When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me hat I should get it fixed. But, somehow I always had something else to take care of first, the truck, the car, playing golf - always something more important to me.
Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point. When I arrived home one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors. I watched silently for a short time and then went into the house. I was gone only a minute, and when I came out again I handed her a toothbrush.
I said, "When you finish cutting the grass, you might as well sweep the driveway."
The doctors say I will walk again, but I will always have a limp.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Fear of a Few Faithful . . .
According to the new ruling from the Pope:
“Art. 5. § 1 In parishes, where there is a stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition, the pastor should willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare of these faithful harmonizes with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon 392, avoiding discord and favoring the unity of the whole Church.”
Interestingly enough, the document also address what to do in a situation if the pastor does not grant the requests of his parishioners:
“Art. 7. If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned in art. 5 รต 1, has not obtained satisfaction to their requests from the pastor, they should inform the diocesan bishop. The bishop is strongly requested to satisfy their wishes. If he cannot arrange for such celebration to take place, the matter should be referred to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei".
The Commission stated above has the authority of the Holy See to ensure that the regulations of this new document are enforced.
Interesting scenarios evolve regarding Latin Mass. One pastor immediately implemented his ‘freedom’ and celebrated a private Latin Mass early one morning. He had around twenty in attendance. Excited by the groundbreaking event, we collared our own pastor about the possibility. We even had the possible beginnings of a choir, eager altar boys, and a sacristan willing, eager, and able to help with the training. Much to our surprise, we were nicely told that we have to obtain the permission of the bishop. We can’t just decide to have a Latin Mass even if it doesn’t supercede an existing one. Whether we try to have a scheduled one or just have one to test the waters, permission has to come from the bishop. We wondered, to ourselves, about whether the pastor knew about the new ruling or was hoping we did not.
One women voiced fear and deep concern about the renewal of the Latin Mass which never should have needed renewal, in the first place. According to her, a few Latin hymns were okay but to strike down the current spontaneity of the Novus Ordo was unthinkable.
We passed by an elderly couple, one Sunday, who exclaimed to us, “You had better go home and teach your children Latin. It’s coming back so you better watch out!” It made me wonder where they had gone to Mass in their youth. There wasn’t a Novus Ordo back then!
My favorite is that no one will understand the Mass anymore if we go back to the Latin Mass. Thinking that, how on earth did all these pre-Vatican II Catholics manage to retain their Faith before the Novus Ordo came into being?
You have to wonder about the almost-rabid loathing evidenced by so many about the Pope’s new ruling for the Latin Mass. Have they actually read the document? It’s pretty clear that celebration of the Latin Mass will not supercede currently scheduled Novus Ordo Masses. You don’t have to attend the Latin Mass. It is a free-will celebration!
I remember when the illicit hand holding started during the Our Father. It begin with a few and soon the majority were going into contortions to insure they had someone’s hand to hold as if the Mass would not be valid if the chain was broken. Are they afraid the Latin Mass might cause the same, eventual tidal wave? Is it the race around the church during the Sign of Peace they are afraid of missing? Will the Latin Mass put an end to the various spiritual chaos that ensues during some liberal versions of the Novus Ordo? Read the Papal document. Look around you? How many would actually attend the Latin Mass? How can a few, traditional Catholics put such angst into so many?
I will admit, however, that people will be drawn to the Latin Mass. A look at ones already celebrated shows a great number of young people involved and loving it. There never seems to be a problem with finding altar boys for the Latin Mass . . . young ones! Suppose the Latin Mass catches on and becomes the ‘majority’. Would a hypothetical ‘minority’ Novus Ordo be as peaceful in their quest for comfortable worship? A liberal favorite is ‘live and let live’. Why are so many against so few who are only trying to do just that?
“Art. 5. § 1 In parishes, where there is a stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition, the pastor should willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare of these faithful harmonizes with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon 392, avoiding discord and favoring the unity of the whole Church.”
Interestingly enough, the document also address what to do in a situation if the pastor does not grant the requests of his parishioners:
“Art. 7. If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned in art. 5 รต 1, has not obtained satisfaction to their requests from the pastor, they should inform the diocesan bishop. The bishop is strongly requested to satisfy their wishes. If he cannot arrange for such celebration to take place, the matter should be referred to the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei".
The Commission stated above has the authority of the Holy See to ensure that the regulations of this new document are enforced.
Interesting scenarios evolve regarding Latin Mass. One pastor immediately implemented his ‘freedom’ and celebrated a private Latin Mass early one morning. He had around twenty in attendance. Excited by the groundbreaking event, we collared our own pastor about the possibility. We even had the possible beginnings of a choir, eager altar boys, and a sacristan willing, eager, and able to help with the training. Much to our surprise, we were nicely told that we have to obtain the permission of the bishop. We can’t just decide to have a Latin Mass even if it doesn’t supercede an existing one. Whether we try to have a scheduled one or just have one to test the waters, permission has to come from the bishop. We wondered, to ourselves, about whether the pastor knew about the new ruling or was hoping we did not.
One women voiced fear and deep concern about the renewal of the Latin Mass which never should have needed renewal, in the first place. According to her, a few Latin hymns were okay but to strike down the current spontaneity of the Novus Ordo was unthinkable.
We passed by an elderly couple, one Sunday, who exclaimed to us, “You had better go home and teach your children Latin. It’s coming back so you better watch out!” It made me wonder where they had gone to Mass in their youth. There wasn’t a Novus Ordo back then!
My favorite is that no one will understand the Mass anymore if we go back to the Latin Mass. Thinking that, how on earth did all these pre-Vatican II Catholics manage to retain their Faith before the Novus Ordo came into being?
You have to wonder about the almost-rabid loathing evidenced by so many about the Pope’s new ruling for the Latin Mass. Have they actually read the document? It’s pretty clear that celebration of the Latin Mass will not supercede currently scheduled Novus Ordo Masses. You don’t have to attend the Latin Mass. It is a free-will celebration!
I remember when the illicit hand holding started during the Our Father. It begin with a few and soon the majority were going into contortions to insure they had someone’s hand to hold as if the Mass would not be valid if the chain was broken. Are they afraid the Latin Mass might cause the same, eventual tidal wave? Is it the race around the church during the Sign of Peace they are afraid of missing? Will the Latin Mass put an end to the various spiritual chaos that ensues during some liberal versions of the Novus Ordo? Read the Papal document. Look around you? How many would actually attend the Latin Mass? How can a few, traditional Catholics put such angst into so many?
I will admit, however, that people will be drawn to the Latin Mass. A look at ones already celebrated shows a great number of young people involved and loving it. There never seems to be a problem with finding altar boys for the Latin Mass . . . young ones! Suppose the Latin Mass catches on and becomes the ‘majority’. Would a hypothetical ‘minority’ Novus Ordo be as peaceful in their quest for comfortable worship? A liberal favorite is ‘live and let live’. Why are so many against so few who are only trying to do just that?
A blessing in disguise?
"The only thing that saves us from the bureaucracy is inefficiency. An efficient bureaucracy is the greatest threat to liberty."
-- Eugene McCarthy
-- Eugene McCarthy
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Went Asian . . . sort of . . . with dinner!
I found this recipe in the Food Network Magazine and it came our really well to the point my teenage son was back for seconds. The only change I made was to use very thin spaghetti noodles instead of the rice noodles listed. I also made more than the asked for amount of spaghetti to stretch the meal. There was enough broth and meat to make a nice serving for four moderate eaters. It would be easy enough to double or triple, too.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooker-pork-with-noodles-recipe/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooker-pork-with-noodles-recipe/index.html
The lastest on Lenny's progress . . .
Just received this message from the gentleman who has been providing the news as it happens. Sounds like prayers are still very much needed but there seems to be progress in the right direction.
*****
Friends of Lenny,
Lenny had a procedure today to stop blood flow to the placenta. It sounded to me like they did something to the arteries that supply the blood. Some of the placenta is in the uterus and some is outside. The part in her uterus is eventually expected to be expelled. They hope the inside part will dissolve. Again this is my interpretation of what I heard. When the inside part is expelled there will be some bleeding. It is expected there will be another surgery. She is doing ok for now, but her doctor thinks the most dangerous part of this is still to come. It may take some time for it all to happen.
Please keep her in your prayers.
Bob
*****
Friends of Lenny,
Lenny had a procedure today to stop blood flow to the placenta. It sounded to me like they did something to the arteries that supply the blood. Some of the placenta is in the uterus and some is outside. The part in her uterus is eventually expected to be expelled. They hope the inside part will dissolve. Again this is my interpretation of what I heard. When the inside part is expelled there will be some bleeding. It is expected there will be another surgery. She is doing ok for now, but her doctor thinks the most dangerous part of this is still to come. It may take some time for it all to happen.
Please keep her in your prayers.
Bob
Modesty a forgotten virtue?
I have often heard the phrase custody of the eyes but never really took time to think about it in today’s terms and life styles. One day, during a trip to the mall, I decided to try maintaining a strict custody of the eyes yet still do my planned shopping. That one trip to the mall showed me that it is near impossible to avoid seeing visual near occasions of sin without bumping into the people you are trying not to look at! Where has respect and modesty gone in this day and age?
You walk past the first store or shop and the mannequins in the window are dressed provocatively, showing off acres of enameled skin with all the details that can be put on a dummy. Even though these are not real people, little is left to the imagination - a near occasion of sin just waiting to be taken advantage of right there in public view.
If you are interested in refurbishing your underwear wardrobe, you will have absolutely no problem finding the department. There are numerous displays of garments that definitely should be kept under clothing. You and everyone else will know what is being worn under today’s clothing. My oldest son considers it gross right now but as he gets older what kind of impression will this make on him?
It isn’t easy telling the difference between the underwear and the bathing suit sections! Actually, there is more fabric in what is worn under clothing than is flaunted on the beach. How many times have you seen someone get flustered when a door accidentally opens and they are caught wearing just their underwear? Yet, these same ‘prudes’ go out in public with much less for the sake of fashion.
Weddings are not the pleasant occasions they once were in church. The brides seem to be having one last fling as they go down the aisle exposing excessive skin. The fashions they wear on their wedding day isn’t in line with what the purity of what a white wedding dress is all about. One woman told me that a deep, heart-shaped neckline was fashionable and it has always been the style to have a plunging back on the wedding dress. It is a classic style. Well, so is hell a classic.
One of the saddest fashion statements today can be found in the children’s section. Rack after rack of immodest fashions cut down for the four, five and six year old girls. Perhaps, the mothers think it is cute now but how will the child learn what is womanly and what is just, plain sinful. You can be a near occasion of sin at a young age and if the child doesn’t know better, wouldn’t you have to lay the blame at the parents’ door?
I often hear parents bemoan the fact that they have no control over what their children wear. Why not? If they aren’t over eighteen, who pays for the clothing. Do you just put up with super tight jeans and improper clothing for Mass to avoid confrontations? Today, the word ‘no’ is an underused word in the modern child-rearing vocabulary.
I think too many people go by what the majority do and figure that if everyone does it, then it is sanctioned by society. Of course, it is sanctioned by society but society hasn’t been a model for grace, spirituality and goodness for a long time. You don’t have to be of the world to be in the world. “To be merely modern is to condemn oneself to an ultimate narrowness . . .” G. K. Chesterton.
If you start thinking about how you appear to other people, perhaps you will go to greater lengths to protect the virtues God has given you. Do you want to be popular and a near-occasion of sin? Or do you want to be in God’s Graces? It is called free will.
“Modesty in human beings is praised because it is not a matter of nature, but of will.” Lactantius
You walk past the first store or shop and the mannequins in the window are dressed provocatively, showing off acres of enameled skin with all the details that can be put on a dummy. Even though these are not real people, little is left to the imagination - a near occasion of sin just waiting to be taken advantage of right there in public view.
If you are interested in refurbishing your underwear wardrobe, you will have absolutely no problem finding the department. There are numerous displays of garments that definitely should be kept under clothing. You and everyone else will know what is being worn under today’s clothing. My oldest son considers it gross right now but as he gets older what kind of impression will this make on him?
It isn’t easy telling the difference between the underwear and the bathing suit sections! Actually, there is more fabric in what is worn under clothing than is flaunted on the beach. How many times have you seen someone get flustered when a door accidentally opens and they are caught wearing just their underwear? Yet, these same ‘prudes’ go out in public with much less for the sake of fashion.
Weddings are not the pleasant occasions they once were in church. The brides seem to be having one last fling as they go down the aisle exposing excessive skin. The fashions they wear on their wedding day isn’t in line with what the purity of what a white wedding dress is all about. One woman told me that a deep, heart-shaped neckline was fashionable and it has always been the style to have a plunging back on the wedding dress. It is a classic style. Well, so is hell a classic.
One of the saddest fashion statements today can be found in the children’s section. Rack after rack of immodest fashions cut down for the four, five and six year old girls. Perhaps, the mothers think it is cute now but how will the child learn what is womanly and what is just, plain sinful. You can be a near occasion of sin at a young age and if the child doesn’t know better, wouldn’t you have to lay the blame at the parents’ door?
I often hear parents bemoan the fact that they have no control over what their children wear. Why not? If they aren’t over eighteen, who pays for the clothing. Do you just put up with super tight jeans and improper clothing for Mass to avoid confrontations? Today, the word ‘no’ is an underused word in the modern child-rearing vocabulary.
I think too many people go by what the majority do and figure that if everyone does it, then it is sanctioned by society. Of course, it is sanctioned by society but society hasn’t been a model for grace, spirituality and goodness for a long time. You don’t have to be of the world to be in the world. “To be merely modern is to condemn oneself to an ultimate narrowness . . .” G. K. Chesterton.
If you start thinking about how you appear to other people, perhaps you will go to greater lengths to protect the virtues God has given you. Do you want to be popular and a near-occasion of sin? Or do you want to be in God’s Graces? It is called free will.
“Modesty in human beings is praised because it is not a matter of nature, but of will.” Lactantius
The cold is back in our weather for a bit more . . .
In spite of forecasts to the contrary, we actually had a chilly morning and relatively cool day. Brisk to the point of needing a sweater when we ventured out for some shopping.
A cold, Spring evening called for a hot meal and we went with homemade soup and fresh bread. As I was preparing dinner, I recalled another stand-by recipe that has saved me on numerous occasions. It is a basic recipe that is very receptive to whatever changes you want to make to suit your own family.
Soup From a Jar
1/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound sausage meat
1 onion, chopped
1 26-ounce jar your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 ½ cups water, approximate
½ cup red wine
1 pound frozen, mixed vegetables
1 regular-sized can white beans
1 or 2 cups cooked pasta - you decide! (cooked rice is a good change)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground, black pepper
½ teaspoon oregano
Brown the ground beef and sausage until brown and crumbly. Use a large, heavy-duty cooking pot that has a lid. Add the onion and cook just until onion starts to get limp, about five minutes. Add everything else! If the soup is too thick, add more water. Bring to a simmer. Serve hot bowls of this hearty soup, especially, on those miserable, rainy days. Short tempers will start to lengthen and everyone will know mom still loves them.
A cold, Spring evening called for a hot meal and we went with homemade soup and fresh bread. As I was preparing dinner, I recalled another stand-by recipe that has saved me on numerous occasions. It is a basic recipe that is very receptive to whatever changes you want to make to suit your own family.
Soup From a Jar
1/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound sausage meat
1 onion, chopped
1 26-ounce jar your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 ½ cups water, approximate
½ cup red wine
1 pound frozen, mixed vegetables
1 regular-sized can white beans
1 or 2 cups cooked pasta - you decide! (cooked rice is a good change)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground, black pepper
½ teaspoon oregano
Brown the ground beef and sausage until brown and crumbly. Use a large, heavy-duty cooking pot that has a lid. Add the onion and cook just until onion starts to get limp, about five minutes. Add everything else! If the soup is too thick, add more water. Bring to a simmer. Serve hot bowls of this hearty soup, especially, on those miserable, rainy days. Short tempers will start to lengthen and everyone will know mom still loves them.
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