The Passion Of The Christ...

After seeing The Passion of The Christ I better understand this quote from St. Josemaria Escriva in his meditation for the second sorrowful mystery of the rosary: the scouraging at the pilar. This was my experience of the movie:

"You and I cannot speak. Words are not needed. Look at him, look at him...slowly. After this...can you ever fear penance?"

Forty Hours Devotion

Starting tonight at 7pm Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis will be holding the Forty Hours Devotion.  If you are in St. Louis and would like to spend some time in prayer with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament you are welcome to come tomorrow (February 28th) from 10am to 10pm.

For more information on the Forty Hours Devotion click here.

Excellent Article On The Passion

S.T. Karnick says in the article, "he [Mel Gibson] makes it perfectly clear exactly who is responsible for this suffering. We are. All of us. Every human being who ever lived, Gibson's film maintains, is responsible for this suffering. Jesus Christ (portrayed impressively by Jim Caviezel) tells his disciples at the beginning of the film, in the Garden of Gethsemane, that they cannot go where he is about to go. He alone, we know, will step forward to pay the price for sin. He alone will suffer for the world's rejection of their Creator and of the Savior he sent. He alone qualifies, for he alone is without sin."

"I MOO"

Hmmm...The Contradictions Of Law

"The House voted Thursday to subject assailants who injure or kill a pregnant woman and her fetus to two separate crimes. The bill would for the first time under federal law give victim's rights to a fetus. "

If this is true, then how can we legally justify abortion wherein a mother allows a doctor to kill the fetus living within her?  It makes no sense.

Just For Your Information

Since the beginning of this blog on August 22, 2003 the average number of visits per day is 107.  Pretty darn good for a beginner like me.

Give Me A Break!

"SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- Rosie O'Donnell married her longtime girlfriend Thursday, taking what she called a proud stand for gay civil rights in the city where more than 3,300 other same-sex couples have tied the knot since February 12.

"I want to thank the city of San Francisco for this amazing stance the mayor has taken for all the people here, not just us but all the thousands and thousands of loving, law-abiding couples," the former talk show host, holding a large bouquet of purple and yellow flowers, said after she and Kelli Carpenter emerged from their brief ceremony inside Mayor Gavin Newsom's office."

Thus begins the begining of the end of the family...

To quote Fr. John Corapi, "If God doesn't do something soon, he will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."

Clergy Sexual Abuse Report Released Today

I offer one comment, and then a quote.  First, the comment:  Even though one case of abuse is one too many, this study only counts allegations as opposed to actual cases of substantiated abuse.  The media will of course manipulate so that allegations become substantiated cases.  They will say that 4% of priests are abusers instead of saying 4% of priest have been accused of abuse.  There is quite a difference.

The New York Times has this quote from one of the studies, "We do not seek to place the blame for the sexual abuse crisis on the presence of homosexual individuals in the priesthood as there are many chaste and holy homosexual priests who are faithful to their vows of celibacy," the report said. "However, we must call attention to the homosexual behavior that characterized the vast majority of the cases of abuse observed in recent decades"

I am interested to hear some of your comments on this quote. 

Make A Difference

Call or e-mail Gov. Rounds to encourage him to make abortion illegal in South Dakota.

Gov. Mike Rounds
State Capitol
500 E. Capitol Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501
605-773-3212
http://www.state.sd.us/governor/

Career Killer?

Probably...but the truth is worth it.

The Passion of The Christ

I experienced (I use "experienced" here on purpose. One doesn't "see" this movie, they experience it.) this movie last night. What you have heard about it is true. You will never think of lent and Good Friday the same again - nor will you ever think of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass the same again. That's about all I can say about it. It's one of those movies that leaves you speechless.

Go see it. But be forewarned, it is very graphic, but very real.

Here is something I read about it. It comes from Paul Harvey.

"Mel Gilbson stated he did not appear in his own movie, by his choice, with one exception: It is Gibson's hands seen nailing Jesus to the cross. Gibson said he wanted to do that because it was indeed his own hands that nailed Jesus to the cross (along with all of ours.)"

Tomorrow Is Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday, in addition to being the day when Mel Gibsons "The Passion of the Christ" is released (I will see it on the evening of Ash Wednesday so stay tuned for commentary), is the beginning of the season of lent. Lent is a joyful season in which we strive to overcome self in order that we may be freer to love and serve the Lord with all of our heart. The three means that the Church holds out to us as a way of attaining this are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

These three ought to be practiced at all times by Christians, but during lent, we turn it up a notch in order to overcome our own weaknesses.

In case you have forgotten the laws of the church as regards fasting here they are:

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast. On days of fast, one full meal is allowed. Two lesser meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each one's needs but together they should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted. Catholics who have completed their 18th year are bound by this law until the beginning of their 60th year.

Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent are also days of abstinence. On days of abstinence, meats should not be taken at any meal. The law of abstinence binds all Catholics who have completed their 14th year.

I wish you all a fruitful and holy Lent.

So Much For Freedom Of Religion

"...on December 8, 2003, a member of the Student Organization Committee (SOC) at UNCW told me that the university was indeed considering a possible quota on Christian organizations at UNC-Wilmington. During our conversation, this tenured faculty member casually stated that the university had too many Christian organizations to manage. He claimed that it would soon be necessary to stop recognizing new Christian organizations and instead have students conform their religious beliefs to those of existing organizations."

The author of the article points out  "that recent increases in the number of student Christian organizations were causing "concern" for some members of the university administration...because it suggested that the student body was becoming more conservative. " 

OH NO!!! NOT THAT!!! How horrible to think that young men and women would want to live a moral and holy life.  It may change the world into a place where babies aren't murdered in their own mothers wombs and homosexuality isn't seen as the best thing since sliced bread.  Wouldn't that be horrible.  (Just in case you haven't figured it out, I am being sarcastic.  I think it is wonderful that Christian organizations are increasing on college campuses.)

I Don't Want To Brag, But...

John Paul II affirmed in a speech to members of the community of the Pontifical Major Seminary of Rome that seminarians “are in a special way the future and hope of the Church; their presence in the seminary attests to the strength of attraction that Christ exercises on the heart of young people. A strength that does not take away from liberty, on the contrary, it allows it to fully flourish by choosing the greatest good: God to whose service we dedicate ourselves forever...In this age, there is the impression of a certain reluctance on the part of young people in the face of definitive and total commitments. It is as if they were afraid of making decisions that last an entire life. Thank God, in the diocese of Rome that there are many young people who are willing to consecrate their lives to God and to their brothers in the priestly ministry. Nevertheless, we must pray incessantly to the Master of the harvest so that He may send new workers for His harvest, and so that He may sustain them in their commitment to a coherent adhesion to the demands of the Gospel.”

USCCB's (United States Confrence Of Catholic Bishops) "Zero Tolerance" Policy Questioned By The Vatican

"Bishop Sgreccia [president of the Pontifical Academy for Life] summed up the most provocative conclusion of the seminar by saying that the specialists assembled by the Vatican had concluded that "it is possible and necessary to find an approach even for priests who are guilty of sexual abuse, to pursue treatment and rehabilitation, and not to abandon them or consider them useless to the Church."

I too think that to totally dismiss those who have been perpetators of sexual abuse as useless to the Church. There is such a thing as rehabilitation and healing. To say that there isn't is to strip the cross of it's power. Something I am unwilling to do. Granted, crimes of sexual abuse are horrible for everyone, but Christ came to bring forgiveness and freedom from sin.

Now, do not hear me saying that I think priests who abuse children should be put back into a parish situation. I am not saying that at all. I am, however, saying that there is a place somewhere in the Church for them.

Mark Shea has some wonderful commentary on this as well, check it out here.  And like him, I say "all hate mail gratefully accepted."

Spam And Cheese

Well, the show went very well.  The crowds were not as big as normal, but nevertheless it was a great show.  Those of you who were not able to make it missed a great show.  Thanks to all who came and all who supported us with your prayers.

President Bush To Endorse Ban On "Gay Marriage"

"President Bush on Wednesday was to announce his support for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in an attempt to halt same-sex unions like the thousands that have been allowed this month in San Francisco, the White House said. He has always strongly believed that marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said."

Let's pray for President Bush and the success of this ban on "gay marriage." The survival of the family and society depends on it.

The above is my name in Chinese (Shi De Nai) and roughly means "moral, virtuous and patient."  Get your own Chinese name here.

Stress

As you can see in the post below, this week has been stressful, and adding to that stress was the fact that this past Tuesday was my formal evaluation session wherin the people on my evaluation board voted on whether or not the seminary would recommend me for ordination to the diaconate.  In case you are interested here is how the evaluation process works:

At the beginning of the year, I, in converstation with my spiritual director and those people on my evaluation board (the Rector, Vice Rector, Director of Spiritual Formation, and two faculty members) write a "formation contract."  The formation contract is merely a document that I write in which I set goals for the coming year.  Before the official evaluation session, near the end of the year, I meet with the board members again to discuss how I have done with my goals in the fomation contract as well as any other issues they may want to discuss with me (my commitment to prayer, celibacy, etc...).  Then, I meet with the Vice-Rector who tells me what he will say in the evaluation (so that there are no surprises).  Following this, I write a self-evaluation which is distributed to each member of the board.  Then, the whole board meets with me present and they evaluate me.  I am offered an opportunity to speak, as well as answer any questions that they may have.  Following that meeting, which I may add can be very stressful, I leave and they vote in secret as to whether or not they will recommend me for orders.

Phew...thats quite a process, but it seems to work well.  As for my evaluation, I think it very went well, but I won't know what the vote is for a couple of weeks yet.  I really have no fears about it since the evaluation session and the individual meetings leading up to it went well.  I will keep everyone updated.

It's Not To Late To Get Tickets

Phew...I can't believe tonight is opening night.  I never realized how much work it takes to direct a show like this.  I have learned so much.  The first of which is that I am not as good at organization and motivation as I thought I was.  This has been a great opportunity for me to grow in the virtue of humility. 

This past week has also been very stressful because our ticket sales have not been as good as last year, so if you can, get yourself a ticket or just show up at the door (more information below).  You really will have a good time.  You will see seminarians as you have never seen them before.  If you can't come, at least pray for us and the success of the show.  It would be much appreciated.

New Blog

Here is a new blog by a Luthern friend of mine.  He invited me to be part of it, so I thought I would share it with you.  Hopefully there will be some good ecumenical discussions there.  Check it out.

I'm Back

New York was great (even though I didn't get to see David Letterman).  Pictures and commentary will be forthcoming. 

Blogging will be sparce this week because of our upcoming Variety Show (see post below) here at the seminary.  Ticket sales are low this year, so if you live in St. Louis please call and make your reservations. You will not regret it - fun will be had by all.

Very Interesting...

According to Reuters, Church Leaders in Italy have formed a anti-satan task force.

"Faced with a growing demand for exorcisms, Catholic Church leaders in the Italian city of Genoa have created a task force of doctors and priests to determine when the devil is at work and when psychiatric help is needed.

The team of three priests, a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a neurologist has been dubbed the Anti-Satan Pool by the Italian media.

A church official says they will meet on a regular basis to determine where there has been a case of demonic possession requiring an exorcist, or problems better cared for by a psychologist.

One of the church's leading exorcists has praised the initiative, saying medical experts are needed to rule out mental problems before any spiritual work can begin."

Just goes to prove that satan is alive and well, and working quite hard to drag us into hell.

Start Spreading The News, I'm Leaving Today...

Well Folks, I am headed off to New York later this afternoon. Pray for safe travel and a heck of a good time. I will update the blog if I can, if not I will be back on here Tuesday.

Also, if you get a chance, send a few prayers my way on Tuesday the 17th. The evaluation that will decided whether or not the seminary will recommend me to be ordained as a Deacon will happen on that day. Prayers never hurt, usually they help. God's will be done.

I Think These Guys Have Something Going For Them

"Melissa Millis feels bombarded by everyday messages of sexual promiscuity, whether it's Janet Jackson's bare breast during the Super Bowl or her classmates' casual sex talk. So Millis, a high school senior in Michigan, and thousands of other students across the nation plan to wear white T-shirts to school Friday, the day before Valentine's Day, to publicly show their commitment to not having sex outside marriage. They're calling their effort the "Day of Purity," and they will distribute pro-abstinence pamphlets to their peers."

"But the Day of Purity is being watched with a wary eye by groups that promote sexual tolerance, such as the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network and the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. The Day of Purity Web site accuses those groups of "a concerted effort in the schools and media to turn our youth away from traditional values."

Imagine that. Those who preach tolerance (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network and the Parents) don't want to be tolerant of the truth and people who live it out (The Day of Purity people).

Veritas My Rear!

It appears as though Harvard University will Have their own porn magazine with nude photos of students. An article from The Harvard Crimson, the official Harvard Newspaper say's this, "After flipping through the pages of Squirm, a Vassar College erotica magazine, the Committee on College Life (CCL) voted to approve a student-run magazine that will feature nude pictures of Harvard undergraduates and articles about sexual issues at its meeting yesterday."

I don't know about you but this makes me want to vomit, especially when I read quotes like this from one of the people peddling the porn who ironically is a woman, "I don’t think we faced any opposition. People have been very open about it."

What?!?!?!? Nobody opposed them? What is wrong with our world when people don't oppose a reputable university publishing a porn magazine exploiting and degrading their own students? She also said, “I don’t think we faced any opposition. People have been very open about it." I just can't believe it. We have to do something.

He Is So Right

A friend of mine from the Luthern Seminary here in town has made some wonderful comments on Notre Dame and their gay film festival.  He writes on his blog, "Sometimes Catholics get it right and sometimes they get it very, very wrong. This primarily applies to Roman Catholic universities. Who can name a major Roman Catholic university where they do not have official recognition for "Gay/Lesbian/Transgendered" groups? Why do they continue to give in to the pressure from both within and without to recognize these groups? They are not public universities; why do they have to accommodate groups with which the Catholic Church is in total and absolute disagreement? They don't, and yet, they do accommodate them."

Amen.  I agree.  I think the Church needs to take very seriously the situation of Catholic Universities not being so Catholic. Some bishops (I say some because clearly some of them are doing the right thing, but many are not), in my humble opinion, need to take seriously the Holy Fathers encyclical Ex Corde Ecclesiae that sets forth the Church's position on Catholic Universities.  It's a sad situation when people of other denominations (such as my friend Tim) are wondering what's up with these Catholic Universities not being held accountable for their blatant untruthful stances on Homosexuality and numerous other theological issues.

For more information on the Notre Dame fiasco, snail mail addresses, and e-mail addresses for the major players at Notre Dame see Tim's blog.

Spam and Cheese

Here is the press release for our student variety show of which I am the director:

"ST. LOUIS, FEBRUARY 10, 2004. The students and staff of Kenrick Glennon Seminary will take the stage the weekend of February 20-22^nd with their annual student variety show. The laugh laden variety show is comprised of individual and group acts designed to provide quality family entertainment for all. The show has something for everyone; from stand up comedy to song and dance routines, we have it all.

The annual variety show developed three years ago as a way both raise money for worthy causes and give the public a glimpse of the hidden talents of the men who study at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. From the very first show we knew that this would soon become one of the highlights of the year for both our students and audience alike. Attesting to this is the fact that for the past two shows we have had sellout crowds for all of our shows. If you are looking for an evening of good wholesome entertainment suitable for all ages come and see Spam and Cheese: Unsolicited Entertainment.

Tickets are $7 per person or $20 per family and can be obtained by calling (314)792-6219 or (314)792-6283. Tickets will also be sold at the door.  Showtimes are 7pm on Friday, 5 and 8pm on Saturday, and 7pm on Sunday.

Kenrick-Glennon Seminary is located at 5200 Glennon Drive, off Weil Avenue – approximately 6 blocks west of Chippewa and 10 Blocks east of Laclede Station Road."

Come and see us if you are in town.

Real Men

This is one of the very best articles on what it means to be a real man that I have read in a long time.  It is totally worth the time to read it.

A few excerpts:  "It's the second anniversary of the September 11 tragedy, and the terrible images from that day are still vivid, forever burned into my memory... Sadly, for many people, the memory of the firefighters is fading. And that's a shame, because we need their example of masculinity, especially with the controversy over gay marriage so much in the news."

"The reason gay marriage seems plausible to some people is that our understanding of masculinity is blurred, thanks to 35 years of hostility to authentic manhood in the universities, in the media, in the arts. There's a masculinity crisis in our society and in the Church. The divorce rate is at 50-percent. Fatherless families are common. Catholic priests are in crisis. Many men aren't doing what they're supposed to do."

Take a look.