Sheep in the midst of wolves

"Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.
But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. -Matthew 10:16-20

setting the record straight

.:|.

A recent post of mine: Finding Help drew a lot of comments, many of which were words of encouragement and I wanted to thank folks for that. That being said, I am not downtrodden or dismayed. I am not surprised at the situation, or fearful of the environment. God has told us... that it will not be pretty out there. When he commanded the disciples to go out... he told them that he was sending them as "...sheep in the midst of wolves. So too, should we expect to "...face the wolves."

I want my readers to know that I am not dismayed. I do not think that I have it bad. In fact, quite the opposite. God called us to Alaska. We know that, or we wouldn't be here. He also seems to be calling us to stay, we hope that otherwise we are foolish for what we are doing. In fact, even in the face of a difficult liturgical and parish situation, we have found some of the most amazing friends and people that we could ever hope to meet. We have been asking ourselves what does God want to use us for? How can God make good happen by us being here? We are not asking...what good will come to us by being here? We want to serve Him. We are much less concerned with being served.

in the face of lions

.|:.

It is daunting as a Catholic to expect that we are not only to live our lives according to the faith, but in such dire conditions such as the culture we currently live in. On top of that, we are also to face enemies... that often appear to be friends, but are in fact wolves in sheep's clothing. How then can we expect to survive, let alone thrive?

Well, I know I thrive on situations like this. Some people call sky-divers, bungee-jumpers, and other extremists: adrenaline junkies. I would like to think of myself, and of my family as God's-will junkies. We thrive and get a rush from trusting in God in the most extreme and nerve-wracking of situations. Now, I want to clarify that we don't go out looking for trouble, but much like the picture of Daniel to the right, we focus our attention on what is important when we do find ourselves in precarious looking situations. (Dan. 14:32-42)

Isn't that what we are called to do? Are we not supposed to trust in God? As I said in previous post, "sure, I would love some help and guidance" but I know that doesn't always come in the form of another human. I know that our help comes from the Lord, I know that he will guide us and keep us safe. I am not worried. The world can kill our bodies, but not kills our souls.

A song of ascents. I raise my eyes toward the mountains. From where will my help come?
My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.
God will not allow your foot to slip; your guardian does not sleep.
Truly, the guardian of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps.
The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade at your righthand.
By day the sun cannot harm you, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will guard you from all evil, will always guard your life.
The LORD will guard your coming and going both now and forever. -Psalm 121 

the reason

.:|.

Many of you probably want to know why I wrote that post then, in that way? Well... I do feel that way but at the same time I feel this way. I don't think that the two are mutually exclusive, in fact, I think they are common competing thoughts and feelings that people have in the face of adversity. To say that Daniel never feared the jaws, that David looked down on the giant, or that anyone in the face of danger doesn't pause out of self-preservation doesn't understand the gravity, nor the bravery that accompany the commitment of trusting God in the "...midst of the wolves."

Recently, this blog, and a few others, have been "discussed" by some folks in somewhat public forums. We have been accused of being various things, none of which are very commendable. We take that seriously, at least I do. That isn't the intent of this blog. Does it happen? I hope not. Could some posts be perceived that way? I guess. I don't really know how people perceive my blog or my intentions. I try and state things in an honest, sincere and transparent way; I try to mean what I say. I am not perfect, and the Internet is not a perfect medium.

What is most surprising though is that those that speak out against myself, and other bloggers, is that these people never directly confront us. They often use the same means and methods that we do, and yet accuse us of being somehow malicious. It is perplexing at best. I would love direct communication from others. It doesn't have to be public either. I post my email address at the top of the blog. If you read my blog you cannot possibly miss my email. I have never received an email from someone challenging me on my posts; but I have indirectly received quite a few notices about others using facebook, gatherings, and other means to address what has been posted on this blog . Again, this is perplexing at best.

what I am not... and what I have not done

.:|.

I am not a perfect Catholic. Far from it. In fact, I don't know where I fit... as I have never really had any direction or formation. I don't profess to be perfect either, in fact I profess to be quite a poor one really. I don't judge other peoples hearts. I don't know their intentions nor do I pretend to know every ones motives. I can't say who will or won't go to heaven, who is or isn't a good Catholic or anything of the sort. Although, we can and should judge actions; be our brother's keeper. (Gen. 4:9) We learned as much in Mass recently. That doesn't mean that when we judge an action... we simultaneously judge that heart. Instead, we should judge an act and pray for the heart.

Again, I find it perplexing, that others would accuse us of being malicious in what we do as bloggers and yet are unwilling to discuss our blogs with us. We are willing to put our thoughts, ideas, and livelihoods out there in a very static and concrete way. Unlike spoken word, my words are immortalized on the interwebs the second I publish my post. I have the luxury of thinking and praying about it before hand, but the clarity that comes from scrutiny of the words comes post facto. Therefore, to attack what I say but to do so without giving me any reply or recourse is... as I said, perplexing. Aren't such attacks guilty of the same thing we are being accused of (albeit falsely) doing? Are not assumptions made about our intentions and our hearts when one judges the motives behind our posts?

I continue to pray everyday for our Church. I pray for the Bishops and priests that have the unenviable task of guiding us all through this tumultuous landscape of war, fear, attack, and disobedience. I pray for their courage and willingness to settle in our hearts and souls these things which trouble us. I pray for the Nuns and Religious that pray for the Church in unrelenting hope and faith. I pray that they not loose confidence nor loose their way.

In conclusion I must state that we will not relent here. We continue to be inspired by the overwhelming support of those readers, lay and clergy alike, that ensure us that our testimony and defense of the faith is worth continuing. We know that the Devil will fight hardest and send his strongest legion of demons upon us when we are closest to truth and victory. We expect the attack, we prepare for the fight, and we place our safekeeping in the hands of our Guardian Angels. We fear not, for the Lord has commanded us. (Joshua 1:9)

We do not foolishly think that it is our doing or our efforts which embolden and inspire you all as readers. We know that it is not us that speak but... "...the Spirit of our Father that speaks through us."

St. Monica & St. Ambrose ~ Ora Pro Nobis

The Death of St. Monica

Stellar exemplars

I often cry out for Spiritual Direction. I have been praying to find a SD for a few years now. I have even prayed whether or not I should re-do RCIA or some formal Catechesis. Yet, I have not appealed to those who have had so much recourse with God in the past.

Today, on her feast, I plead for the intercession of St. Monica. I also ask that St. Ambrose pray for me... that I may find my direction and ultimately find a true conversion of heart to the Truth.

"There was indeed one thing for which I wished to tarry a little in this life, and that was that I might see you a Catholic before I died. My God hath answered this more than abundantly, so that I see you now made His servant and spurning all earthly happiness. What more am I to do here?" Augustine: Confessions, book 9, chapter 10

Baptism of St. Augustine by St. Ambrose

Catechesis on the New Missal Translation

[change is coming]

As of today there are 458 days until the implementation of the new translation of the Roman Missal. The first day of its official use will be November 27, 2011. Although that may seem like a lot, it really isn't, and something tells me that a lot of parishes are going to go about this process in a painful and harmful way for many faithful.

It isn't that I have a defeatists attitude, instead it is a recognition and observance of how this change has been handled up to this point, and we haven't even had anything tangible to sink our teeth into. Since the approval and implementation date have been finalized, the USCCB has started rolling out the game plan for how the change will occur. From their website:

5. What should be taking place with our catechetical efforts?
Dioceses should have a projected plan of what they intend to do to encourage preparation for implementation of the new translation in their dioceses. Parishes should, if they have not already done so, offer a basic catechesis about the text, especially about the changes in the people’s responses. The Newsletter of the Committee on Divine Worship has already highlighted various catechetical resources which will be valuable tools for the formation process. In September, 2010, the USCCB will offer the Parish Guide to Implementing the Roman Missal. This resource will offer a roadmap to implementing the new translation in the parish. Both the International Commission on English in the Liturgy and USCCB will offer a multi-media DVD resource entitled Become One Body, One Spirit in Christ, an excellent catechetical resource for examining the new translation in the broader context of the history and theology of liturgy. With the final text now available, other publishers will provide catechetical materials which, among other things, will begin to look at the historical and theological aspects of the text.

I know in the local parishes in my area, their has been a discussion about this topic a while back before anything was finalized, and nothing that I would call basic catechesis. What was most troubling was the way in which the priests tried to relate to the faithful by explaining how "hard and difficult change is" and that if "we all band together we can get through this." Not really glowing endorsements of the Missal if you ask me.

[the resistance...why?]

The goal of the new translation is to deepen the meaning of the Mass, not in way that changes the Mass but in a way that ties our prayer to the sacrifice and worship at Mass. The USCCB explains it this way:

The long-term goal of the new translation is to foster a deeper awareness and appreciation of the mysteries being celebrated in the Liturgy. The axiom lex orandi, lex credendi—“what we pray is what we believe”—suggests that there is a direct relationship between the content of our prayers and the substance of our faith. It is hoped that writers will start to provide materials reflecting on the rich content of the text. These contributions might encourage priests to use the content of the prayers as a basis for their homilies or to supplement their homilies on Sundays. Those giving retreats or days of recollection can use the new texts of the missal as a resource for their presentations. All can make use of the texts for deepening their prayer life.

So why the resistance? Well, because this is a sign of the "reform of the reform." Sure, people aren't good at change, and they resist it, that is understandable. In this situation though, the resistance to change is a smoke-screen as to the real resistance: reform. There are Bishops and Priests out there that will explain that the Missal Translation is cumbersome, sloppy, hard, etc... They will use intellectual sounding arguments in an effort to convince you that this is a plot but radical traditionalists to take us one step closer to using Latin. They will talk about how this was a hurried version, and it isn't very accessible or easy to digest.

How do I know what they are going to say? I don't. But I know the philosophy behind those that have already spoken out to oppose it, and it is easy to predict their arguments based on their philosophy. On top of that, they can't come right out and say what they really think, which is that this flies in the face of their philosophical base. Those that view the changes since Vatican II as a progressive change and a disruption to the continuity of the faith will be against this. Even if they don't say it as such, there are those that truly believe that Vatican II somehow mandated a lock-stock-and-barrel change to the faith; it was to be accomplished through changes in the Mass, prayers, and various substantive measures in our liturgical actions.

[What we many of us will see...]

Some of may get a true Catechesis on the changes. The rest of us may suffer. Many who resist the changes see this, although they won't admit it, as an indictment of the bastardization of the way the Mass has been celebrated over the last few decades. In some respects I would say that is exactly what it is, and rightfully so. For other places, that were more obedient to the Missal and the Church, these changes will be a refinement and a measure that will deepen the prayer and liturgical life of the Church.

For those of us that miss out on any substantive Catechesis on this matter, it is upon you to learn the changes... and to learn WHY they are occurring. At some point every parish will have to implement some sort of instruction on the new translation. The question will be to what extent. When the translation is brought up the complaints will start to fly. It is our job as defenders of the faith to address those complaints. We must be our brother's keeper we must practice Spiritual Works of Mercy.

The only way we can do this though, is if we truly understand what the changes are and why they have changed. If a priest complains, ask him individually why he is reluctant to change and whether his attitude towards the change will do anything more than confuse the faithful. Sure, they might like him more because he feels just like them but the role of a priest is much like that of a parent. He is not there to be our friend first and priest second, he is there to be our priest first and in doing so should become our friend.

So study. Prepare yourself. Pray. Read what you can about the changes, understand their purpose and meaning, and be ready to defend the changes. We may not agree with all of them in terms of how they feel... but this isn't about feelings. This is about the essence of our Mass.

lex orandi, lex credendi

~

“what we pray, is what we believe”

Resources:

USCCB Missal Translation Website - (Link)

Guides for Mass - (Link)

Changes to Major Responses - (Link)

Parish Guide for the New Missal Implementation [*Coming Soon*] - (Link)

Articles Explaining the Need and Importance of the New Translation - (Link)

A Reflection on the Vision of the Missal Translation - (Link)

Yoga: OK or NOT Ok?

It is Tuesday, so why not start a nice little debate.

Breathe...

I have always been mildly opposed to YOGA for several reasons. They aren't well researched reasons, they are those gut instincts one gets. So I wouldn't call my objection to YOGA well researched. Now before you chop my head off, let me start with two things:

1. It is natural for people that like something, to be defensive of it. So if you practice or use YOGA, you will most likely have stopped reading this and are already constructing ideas in your head about how to counter my yet unmade arguments. Breathe. Relax. Free your mind. Center yourself. Disconnect from all your tension. (Irony stings doesn't it?)

2. I know a lot of faithful Catholics that use some form of Yoga. They use it as an exercise tool, and I am sure they have some justification in their head as to why it is ok. In fact, for a long time my wife used it as an exercise tool. We talked about it, and I expressed my opinion. She explained that she didn't give into all that new-agey stuff and would often pray while doing it. I bought the pitch and agreed that was a perfectly acceptable way of having the best of both worlds. I still wonder if you sacrifice your ability on both ends when you do this, meaning your Yoga suffers because you are concentrating on the prayer and your prayer suffers because you are concentrating on your Yoga. In other words, your prayer is half-hearted and your exercise is lackluster. What then is the point?

Shouldn't or Can't?

I haven't thought much about this lately, until reading a blog post that I found at Where Angels Blog. The blog post was simply a link to Metanoia and their post about why Catholics shouldn't do Yoga, period. Now I think that in their post there are a lot of assumptions. I will grant that. I also will grant that they are talking about a strict practice or adherence to Yoga as it is taught in the fullness of its technique. Therefore, I still am open to the idea that you could have the physical exercise actions as an exercise tool, and find a way to reconcile that with Catholic teaching. I have not found a way to do so, but I am open to it.

The problem that plagues me though is the idea that you can't fully succeed with either prayer or yoga if you use them together. This was reiterated to me when I read the following in the Metanoia post:

What we think is exercise is actually Asana, the third limb of yoga that is supposed to purify the body to be a proper vessel for the soul, to help the yogi gain mastery over the body for the sake of deep, sustained inhales and exhales, which we now know are prayers to the self as God. Here in the West, because we think Asana is exercise we skip over the first two limbs, which promote indifference toward the world and others. Indifference would certainly help quiet the mind loaded with worries and cares, but it should set off serious alarms in any properly formed Catholic. Isn't Christ's great commandment to love one another? Also, the deep breathing of Asana poses allows the yogi to achieve such a deeply relaxed physical state. Recall that the purpose of yoga is to escape pain and sorrow. I believe that the intense relaxation is the primary reason why so many people find themselves seeking out a more disciplined yoga practice, as I did. The racing mind disturbs relaxation, and if determined, the yogi will break his or her mind, move on through the remaining limbs, deepen the rift between the body and soul, and turn the mind in on itself.

The Response...

Now I know a couple of my readers that use Yoga as an exercise technique. In fact, I doubt they even utilize any of the philosophy behind Yoga in terms of breathing, centering, Asana, etc... Or maybe they do? So I am hoping that I get some responses. (I expect as much, especially in light of my two points above.)

I am by no means trying to argue that Yoga is some new-age trick of the devil. (Or am I?) I am just posing the question: Can we reconcile its use if we are Catholics if its true mastery comes at the expense of Catholic teaching?

I am still trying to open my mind to all of this, but I would like to hear what others think? I think that if we could figure out a way to use it as EXERCISE only, in terms of the poses... that would be OK, but can we separate the physical from the breathing, centering, etc...? If we use it for meditation, contemplation, stress, etc... isn't that what prayer is for?

A final thought...

The ascetic saints took the opposite approach didn't they? Wasn't they approach to God and centering all about pain and suffering? Wasn't the idea that suffering was Christ-like, a path to perfection? In Yoga, the yogi attains a level of success when centering, breathing, and disconnectedness from pain and suffering occur. The Mind, Body and Soul become distinct entities, pain and tension essentially float away. When a Catholic attains a level of some sort of spiritual achievement they receive things like the agony & ecstasy or the Stigmata. Should be spend our time on things that might move us away from our goal?

I thirst...

~~~

Wandering

As I woke up this morning... I found myself spiritually somewhere rather shocking. I can't really place my finger on how and why I got here... but I am here. I will embrace the path God has me on and not run from it. Where would could I go, anyway?

Spiritual Direction

I have never had a spiritual director. I have never really had any formal Catechetical formation. (I had three months of once a week RCIA & 3 years of Catholic law school.) I honestly have learned most of my faith from my wife, her family, my family (who were not practicing Catholics), and the Catholic Blog-o-phere. I am not joking.

God's Will

I am at one of those points in life where it seems as if God said: "I'll call you right back..." and you just sit there "waiting by the phone." I know He is going to call, and I know when He does, there is going to be some awesome news forthcoming, but the minutes turn to hours. (In this case the days are turning to months).  I know that God's will should be done, and not my own. That isn't the matter. It is the patience that is the matter... and I am not well trained in this virtue.

Friends and Family

I am lucky... I have people praying for me. My family and friends are dear in this regard. I know that this wandering is temporary. I plan to learn from it. I plan to grow. I am trying to accept this as a learning opportunity and not as punishment.

Requiescat In Pace

My dad would have been 61 today.
This is the first birthday of his that we will remember without him.
My mom arrived here in Alaska last night - God is good.

He would have loved being here...
He would love the mountains, the rivers, the moose, the eagles, and he would definitely love the fishing (more so eating the fish).

Most of all, he would love to see and play with his Grand-daughter.
He would say that she is: "So, neat."
They just missed crossing paths; he left this world 10 hours before she entered it.
My wife was "five days late."
God doesn't make mistakes.

Today I will attend daily Mass, and we will pray for the repose of his soul. Just before his second stroke, which left him without the ability to speak, he told me how my faith had inspired him to commit himself to prayer and how he had seriously been thinking about going to confession (which he couldn't do physically). He had been talking with a pastor (the most readily accessible religious person available) but was hoping soon to get right in his head what his heart felt and talk to a priest. I hope that God understood. There are many things we don't understand, but I know that we have hope, faith and love. I have faith and I surely loved. I also have hope.

I pray that God made him a clean heart. Today we will pray in hope. We know not what God knows.

St. James ~ Ora Pro Nobis

Our Lady of Guadalupe ~ Ora Pro Nobis

St. Michael, Archangel ~

Ora Pro Nobis et Defende Nos In Proelio

On the following day, since the task had now become urgent, Judas and his men went to gather up the bodies of the slain and bury them with their kinsmen in their ancestral tombs.
But under the tunic of each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. So it was clear to all that this was why these men had been slain.
They all therefore praised the ways of the Lord, the just judge who brings to light the things that are hidden.
Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out. The noble Judas warned the soldiers to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen.
He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view;
for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death.
But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought.
Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.
-2 Maccabees 12:39-46

GREAT NEWS!

If you remember a few days ago, I made a post asking for your prayers regarding a situation involving a Sister Claudia. Sister Claudia if you remember, had been struck in the eye with a fishing lure, while up here on vacation, as she was fishing in the river.

The initial reports, were that she had been flown to Anchorage, and then flown to Oregon; the initial word was that she had lost her sight, and due to the damage was most likely going to lose her eye.

The next day, we included her as one of our intentions for the Rosary that we prayed on Tuesday (along with a few others.) At the conclusion of the Rosary, I grabbed a Saint Lucy prayer card that I had, and asked that we quickly seek the intercession of Saint Lucy...

...well we received word on Wednesday that she was possibly going to be able to keep her eye, although not for sight purposes as the damage was too much. We were grateful for whatever God gave her. BUT THEN...

...we found out last night that when the doctor removed the bandages, she said that she could see an OUTLINE of his shape. He said, "Impossible..."

No Dr... nothing with God is impossible.

There is still a long way to go, and it is hard to know yet, exactly "how much sight" she will have, but there is a chance that she will have at least partial vision out of that eye.

Deo Gratias! & thank you Saint Lucy for your intercession on our behalf.

Hurt, Rosary, and Hope

I am hurt. I am hurt by my own actions, the actions of others, and the depravity that is sin.
What hurts the most is that my words have been taken to mean something that they clearly state that they are not.

I am not blameless, nor is anyone else. But for the Grace of God...

I want to remind everyone of something from my first major post about the HFC situation. I wrote the following as my concluding thought:

In closing, remember that our jobs in all of this is to be good members of the Church Militant. That means we should adhere to the 3 Eminent Good Works of PRAYER, FASTING and ALMSGIVING. Do not give way to rumor mongering, hearsay, or "stories." There will be much that is said in the following days about this, and the best we can do, is all that we can... and that is to live our lives as good Catholics, with all that it entails.

I can't say it any other way... Everything I TRULY believe and mean is said in those words. Have I said things that may have stirred emotions or feelings? I don't know, that wasn't my intention and I said so. Maybe people didn't read it? Either way... I have been accused of being divisive, while the whole time I have preached for unity... so clearly in the realm of Ora et Labora I am somehow messing up the "works" portion.

For that reason I am adding HFC & the BISHOP to the list of intentions we have for a Rosary and Dinner that we are having at our place tonight. I ask all of my Kenai Readers, to join me. Amongst our petitions will be the safe and successful surgery of a parishioner who is in the lower 48 for surgery, tomorrow. As well, we will be praying for Sister Claudia, and her situation that I mentioned yesterday.

All are welcome at our Dinner and Rosary tonight, and if you are in the area, please contact me for more details.

URGENT PRAYER INTENTION: St. Lucy - Ora Pro Nobis

Please quickly ask St. Lucy to intercede for a Sister Claudia that has been visiting locally.

I have received a call that while fishing she had a hook hit her in the eye. She was flown to Anchorage, and then Oregon.

There is a fear that she will lose sight in that eye, or her eye entirely.

Please take a moment and pray:

Dear Sicilian Virgin and Martyr, whom the Church recalls in Eucharistic Prayer I, you valiantly rejected great promises and resisted several threats in remaining faithful to your beloved Lord. For centuries Christians have invoked you particularly when suffering from eye trouble.


So now we implore your assistance on behalf of {SISTER CLAUDIA}. We also ask you to teach us to imitate you and to avoid spiritual blindness of any kind.


Amen.

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha - July 14 - Ora Pro Nobis

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha

°°°•°°°

"Lily of the Mohawks"

•••°•••

Ora Pro Nobis

Follow Up: Holy Family Cathedral, Anchorage & Father Francis Le

Writing about "church rumors" is always a precarious situation. Church "news" and breaking stories aren't like secular news. For one, the secretive and private nature of many of the happenings that occur in our faith is part of the "Catholic World." On top of that, there is always the fear of SCANDAL [See Note {1} below].

Before reading this post, to familiarize yourself with this situation please see my other post:

Pray for Father Francis Le of Holy Family Cathedral, Anchorage Alaska

First, a warning/caveat: Fearing that, and praying against it, I must update you on some more information that I have received. I pray that this info is honest and true, and I do believe it to be such, but because much of this is coming to me second hand there is the possibility that there is "more to this story." That being said, I weighed all the ramifications and realized that because I know enough Alaskan Catholics read this blog, I need to get this out there, if for no other reason than prayer.

Almost every other Archdiocese in the country, save Alaska, has at least one or two blogs that cover Church info... we are in the unenviable position that we have an Alaskan Catholic Blog, that at least some Alaskan Catholics read. Therefore, we are sort of the default source for such info. This isn't about blog hits, or gossip mongering, this is about prayer, fortification of our faith, and the ramifications that attach to the souls of the faithful. We take our faith seriously here at Defend Us in Battle.

Now to the "news":

The information that I have received is that Archbishop Schweitz has sent a letter to all Holy Family Cathedral parishioners concerning Father Francis Le. It does not mention specifics but alludes to the idea that changes are coming, and coming soon. What those changes will be, and why they will be occurring are apparently rather cryptic. This isn't the 1st time that this situation has occurred, in fact

Again, the number one thing we can do is pray. Rosaries are weapons, and the prayers are our Battle Cry. Should this involve Satan, his powers or principalities... our weapon is prayer. Beyond that, there is little that we SHOULD do as of right now. At some point, calls, letters, and emails to the Bishop may be required, but those are action items that are a serious step, and I honestly don't think we have enough info yet.

From the little bits and pieces of info that I have, there seems to have been a group that opposed the way that Father Francis Le "did things" at HFC. Again, not judging this more than to say, he needs our prayers, as do all priests. Being the Pastor of a parish is a mission that is hard, very hard. People don't realize how hard it is, and often don't support their priests, through prayer or other means, consistent with amount of difficulty they endure to run the parish. Therefore, Father Le, and all priests need our support.

Likewise, Archbishop Schweitz needs our prayers. Managing these situations is very hard, and very sensitive. The souls and path to salvation rest with the Sheppard of the diocese. Wolves are circling; in both the secular realm, and within the walls of the faith there are those set on bringing down those that are contrary to their belief and comfort system. Pray that he does not what is most popular, most expedient, or the most pacifying, but pray that he makes the right decision based on the precepts and teachings of the faith. Pray that he walks in step with what the Apostles, Saints and Martyrs would do. For it is through their lives, that we see the fully human reflection of Jesus in action.

As a parting note... I will continue to update this story, as I gain more information. I am trying to get my hands on the letter that has been sent to the parishioners, as to gleam a little more information. Again, the best we can do right now is pray. We need to pray that Christ's Bride, the Church, is fully restored in resplendent glory here on earth, through the faithful prayer and worship of His people.


___________________________________________________________________________
Notes:
{1}

2284 Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor's tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense.


2285 Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized. It prompted our Lord to utter this curse: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."86 Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others. Jesus reproaches the scribes and Pharisees on this account: he likens them to wolves in sheep's clothing.


2286 Scandal can be provoked by laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion.


Therefore, they are guilty of scandal who establish laws or social structures leading to the decline of morals and the corruption of religious practice, or to "social conditions that, intentionally or not, make Christian conduct and obedience to the Commandments difficult and practically impossible." This is also true of business leaders who make rules encouraging fraud, teachers who provoke their children to anger, or manipulators of public opinion who turn it away from moral values.


2287 Anyone who uses the power at his disposal in such a way that it leads others to do wrong becomes guilty of scandal and responsible for the evil that he has directly or indirectly encouraged. "Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come!"

Guardian Angels

Came across Mac's most recent post over at Mulier Fortis: Angels & Demons. Had to comment a little on something that Mac brings up: We need, MUST, pray to our Guardian Angels MORE!

We know that we have Angels entrusted to our protection because God says it is so:

Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; for I say to you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. -Matthew 18:10

In the Catena Aurea we learn that the Church Fathers understood this verse to mean exactly what it says, that we all have a Guardian Angel, given by God to us, to protect and guide us to union with the same Christ, our Lord.

JEROME; High dignity of souls, that each from its birth has an Angel set in charge over it!


CHRYS; Here He is speaking not of any Angels, but of the higher sort; for when He says, Behold the face of my Father, He shows that their presence before God is free and open, and their honor great.


GREG; But Dionysus says, that it is from the ranks of the lesser Angels that these are sent to perform this ministry, either visibly or invisibly, for that those higher ranks have not the employment of an outward ministry.


ID; And therefore the Angels always behold the face of the Father, and yet they come to us; for by a spiritual presence they come forth to us, and yet by internal contemplation keep themselves there whence they come forth; for they come not so forth from the divine vision, as to hinder the joys of inward contemplation.


HILARY; The Angels offer daily to God the prayers of those that are to be saved by Christ; it is therefore perilous to despise him whose desires and requests are conveyed to the eternal and invisible God, by the service and ministry of Angels.


AUG; Or; They are 'called our Angels who are indeed the Angels of God; they are Gods because they have not forsaken Him; they are ours because they have begun to have us for their fellow-citizens. As they now behold God, so shall we also behold, Him face to face, of which vision John speaks, We shall see him as he is. For by the face of God is to be understood the manifestation of Himself, not a member or feature of the body, such as we call by that name.

•Source 

They are so very important to us, and are entrusted with our care and protection. They are more than simply a "good voice" in times of temptation:

The ministry of these Guardian Angels consists: 1st, in warding off dangers to body and soul, 2nd, in preventing Satan's suggesting evil thoughts, and in removing occasions of sin and helping us to overcome temptation; 3rd, in enlightening and instruction us and fostering in us holy thoughts and pious desires; 4th, in offering to God our prayers and in praying for us; 5th in correcting us if we sin; 6th, in helping us in the agony of death, in strengthening and comforting us; 7th, in conducting our souls to heaven, or to purgatory to console us there. It is thus our Guardian Angles watch over us, keep us, lead us. They see in their charges, souls of priceless value sine they were redeemed by the Blood of a God. 

•Source; p. 33

The existence and help of the Angels is more than mere superstion, or some children's tale. Angels are real. We must seek their companionship, and allow for their protection and guidance.  Although God entrusts them to us, that does not mean they have unfettered access to our hearts and minds.

Although they cannot penetrate the inner sanctuary of human hearts which God has reserved for Himself, they do all they can to help us. However, it is in our power by an act of our free will to expose our intimate thoughts to our angelic companion. And it is to our advantage for such confidence in his enlightened guidance is of great benefit to our soul. After God and our Blessed Mother, he is surely our best friend, and if we really love him, we will have no secrets to hide from him. "We do not sensibly perceive him. We hear no whispered warning in our ear. Our hands cannot touch him nor our eyes look up to him. Yet invisibly he is with us. From the first moment of life he guards us and he will not have completed his task until as we trust, we shall gaze with him in glory on the Vision of God."

So pray to your Guardian Angel. Pray to ALL the Angels, Archangels and choirs of of Angels. As for their protection, guidance, prayers, and support.

CREDO quod sis angelus sanctus, a Deo omnipotente ad custodiam mei deputatus. Propterea peto, et per illum qui te ad hoc ordinavit, humiliter imploro, ut me miseram fragilem atque indignam semper et ubique in hac vita custodias, protegas a malis omnibus atque defendas, et cum Deus hinc animam meam migrare iusserit, nullam in eam potestatem daemonibus habere permittas, sed tu eam leniter a corpore suscipias, et in sinu Habrae suaviter usque perducas iubente ac iuvante creatore ac salvatore Deo nostro, qui est benedictus in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Hold fast til the break of daylight

This post was originally really long.
It was also very disconnected. [Which of my posts aren't, right?]
So instead of a mental version of goulash, here is a pop-Christian song... that says what I am thinking and feeling; I hope?

Prayer Intention.

Please pray for me, and my family. Especially those doing the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Novena.

I wear a scapular, probably don't deserve to, but did not participate this year... for a multitude of reasons.

I probably should have.

The intention is personal, but it involves our future, where we will/should live, and careers.

The night seems quite dark. They say it is always darkest before the dawn... let us hope so.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel ~ Ora Pro Nobis

Wolves

(•Link: Overheard in the Sacristy)

"Pray for me that I may not flee for fear of the wolves." 

— Benedict XVI  • April 24, 2005 

When I saw this post over at "Overheard in the Sacristy" I had to re-post it here. Most of us are familiar with the above quote from Pope Benedict at his first Mass during his pontificate. Reflecting on it now, more than 5 years later has become quite popular in the Catholic blog world. Why?

If you look at the quote, in the context of 5 years ago, you view it at the end of Pope John Paul II's pontificate, which was viewed by many mainstream Catholics as an "insta-Saint." So, the idea that their were 'wolves' within the Church seemed rhetorical, if not ludicrous for many. Yet, Pope Benedict chose his words carefully, as he always does. So, he had to to have said it for a reason, and he did.

He saw the landscape before him. A modern world that now reveled in the internet, email, cellphones, facebook, blogs, and most of all a 24 hour news cycle. He saw the 'wolves' that were, waiting, circling, and desperate. Only, they weren't on the outside looking in; he saw them where they were - on the inside  wearing sheep's clothing.

Today, now more than 5 years later, many of us are finally understanding how true those words really were. Some may say they were prophetic, I believe he was describing what he saw and not what he foresaw. He recognized the terrors that existed in the Church. Many who think that Pope John Paul II was 'weak' because so much rampant modernism grew during his pontificate, fail to realize how much he actually did from causing the entire Church to schism. That being said, Benedict realized that if John Paul was glue that held the Church together, his death did not bring with it the end to the threat.

As we move into this pontificate further and further, we lose more and more of the 'seeds' of dissent that blossomed into outright heresy and heterodoxy during John Paul II's pontificate. Much like wolves, these  scavengers become desperate as the pack dwindles, their existence desires their own way of life, hence the lone wolf. Yet, to survive they must run as a pack, or else they become the hunted. Therefore the further and further we get from the 2nd Vatican council, the 1960's & 1970's the less and less wolves there are in positions of power and influence. So they are desperate, therefore as their numbers dwindle their attacks will rise in number and intensity. It is therefore our job to remain diligent and dutiful in or prayers for the Pope and Holy Mother Church.

Want to be a Saint? Ask for suffering.

Sword/Tip (h/t) to Andrea @ The Escape

"If God sends you many sufferings, it is a sign that He has great plans for you and certainly wants to make you a saint. If you desire to become a great saint, ask Him to send you much suffering. To enkindles the fire of divine love, the best wood is that of the cross, which Our Lord used for His great sacrifice of love."

-St. Ignatius Loyola

I am too busy to look this up to make sure this is an actual quote, yes I do that even though I am a blogger.

[Start Rant] In fact, a little tangent rant here... how can journalists not do this? Do you know how many times I read either a major blog, or website, and I can recognize things that either aren't true (in an objective sense) or aren't actually a "quote" by someone. My favorite, is when someone famous quotes someone else famous, and the person writing obviously Googled it real quick, and called that "research." It is frustrating that we pay these peoples salary by continuing to pay for and read their drivel. Now, I am not saying I am the best writer in the world, in fact I am a sorry excuse for one... but no one is paying me to do this. (I will take offers of payment NOT to write though.) [End Rant]

Maybe this is my cross? Maybe I am meant to endure shoddy research, and it will help me become a saint? Heh, probably not. More than likely if God wants to send me suffering it will be in the form of living in some big city against my will to do some humble and important work.

Prayers for Young Sailor

This is one of those sad cases of horrible circumstances: 16year old Probably Lost at Sea
Please Pray for her.

Saint Brendan - Ora Pro Nobis

There is a lot to say about this... but I don't really think now is the time. As adults we are entrusted with young people, not only because they are our children... but because they are God's as well. There is a fine line between letting children grow and risk, and knowing when to say "That is too much." There will be time for that discussion later...

For now, let us just pray.

Prayer Intentions - Week of June 7, 2010

So I have decided to start listing prayer intentions for myself and others so that readers can include them in their lists. I know that many folks are very kind and self-sacrificial and will pray faithfully for the intentions of others. That being said, if you do keep any of these intentions in your prayers, I want to thank you for not only myself, but for those that request the support.

Here are the weeks intentions:

• For my Mother. It has only been a few months since the death of my father, and I know she needs spiritual support for understanding and faith, but also for the intention of her future. Logistically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually, things will be very different for her moving forward, and prayer must be part of the equation.
• For my Parish and the Priests. There are a lot of divisions, issues, and intentions within our parish.
• For a reader's future scholastic endeavours. They recently came into a great opportunity to do some advanced theological coursework, but are trying to locate some funds to get some pre-requisites out of the way. The support of prayer to discern how to best do this would be much appreciated.
• For the local people in my area - One of the "fisheries" has closed down, which means that fishermen tourists have started cancelling trips here due to the inability to fish for certain species, leaving the area of about 8,000 with a loss estimated in the $1.3million + range. That is a good chunk of money, especially when some folks survive almost solely on that tourism generated income.
• For a fellow blogger and her discernment regarding their parish, their practice, and their convictions. This blogger is really diving into their faith, and exploring uncharted territory which is scary, but also rewarding. Spiritual help will most definitely be appreciated.
• For a personal intention of mine regarding a "project." I can't say much more than that, but it isn't really for myself, but for the people I care about - my friends and family. I am working on something neat, and need the ducks to really line up for me on this one... and quickly. You prayers would be greatly helpful and appreciated... Latin prayers might be "extra" helpful ;)

Thank you.

Intercession...

...is something I need right now for a personal intention.

St. Anthony & St. Hubert - ORA PRO NOBIS!

A Special Prayer...

Today is the anniversary of my parents wedding. This will be the first one since my dad died. So I ask a favor of you, my dear readers... please take a moment and say a prayer for the soul of my father, and also one for my mother.

I am personally asking St. Michael for intercession on behalf of my father. For my mother, I appeal to St. Paula, patron Saint of widows.