Wile E Coyote and his example

So late one night I was writing another one of my letters for later to my daughter in a blank page type book and somewhere in there I remembered one of my favorite stories about one of the Desert Fathers instructing a young man:

There is a story from the Desert Fathers about a young monk who asked one of the old men of the desert why it is that so many people came out to the desert to seek God and yet most of them gave up after a short time and returned to their lives in the city. The old monk told him, "Last evening my dog saw a rabbit running for cover among the bushes of the desert and he began to chase the rabbit, barking loudly. Soon other dogs joined in the chase, barking and running. They ran a great distance and alerted many other dogs. Soon the wilderness was echoing the sounds of their pursuit but the chase went on into the night. After a little while, many of the dogs grew tired and dropped. A few chased the rabbit until the night was nearly spent. By morning, only my dog continued the hunt."Do you understand," the old man said, "what I have told you?" "No," replied the young monk, "please tell me father.""It is simple," said the desert father, "my dog saw the rabbit".

I copied the exact wording from here. Back to my story, somehow the idea of a dog chasing after a rabbit started my thinking about Wile E Coyote chasing roadrunner. Clearly Wile E embodies the spirit of the Old Man's dog that refused to give up chasing the rabbit, refused to stop praying and meditating on God in the desert. We could all use some of that indomitable spirit that our friend Coyote has in such abundance. He perseveres no matter the cost. Yes, he bungles and he often gets hurt, but without fail he picks himself up and goes back at it. He never stops in his quest for the Roadrunner. He is single minded in his pursuit and to this end he clearly gives generously of his time, talent and treasure. We should seek first the Kingdom of God with the determination that Wile E has for the Roadrunner. Nothing else should matter outside of our pursuit of God and His righteousness. We should seek to draw nearer than when we first believed with the same gusto and tirelessness of Wile E.

I'm off the soapbox for now.

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Theotokos Thursday III

This is without a doubt my favorite icon of the Theotokos.
I've used this icon before.

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Dad left behind on roadtrip

I heard about this on radio coming home from work today. A man was on a road trip with his children and went inside to get change when his children drove off without noticing he wasn't there. They made it 100 miles before he got in touch with them to come back and get him.
The rest of the story

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Nativity of John the Forerunner

I found this deisis and thought it was a good icon for today. I really like how deisi show John the Forerunner as the last of the OT prophets pointing toward Christ ( "John beareth witness of him, and crieth out, saying, 'This was he of whom I spoke: He that shall come after me, is preferred before me: because he was before me.'" John 1:15" and Mary pointing towards Christ ("And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord." Luke 1:46)

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Sunday Snippets 23JUN2012

This week I had a post in honor of Father's Day and a post on my views regarding P&W music during Adoration.
Check out the other Sunday Snippets at This That and the Other Thing.

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John Chrysostom on Pentecost

Do you perceive the type? What is this Pentecost? The time when the sickle was to be put to the harvest, and the ingathering was made. See now the reality, when the time had come to put in the sickle of the word: for here, as the sickle, keen-edged, came the Spirit down. For hear the words of Christ: Lift up your eyes, He said, and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest. John 4:35 And again, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few. Matthew 9:38 But as the first-fruits of this harvest, He himself took [our nature], and bore it up on high. Himself first put in the sickle. Therefore also He calls the Word the Seed. When, it says, the day of Pentecost was fully come Luke 8:5, 11: that is, when at the Pentecost, while about it, in short. For it was essential that the present events likewise should take place during the feast, that those who had witnessed the crucifixion of Christ, might also behold these.

 Read the rest here

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7 Quick Takes 21JUN2012

1. A third Anglican Ordinariate was established this week and I just read that SSPX has been offered a personal prelature! I'm always glad to see us working towards the unity Jesus spoke of in John 17:21.
2. The USCCB is revising the New American Bible translation of the New Testament. It sounds like the translation of the Mass all over again.
3. I wrote a post this week on what I think of Praise and Worship music at Adoration. Please check it out and add your two cents!
4. The 20th was the longest day of the year. I wish that meant that it only gets cooler outside from now on, but I know better. I just have to make it through July and August and this is a little easier now that I have enough money to justify air conditioning.
5. Tempus fugit cum ora.
6. This Friday I pick up  Princess to spend the week with her, including a baseball game on Thursday. Its going to be EPIC!
7. Speaking of Princess, I almost forgot to mention to the small handful who may actually read this far, she was Chrismated and received the Eucharist for the first time this last Sunday with my parents there. It was great, except for the screaming and crying because she is painfully shy especially around men.

Check out the other Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

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Why I don't think P&W music is appropriate for adoration

I've been going to a Young Adult Ministry group as my job and other obligations permit for the last year. There's Eucharistic Adoration every time which is great, but the whole time is occupied with praise and worship songs. Here is my ranting, rambling list of reasons why I wish we could remain silent or at least pick more appropriate songs: 

1. Its throwing pearls before swine. The Eucharist is without a doubt the greatest gift God has ever given humanity. Singing song after song, week after week that never mention the Eucharist in which Jesus is beyond me. He is of course with us not just spiritually in a "where two or three are gathered in my name" way but He is also there physically in His body, blood, soul and divinity and that mystery begs, even screams for contemplation and prayerful silence. It seems to me that singing these songs ignores, and by the omission denigrates, the reality of Jesus' presence before us in all his glory, majesty and awe. The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life, why is there anyone who doesn't want to sing about it? Continuing with songs that have nothing to do with the Eucharist shows a distinct lack of appreciation for this most wonderful gift.
2. We have centuries worth of better music to sing. Catholics have been inspired to write beautiful songs about the Eucharist since the beginning of the Church, many of these songs were even written in English or translated into English songs from the original Latin. P&W songs are the song equivalent of an ice cream cone; They are sugary and sweet and they give an immediate but short-lived good feeling. Songs written about the Eucharist can give one a new perspective or teach something new about the Eucharist. There is the possibility of something from the song enriched your spiritual life for the rest of your time on Earth. This brings me to the next point.
3. Music during Eucharistic Adoration should invite contemplation of the Eucharist. This obviously isn't happening if the sole content of the song is something akin to 5 stanzas of different ways to say that God is great. Most certainly, He is great and we should praise His Holy Name. One of the ways He is great is His condescension to our Humanity to sacrifice Himself on the cross so that we may have the Eucharist. As I said above, P&W gives a short-lived good feeling and the mystery of the Eucharist screams for contemplation. Mental prayer is a higher good than vocal prayer. Its easy with songs like "Let all mortal flesh keep silence" or "Hail, Holy Body" for a line in their to evoke contemplation of how great the Eucharist truly is. But when there is little or no fodder for contemplation in the P&W genre of music.
4. If you are busy adoring the Holy Eucharist you don't need to be entertained. There is definitely a sensibility among many Catholics that churchtainment needs to be inserted into every facet of our spiritual lives. However, when you are adoring and contemplating the Most Blessed Sacrament entertainment is irrelevant and unnecessary. Time flies when you kneel in wonder before our Lord.

O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.

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The best lesson my Dad taught me is...

Happy Father's Day!
The best lesson my Dad taught me is...
to work hard and to move forward at work and in life by honesty and merit.

The best lesson your Dad taught you is...?

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Peter's Barque II

Many fisherman had boats on the sea
But only one of these contained He
That the water, wind, and storms obey
That created the world in seven days
Only in Peter's barque was He contained
The Lord our God who had deigned
To condescend to our mortal form
And in this barque grant us sinners shelter from the storm

Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me a sinner!

Peter's Barque I
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Sunday Snippets 10JUN2012

This week I took part in 7 Quick Takes, posted Why the hurry? with a quote from St Josemaria Escriva,
May God bless all who read my ramblings, and a reposting from Restless Pilgrim called When the Homily is Blah.

Check out the other Sunday Snippets here.


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7 Quick Takes 08JUN2012

 

"O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise."

1. I was walking through Target and saw that Big Bang Theory and Awkward Family Photos have board games now. I enjoy both of those, but I sincerely doubt that they make for board games worth playing.
2. My parents will fly in this week to stay for a few days. I'm excited, but my daughter doesn't remember them and is painfully shy. We'll see how well this goes. Also, since my parents will be here for Father's Day Sunday I've arranged for my daughter to be Chrismated and receive her First Communion. Again, we'll see how this goes since Chrismation involves Father applying oil to her forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, chest, hands and feet. I don't know how I'll get her to stay in place for him to do that, but I'll have to figure something out.
3. I saw "For Greater Glory" last night. I'm definitely getting the DVD when it comes out.
4. The friend that I watched "For Greater Glory" with suggested two new blogs to me, simchafisher.wordpress.com and seraphicsinglescummings.blogspot.com. I'm checking those out as soon as I publish this posting.
5. I don't know why I keep going to the local Young Adult Ministry. It seems that all they want to do is talk in terms of Protestant theology and to talk about are their feelings.
7. "As the hart panteth after the fountains of water; so my soul panteth after thee, O God." --Psalm 42:1

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"Why the hurry?"

“Why the hurry? Do people in love hurry when they are saying goodbye? They seem to be going and then they don’t go; they turn back again and again; they repeat quite ordinary words as if they had just discovered their meaning... Please don’t take exception to my applying to the things of God the example of noble and fine human love. If we love God with our heart of flesh – and we have no other – we will not be in a hurry to finish this meeting, this loving appointment with Him.”
St Josemaria Escriva on leaving Mass

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Pick your favorite verse carefully

 My favorite is Psalm 51:15
h/t to Neal Obstat
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When the homily is blah

I was reading a post over at Restless Pilgrim about people leaving the Catholic Church because the priest's homilies are boring. What to do?
His five suggestions:

1. It’s not about entertainment. I know this is tough to hear, but the purpose of the homily is not to entertain, but to explain the Scriptures and to exhort you to holiness. One would hope that the priest would do this in an engaging manner, but this may not always be the case. If your priest is opening up the Scriptures and encouraging sanctity then you have a lot for which to be thankful.

2. Pray for your priest. If you want a better preacher, pray for the one you’ve got! When I returned full-time to the Catholic Church I was really disappointed with a lot of homilies I heard. In response to this, I got into the habit of praying for my priest during the week, as well as saying a short prayer for him just before the homily:

“Lord Jesus, please fill this man with Your Spirit. Increase in him the gift of speaking. May he speak Your Word with truth, love and boldness. Amen”

If the prayer of the righteous is powerful (James 5:16)….then hit your knees!

3. Listen. Out of love for Christ and respect for the priestly office, don’t switch off, but listen attentively. In addition to praying for the priest before the homily, how about praying for yourself too?

“Come Holy Spirit. Open my heart and mind to hear the words which are about to be spoken through Your minister. Help me to be receptive to what it is you want me to hear today.”

Matthew Kelly has this suggestion: just look for the one thing. As the priest is speaking, listen out for something which you can take to heart and apply to your life in the coming week. I can guarantee you that pretty much every homily will have something in it that you can take on board and which will help you live a more authentic Christian life.

4. Supplement your diet. If you want to get more out of the homily, put more into it! Spend some time with the Scriptures prior to Mass so that you become more familiar with them. You could read a commentary on the Readings to help you understand them more fully.

Since I started trying to get physically fit again, I’ve been taking food supplements. This means that, even if some of my meals are a bit substandard, I still get a good dose of vitamins every day. You can do the same thing with your Sunday homily. In the Catholic world there are some truly phenomenal teachers and preachers. So, in addition to hearing your priest preach each week, listen to some other homilies online. Here are a few suggestions

1. Dr. Scott Hahn
2. Fr. Robert Barron
3. Monsignor Charles Pope

5. Encourage your priest! Your priest is only human, so do what you can to encourage him!

And all men are ready to pass judgement on the priest as if he was not a being clothed with flesh, or one who inherited a human nature – St. John Chrysostom

Sometimes even shepherds need some affirmation! So, if one week your pastor says something in his sermon which you find helpful, tell him! Thank him and encourage him! Is his ordination anniversary coming up? Maybe consider purchasing him a gift such as the Catena Aurea or the Ignatius Study Bible.

To which I add:

6. Learn more about the Divine Liturgy/Mass

If you realize that it is the sweet foretaste of Heaven, that it is the union of Heaven and Earth in that time and place, that you are privileged to experience something so otherworldly and awesome, then Father's bland homilies are less of a big deal. Think about Jesus riding in on a donkey to His New Jerusalem every time we pray "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord." When we sing "Holy, Holy, Holy" realize that you are not only praying the same prayer as the angels, but we are praying it with the angels. Think about this: Angels don't have the privilege of receiving the Eucharist!

 

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One does not simply outlaw the Catholic Church

ht to Aquinas and more

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