our country was founded on fundamental human rights, and rightly so. ``We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.''

These rights were reinforced and more succinctly elaborated in the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. These 10 amendments, more commonly known as the Bill of Rights, have served as the heart and soul of our legal tradition and as the foundation upon which we have built the most powerful democracy in the history of the world.

But life is ``short and brutish,'' said Sir Thomas Hobbes, and if left to our devise, absolute right will lead to anarchy and chaos. Rousseau, Hobbes, and other thinkers of The Enlightenment saw the dangers of absolute rights, and proposed a social contract upon which to build a civil society where mutual obligations are imposed on all parties to the agreement.

The balance between rights and responsibilities has served as a basis for an ethical context, but our society has disrupted this delicate balance between rights and responsibilities by accentuating rights, and it has contrived an anthropology detached from the moral conscience and has called it ``social progress.'' The result is a skewed social politic devoid of moral coherency.

In his encyclical ``Caritas in Veritate,'' Pope Benedict XVI loudly proclaimed, ``Individual rights detached from a framework of duties can run wild.'' This is what we have seen in our society today.

We provide rights to convicted murderers, but at the same time, sanction the slaughter of the innocent. We protest in rage at the slaying of dogs, but barely blink an eye at the murder of millions of innocent children. Traditional principles of social ethics, like transparency, honesty and responsibility, have been ignored or attenuated. As a result, our moral tenor does not respect the right to life and the dignity of a natural death.

To protect individual rights, we have distorted the continuity of human development to portray the human fetus as something less than human and, therefore, as something that can be disposed of.

What happened to personal responsibility--the responsibility to respect and nurture a human life who happens to be one's own child?

Our children cry out for life, for justice, and until the U.S. Supreme Court can garner enough courage to overturn Roe v. Wade, it is up to the voices of the Christopher Smiths, of the Bart Stupaks, of the Jean Schmidts, of the Marsha Blackburns, and of others like myself to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

Yes, health care reform is important, and I support responsible reform; but, Madam Speaker, as my friend Christopher Smith so eloquently articulated, abortion is wrong, and I can never support a reform bill that seeks to fund abortion with the tax dollars of hardworking Americans.

Thank you.

The Lighter Side :)

Thanks so much, Jean!!! :)

:D

"A zany but ultimately reverent look at the saints, doctrines, customs and folklore of the Catholic Church, with recipes for food and fun from all over the world, and crackpot, delightful party ideas. Written by a Catholic journalist and a four-star chef, it’s an entertaining guide and guerilla catechism, wrapped up in one hilarious package."

"The book is outrageous… What rescues it is that it is not based on a sophomoric parody of Catholic exaggeration, but on a clear love for the sheer facticity of Catholicism." -- Msgr. Lorenzo Albacete, theologian and author, former president of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, and professor at the John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family.

"Silly some of the time, respectful most of the time and hilarious all of the time, even the squirrel recipes sound delicious and will have me driving slower thru the red states, chumming for low cost snacks on the two lane all the way to Mardi Gras." -- Mario Batali, chef, host of Molto Mario, Mario Eats Italy, and Ciao America on the Food Network, author, The Babbo Cookbook.

That's from the back cover.

Hilarious but reverent - that's good. :)

You know you're in for something unique when the Introduction is apparently authored by Pope Alexander VI. :D

A Little Less Tribalism

The next time you are trying to imagine why the people who disagree with you are actively promoting the destruction of all that is good in the universe, grab a soothing cup of mint tea, put your feet up on a comfy pillow, and then close your eyes and imagine what those people would look like campaigning against something that is a very bad idea. 99 times out of a hundred, you’ll find that they look . . . well, exactly like they look when they’re campaigning against your idea. And suddenly the whole thing is no longer so inexplicable, isn’t it?

I mean, we all know that that’s ridiculous, because you have never in your life been wrong about any major question, or had a bad idea of your own, which is why you are so fabulously wealthy and married to the first person you ever dated, who is even now smiling at you in blissful perfection from the arms of your four flawless children. But they don’t know that, you see. As I think I’ve mentioned, they haven’t met you. They won’t know anything about you until you finally accept that Nobel Peace Prize. So you’ll have to content yourself with understanding that while you, personally, may never be in error, other well meaning people sometimes are. And then still other well-meaning people have to get up off the sofa and point this out, lest they lead the entire nation astray.

This does not require arguing that the people who oppose you are right. Obviously, if you thought that, they wouldn’t be opposing you. It just requires a little more empathy, a little less tribalism.

Read more . . .

Via First Thoughts

Non nobis Domine

Non nobis, non nobis, Domine
Sed nomini tuo da gloriam.

Not to us, not to us, O Lord,
But to Your Name give glory.

As we approached the birthday of Our Lord, pro-lifers in the U.S. reluctantly realized that this momentous battle in the war on life was likely lost. The opposition had overwhelming superiority in numbers and a steely determination to institute a universal health-care regime that funds abortion. We, along with many other concerned citizens of various stripes, protested, marched, attended townhalls, lobbied, and prayed, seemingly to no avail. The Senate had passed, in complicity with ostensibly pro-life Senators, its version of the bill with its thinly disguised abortion on demand funding.

The passage of the Senate bill signaled what seemed to many, the end of the fight. Democrats huddled to hammer out any compromises necessary to achieve final passage of the bill. We watched in dismay as every day inched closer to the compromise that would seal the deal and put the bill on the desk of the President in time for the State of the Union. We had lost, there was nothing more we could do, but pray.

But God had other plans.

In a way that seemed almost impossible, the entire battle has turned.

Read the rest at CMR and join the Non Nobis Network.

For these, and for every success that ever comes our way let us say with the Psalmist - Not to us, not to us, O Lord, but to your name give glory.



So this is where Carina got the song from.

Receiving Our Lord

The Most Rev. Athanasius Schneider speaks movingly about Holy Communion, and receiving the Sacred Body in the hand.

Via Fr Tim, via Te Deum Laudamus

The Conversion of St Paul

Yesterday was the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul.

"I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cili'cia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gama'li-el, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as you all are this day.

I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women,
as the high priest and the whole council of elders bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brethren, and I journeyed to Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

"As I made my journey and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me.

I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, `Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?'
And I answered, `Who are you, Lord?' And he said to me, `I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.'
Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.
And I said, `What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, `Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.'"

- Acts 22: 3-10

Caravaggio, The Conversion of St. Paul. 1600-1601.

Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea;
on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brethren;
in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

2 Corinthians 11: 24-29

"It is I; do not be afraid."

Many of us know the Gospel stories. But quite often, when I'm reading my Bible, I come across a passage that I had never read before, or a slightly difference recounting by one evangelist of another's more popular version of a Gospel episode.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,
got into a boat, and started across the sea to Caper'na-um. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing.
When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened,
but he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."
Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

- John 6: 16-21. (RSV)

The more famous version is found in St Matthew's Gospel (14:22-33).

"Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going."

Non Nobis, Domine

I LOVE this song. :D

Thanks to Carina for posting it on Facebook.

Non nobis, non nobis, Domine
Sed nomini tuo da gloriam.

Not to us, not to us, O Lord,
But to your name give glory.

- Psalm 113:9

God bless them

Peyton and Kayla Hadley are suffering from a rare disease called Niemann-Pick Type C also known as the "child alzheimers disease". Please keep their family in your prayers. www.hadleyhope.com

The Pope of Christian Unity

Via J.P. Sonnen, a wonderful photo of the Holy Father:

Viva il Papa!

The Known Universe

Via APOD

Some great stuff by LarryD

LarryD's fast becoming my favourite Catholic blogger, and I only started following him a couple of days ago.

God answers prayers in three ways: Yes; Not now; No, this is not good for you.

I wonder how the following will be answered (From the website of Futile Church...I mean FutureChurch) - - -

Novena to the Holy Spirit for an Inclusive Priesthood
to be prayed on the first Friday of every month

during the Church’s Year for Priests

Go check out the prayer here.

And while you're at it check this post out too.

Hitler isn't too pleased with Obama's latest failure

Hilarious.

Via Fr Steve Leake

To Mary among us ...

Mothers to the motherless

Children to the childless

Sisters to the sisterless

Solace in our sorrow

Sacrifice of love for all our sins

Petitions endless in our endless grief ...

Behold thy mother
Behold thy daughter
Behold thy sister

Behold, O lesser son of Man,
The Bride of Christ!

... in supplication on her knees ... for thee --- for thee!

From Boston Catholic Journal

Source

Being Good Sons and Daughters of the Church

The Church does not cease to be holy because of the faults of her children, which are always strictly personal, even though these faults may have a great influences may have a great influence on the rest of their brothers and sisters. That is why a good son of the Church will not allow people to insult his Mother, or blame her for defects she does not have. He will not let people criticise her or treat her badly.

Still, even during those times in which her true face has been covered over by the infidelity of many who should have been faithful, and when only lives of very indifferent piety seem to be common, at those very times, perhaps hidden from people's gaze, holy and heroic souls exist. Even in the epochs most obscured by materialism, sensuality, and a desire for physical well-being, there are faithful men and women who, in the midst of their everyday affairs are God's joy in the world.

The Church is a Mother: her mission is that of bringing forth children, and educating and directing them; guiding with motherly care the lives of individuals and of peoples (John XXIII, Encyclical, Mater et magistra, Introduction). She - holy and mother of us all (St Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechesis, 18, 26) - provides us with the means to reach sanctity. Nobody can become a good child of God without lovingly and piously living these means of sanctification, because he cannot have God for his Father who does not have the Church for his Mother (St Cyprian, On the Unity of the Catholic Church, 6). Thus we cannot imagine anyone having a great love for God without having great love for the Church.

As our love for God springs from the love He has for us, in this is love, not that we love God but that he loves us (1 John 4:10). Our love for the Church must flow from our gratitude for the means He offers us to reach sanctity. We owe him love for the priesthood, for all the Sacraments, and very especially, for the Blessed Eucharist, for the liturgy, for the treasure of the Faith that she has faithfully guarded down the centuries...We look at her with eyes of love and faith. We see she is holy, pure, without spot, unwrinkled.

If, by the will of Jesus Christ, the Church is our Mother, a good mother, we must have the attitude of good children. We must not allow her to be treated as though she were a human society, forgetting the profound mystery encloses within her. Let us never tolerate criticism against priests or bishops...And if we see errors and defects in those who perhaps should give better example, may we know how to make excuses for them and bring other positive aspects of those people to the fore...and when appropriate help them with fraternal correction if we can. Love is repaid with love. Love should be expressed in deeds, that should be noticed by the people who frequently come into contact with us.

We will finish our prayer invoking Mary, Mater Ecclesiae, Mother of the Church, so that she can teach us to love the Church more and more each day.

- Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God, Volume 3. "The Holiness of the Church"



Photo source: Boston Catholic Journal

If the Saints Wrote Conversation Hearts

What would conversation hearts look like if the saints wrote the slogans?

St Therese of Lisieux







St Augustine







More at Acts of the Apostasy.

Hehee

The Ape That Spoke

One of the books I read over the Christmas holidays was The Ape That Spoke by John McCrone. I've always been fascinated by evolution and I've also developed an interest in the human mind. This book addresses both these interests, as it describes the evolution of the human minds and looks at how our mental processes occur.

Throughout the book McCrone uses the analogy of nets to explain how our mind processes information. Masses of tangled neurons "light up" in response to the outside world or as a web of web nerves that trace out a memory. This analogy of the net is vital to his descriptions of how we sense the world, and how our memory and imagination work.

McCrone holds that language was the pivotal biological and cultural advancement that gave man his unique mental capacities. Memory and imagination are two of these faculties that require language capabilities. Until man developed language then, he would have been quite similar to many other creatures in the animal kingdom. The skilled use of language, an "inner dialogue", is needed to rouse personal memories.

Until man developed this habit of searching his own mind, he would have lived, like other animals, just for the moment, reacting to immediate changes in his environment. It was only once he developed the ability to recall memories or daydream about the future that he could start planning - and even become self-conscious (the ability to observe one's own thought processes, which arises from being able to step away and become detached from the brain - not spatially, for that is impossible - but temporally, chronologically). His ideas on language therefore are intriguing.

Another interesting thing I learned is that the mind is not as seemless and flawless as we think it is. Optical illusions indicate this in simple ways.

The brain is also not in the habit of taking in every detail of the world around us. We are "programmed" to see the general and not the detail. This is why we cannot remember the intricacies a person's face, or the details of a car accident (eye witness testimony is not considered the ideal form of evidence for this reason). McCrone argues, however, that this inability to absorb every detail is an evolutionary trick, and an advantage.
Survival, for man's ancestors, would have involved (among others things) the ability to recognize a mate or a parent. Recognition depends on remembering the general, and not the intricate details. Individuals with photographic memories for example, are sometimes unable to recognize faces, since they depend less on the generalizations and more on details - which change a lot over short periods of time.

It would have helped however if McCrone explained the process of evolution better. He seems to oversimplify the concept great deal, and almost give it some sort of agency: "Evolution equipped us..." and "evolution does not encourage...." are two examples that popped up as I through the pages just now. Another widely used, but insufficiently explained, concept in the book is "cultural evolution." Therefore, while his book is very lucid and clear about the workings of the mind, and even on the history of evolution, the processes of evolution (biological and cultural) itself remain an enigma.

I also found McCrone's chapter on emotions a bit inadequate. His very materialistic explanation might explain some of man's basic emotions, but are such explanations sufficient when considering our more abstract emotional experiences? I was wondering for example, what inspires our thirst for knowledge. Today Paul described how man is the only animal with a sense of fairness, going against the instinct of self-maximization if an injustice to oneself is perceived. Can this be explained as just nuances of McCrone's four basic states of arousal, relaxation, pleasure and pain?

I also found McCrone's style of "referencing" very odd. Expecting references in any intellectual work, and consulting them regularly, are products of my university life I guess. The text of my edition, however, does not contain the small superscript numerals directing the reader to the relevant note. McCrone does include end notes, but consulting them while reading is hard without the numbering, making his referencing seem to me an afterthought, not something that strengthens the text itself.

These said however, The Ape That Spoke was a readable introduction an extremely fascinating subject and has deepened my desire to read more about the workings, and origins, of the human mind.

"Do This in Memory of Me"

Rene has a beautiful little reflection on the Holy Mass

Given the bittersweet enactment of these rituals, with the thought at the back of our minds that we may never see the person again, it is most comforting to know that unlike the humans whom we have loved and lost, Jesus in his perfection finds a way to make himself still present in the Eucharist, which we partake in during the mass. This Eucharist is not merely a symbol of Jesus Christ but the REAL presence of him, as Catholics like myself believe.

And why not? Why would Jesus in His perfection be content to merely leave behind a symbol of himself?

Believing that it is the real presence of Our Lord, the Eucharist then takes on special significance. It is a memorial of a loved one that is comforting rather than heart-wrenching. For we are trying to remember not someone who has not gone, but someone who still lives on and is ever present, in every moment.

Read the rest over at her blog.

What a gorgeous photo!!

Matilda showed me this:

On Facebook. You can check out the photographer's blog here and for his website go here.

Wow!!

Sts Fabian and Sebastian, martyrs

It's the feast of Sts Fabian and Sebastian. See my previous post on the feast here

More information here, at Catholic Culture.

Pope Fabian's two special interests were the poor and the liturgy. St Sebastian is patron, among other things, of enemies of religion. We certainly should ask for their intercession!

Litany of St. Sebastian

Lord, have mercy on us!

Lord, have mercy on us!

Christ, have mercy on us!

Christ, have mercy on us!

Lord, have mercy on us!

Lord, have mercy on us!

Christ hear us!

Christ, graciously hear us!

God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us!

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us!

God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us!

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us!

After each invocation, recite: Pray for us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Martyrs.

Saint Sebastian.

Invincible Martyr.

Knight, noble by birth and fame.

Glorious warrior and martyr of Christ.

Patron and mirror of Christian soldiers.

Despiser of the world.

Conqueror of Satan.

Comfort of the dying.

Consoler of the afflicted.

Announcer of the word of God.

Protector and Patron of countries and cities.
Saint Sebastian, perfect in virtue and wisdom.

St. Sebastian, lover of God and men.

St. Sebastian, might in word and work.

St. Sebastian, who didst strengthen the Christians in torments and death.

St. Sebastian, who didst fortify those wavering in their faith.

St. Sebastian, who didst encourage the doubting to persevere to the end.

St. Sebastian, who, in flamed with love of God, didst despise the pains inflicted by the tyrant.

St. Sebastian, surrounded by celestial light.

St. Sebastian, instructed by the holy Angels.

St. Sebastian, giving speech to the dumb.

St. Sebastian, who for defending the truth was wounded by arrows.

St. Sebastian, who was put to death with clubs.

St. Sebastian, who was crowned with eternal glory.

St. Sebastian, great intercessor for us with God.

St. Sebastian, endowed with power from God to avert pestilence and all contagious diseases.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world: Spare us, O Lord!

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world: Graciously hear us, O Lord!

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world: Have mercy on us, O Lord!

Christ, hear us!

Christ, graciously hear us!

Let us pray: Mercifully look on our weakness, O almighty God. Since the weight of our own evil deeds bears us down, may the glorious intercession of Thy blessed martyr Sebastian be our protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth as one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

I remember praying a longer version. Can't find it on the web though.

A conservative revolution in Massachusetts!

From Politico.com.

A conservative revolution in Massachusetts

It is impossible to overestimate the significance of tonight’s historic election result in Massachusetts. For the first time in nearly four decades the most liberal state in America has returned a Republican to the US Senate. This is nothing short of a political revolution with huge ramifications for the November House and Senate races, as well as the Obama presidency.

This was no close run result. The victor, Scott Brown, defeated his opponent Martha Coakley by at least a five point margin – 52 to 47 percent is the latest projection – a staggering victory in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans three to one, and where Barack Obama won in 2008 by 26 percentage points.

The Massachusetts result confirms several things...

Scott Brown roars to Senate upset win

State Sen. Scott Brown blasted Bay State expectations today with a bombshell victory over his Democratic rival to capture the open U.S. Senate seat by a 5-point margin.

“I bet they can hear this cheering all the way to Washington, D.C.,” Brown said tonight.

“Tonight the independent voice of Massachusetts has spoken,” he added. “I am ready to go to Washington without delay.”

“I never thought I’d see the day when a Republican replaces Ted Kennedy,” Mayor Thomas M. Menino told the Herald tonight. “I think Scott Brown caught the wave of anger that’s out there, and the wave of anti-Obama.”

Finally, here's something from poor Keith Olbermann. You can feel the desperation can't you?




Even liberals think he's pathetic

CMR is concerned: "I hope someone's taking away Keith Olbermann's belts and shoelaces tonight."

Hurrah!

Beautiful Story! Go Maddy Curtis! God bless!

A favourite song too. :D

Good upbring too obviously. "Not annoying" :D

H/T CMR

Maddy Curtis of Bluemont, Virginia is the 9th child out of 12 which includes four Down Syndrome children (three adopted) and a darn good singer.

Maddy, daughter of pro-life activist and blogger Barbara Curtis, auditioned for American Idol and easily made it to the Hollywood round.

The entire Curtis family was received into the Catholic Church two years ago.

The wonderful part is that during her audition for Idol, producers highlighted the Down Syndrome children in her family and they quoted Maddy saying "I think some people are a little skeptical of Down syndrome. Those four boys bring out the best in every person they meet. They see the world in colors, and we need to see the world that way."

Check out Barbara Curtis' blog here

Killer community tips

H/T Fr Tim.

HILARIOUS.

Chachi reminds me of Joel Osteen, somehow, especially during the angelic choirs and heavenly light at "God helps those who help themselves." :D

These guys are really good!

Please pray for the poor people of Haiti

Photo via Rorate:


The picture is from Daylife.

Roman Catholic Archbishop Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot of the Diocese of Port-au-Prince, Haiti is among the numerous dead in the wake of the island's devastating earthquake yesterday. The Catholic cathedral located in the capital city also collapsed into rubble in the poorest of the poor nations in the Caribbean.

Pope Benedict XVI is pleading with Catholics to make generous donations to help the much afflicted land. The Missionary International News Agency has given a graphic account of the devastation.

According to the Times of London, "'Nou ate net:' three words in Creole that roughly mean, we are on our knees, concludes an e-mail sent from Father Andre Siohan, a missionary of the French San Jacques Society, writing from Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince a few hours after the quake that hit the city (MISNA reports)."

He wrote, "I went to the city center this morning to visit the other religious communities: the area is completely devastated and there are thousands of victims. It is terrible. We are all well, but some of our seminarians are missing. Some are injured, but some are maybe dead. Pray for us."

(Source: Dallas Blog)

Joseph Serge Miot (November 23, 1946 - January 12, 2010)

You get a sense of the tragedy and devastation through the BBC report.

I donated to Caritas Internationalis for relief efforts:

Catholic Relief Services (a Caritas member in the USA) has been in communication with its staff in Haiti. Their office is still standing and staff present at the time of the quake are safe. CRS staff described the quake as “a major hit…a direct hit”

Caritas Internationalis Humanitarian Director Alistair Dutton is leading the team. He said, “There is a strong Caritas presence in Haiti. We already know that Caritas staff will be providing support to survivors of the earthquake, such as food, shelter and comfort through churches and parish networks.

“A priority for Caritas will be to assess the damage and our local capacity to provide aid to survivors of the quake. Caritas runs over 200 hospitals and medical centres in Haiti. It is experienced and prepared to respond to humanitarian disasters there as a result of the frequent hurricanes.

“Communications with our staff of the ground is difficult, but we are piecing together a picture of desperate need. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Conflict, recent natural disasters, and poverty has left Haitians with a weak infrastructure. Working in that environment will be difficult.”

Would you consider contributing to help the long-suffering people of Haiti?

And pray, pray, pray.

A God By Any Other Name . . .

Joe Carter, of First Thoughts, whose writing usually admire, has got it totally wrong on the issue of the use of the word "Allah" by Malaysian Catholics. Thankfully several people have taken him to task on what he had to say.

Firebombing a church is an absurd overreaction and reflects poorly on the both the Muslims involved and those Malaysians who quietly condone the action. But what I find most perplexing about the story is that Christians would want to use the term Allah to refer to God.
One of the qualities of Islam I most admire is how its believers are not prone to fall for New Age clichés wrapped in the language of tolerance. Unfortunately, the same can’t always be said for many Christians.

...Muslims are not simply substituting the word “Allah” for “Christ” as if they were interchangeable terms. They are using a specific term that represents a broad range of truth claims about the nature of God. Since this is the case, why would any Christian want to use the name Allah for Christ?

Firstly, he's got the issue quite mixed up. Malaysian Christians are not substituting "Christ" with "Allah". The word "God" translates in Arabic (which has lent many words to the Malay language") to "Allah"

Worse, he defends his stance by arguing that the word "Allah" 'continues to carry so much linguistic baggage' that it should be abandoned. What??! How does that work? At what point in time does he expect the Catholics in Malaysia (and perhaps in Arabia) to have got together and decided to jettison the word "Allah" - a word that that Arab Christians at least have been using since before the arrival of Islam - because of 'cultural baggage'?

One commenter (check out his blog here) puts it across well:

And Joe, unless you are deeply knowledgeable about the particular situation that these Malaysian Christians are in, I think you are being deeply irresponsible with this post. Contextualization questions in Christian mission are often very very tricky, and not easy to judge from another context. I say this as someone who thoroughly enjoys your writing (but also as someone who knows a bit about Christian cross-cultural work in Asia – let the reader understand) – you really need to back off here.

A thurible to end all thuribles

From Passionist Charm

H/T Jean :)

Wow. What a sight!! Huuuuge!

My Days Among the Dead Are Past

Robert Southey (1774-1843)

My days among the Dead are past;

Around me I behold,

Where'er these casual eyes are cast,

The mighty minds of old;

My never-failing friends are they,

With whom I converse day by day.

With them I take delight in weal,

And seek relief in woe;

And while I understand and feel

How much to them I owe,

My cheeks have often been bedew'd

With tears of thoughtful gratitude.

My thoughts are with the Dead, with them

I live in long-past years,

Their virtues love, their faults condemn,

Partake their hopes and fears,

And from their lessons seek and find

Instruction with an humble mind.

My hopes are with the Dead, anon

My place with them will be,

And I with them will travel on

Through all Futurity;

Yet leaving here a name, I trust,

That will not perish in the dust.

My grandfather recites the first stanza of this poem each time we're in Sri Lanka. :)

Saturn!!

So cooool!!! I thought I'd pop outside for a second to check out the night sky. Then I came in to refer to Stellarium. Saturn was out! In December, Saturn rose too late for me to see it so this was quite a surprise to me. I took my telescope out to check it out (hoping not to disturb my parents by making a din manouvering the telescope through the door - it's 1am here and they're asleep).

I saw Saturn! And it's rings! The rings are narrow at the moment so what I saw was a yellow sphere with a thin line across its centre.
Something like this, but brighter:


Photo source: Rev. John P. Richardson (an Anglican priest with an interesting blog)

It was such a beautiful sight. :) :)

Didn't get to observe the planet through the higher powered lenses though because my sister packed me off inside because it was late...tsk.

I'm so glad I caught a glimpse of Saturn before I flew off and left behind the great skies of Oman.

An attachment to the very idea of the book

After years of writing and talking and thinking about books, I’ve come to a simple but important realization: I love books. Not just reading them or owning them—I have a deeply sentimental attachment to the very idea of the book.

And it’s not just me. It’s social. It’s across our entire society. If you’re making a short film, and you want to illustrate a society that’s falling into tyranny, you can just cut away to a scene of a pile of books burning, and everyone will know exactly what you meant. If you want to indicate that a character in a book is very sympathetic, and you mention how much she loves reading and going to the library, then your readers will immediately show sympathy for her. Books have this penumbra of virtues, they ooze virtue, and it’s long beyond anything rational or reasonable, because all of you who are people of the book know that there are many books that are absolutely unworthy of that virtue, and yet—and yet—when I worked in a bookstore and had to strip paperbacks to send them back, it was painful to tear the covers off of books. I can barely bring myself to recycle the phone book every year.

Read the entire article, How to Destroy a Book, here

The Order of the Imitation of Christ

The priests of my parish in Oman, and the other Catholic Church is Muscat, have, to my knowledge, always been Capuchin Friars. This time, however, one of the priests - Fr Christudas - was not dressed in the usual brown habit of the Fransicans. Instead we saw him after Mass in an orange-coloured garb. We later discovered that he belonged to the Order of the Imitation of Christ, a monastic community of the Malankara Catholic Church.

Here's what the order's website says:

Bethany Ashram(the Order of the Imitation of Christ (O.I.C.) was founded by Fr. P.T. Geevarghese Panickaruveettil O.I.C. (who later became Archbishop Mar Ivanios O.I.C.) on Aug.15, 1919 at a place called Perunad, Ranni. Bethany Ashram was the first monastic community in the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church at that time with a unique vision and life-style. The founder Mar Ivanios O.I.C. aimed at bringing together the monastic ideals of the Christian East and Indian Sannyasam in a particular life-style which is actualised in a life of intense prayers and apostolic activities. The name Bethany Ashram itself points to this fact. Simple and austere life, atmosphere of intense prayer and solitude, saffron (Kavi) habit, vegetarian food, life in common etc, were some of the basic features of this life style.

On the Malankara Catholic Church, also from the website:

The Church in Kerala was formed by the preaching of St. Thomas, the Apostolic of Jesus Christ. The St. Thomas Christian of Kerala were in communion with the Syrian Church of Persia. They followed the Syrian Liturgy and had been in communion with the Catholic Church ever since its starting in 52 A.D. As an autonomous Church with its own Liturgy, Customs, Traditions and Administrative system, it flourished in the soil of Kerala keeping its integrity and identity. The arrival of Portuguese missionaries who thought everything alien to western customs and traditions is either schismatic or heretic, tried to make the Kerala Church Catholic through latinising the syrian liturgy and its indigenous customs. The synod of Diamper in 1599 marked the beginning of the latinising policy which destroyed the identity and autonomous nature of the Church. Being unable either to tolerate or compromise with their policies the Mar Thoma Syrian Christian Community showed its protest by the Koonan Cross Oath in 1653. This was against the Portuguese ecclesiastical authorities and not against the Catholic and Apostolic Church. But this eventually paved the way for a section of the Mar Thoma Christians to become Jacobites under the Patgriarch of Antioch.

Ever since that unfortunate event, the separated brethren dreamed of and worked for the reunion with the Mother Church. But their attempts reaped fruit only by the beginning of this century. In 1926 a Jacobite Episcopal synod (Orthodox) held at Parumala decided to take effective steps for reunion with the Catholic Church. The synod puts forward but one condition: that the ancient liturgy and venerable traditions of the Malankara Church should be kept intact. According to the decision of the Synod, Archbishop Mar Ivanios held negotiations with Rome. The Holy Father Pope Pius XI, filled with true Christian and ecumenical spirit, accepted the condition and welcomed the reunion.

Accordingly on September 20, 1930 Arcbishop Mar Ivanios, Bishop Mar Theophilos, Fr.John O.I.C., Bro. Alexander (Fr.Seraphion O.I.C.) and Mr.Kilileth Chacko made their profession of Faith before His Excellency Rt.Rev.Dr.Benziger, Bishop of Quilon who was specially deputed by the Holy See for the purpose and were received into the fold of the Catholic Church.

Dreams of the past three centuries were thus realised and the Reunion Movement gained unprecedented mometum day by day. The growth of this movement was accelerated by the Apostolic Constitution : "Christo Pastorum Principi" of Pope Pius XI (June 11, 1932) which established the Syro-Malankara Hierarchy, comprising of the Archdiocese of Trivandrum and the Diocese of Tiruvalla.

Archbishop Mar Ivanos's cause for beatification has been opened.

From Wikipedia:

Mar Ivanios continued the efforts of communion. Finally the dream of communion with the Catholic Church came true. On September 20, 1930 Mar Ivanios made the catholic profession before Bishop Aloysius Maria Benziger OCD, the Bishop of Kollam along with Mar Theophilos, the Sufragan Bishop of Bethany, Fr. John Kuzhinapurath OIC, Deacon Alexander Attupurath OIC and Mr. Chacko Kiliyileth. Thus a miniature of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was formed. Most of the members of both the Bethany orders united with the Roman Catholic Church establishing the Eastern Catholic sui iuris Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in India.^[8]

In 1932 Mar Ivanios made a historic pilgrimage to Rome and he met Pope Pius XI. Mar Ivanios received the pallium. He also participated in the thirty second Eucharistic Congress held at Dublin, Ireland. There he met Mr. G.K. Chesterton, who addressed him 'The Newman of India'. Chesterton describes Mar Ivanios as follows, "The dignified Indian gentleman, who represented this faroff triumph in the Orient, had changed his neighbours by bringing them back in to the Roman Communion."^[9]

On his return from Rome, Mar Ivanios made strenuous efforts towards the building up of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. He guided the church in its commitment of evangelization. Pope Pius XI established the Syro-Malankara Catholic Hierarchy on June 11, 1932 through the apostolic contstitution Cristo pastorum principi.^[10]

...

Mar Ivanios was declared Servant of God (Daivadasan) on 14 July 2007, the day prior to the 54th anniversary of his death. The proclamation was read by Catholicos and Major Archbishop Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis at St. Mary's Malankara Syrian Catholic Cathedral in Trivandrum, India. He is the first member of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church to be so designated.

Interesting, isn't it?

Pope Paul VI blessing Apollo II

This is cool. Pope Paul VI looking through a telescope and then blessing Apollo 11

Orion

The sky is BEAUTIFUL tonight. Studded with stars. My camera doesn't do justice to the actual sight, but here's Orion's belt. Below the belt is the Orion Nebula.




The bright star here is Sirius:

Here are some screen shots from Stellarium featuring the Orion constellation.


This is approximately the area covered in the photos above. Sirius and the bottom half of Orion

And the nebula:


Read more on Wikipedia:
Sirius

Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, it is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. The name Sirius is derived from the Ancient Greek Σείριος.^[19] The star has the Bayer designation α Canis Majoris (α CMa, or Alpha Canis Majoris). What the naked eye perceives as a single star is actually a binary star system, consisting of a white main sequence star of spectral type A1V, termed Sirius A, and a faint white dwarf companion of spectral type DA2, termed Sirius B.

Orion (constellation)

Orion, often referred to as "The Hunter," is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the largest, most conspicuous, and most recognizable in the night sky.^[1] Its name refers to Orion, a hunter in Greek mythology.

Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated south^[b] of Orion's Belt. It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. M42 is located at a distance of 1,344 ± 20 light years^[2][5] and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light years across. Older texts frequently referred to the Orion Nebula as the Great Nebula in Orion or the Great Orion Nebula. The Orion Nebula is one of the most scrutinized and photographed objects in the night sky, and is among the most intensely studied celestial features.^[6] The nebula has revealed much about the process of how stars and planetary systems are formed from collapsing clouds of gas and dust.

Fascinating stuff!!!