a word about the title...

When my grandson was still a toddler, I used to greet him with "How ya doin', Rascal?"

Well, you guessed it! The name stuck--not for him, but for me. Now, my grandson, my daughter, my son-in-law, and sometimes my other daughters call me "Rascal". I get cards and packages addressed to Rascal.

So, all you grandparents out there, be careful what you call your grandchildren--it just may stick--to YOU!
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the Catholic Church

It hasn't been going well for the Catholic Church for the past 20 years, and it doesn't look like it's going to get any better soon. Monsignor William Lynn, the highest ranking priest charged in the child molestation scandal, said in court that he typed and kept a list of 35 deviant priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. According to Lynn, he couldn't do anything because he answered to the Archbishop.

Sounds like the Nazis after WWII to me--"I did nothing. I said nothing. I knew nothing." In Lynn's case, we know that the first two are true--he did nothing and he said nothing. But, we also know that the third is definitely NOT true--he knew PLENTY.

What about farther "up the chain"? Joseph Ratzinger, the current pope, was the former pope's chief of staff. He had to know plenty too. Is it reasonable to believe that the former pope, Karol Wojtyła, knew nothing? I don't think so.

The laity has lost respect for the church's hierarchy, not only for their failures in addressing child molestation by priests in the recent past, but also for their continued "stone-walling". ... "Wordsmith" the Roman missal, but don't "come clean" on child molesting priests and the hierarchy's role in covering it up.

Talk about your "stand-up" guys! It's disgusting!

Lent

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If you want to hear people talk out loud about what new restaurants that they’ve gone to lately, what new stores have opened, and what they and their friends are doing socially, then go to sanctuary of your local Catholic church before, after, and during mass. If you want to engage in semantic silliness, like “chalice” instead of “cup”, “incarnate” instead of “born”, “consubstantial” instead of “same”, “be with your spirit” instead of “be with you”, etc., then go to mass at your local Catholic church. If you want to be constantly bombarded about giving money for building projects, debt reduction, self-serving initiatives, etc., then go to mass at your local Catholic church.

Jesus drove moneychangers from the temple. Why don’t the “rabbis” of today speak out against the disrespect for the Lord, and towards those who are trying to pray, that is occurring with people talking out loud in the church sanctuary before, after, and during mass? Jesus blasted the Pharisees of His day for their “do as I say, not as I do” pompousness and arrogance, quick to point out the “splinter” in someone else’s eye while ignoring the “plank” in their own. Jesus said that God provides for the least of his creatures, birds and flowers. Jesus told us not to worry about money; He said that God loves us too and that He will provide for us also. Why is today’s Catholic Church obsessed with money? Why doesn’t the Catholic Church practice what Jesus preached?

Before entering public life, Jesus went out into the desert to seek solitude, and to pray. He fasted for 40 days, not only from food, but also from idle conversation. During this Lent let’s get back to basics, back to Jesus. Pray that church sanctuaries return to holy places of prayer, not places of idle gab and disrespect. Pray that the church of Jesus Christ turns away from silliness, obsession with money, and corruption, and towards Jesus Christ, Who abhorred money, and Who preached the “good news” of help for the poor and the disenfranchised (including us).
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Discerning the will of God

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Who knows with certainty the will of God? Do we? The Catholic Church? the pope? bishops? priests? deacons? saints? mystics? seers? prophets? scholars?

The Catholic Church teaches that God's will can be determined through the Catholic bible and by tradition. We know from the Catholic bible that Jesus made Peter head of His Church. Jesus told Peter and His apostles that sins that they forgave are forgiven, and that sins that they didn't forgive aren't forgiven. What power! What responsibility.

The Catholic Church teaches that the pope is infallible when he speaks officially on faith and morals. We know from our Catholic educations that popes have only declared infallibility twice, both on matters of faith, one being that Mary was conceived without sin.

For me, discerning the will of God isn't as easy as some might have us believe. In trying to discern the will of God, I look to Scripture first.

The Catholic bible tells us that when Jesus was asked "what are the greatest commandments?" that He responded that there are two: love God with your whole heart, mind, and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. Clear. Concise. Unambiguous. Because I know that Jesus is God, I KNOW that this is God's will. In the gospels Jesus speaks clearly and unambiguously on a number of issues--money, hypocrisy, adultery, feeding the hungry, taking care of the poor, etc. I KNOW the will of God on many issues from Scripture, because, God, Jesus, told us His will, clearly and unambiguously.

While Jesus speaks to us directly in Scripture on many faith and morals issues, He doesn't speak in Scripture to every faith and moral issue that arises--celibacy for priests, for example. Peter, Jesus' successor, was married; but, the Catholic Church says that it's God's will that priests be celibate. However, the Catholic Church hasn't declared its teaching on celibacy as infallible. So, is the Catholic Church CERTAIN that celibacy is the will of God? For me personally, I'm a LOT more comfortable saying that feeding the hungry is the will of God than I am saying that celibacy for priests is the will of God. Jesus told us clearly and unambiguously to feed the hungry, while He doesn't speak directly to us in Scripture concerning celibacy for priests.

I'm comfortable in saying that respect for the Eucharist is the will of God. The gospels tell us quite clearly of Jesus' love for the temple in Jerusalem. Ask Christians when Jesus was angry, and most will say when he drove the moneychangers out because they were desecrating the temple.

While Fatima is neither in the Catholic bible nor in dogmas of the Catholic Church, I believe that apparitions occurred there. I believe that an angel appeared to the children, before Mary appeared to them, and gave them this prayer:

"Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly. I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference which He Himself is offended. And, through the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners."

I believe that as Catholics we have a GREAT responsibility to the Eucharist which the Catholic bible tells us that Jesus gave to us, and, by Jesus' own words, tells us that the Euchrist is His Body and Blood. Our responsibility to the Eucharist includes preserving and protecting the sanctuaries of our churches from the "indifference, sacrileges, and outrages" that the angel referred to, and make them respectful, prayerful places conducive to worshiping God. Our responsibility to do so is based on Jesus' own actions, recorded in the Catholic bible, that show His great love for His Father's house.

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Fort Sumter

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Jenny, Kyle and I went to Ft. Sumter in Charleston, where fighting began in the Civil War exactly 150 years ago on April 12, 1861.

Ft. Sumter, built in 1829 in a series of coastal forts built following the war of 1812, rests on dredged fill from Charleston Harbor and is accessible only by boat.
It’s small, REALLY small. It’s AMAZING how CLOSE that Ft. Sumter is to Sullivan’s Island
and to James Island.

The 85 soldiers stationed at Ft. Sumter on April 12, 1861 were “sitting ducks” as artillery shells rained down on them from both James and Sullivan’s islands. After 34 hours of continuous shelling, that seriously damaged perimeter walls, and completely destroyed the main gates, and the resulting fires that completely burned their living quarters, and surrounded Ft. Sumter’s ammunition magazines, Major Robert Anderson and his men abandoned Ft. Sumter to the Confederates on April 14, 1861.

In the movie “Glory”, starring Matthew Broderick, Union troops, trying to retake Ft. Sumter from the Confederates, land at the lighthouse on James Island and move northwards towards Ft. Sumter. The volunteer guide told us that in the movie that the ocean is on the left, instead of on the right. Oh well, that’s Hollywood! (Other than that little detail, it’s a great movie.)

Visiting Ft. Sumter made history come alive!

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Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan’s Island, dates back to the War of Independence. Built of Palmetto tree trunks and sand, on June 28, 1776 Col. William Moultrie, and his 400 men, fought a day-long battle heavily damaging British ships attacking Charleston Harbor, forcing the them to retreat. Some time after the attack, Col. Moultrie was given the honor of designing South Carolina’s flag. His flag featured a white crescent moon on a dark blue background.


A palmetto tree was later added to his flag, representing the relatively crude walls (palmetto tree trunks) first constructed under his command.

Of course, no trip to Charleston would be complete without

Hope

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Yesterday Kyle, Jenny and I went to the 5:30 PM Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah. Fr. Christopher D. Ortega was the celebrant and homilist.

Father Ortega spoke passionately of the Blessed Sacrament. He told us that Jesus, present PHYSICALLY in the Blessed Sacrament, loves us more than we will ever know, and wants us to spend time with Him in adoration. Before Communion Father Ortega reminded us “We don’t leave Mass after or during Communion. We are Catholics. This (Blessed Sacrament) is God.”

At a time when the institutional Church is more concerned with the inconsequential (changing words in the Roman Missal) instead of that which is REALLY important (increasing disrespect for the Blessed Sacrament occurring in the sanctuaries of our Catholic churches), Father Christopher Ortega is a beacon of Hope.
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Blessed Sacrament

Yesterday Jenny, Shelly, Tim, Kyle and I attended Mass at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Norfolk. It's a beautiful church with a beautiful sanctuary. During his homily the pastor, Father Joseph Metzger, remarked that "...the sanctuary at times is quiet and at other times is chaotic." Blessed Sacrament's sanctuary before Mass yesterday was chaotic with all of the talking that was going on. However, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Norfolk VA is NOT alone. The same can be said ("chaotic") of the sanctuary of our church, St. Gregory the Great in Bluffton, SC, and of most Catholic sanctuaries today.

What has happened to the Church of my youth? When I was young no one spoke out loud in the sanctuary before, during, or after Mass, except for the priest. Even in hushed tones, conversation about golf, restaurants, friends, etc. is inappropriate for the sanctuary of a Catholic Church, then and NOW. Those who engage in such conversation are disrespectful of others who are trying to connect with God in prayer, and, more importantly, they are disrespectful of the Blessed Sacrament.

I'm a sinner. Yesterday I visited to Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Norfolk, VA. I may never pass that way again. If I were able to say one thing to the parishioners of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Norfolk, VA, I would say this:

"Consider the Name of your parish. Jesus is present PHYSICALLY in your tabernacle, as He is in all other tabernacles in the world. Show respect for Jesus and for others who are in the sanctuary trying to pray. Please return the sanctuary to a place of quiet reverence, prayer, and respect. (Please understand that I am NOT speaking of infants and toddlers who are too young to understand the significance of the PHYSICAL presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.)

To those of my generation (born in the first half of the last century), You have a particular obligation to return the sanctuary to that which existed in our youth. Consider the POOR example that YOU give to young Catholics with your idle conversation about golf, restaurants, friends, etc. Be considerate of others who are trying to pray. Consider the unique PHYSICAL presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament."


Fatima Prayer
Most Holy Trinity
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners. Amen.
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103%

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Here is a little something someone sent me that is indisputable mathematical logic. It also made me Laugh Out Loud.

This is a strictly mathematical viewpoint....it goes like this:

What Makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions: If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.
Then:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%
and
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%
But,
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%
And,
B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T
2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

AND, look how far ass kissing will take you.

A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G
1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%
So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty, that while Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Bullshit and Ass Kissing that will put you over the top.
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Mepkin Abbey

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On Thursday we visited Mepkin Abbey in Moncks Corner, SC. It’s an extraordinary place! Our guide gave the history of the land back to colonial days. Our guide told us that the property had been about 7,000 acres. She wasn’t sure if it was still 7,000 acres; but, she guesses that it is still several thousand acres.

Henry and Clare Boothe Luce, who was a convert, donated the property to the Charleston diocese in 1940s. Trappist monks moved there in 1949. They’ve opened beautiful, inspiring Mepkin Abbey up to all visitors of all faiths. Our guide told us that persons from every walk of life and every faith have made retreats there, which are free of charge.

What a wonderful example of Christianity! The monks have put aside privacy and liability concerns to open their home to everyone, just as Jesus would do. In a world so consumed with legal concerns, and selfishness, the monks have enriched countless lives, including ours, by allowing us to visit their home.

A slide show of our visit is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOt2mFKBdgI
Photographs of our visit are at https://picasaweb.google.com/101199968059939978678/MepkinAbbey02
Mepkin Abbey’s website is www.mepkinabbey.org/
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What?

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According to generals and some others in Pakistan, we shouldn’t have “violated their sovereignty” in taking out Bin Laden. What? According so some, including the Huffington Post, other liberal media, and other liberals in the US, taking out Bin Laden wasn’t “legal”. What? These same people say that we shouldn’t celebrate killing Bin Laden. What?

If a terrorist kills scores of innocent people in our country, then we’re not supposed to take him out? Would I have a problem with an Israeli commando team coming into this country, unbeknownst to us beforehand, and taking out a terrorist who killed innocent Israeli citizens? Absolutely NOT!

I’ve got news for the generals and others in Pakistan, the Huffington Post, the liberal media, and other liberals around the world: THIS IS WAR, PEOPLE! In war, you take out mass-murderer enemies who murder innocent people. In war, you “cut off the head of the snake”. In war, it's “kill, or be killed”.

MANY psalms give praise and thanks to God, i.e., celebrate, for His delivering us from our enemies (http://www.lovethetruth.com/articles/psalms_and_enemies.htm). We should celebrate God delivering us from Osama Bin Laden. We should ignore those who suggest otherwise.
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