I was reading in the West about a song Mr Tim Minchin recently performed which was not allowed to air in the UK, (unofficially) because it was controversial. This controversy, or potential controversy is by no means something new in Mr Minchin's work. Reportedly, this particular song, released for Christmas, compared Jesus of Nazareth with Woody Allen. In the article, Mr Minchin calls Christ a "Jewish philosopher" among other things which, while not entirely false, do not come close portraying the whole truth of Truth Himself.
There were many things in that article that I took issue with, which I will not discuss here for the save of brevity. What I would like to discuss is the impact that songs have in forming our culture.
I bring up the article on Mr Minchin and his song because that was what triggered this train of thought.
The chances are that if you are reading this blog, you've heard or read the phrase "lex orandi, lex credendi" or that you would look it up if I wasn't about to tell you what it means. The phrase "lex orandi, lex credendi" is a liturgical phrase meaning 'the law of prayer is the law of belief.' To my mind, this required basically no explanation, but I will give one anyway: As we pray, our beliefs are formed. Prayer is both formative and performative and it is the former aspect that this saying addresses. To take a crude example, if you pray “Our Father who art in Heaven,” and you do not already believe that God is as a Father to us, and that He dwells in Heaven, you will soon begin to believe it. If you currently hold the orthodox Catholic belief but start praying “Our Mother who art is Heaven,” you will begin to consider the Creator as a mother.
That is why the corrected translations of the Roman Missal are so important. Instead of praying in a wishy-washy butchering of the English language, we have the benefit (as Holy Mother Church intended) of full, rich theological language which leads us beyond ourselves to the One to Whom our prayers are addressed. For, if you treat man as he is, he will not improve; but if you treat him as you would like him to become, that he will.
“But what on earth, or anywhere else for that matter,” I hear it asked, “can the new translation of the Roman Missal have to do with a song by Tim Minchin? He is hardly a liturgical composer.”
Everything! And that, exactly why! You have probably heard it said that “he who sings prays twice.” If you hadn’t before, you have now.
I do not remember which Saint first spoke this truth, but true it is nonetheless. Music is often and rightly called the universal language. If you listen to the Sabat Mater, you know, even if you do not know the language that it is sung in, that it is about sorrow and pain, which ends in hope. To take a vulgar - that is to say, common - example, if I were to play the tune of the McDonalds advertisement, every primary-school aged child knows what it is, or at least that it is related to some kind of fast food. Just a few more examples, to make this point as plain as it can be.
I am, by most standards, not old. Twenty is, except for a four year old, not old at all. When I was in primary school (in the 90s) the music that played at our school discos was music from the 70s up until what was then the present. At the time, the Backstreet Boys, S Club 7, Destiny’s Child and Niki Webster were popular. Also at that time, the words “damn,” “bloody,” “bum,” and “arse” were all non-repeatable swear words which no adult, certainly no teacher, would have said in front of primary school aged children. Even less likely were you to hear a child insist that any one of those words were not swears.
It is true that there was a lot of innuendo in the music of that time. There were songs about break-ups, and falling in love. The songs from earlier: the 70s and the 80s in particular, boldly proclaimed that “girls just wanna have fun” and issued an invitation to “take on me.” However, this is entirely innuendo, and is of the type that could, by innocent ears, be taken to mean, respectively, that girls enjoy spending time with friends, and that love is worth commitment.
Now, however, song such as “Love Game,” there’s no way to take in a way that fits with the full meaning of the human person.
Music is important, songs allow us to accept messages that, when written, we never would.
What we listen to, forms us.
Do we want to be the type of broken people that most recent songs encourage us to become? Or do we want to be the people we were meant to be? The loved, lovable, wanted and redeemed people we are meant to be?
“As for me and my house, we’re going to serve the Lord.”
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Dear Mum,
January 22, 2023
Dear Mom:
Can you believe it is already the year 2023? I’m still writing ’22 on everything! It seems like only yesterday that I was sitting in the first grade and celebrating the change to a new century.
I know we really haven’t chatted since Christmas, Mom, and I’m sorry. Anyway, I have some difficult news to share with you and, to be honest, I really didn’t want to call or talk about this face to face.
But before I get to that, let me report that Ted just got a big promotion, and I should be up for a hefty raise this year if I keep putting in all those crazy hours. You know how I work at it. (Yes, we’re still struggling to pay the bills.)
Little Timmy’s been okay at kindergarten, although he complains about going. But then, he wasn’t happy about the day-care center either. So what can we do?
He’s been a real problem, Mom. He’s a good kid, but quite honestly, he’s an unfair burden on us at this time in our lives.Ted and I have talked this through, and we have finally made a choice. Plenty of other families have made the same choice and are really better off today.
Our pastor is supportive of our choice. He pointed out the family is a system, and the demands of one member shouldn’t be allowed to ruin the whole. The pastor told us to be prayerful and to consider all the factors as to what is right to make our family work. He says that even though he probably wouldn’t do it himself, the choice really is ours. He was kind enough to refer us to a children’s clinic near here, so at least that part is easy.
Don’t get me wrong, Mom. I’m not an uncaring mother. I do feel sorry for the little guy. I think he heard Ted and me talking about this the other night. I turned and saw him standing at the bottom of the stairs in his PJ’s with his little teddy bear that you gave him under his arm, and his eyes were sort of welled up with tears.
Mom, the way he looked at me just about broke my heart, but I honestly believe this is better for Timmy, too. It’s just not fair to force him to live in a family that can’t give him the time and attention he deserves.
And please, Mom, don’t give me the kind of grief that grandma gave you over your abortions. It’s the same thing, you know. There’s really no difference.
We’ve told Timmy he’s just going in for a “vaccination.” Anyway, they say the termination procedure is painless. I guess it’s just as well that you haven’t seen that much of little Timmy lately.
Please give my love to Dad.
Your daughter
(Author unknown) via Partick Madrid
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Difference
People don't come up to one and exclaim, "I hear you're becoming a lawyer!" "... a doctor!" "... an engineer!" or "... a hairdresser!" Yet, in the past fortnight, I have had no less than four people say to me, "I hear you're becoming a nun!" Then, predominately, once I've explained that I am still discerning that, and I ask that the statement of my apparently-impending nunhood not be repeated, I am told "But it gives such hope to people!" or am asked "Why do you think you get to be treated differently?"
Why doesn't the thought of good Catholic lawyers, doctors, engineers and hairdressers give people hope in the same way the thought of another nun reportedly does?
Also, if one would not go around discussing unconfirmed marriage plans, then why do people go around discussing unconfirmed consecration plans?
I don't want to be treated differently: I want to be treated the same.
Why doesn't the thought of good Catholic lawyers, doctors, engineers and hairdressers give people hope in the same way the thought of another nun reportedly does?
Also, if one would not go around discussing unconfirmed marriage plans, then why do people go around discussing unconfirmed consecration plans?
I don't want to be treated differently: I want to be treated the same.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Caritas in Veritate
(Or, "My Need For an Editor: not the encyclical.")
So, to lay the ground work here, I really admire Niko's zeal for defending the Faith. I think that his love for Christ, and his willingness to speak about Him ought to be commended. I also want to encourage Niko in his formaiton.
There was something he posted recently which said a few things which were not quite in line with Church teaching, it reminded me of how much I need to go through and read what I've written before I post it.
The first thing was this:
But just incase people thought that's what was being said, let me make this very, very clear:
If there were an 'old Faith, an old Belief (which I'm distinguishing from 'belief,' for now), and old Church, nbte new one would be illigitamate, and, frankly, wrong.
But there was no break in the Church, in Her Belief, in the Faith about the middle of the 20th Century. In fact, there has not been one ever.
What I believe Niko meant to express was the development in theological thought that has happened since 1913.
The other thing which Niko said in the same post, which I don't think he meant to say, was
The point of this post: I tend to write things (like this post, for example) and not edit them before I send them out to the interwebs (again, like this post.)
So, to lay the ground work here, I really admire Niko's zeal for defending the Faith. I think that his love for Christ, and his willingness to speak about Him ought to be commended. I also want to encourage Niko in his formaiton.
There was something he posted recently which said a few things which were not quite in line with Church teaching, it reminded me of how much I need to go through and read what I've written before I post it.
The first thing was this:
It quotes the Catholic Encyclopedia written in 1913 well before Vatican II. Thus, it describes the old Catholic faith, not the current one.I don't think that Niko meant this to sound as though there was a "pre-Vatican II" Faith and a "post-CVatican II" one.
But just incase people thought that's what was being said, let me make this very, very clear:
If there were an 'old Faith, an old Belief (which I'm distinguishing from 'belief,' for now), and old Church, nbte new one would be illigitamate, and, frankly, wrong.
But there was no break in the Church, in Her Belief, in the Faith about the middle of the 20th Century. In fact, there has not been one ever.
What I believe Niko meant to express was the development in theological thought that has happened since 1913.
The other thing which Niko said in the same post, which I don't think he meant to say, was
Also, Abraham if he existed would date back to around 1,800 BC...Abraham, father of Issac and grandfather of Jacob (who became Israel) was alive on earth. To deny that would be to deny the promises of Our Lord God to him and, thus, to the people Israel and, eventually, to us.
The point of this post: I tend to write things (like this post, for example) and not edit them before I send them out to the interwebs (again, like this post.)
Friday, December 9, 2011
The Literal Wealth of the Catholic Church
I was asked over on my tumblr the follow question. My response is posted below.
Let me tell you a story.
There once was this Italian guy called Lorenzo (or, in English, Lawrence) who lived in Rome and happened to be a Catholic. Now, this was back in the day when it was unpopular to be Catholic - much less a practicing one - in Rome. What was more, he worked for the Church.
The dude in charge of Rome at the time, a man called Valerian demanded that Lorenzo bring him all the riches of the Church - something he’d been made aware that our friend could do for him. He also demanded that Lorenzo give up the True Faith or die in the same way that seven of his friends did four days before.
So Lorenzo rocked up for his execution accompanied by all of Rome’s poor, crippled, diseased, blind and undignified people.
Another story for you: there once was this great King who decided to visit is subjects. He wasn’t particularly well received, so they did what they could to send him away.
However, in three days, he returned again and has never left his people since.
He is the source and summit of their life.
He dwells in his tent in every one of his palaces on Earth at all times.
His name means God-will-save and he is called God-with-us.
You probably know him as Jesus.
His dwelling place is usually called a Tabernacle and it is here that He reposes, loving His people and waiting for their love so that He can shower on them gifts that we call graces.
The poor that St Lawrence brought to the Emperor Valerian are the Face of Christ, who said that in being kind to the poor, the outcast and the downtrodden, we were being kind to Him: “Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.” (source)
The Eucharist and the least among us are the literal wealth of the Catholic Church.
Do they weigh on my conscience? Yes.
I do not have a great love for either of them, though I very much desire to.
I have a feeling, anon, that what you meant was “Does the material wealth of the Catholic Church weigh on your conscience?”
I’ve a question for you in return. And the answer to that question.
Do you know what the entire art collection of the Holy See is insured for?
It’s not.
Do you know how much the Vatican values each of the art pieces for accounting purposes?
One Euro.
The value of the art and architecture of the Catholic Church is not found in it’s material worth. It is found in its ability to lead people to God, and to worship Him.
tl;dr
The literal wealth of the Catholic Church is Christ Himself.
The material wealth of the Church only has value insofar as it points to the first.
There once was this Italian guy called Lorenzo (or, in English, Lawrence) who lived in Rome and happened to be a Catholic. Now, this was back in the day when it was unpopular to be Catholic - much less a practicing one - in Rome. What was more, he worked for the Church.
The dude in charge of Rome at the time, a man called Valerian demanded that Lorenzo bring him all the riches of the Church - something he’d been made aware that our friend could do for him. He also demanded that Lorenzo give up the True Faith or die in the same way that seven of his friends did four days before.
So Lorenzo rocked up for his execution accompanied by all of Rome’s poor, crippled, diseased, blind and undignified people.
Another story for you: there once was this great King who decided to visit is subjects. He wasn’t particularly well received, so they did what they could to send him away.
However, in three days, he returned again and has never left his people since.
He is the source and summit of their life.
He dwells in his tent in every one of his palaces on Earth at all times.
His name means God-will-save and he is called God-with-us.
You probably know him as Jesus.
His dwelling place is usually called a Tabernacle and it is here that He reposes, loving His people and waiting for their love so that He can shower on them gifts that we call graces.
The poor that St Lawrence brought to the Emperor Valerian are the Face of Christ, who said that in being kind to the poor, the outcast and the downtrodden, we were being kind to Him: “Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.” (source)
The Eucharist and the least among us are the literal wealth of the Catholic Church.
Do they weigh on my conscience? Yes.
I do not have a great love for either of them, though I very much desire to.
I have a feeling, anon, that what you meant was “Does the material wealth of the Catholic Church weigh on your conscience?”
I’ve a question for you in return. And the answer to that question.
Do you know what the entire art collection of the Holy See is insured for?
It’s not.
Do you know how much the Vatican values each of the art pieces for accounting purposes?
One Euro.
The value of the art and architecture of the Catholic Church is not found in it’s material worth. It is found in its ability to lead people to God, and to worship Him.
tl;dr
The literal wealth of the Catholic Church is Christ Himself.
The material wealth of the Church only has value insofar as it points to the first.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
A Pro-Life Defense of Truth, by sword-meets-rose
The whole thing is availiable here.Pro-life advocates argue that elective abortion unjustly takes the life of a defenseless human being. In support of this conclusion, pro-lifers cite both scientific and philosophic evidence. Nonetheless, some people ignore the evidence pro-life advocates present and argue for abortion based on self-interest. That is the lazy way out. If we care about truth, we will courageously follow the facts wherever they lead. But there are pitfalls. Here are five common mistakes people make arguing for abortion
Mistake #1: Confuse objective claims with subjective ones (or confuse claims about ice cream with claims about truth).
When pro-life advocates say that abortion is morally wrong because it takes the life of a defenseless child, they are making a particular type of claim. Specifically, they are making a moral claim about the rightness or wrongness of abortion.
Many people, however, misconstrue the kind of claim the pro-lifer is making in order to respond to one they like better. Consider the following responses to the statement, Abortion is morally wrong.
• “That’s just your view.”
[...]
• “Don’t force your morality on me.”
[...]
1) Relativism is self-refuting—it commits intellectual suicide. [...]
2) It is impossible for a moral relativist to say that anything is wrong, including intolerance. [...]
3) It is impossible to live as a moral relativist.
[...]
• “I’m personally opposed to abortion, but I still think it should be legal.”
[...]
Mistake #2: Attack the person rather than refute the argument. (Ad hominem fallacy)
[...]
Mistake #3 : Assume what you are trying to prove.
[...]
Mistake #4: Confuse functioning as a person with being a person.
[...]
Mistake #5: Disguise your true position by appealing to the hard cases.
[...]
VI. Summary and Conclusion:
[...]
(source and author)
Monday, November 28, 2011
An answer and some questions.
Honestly, I got what I'd hoped for: you gave an honest answer.
I can't format what I want to say in your tumblr-ask, so I'm putting it here.
I think I've said this to you before, but Satan does not like that you've become Catholic. He doesn't want you to live the Christ-life.
The more you give up, the easier it will be to keep giving up.
Pray.
Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray.
And then, when you're done, pray some more.
Don't worry if you fail: there have only been two humans ever who have managed not to; and only one of them was a human person: Mary: the Other was God Himself.
Try and pray the Three Hail Marys everyday.
Then a decade of the Rosary.
Then the 5 decades a day.
Work slowly and remember that Mary is your mum. She loves you more perfectly than your earthly mother ever could. She will help you.
Call on your Holy Patrons. Your Confirmation Saint and any others with whom you have a particularly close relationship.
Try and get a hold of a Saint Benedict's Medal and a Miraculous Medal and pray the prayers that go with them.
Benedict's Prayer is here.
And St Maximillian Kolbe's Prayer to go with the Miraculous Medal is
So many of the great Saints suffered scruples.
You're not alone.
The best cure, by far, is obedience.
If you don't already have a regular confessor or Spiritual Director: find one.
Then obey him.
You will have Protestants and all other manner of non-Catholics tell you that Catholicism is anything from heterodox to pagan to utter bullock excretement.
Pray for them.
Know that you possess the Fullness of Faith.
Pray.
Attend the Sacraments.
Pray the Rosary.
Go to Adroation as often as you can.
If there's anything I can do to help you, don't hesitate to contact me.
Or, if it's something a little more local, call your Parish Priest.
Know that you're in my prayers.
I can't format what I want to say in your tumblr-ask, so I'm putting it here.
I think I've said this to you before, but Satan does not like that you've become Catholic. He doesn't want you to live the Christ-life.
The more you give up, the easier it will be to keep giving up.
Pray.
Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray.
And then, when you're done, pray some more.
Don't worry if you fail: there have only been two humans ever who have managed not to; and only one of them was a human person: Mary: the Other was God Himself.
Try and pray the Three Hail Marys everyday.
Then a decade of the Rosary.
Then the 5 decades a day.
Work slowly and remember that Mary is your mum. She loves you more perfectly than your earthly mother ever could. She will help you.
Call on your Holy Patrons. Your Confirmation Saint and any others with whom you have a particularly close relationship.
Try and get a hold of a Saint Benedict's Medal and a Miraculous Medal and pray the prayers that go with them.
Benedict's Prayer is here.
And St Maximillian Kolbe's Prayer to go with the Miraculous Medal is
"O Mary Concieved without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee, and for those who do not have recourse to Thee, especially sinners, heretics and enimies of the Church."The first part was given to St Catherine Laboure by Our Lady when She asked the Medal to be struck. The second part is an adaptation of the prayer that St Maximillian asked the MIs to pray.
So many of the great Saints suffered scruples.
You're not alone.
The best cure, by far, is obedience.
If you don't already have a regular confessor or Spiritual Director: find one.
Then obey him.
You will have Protestants and all other manner of non-Catholics tell you that Catholicism is anything from heterodox to pagan to utter bullock excretement.
Pray for them.
Know that you possess the Fullness of Faith.
Pray.
Attend the Sacraments.
Pray the Rosary.
Go to Adroation as often as you can.
If there's anything I can do to help you, don't hesitate to contact me.
Or, if it's something a little more local, call your Parish Priest.
Know that you're in my prayers.
A Poem by Niko
Mea Culpa
Hail and thunder knock my heart cold from the sky
Mary seems so far away.
full of deceit and empty of
grace, I go to the place
blessed by those whose lives are pure
art, like a Caravaggio, like a pieta.
Thou liveth
amongst us, we broken
women and men. why hast thou
Blessed us?
is the fruit of our sins so sweet?
of thy desires I know nothing.
womb to tomb we are nothing but cells and dirt!
Jesus.
Holy - words like butterflies from the sky
Mary I have no other hope. what is the
Mother of our depravity?
God. I cover my face. I try and fail to
pray. I am the damned and
for us damned there is no rest,
sinners until the earth rises in wrath.
now and then I am reminded that
at the hour of judgement,
of our glory, the last enemy destroyed is
death.
11/26/11
Nicko's Nature
Nicko's Nature
Thursday, November 24, 2011
I am a Christian.
When I say… “I am a Christian,”
I’m not shouting “I’m clean livin’.
I’m whispering “I was lost,
Now I am found and forgiven.”
When I say… “I am a Christian,”
I don’t speak this with pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble,
And need CHRIST to be my guide.
When I say… “I am a Christian,”
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing I’m weak,
And need HIS strength to carry on.
When I say… “I am a Christian,”
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting that I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.
Source
I’m not shouting “I’m clean livin’.
I’m whispering “I was lost,
Now I am found and forgiven.”
When I say… “I am a Christian,”
I don’t speak this with pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble,
And need CHRIST to be my guide.
When I say… “I am a Christian,”
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing I’m weak,
And need HIS strength to carry on.
When I say… “I am a Christian,”
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting that I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.
Source
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
What Hypocrisy?
Everyone who reads my other blog Kelly Thinks (a little more often) knows how much I respect the consistency and un-hypocrisy of the pro-choicers who choose to debate me.
Or, at least, how much I would if any of them were either consistent or un-hypocritical.
One of the most common objections that may be merited as real objections (there are many that cannot be merited as such) against pro-life arguments is that we never cite unbiased material.
Now, perhaps I have jumped the gun a little and the citations made to me by pro-choicers recently have not been hypocritical. Or, perhaps, they cannot be blamed for their hypocrisy. Perhaps stfuhypocrisy is really just a fan of irony; maybe stfuprolife is actually interested in non-biased material, even if it happens to show data that turns out to be in favour of not killing children.
Maybe, even though stfuprolife says that they “don’t need to know the difference between pro-life and anti-choice” and that they can “respect a pro-lifer”,[source] they just chose to have that name out of irony. Or something.
However, I think one of these two situations is much more likely: either these people don’t care that they’re being hypocritical because if we post information that only they can agree with, and they post information only they can agree with, then any undecided person only has access to one type of information. Or, with all the honesty that they can manage, the pro-choicers who have recently sent me links and citations believe that everything they send to me, the definitions that they choose to use and the reports that they choose to cite are all completely unbiased.
Here’s the thing: they aren’t.
The following is a link as part of a reply that I was recently sent by stfuprolife. The link to what they said is above.
Or, at least, how much I would if any of them were either consistent or un-hypocritical.
One of the most common objections that may be merited as real objections (there are many that cannot be merited as such) against pro-life arguments is that we never cite unbiased material.
Now, perhaps I have jumped the gun a little and the citations made to me by pro-choicers recently have not been hypocritical. Or, perhaps, they cannot be blamed for their hypocrisy. Perhaps stfuhypocrisy is really just a fan of irony; maybe stfuprolife is actually interested in non-biased material, even if it happens to show data that turns out to be in favour of not killing children.
Maybe, even though stfuprolife says that they “don’t need to know the difference between pro-life and anti-choice” and that they can “respect a pro-lifer”,[source] they just chose to have that name out of irony. Or something.
However, I think one of these two situations is much more likely: either these people don’t care that they’re being hypocritical because if we post information that only they can agree with, and they post information only they can agree with, then any undecided person only has access to one type of information. Or, with all the honesty that they can manage, the pro-choicers who have recently sent me links and citations believe that everything they send to me, the definitions that they choose to use and the reports that they choose to cite are all completely unbiased.
Here’s the thing: they aren’t.
The following is a link as part of a reply that I was recently sent by stfuprolife. The link to what they said is above.
A fetus is not a child. It is not a person. It is simply a potential person. It is human, but not a human being. It cannot be an individual if it’s not a separate being, it is depending and residing within someone else’s body. So by definition, logic, and fact, a fetus simply cannot be considered an individual human being..
Monday, November 14, 2011
What's That?
Becoming a Saint is hard work?
Funny that.
Anyone who has told you that it is the greatest joy possible, in this life or the next, was telling you the truth.
Funny that.
“If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
-Jesus of Nazareth, Almighty God
“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”Whoever told you being a Christian was easy lied.
- Jesus of Nazreth, Almighty God
Anyone who has told you that it is the greatest joy possible, in this life or the next, was telling you the truth.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Answer to just-slightly-insane
The following it an answer to a question posed over at Kelly Thinks (a little more often). I'm posting it here because it's too long for a decent tumblr post, in my opinion.
The question is presumably in response to a couple of quotes from Msgr Phillip Reilly which I posted there earlier today. This was the question (my response follows.)
The wilful death of an innocent person is not only a cause of the Culture of Death, but a fruit of that Culture. Murder, War, Prostitution and Slavery have also all existed for thousands of years and are all both fruits and causes of the Culture of Death.
The difference between then and now - though admittedly, where the change occured is a blurred period of decades or centuries - is that, save at the end of various civilisations, it has never been thought a decent, humane, fair or reasonable thing to intentionally destroy the life of another huaman being. This is particulalry so if that person had done no wrong to another.
A culture which accepts an inherrent moral evil as its norm is already one of Death, rather than Life. A culture which accepts multiple inherrently moral evils is one that has been totally swept up in a Culture of Death.
It is important to note that the Culture of Life and the Culture of Death have been competing world-views since the first decision mankind* ever made. That is to say, when we chose to disobey the Natural Law - the Law that is "written in the heart of every man and woman" (Evangelium Vitae, n 29) - we turned away from our natural end and became teleologically disordered.
In not being ordered toward our natural end or goal, we necessarily became ordered towards a certain [type of] death.
In short, it is not abortion as such that has lead to the Culture of Death that we are currently deeply immersed in. However, abortion, the killing of a unborn - and therefore totally innocent - human being for the well-being and/or comfort of another, is "the final nail in the coffin of the Culture of Life, so to speak," as Msgr Reilly once said to me.
As Mother Teresa said at the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast in the USA, "[T]he greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself.
And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?"
________
*mankind, still not a misogynistic was of saying 'humanity.'
The question is presumably in response to a couple of quotes from Msgr Phillip Reilly which I posted there earlier today. This was the question (my response follows.)
just-slightly-insane asked you:Abortion has existed for thousands of years (in ancient times, women used to ingest large quantities of certain herbs, which would induce a miscarriage), yet it has never led to any sort of a "culture of death." So what makes you think that's a possibility at all?
*** *** ***
The wilful death of an innocent person is not only a cause of the Culture of Death, but a fruit of that Culture. Murder, War, Prostitution and Slavery have also all existed for thousands of years and are all both fruits and causes of the Culture of Death.
The difference between then and now - though admittedly, where the change occured is a blurred period of decades or centuries - is that, save at the end of various civilisations, it has never been thought a decent, humane, fair or reasonable thing to intentionally destroy the life of another huaman being. This is particulalry so if that person had done no wrong to another.
A culture which accepts an inherrent moral evil as its norm is already one of Death, rather than Life. A culture which accepts multiple inherrently moral evils is one that has been totally swept up in a Culture of Death.
It is important to note that the Culture of Life and the Culture of Death have been competing world-views since the first decision mankind* ever made. That is to say, when we chose to disobey the Natural Law - the Law that is "written in the heart of every man and woman" (Evangelium Vitae, n 29) - we turned away from our natural end and became teleologically disordered.
In not being ordered toward our natural end or goal, we necessarily became ordered towards a certain [type of] death.
In short, it is not abortion as such that has lead to the Culture of Death that we are currently deeply immersed in. However, abortion, the killing of a unborn - and therefore totally innocent - human being for the well-being and/or comfort of another, is "the final nail in the coffin of the Culture of Life, so to speak," as Msgr Reilly once said to me.
As Mother Teresa said at the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast in the USA, "[T]he greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself.
And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?"
________
*mankind, still not a misogynistic was of saying 'humanity.'
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Brief post on birthdays, blogs and bookings
It's Tom's birthday today. It's also Fr Doug's. It was Montana's and Emily's the other day (on different days). It's Eliza's birthday in a few days.
So birthday shout-outs and prayers to all of them.
I am still working on that series from my trip to NY. The next installment (God willing) will be up in a few weeks. Uni's just been getting on top of me lately.
Also, flight bookins make me RAGEAAARRRGHHHOAOIWEFJKBFVOJNAODJPJAJHOAAHHH!!!!!1!!!oneoneone!
So birthday shout-outs and prayers to all of them.
I am still working on that series from my trip to NY. The next installment (God willing) will be up in a few weeks. Uni's just been getting on top of me lately.
Also, flight bookins make me RAGEAAARRRGHHHOAOIWEFJKBFVOJNAODJPJAJHOAAHHH!!!!!1!!!oneoneone!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Holy Suffering
I had a conversation months and months ago with Caroline about the Catholic teaching on suffering. At the time, I was unable to form the right words to express the teaching of the Church. This video has those words.
It also speaks to some of the questions I posed yesterday in my post, How Long, Oh Lord.
Friday, September 30, 2011
How long, oh Lord? How long?
Have you ever had the feeling of your heart been torn, very slowly, both out of your chest and into pieces?
Have you ever wanted to give a complete stranger a bear-hug and tell them that everything's alright and that they don't have to go through their pain anymore?
Have you ever wanted to cry, but not had the tears?
Have you ever asked God to allow you to suffer some horrible fate, rather than allow an injustice to occur?
Have you ever wondered what type of good He must be bringing out of a great evil, while thanking Him for that good?
Have you ever wanted to run away screaming, yet found yourself unable to tear yourself away?
Have you ever gone to speak, but no sound would come out of your mouth?
Have you ever wondered what their pain is like, and wished you could take it away?
Have you ever longed for them to stop, and been unable to show them why they ought to?
How do you say "I love you and I want the best for you" to people who don't want you to speak to them?
How do you piece your heart back together after the one you've loved has been torn apart?
How do you continue to get up in the morning, when the whole world seems to be against the love you long to show?
How do you give to the next person, when you've emptied yourself entirely for this one?
How do you explain what drives you to do it over and over and over again?
How do you explain why you are there and how you can stay there all day, without others around?
I just sat down to blog about today's experience of praying and side-walk counselling, but I don't know where to start or what to say. These are my questions.
Have you ever wanted to give a complete stranger a bear-hug and tell them that everything's alright and that they don't have to go through their pain anymore?
Have you ever wanted to cry, but not had the tears?
Have you ever asked God to allow you to suffer some horrible fate, rather than allow an injustice to occur?
Have you ever wondered what type of good He must be bringing out of a great evil, while thanking Him for that good?
Have you ever wanted to run away screaming, yet found yourself unable to tear yourself away?
Have you ever gone to speak, but no sound would come out of your mouth?
Have you ever wondered what their pain is like, and wished you could take it away?
Have you ever longed for them to stop, and been unable to show them why they ought to?
How do you say "I love you and I want the best for you" to people who don't want you to speak to them?
How do you piece your heart back together after the one you've loved has been torn apart?
How do you continue to get up in the morning, when the whole world seems to be against the love you long to show?
How do you give to the next person, when you've emptied yourself entirely for this one?
How do you explain what drives you to do it over and over and over again?
How do you explain why you are there and how you can stay there all day, without others around?
I just sat down to blog about today's experience of praying and side-walk counselling, but I don't know where to start or what to say. These are my questions.
Standing on My Head: Story from Jake Coffman
For your reading and contemplation:
Standing on My Head: Story from Jake Coffman
Standing on My Head: Story from Jake Coffman
Going After Jesus
Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Mt 16:24)
I was reflecting on discilpeship last night and, of the quotes from Scripture that I was given to reflect on, this verse stood out for me.
Self denial and detatchment are two things that I've been trying to get a better handle on in recent times, so when this verse stood out from the others, I assumed that this was the reason why.
However, after sitting with the verse in Adoration, the words "come after Me" struck somethig within me. A dissonance between the words and my life seemed to resound. As though a child were attempting to play a Major Chord, but only had the finger span of a Major 7th.
C.E.G.B.
I was (and still am) familiar with the parable of the Lost Sheep: the Good Shepherd goes after the one Lost Sheep, leaving the 99 others in the field.
But this was something new.
"Come after Me.
"Follow Me, yes; but true discipleship is more than that.
"Come after Me."
As the Good Shepherd goes after the Lost Sheep, so we must seek out Christ. With that ardent love which He has for us, we must love Him.
I don't need to be simply detatched from all that is not Christ, I need to run after Him; to seek Him where He is to be found: not in things of this world, but in Love.
I need to search out every possible way of loving Him more and follow that path diligently, without looking back.
Imagine a mother who has lost her child. Imagine the effort she puts into finding that child.
As she gets closer, her search becomes more and more focused.
So to with my search for Christ. As I seek Him out, look where He is found, I will draw closer to Him. As I draw closer to Him, my seach will become more and more refined, more pure.
Unlike the mother, however, I do not currently have a single minded focus in searching out my Goal. Part of the refining process will be getting rid of all the other goals to focus on the one Goal that matters.
This will involvem a higher and higher degree of detachment, a greater willingness to submit to God's will.
To become a Saint is to conform oneself - or, rather, to be conformed - to Christ in all areas, and supremely to His Pascal Mystery. To become a Saint, I myst strain ahead in the race that has already been won, to the Prize which I have already been given. As an athelete, I must suffer in order to conform myself to the One who has already run, already won, already perfectly conformed His Own Will to that of His Father.
Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Mt 16:24)
I was reflecting on discilpeship last night and, of the quotes from Scripture that I was given to reflect on, this verse stood out for me.
Self denial and detatchment are two things that I've been trying to get a better handle on in recent times, so when this verse stood out from the others, I assumed that this was the reason why.
However, after sitting with the verse in Adoration, the words "come after Me" struck somethig within me. A dissonance between the words and my life seemed to resound. As though a child were attempting to play a Major Chord, but only had the finger span of a Major 7th.
C.E.G.B.
I was (and still am) familiar with the parable of the Lost Sheep: the Good Shepherd goes after the one Lost Sheep, leaving the 99 others in the field.
But this was something new.
"Come after Me.
"Follow Me, yes; but true discipleship is more than that.
"Come after Me."
As the Good Shepherd goes after the Lost Sheep, so we must seek out Christ. With that ardent love which He has for us, we must love Him.
I don't need to be simply detatched from all that is not Christ, I need to run after Him; to seek Him where He is to be found: not in things of this world, but in Love.
I need to search out every possible way of loving Him more and follow that path diligently, without looking back.
Imagine a mother who has lost her child. Imagine the effort she puts into finding that child.
As she gets closer, her search becomes more and more focused.
So to with my search for Christ. As I seek Him out, look where He is found, I will draw closer to Him. As I draw closer to Him, my seach will become more and more refined, more pure.
Unlike the mother, however, I do not currently have a single minded focus in searching out my Goal. Part of the refining process will be getting rid of all the other goals to focus on the one Goal that matters.
This will involvem a higher and higher degree of detachment, a greater willingness to submit to God's will.
To become a Saint is to conform oneself - or, rather, to be conformed - to Christ in all areas, and supremely to His Pascal Mystery. To become a Saint, I myst strain ahead in the race that has already been won, to the Prize which I have already been given. As an athelete, I must suffer in order to conform myself to the One who has already run, already won, already perfectly conformed His Own Will to that of His Father.
Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Mt 16:24)
