Of Roses, Begonias, and Dirt

The "Spiritual Works of Mercy" are rarely spoken of these days. Still, for some of us men of old, they function as a steady and present guide in daily life. As a reminder, the Spiritual Works of Mercy are:

1) Convert the Sinner
2) Instruct the Ignorant
3) Counsel the Doubtful
4) Comfort the Sorrowful
5) Bear wrongs patiently
6) Forgive injuries
7) Pray for the Living and the Dead

These find their origin in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and in the consistent practice of the Catholic Church since apostolic times.

Of late, I have found myself especially drawn to praying for the dead. As I have mentioned recently, I have rediscovered my connection with my great-great grandfather. I have been visiting his grave -- and those of his immediate family over the last several days. I found myself cleaning off the faces of the gravestones, brushing dirt from his Civil War Veteran marker, and silently planting an American Flag in his honor and memory.

Somehow, I sense that he has been praying for me. I feel the power of his prayers guiding me to this long-ignored work of mercy.

Today, I went out and purchased potting soil, a small rose bush, and several red begonias, in order to prepare an arrangement for his grave site. For many people, this would not be a "blog-worthy" event; for me it was, I assure you, a definite first. I was so unsure of myself that I sought out a friendly looking female customer and showed her what I was thinking to buy, and asked her if would look alright. Her encouragement gave me the reassurance to make my way to the cash register!

I arrived home, and looked at it all -- with no real clue as to what to do next. My dad was great with things like this. He could grow yellow roses in Green Bay--in the dead of winter! He'd have them blooming on December 12th for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (my Irish dad's favorite feast).

I arranged everything within arms' reach in the bed of my pick-up, tore open the bag of topsoil, and then paused; what to do next? I took the planter-liner -- a thing that looked to me like an over-grown flower pot made out of pressed paper -- and doused it with water. Somehow, I decided that this would be a good thing; start it out wet!

Then I carefully removed the rose bush from its pot, and set it squarely in the middle of the liner. I packed potting soil around it, and tucked the begonias in a circle along the inside edge of the liner. Then I doused everything gently with fresh water, and stood back to have a look.

I nodded approvingly and said out-loud, "Yep, you can tell that I'm my father's son!" The arrangement looked exactly like ones my dad had fixed for the family graves for years-and-years before. I never knew that I was doing as he had done, until I had finished with it. So now, biting my lip and holding back some tears, I end up praying for my dear dad as well.

I think it interesting that I was aware of enjoying the feeling of the slightly moist soil on my hands as I worked it into place. I haven't done such things before, so in a sense it was a new experience. Usually, I am rather quick to wash any dirt from my hands -- feeling very uncomfortable--very dirty until I do.

But today, thinking of dear family members who have gone before me, and doing what small good thing I could do in prayerful commemoration, today...
I sense something very holy about roses, begonias, and dirt. Today I feel as though I have drawn closer to Him who fashioned the earth with His own hands.

Eternal Rest Grant unto Them, O Lord,
And let Perpetual Light shine upon Them.
May their Souls,
and the Souls of all the Faithful Departed,
Through Your tender Mercy
Rest in Peace. Amen.

Common Ground and Graveyards

Miguel Diaz will, upon certain confirmation by the U.S. Senate, be the United States Ambassador to the Holy See. He, like his colleague Douglas Kmiec, is a so-called pro-life Democrat and ardent supporter of President Barack H. Obama. Diaz, like Kmiec and others of the catholic intellectual elite, claims to be "ardently pro-life," while being content to move beyond the issue of abortion to a more broad spectrum of life issues. These ardent pro-lifers concede defeat on the issue of abortion, and seek to work together with the president and his cohort on the areas where we can all agree. They seem to take the president at his word that he wishes to reduce the number of abortions by working to eliminate the need for abortion. In taking him at his word, they of course stipulate that there indeed is such a thing as a need for abortion.

Miguel Diaz may well believe that he is ardently pro-life. I do not trust anyone who says he is pro-life while at the same time supporting someone whose actions are pro-abortion. Anyone who seriously believes that President Obama wants to reduce the number of abortions is wrong.

One would only want to reduce abortion if one saw it as "bad." If one really did see it as bad, then reducing it would only make sense if that were the only way to move in the direction of ending it all together. If however, one sees abortion as an essential right of choice--an option that must remain on the table for all women, then such a person does not see abortion as "bad" or evil -- and thus has really no commitment to reducing the occurrence of abortion.

I am amazed at the so-called catholics who lap up this common ground dribble. How can anyone simply agree to disagree about abortion, and move on to other life issues?

I think I know the answer!

It's because many catholics do NOT really believe that abortion is the killing of a human child. They use clinical terminology such as abortion, or termination of pregnancy, which acts as a verbal buffer against the ugly reality. It is like calling rape unrequested insemination.

Dr. Alan Keyes, whom I previously considered as a bit over the top, consistently uses the words "Child-Killing" when referring to abortion. Such brazen, and crude terminology used to grate on even my sensibilities. I used to shy away from such explicit verbiage, as though it was fanatic. Similarly, I would distance myself from those who would hold up pictures of the abortion procedure, or display dolls with fake blood splashed on them. This was too much!

Or, is it simply too true? Is it simply too honest? I believe so.

As long as we Catholics allow the abortion debate to be conducted in a clean and sterile verbal environment, we are giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Child-Killing is not a procedure to be kept safe and legal. It is an evil to be stopped! As G. K. Chesterton wrote, "...We could smash them to atoms, if we could be as indecent in our language as they are immoral in their conclusions" ("The Thing").

The only common ground on abortion is that every single one of these merciless killings ends in the death of a child: Their common ground are their graves -- at least for those few fortunate enough not to have been rinsed down a disposal unit.

We Catholics need to pause -- seriously -- and ask ourselves what we believe about abortion; the Truth?... or the lie put forth by planned parenthood, NARL, and the Obama administration?

Support of those who are either supportive or permissive of abortion is cooperation in Child-Killing. Looking for common ground so as to reduce or eliminate the need for abortion is a cowardly retreat in the face of the wanton slaying of innocent children. While abortion --in this country-- may not presently be called murder, there is absolutely no question that every abortion is an act of homicide. Anyone who can agree to move beyond homicide, and seek other areas of cooperation with its agents, is morally and spiritually bankrupt.

"...Thou shalt respect all weaknesses and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them...Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy...Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and evil..."
(from Leon Gautier's "Ten Commandments of Chivalry" quoted in "The Compleat Gentleman" by Brad Miner. Richard Vigilante Books, 2009.)

Ubi Petrus - Ibi Ecclesia

"Where Peter is, there is the Church!" And, to quote the title of Dr. R. Stackpole's 2006 (Marian Press) book, "St. Peter Lives in Rome."

I have long been tired of the ship of fools (including 1st Mate Pelosi) firing their deck guns at the barque of Peter. One of the reasons for keeping my 4th Degree Sword in my office, is to remind me of my sworn duty to defend the Holy Catholic Church, the Holy Father, the Bishops, and all priests. I fully intend, with God's help, to perform faithfully that duty.

Msgr. R. Michael Schmitz, the Vicar General and Provincial Superior of the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest reminds us "The two spiritual powers which the Church holds for the sake of our redemption, namely, of government and of sanctification, are fully present only in Peter. He is the source of their unity and thus, he is the base of all true Mission coming from the Lord. Far from Peter, there is no full unity, neither with the Church nor with Christ."

Msgr. Schmitz goes on, "Small wonder then if we see the Vicar of Christ constantly beset by storms. Desiring to destroy the work of redemption, the enemy relentlessly sends his forces against the Universal Shepherd of Christ's flock. Hence our duty is not only to look up to the Shepherd and follow him, but also to rally behind him and implore the heavenly Mother of the Church and St. Joseph, its Patron, as well as the Angels to defend and shield the Holy Father. Thus strengthened, he continues to guide the Church, the marvelous boat of salvation, as it floats on high waves without ever sinking under the waters."

My friends, to paraphrase Lincoln, we are engaged in a great spiritual war. What we do here, and what we say here, have eternal consequences. Every time we allow some malcontent, renegade, or other adversary; from without or from within, to malign the Holy Father, we fail in our duty to defend the Church.

Again, I recommend Brad Miner's book, The Compleat Gentleman. In the first chapter, Miner quotes Edmund Burke lamenting on the seizure and imprisonment of Queen Marie Antoinette. Burke lamented "that he had lived to 'see such disasters fallen upon her in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers. I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards to avenge even a look that threatened her with insult.(p2)'"

To respectfully paraphrase him, I lament that I am living in a time when such disasters have fallen upon the Church in a world of supposedly gallant men, with pews full of men of honor. I would think that thousands of swords (figurative and perhaps otherwise) would leap from their scabbards to avenge even an insulting look aimed in the direction of our Shepherd. Sadly, most of us just "sit there," and let the insults and ridiculous criticisms go unchallenged. We would stand idly by, and let them put Peter in chains?

We must cultivate, as The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest says, "...a deep Roman Catholic consciousness, enabling not so much the re-creation as the continuation of an unbroken tradition of faithfulness to the Vicar of Christ on Earth as the wielder of the Lord's redemptive powers of government and sanctification."

"Where Peter is, there is the Church!" And should you be foolish enough to attack the Holy Father, the successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ, Know ye full well that I shall come to his defense!

En Garde you Scurvy Knave!

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, Have you reached a Verdict?

While driving to a local shrine of the much-venerated Sam Walton, I was listening to some sort of talk-radio station. The particular program was a call-in type of affair, and I was only half-listening.

In between parking, and telling my two canine companions to settle down, I heard a caller saying, "...but even though Bush was a Methodist, we all saw him cozying up to the Pope; like he had no problem with him at all."

This peaked my interest, so I sat and listened a few more minutes:

"Announcer: So, what exactly are you saying? What is it you're concerned about?
Caller: Well, now we have Obama, and while we evangelicals don't agree with him on many issues, he's a protestant, and we would expect him to keep his distance from Rome. But we notice that he's appointed one Catholic after another, and now he's appointed a Catholic to the Supreme Court. This is very troubling, really. We're very concerned that the Pope's influence in this country is just going to keep growing..."

At this point, I laughed, and went in to buy dog biscuits, and fill a prescription.

I don't think the caller has anything to be worried about. So far there's no definitive word as to whether or not Ms. Sotomayor is Catholic. I find this "lack of evidence" interesting. It sort of reminds me of the old evangelistic one-liner "If you were arrested and charged with the crime of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" In terms of Sotomayor's religious affiliation, at least as of early this evening, "the jury is still out."

Even if she is a Catholic, those who cringe in fear of the "Tiara and Crossed Keys" need not be too concerned. There are 5 Catholics sitting on the Supreme Court now -- and so far, the forces of secular humanism have had very little to fear from the High Bench.

Judging from comments she has made, Ms. Sotomayor is a confirmed relativist; a non-believer in the existence of absolute truth. She also believes that latina women are naturally endowed with a certain superiority that uniquely suits them to the making of wise judicial rulings. Imagine if John Roberts had said that he felt that way about white men! That nomination would have been flushed on the spot.

While no verdict can yet be rendered on the question of Judge Sotomayor's catholicity, there is ample evidence that she is a liberal, judicial activist, who believes in using judicial authority to legislate. This, not her religious affiliation--or lack thereof, is the problem and danger inherent in her nomination to the Supreme Court.

The United States is no more likely to "cozy up to the Pope" with Judge Sotomayor on the high court, that it was with John Kennedy as president.

That the Fierce Might of our Enemies may be Brought Low...

25th May, 2009 ~ Memorial Day in the United States of America

Today I attended and took part in the annual Memorial Day Mass offered on the grounds of our city's Catholic Cemetery. Our bishop, The Most Rev. David Lauren Ricken, was the sole celebrant. Having unexpectedly come into his presence a few minutes before the Mass, I had chatted with him briefly about my plan to track down my great-great grandfather's grave--in that very cemetery--later in the day.

Great-great Grandpa Murphy; Denis J. F. Murphy; received the Congressional Medal of Honor on January 22, 1892 in recognition of his bravery in an engagement with Confederate forces at Corinth, Mississippi, on October 3rd, 1862. That day, as he bore the flag in battle, he was wounded 3 times--which added to a wound suffered a day or so earlier--and yet "valiantly bore the colors throughout the conflict." He was one of 4 soldiers to be so honored for their actions at Corinth that day and the day following.

Bp. Ricken, in his homily, was kind enough to say "I found out this morning that there are even veterans of the Civil War buried here..." Although I never could have known him, I am quite certain that Sergeant Denis J. F. Murphy smiled at the bishop's notice.

There were several hundred people at Mass; some familiar to me, most not. I noticed a prominent, local, pro-choice "catholic" politician seated with his wife. I made a point of not noticing whether or not he received Communion from the "extraordinary minister" assigned to his section.

Although I normally resist the temptation to look around during Communion, today I granted myself a dispensation. I purposely looked at the easy-to-spot VFW members who were present. One such gentleman very carefully made his way to Communion, pausing now and then --either to regain balance, or because walking was painful--as he approached the blessed sacrament. I heard another fellow, who looked to be of the same vintage whisper to a friend "86 years old," as he pointed at the gentleman I was watching.

As he received our Blessed Lord in Communion, and devoutly Crossed himself and slowly headed back to his seat, head bowed, I whispered --almost audibly-- "greater love hath no man than this..."

You see, this fellow knew what it meant to lay his life down. He did so time and time again during his time of service. For some reason, known only at present to God, his laid-down life was not taken from him; but make no mistake, he laid it down.

I thought of my great-great grandfather again, and I choked up, my eyes blurring a bit with tears.

How much we owe to those who laid down their lives for the freedoms we now enjoy? And what debt beyond measure do they ask of us?

It came to me, as I considered these matters in silent meditation, that we owe them the debt of preserving for ourselves and our posterity, that freedom -- and those noble, Christian ideals-- for which these brave men laid down their lives.

I smiled, and nearly chuckled just a bit, as I realized that this 86 year old WWII veteran, and my great-great grandfather -- gone now just shy of 108 years -- are brothers in sacrifice: Both faithful, Catholic Men, who did their duty as clearly they saw it, and followed their Lord in laying down their lives for others.

"O God, who bringest wars to nought and shieldest by Thy power all who hope in Thee, overthrowing those that assail them; help Thy servants who implore Thy mercy; so that the fierce might of their enemies may be brought low, and we may never cease to praise and thank Thee. Through our Lord..." (collect: Votive Mass in Time of War)

Play or Passion?

"Another op’nin, another show
In Philly, Boston, or Baltimo'
A chance for stage folks to say hello!
Another op'nin of another show."
(Lyrics by Cole Porter)

Let me do this gently: There are times, too many times, when I could easily have imagined the above lyrics as the "entrance song" at Mass.

There, I've finally said what I've been thinking on this subject for some time now. It really does seem to me that in many Catholic Churches, the operating standard of conduct is something at-or-below what one would find at either a high school play, or a movie theater.

The chatter, not merely in whispered tones --which is aggravating enough-- but in very loud "outside voice," begins in the parking lot and continues into the Church with only a brief pause for the holy water "crossing ritual." Once seated, the gab is on full force. Like all neighborly conversation, more appropriately conducted over the backyard fence, it runs the entire gamut of social life and commentary. I often suspect that I would find more reverence in the food court of a shopping mall.

Ah, then there's the opening bell! We all stand, and in some parishes we still "welcome our celebrant with our opening song." To be fair, most --but not all-- parishes have corrected that abomination. While singing the entrance song though, you'd better watch the words very carefully. Don't think that you know this one just because you've sung it a "gazillion" times since you were a child. It is more than likely that the words have been changed to protect against any possible offense. As many times as possible, the word "Christ" will be used in place of the word "Him," as though Christ is somehow "gender neutral." In fact, most of the changes involve the removal of masculine pronouns --even those referring to Jesus--and their replacement with other words; even "it" and "the." I find this artistically violent when such alterations are done to the works of writers and composers who are "no longer with us." Charles Wesley has been violated with the politically correct rendering of "Hail the Day that sees Christ Rise," rather than the original "Hail the Day that Sees Him Rise." The new version has so many verbal castrations in it, that I can only shake my head while reading it. What is the great need for such tampering?

But, I digress!

The next great clamour arises at the invitation "Let us share with one another a sign of peace." Far too often, this is recess; people leaning or climbing over pews in order to shake every possible hand within a 50 foot radius, and more loud, silly talking. Instead of "The Peace of the Lord be with You," and the answer of "And also with you," what is typically heard is "Hi...how ARE you? Have a WONDERFUL day!" All of which are very appropriate in the coffee hour and parking lot, but have no place within the context of the liturgy.

Rarely, the recess din has subsided by the time the priest is half-way through the Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God"). Usually, while this solemn and holy hymn is being recited, one can still hear the "leftovers" from the exchange of the peace.

Then comes Communion. More handshaking and greeting on the way up and back seem to be more and more the order of the day in many parishes. Sometimes I wonder if some of those who leave after communion (not a practice I advocate) may be doing so simply to get some quiet time with the Lord; having just received Him. Any hope of quiet time inside the Church is lost. There will be a Communion Song of some sort, followed by some other choir or instrumental piece, often with absolutely no time of silence allowed for in the "program."

When the Mass is ended, all the stops are let out! The chatter re-starts with wreckless abandon. There seem to always be a few who kneel down and try valiently to spend a few moments in thanks and adoration to the High King of Heaven, who resides silently in a mostly ignored tabernacle; but they are a tiny minority.

I am not writing this merely to "gripe." I write this with sadness. We are missing so much. This situation I have described is a product of poor catechesis over the past 40+ years, and of a "liturgical" movement that has been more focused on "stagecraft" and "performance quality," than on giving God the worship due to Him--and to His Holy Name.

The world, if it is to be reconciled to God, needs the Catholic Church. It needs the Catholic Church to be Catholic; to be a universal, worshiping, sacrificing, Church that comes into the awesome presence of the Most High God, and by her liturgy proclaims His enduring presence to all of mankind. If we become a church whose worship is something more akin to "attending a performance," we are not being faithful to Him.

This is a call to all of us, and to each of us.

"Eternal Father, I unite myself with the intentions and affections of our Lady of Sorrows on Calvary, and I offer Thee the Sacrifice which Thy beloved Son Jesus made of Himself on the Cross, and which He now renews on the holy altar..."

Dull and Dark

The Baltimore Catechism teaches that sin dulls the intellect and darkens the soul.

It should be noted, that this teaching is not revoked in the Catechism of the Catholic Church - promulgated by the Servant of God John Paul II.

In the Epistle to the Hebrews (3:12-13) we read:

“Take heed, brethren, lest perhaps there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, to depart from the living God. But exhort one another every day, whilst it is called today, that none of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

I mention this today in response to the tragedy of Rembert Weakland, the retired archbishop of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

His recent "revelations" and unbelievable commentary are timely examples of the effects of sin. Not only has he admitted to "several" homosexual relationships, he has defended them as moral. As if this were not quite enough, he told a reporter, on May 19th, that he "never knew" that the abuse of children by clergy was illegal. When I saw that comment, I could hardly believe it. I read it, and re-read it several times. He never knew it was illegal?

Sin dulls the intellect, and darkens the soul.

We are cautioned, warned by the Word of God written in the Epistle to the Hebrews about the "deceitfulness of sin." In Psalm 36:1-10 (35, Douay) we have the passage "sin speaks to the sinner in his heart...there is no fear of God before his eyes..."

This is the only explanation for what has happened to Archbishop Weakland -- and, we must remember, can happen to us as well.

Sin dulls the intellect, and darkens the soul.

Once we begin on the path of disobedience; even with "little disobediences," we begin the fall from grace -- the fall into the darkness of sin. As we tumble further into its abyss, sin becomes more and more "natural" to us. We even lose the ability to identify sin as "sin." Our judgment becomes fogged, and our moral compass no longer points to "True North."

This condition is not reserved for those of low mental abilities. Everyone, regardless of education, I.Q., or position is vulnerable to temptation. We must resist, as St. Peter says, "firm in the faith," lest our adversary the devil devour us.

Sin dulls the intellect and darkens the soul.

Being in such darkness, and being dulled to the point of not recognizing the situation is a condition terrible and to be feared.

Rembert Weakland has brought shame and disgrace upon the Church, and there is no telling how his revelations and actions have hurt others -- including those who looked to him as their shepherd. He is a man entangled in spiritual darkness. Rather than rejoicing at his fall from grace, our duty is to pray for his conversion.

Let us pray for, and exhort each other every day -- while it is still today -- that none of us be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, Have Mercy on Me; a sinner!