I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
- Robert McCloskey
Friday, February 25, 2011
FYI
In case anyone is interested in either selling or buying homemade crafts, clothing, items, please check out this new Yahoo Group.
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Thursday, February 24, 2011
Following Christ or following your whims . . .
In our parish, we are fortunate to have three, good priests. They, unfortunately, have to serve two parishes. I'm not sure how many Masses are celebrated on a Sunday at both, combined, but I do know it is more than can be comfortably handled by three priests . . . yet they do so and without complaint.
Instead of appreciately what they have, more than a few parishioners find fault and complain . . . a lot about the way the pastor is organizing things. If their concerns centered around serious matters of Faith or Rubrics, I could understand them stating their worries. To date, the major complaints have been:
1. Father moved Friday Benediction from eight in the evening until seven. (Uh, doesn't a priest need an evening, too? Seven seems to be more than appropriate for everyone involved.)
2. Father stopped using Extraordinary Ministers at morning Mass. (On a busy day, we have, perhaps, 30 people. I don't think the priest needs to ice his arm after giving Communion to 30 people all by himself!)
3. Father stopped the distribution of the Precious Blood at daily Mass. (Shouldn't this be reserved for Sundays and special occasions? You do receive the fullness of the Eucharist without it.)
4. Father has chastised Eucharist Ministers about going into the tabernacle on their own. (Is there nothing sacred left in the world? Shouldn't be treat the place where Jesus resides for us as if it were holy . . . and we purport to believe?)
5. Father stopped the extra novena prayers from the altar. (He didn't stop them. He didn't go illicit by continuing to make them part of the Mass.)
To me, there is nothing worse than having a 'good' Catholic exit Mass and then proclaim to the world that, "Father makes me SICK!" The Eucharist was just on their tongue. They made a grand display of devotion IN Mass yet exhibit disrespect to the priest who made it possible for them the receive our Lord in the Eucharist.
It is ironic but just about everyone of the 'priest police' has the small Pieta prayer book in their possession at daily Mass. Everyone's copy is wellworn with all the use they get out of it using their favorite prayers. They should check out page 36 or 37 of said prayer book (not sure which page!) where it states that we should never criticize a priest and if we have a 'problem' with them, PRAY for them! Seems many people leave their prayerful nature in the church.
Instead of appreciately what they have, more than a few parishioners find fault and complain . . . a lot about the way the pastor is organizing things. If their concerns centered around serious matters of Faith or Rubrics, I could understand them stating their worries. To date, the major complaints have been:
1. Father moved Friday Benediction from eight in the evening until seven. (Uh, doesn't a priest need an evening, too? Seven seems to be more than appropriate for everyone involved.)
2. Father stopped using Extraordinary Ministers at morning Mass. (On a busy day, we have, perhaps, 30 people. I don't think the priest needs to ice his arm after giving Communion to 30 people all by himself!)
3. Father stopped the distribution of the Precious Blood at daily Mass. (Shouldn't this be reserved for Sundays and special occasions? You do receive the fullness of the Eucharist without it.)
4. Father has chastised Eucharist Ministers about going into the tabernacle on their own. (Is there nothing sacred left in the world? Shouldn't be treat the place where Jesus resides for us as if it were holy . . . and we purport to believe?)
5. Father stopped the extra novena prayers from the altar. (He didn't stop them. He didn't go illicit by continuing to make them part of the Mass.)
To me, there is nothing worse than having a 'good' Catholic exit Mass and then proclaim to the world that, "Father makes me SICK!" The Eucharist was just on their tongue. They made a grand display of devotion IN Mass yet exhibit disrespect to the priest who made it possible for them the receive our Lord in the Eucharist.
It is ironic but just about everyone of the 'priest police' has the small Pieta prayer book in their possession at daily Mass. Everyone's copy is wellworn with all the use they get out of it using their favorite prayers. They should check out page 36 or 37 of said prayer book (not sure which page!) where it states that we should never criticize a priest and if we have a 'problem' with them, PRAY for them! Seems many people leave their prayerful nature in the church.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Being careful . . .
I saw an interesting show, last year, about letting our children use Facebook. A man with some facet of the FBI or whatever said that even if the child does not put down obvious information, a pervert CAN eventually make person-to-person contact with them. He reminded parents that these pedifiles and sex predators have all the time in the world to do this. It's their 'hobby' and they are 'good' at it. He proved it most graphically by doing just that (without the evil intent!) and just by following the information on this young girl's Facebook was able to actually know when to show up at her door when she was alone. He did it all from what he could garner from her seemingly simple Facebook postings. We forget that there is a list of 'friends' that can be used to find out more information. Mention of a school team can narrow down the search. Just every day chatter about when parents will be home, what time is the bus coming, etc. add another building block to a predator's information list.
Also, proud parents like to post pictures of their children and what they are doing. No one is safe so it is us to each of us to BE safe. Sad that such a useful tool of communication can be used for evil intent but being forewarned and careful can protest us.
Just throwing that out to get people thinking! It always seems so safe to post our life to the world from the security of our home computer. It isn't always the case.
Also, proud parents like to post pictures of their children and what they are doing. No one is safe so it is us to each of us to BE safe. Sad that such a useful tool of communication can be used for evil intent but being forewarned and careful can protest us.
Just throwing that out to get people thinking! It always seems so safe to post our life to the world from the security of our home computer. It isn't always the case.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Trying our recipes!
Going with another batch of mini cupcakes. This time, it is banana pecan cake with burnt butter cream frosting. The cake part has worked well. Waiting for them to cool so I can start inventing the frosting. Hoping they taste like my imagination is telling me they should.
Love the latest on the Wisconsin stuff. Doctors who give out medical exemptions to protestors don't sound like any doctor I'd like anything to do with for a real problem. Would a doctor who would cheat like that, be all that great in caring for an actual illness? You have to wonder about any profession that doesn't abide by the law yet likes to hide behind the law when it is convenient. Disgusting behavior for grownups!
Love the latest on the Wisconsin stuff. Doctors who give out medical exemptions to protestors don't sound like any doctor I'd like anything to do with for a real problem. Would a doctor who would cheat like that, be all that great in caring for an actual illness? You have to wonder about any profession that doesn't abide by the law yet likes to hide behind the law when it is convenient. Disgusting behavior for grownups!
Where is Justice?
Canada does not have the death penalty in their judicial system. They feel it is cruel and unusual punishment for a proven hardened criminal to lose his life. I won't argue one way or the other as it is the law. It's the moral path they want to follow.
Today, however, they are veering terribly off that righteous path. A family there has a child who is on life support and the doctors had determined the baby is in a vegetative state and want to pull the plug. The family would like to take the baby home to die peacefully in the midst of their family. The courts have stepped in and denied them this one comfort as they lose their little child. Not only has the court decided when to pull the life support, they have also said that as soon as the machines are turned off, they will administer a lethal injection to kill the baby.
I read recently that some of our states here in America had to revamp the lethal injection for carrying out the death penalty as it was painful for the criminal. What a world-wide travesty of justice that today an infant will not be given the chance/regard of a murderer or worse? Why is the court system so intent on inflicting so much pain on a family who has spent time watching the death of their baby come about? An innocent child is murdered while a murderer is coddled. Where is the justice in that? Where is the Christian attitude in that?
I'm thinking that every doctor, judge, nurse who participates in this awful event is going to have to eventually admit their wrong doing before God and hope that God grants them more mercy than they gave a tiny child.
Today, however, they are veering terribly off that righteous path. A family there has a child who is on life support and the doctors had determined the baby is in a vegetative state and want to pull the plug. The family would like to take the baby home to die peacefully in the midst of their family. The courts have stepped in and denied them this one comfort as they lose their little child. Not only has the court decided when to pull the life support, they have also said that as soon as the machines are turned off, they will administer a lethal injection to kill the baby.
I read recently that some of our states here in America had to revamp the lethal injection for carrying out the death penalty as it was painful for the criminal. What a world-wide travesty of justice that today an infant will not be given the chance/regard of a murderer or worse? Why is the court system so intent on inflicting so much pain on a family who has spent time watching the death of their baby come about? An innocent child is murdered while a murderer is coddled. Where is the justice in that? Where is the Christian attitude in that?
I'm thinking that every doctor, judge, nurse who participates in this awful event is going to have to eventually admit their wrong doing before God and hope that God grants them more mercy than they gave a tiny child.
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