fans, saints & miscellaneous

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My nephew posted the following on his facebook page after his hometown team, the Atlanta Falcons, suffered a lopsided loss in the playoffs:

Paul: “you got to give it to aaron rodgers. even as a falcons fan, you just got to give it to aaron rodgers.”

A friend posted: “paul you are a terrible fan.”

I posted: “you're right, Paul! only diehard homies can't see that aaron rodgers and the packers were better last night...it's all about getting better...the falcons will be better next year... things could be worse--you could be a Redskins fan!

Not long afterwards, Jenny read in the newspaper that the beatification for Pope John Paul II is scheduled for May.

Dad was a free thinker. He didn’t let anyone else tell him how it is or how he should think.

Mom didn’t particularly like Dad expounding on his thoughts when they went “against the grain” of popular thinking, ESPECIALLY when they went against the grain of popular thinking in the Catholic Church. Jenny is a lot like Mom in that regard, when it comes to me expressing my view on popular thinking, including that of the Catholic Church.

I’m sure that Paul’s friend didn’t mean to slam him. But, I know my nephew. He’s a GREAT and KNOWLEDGEABLE sports fan. But, he doesn’t allow for his love for his home team to override his intellect, which is considerable.

I have NOTHING against Pope John Paul II. Clearly, he was a GREAT man and a GREAT pope. However, it has been a longstanding practice in the Catholic Church NOT to consider holy people for sainthood until they have been dead for a LONG time. That practice has changed relatively recently. That recent change has caused me to rethink the subject of saints.

The Catholic Church’s position is that it is proper for us to call upon saints in our prayers to God to intercede for us.

Most Protestants, to the best of my knowledge, do not ascribe to saints. As I understand it, Protestants feel that our prayers should be directed to God, and that we don’t need intercessors.

Personally, I don’t necessarily have a problem with the Church’s teaching on saints. But, I do have a problem with the new, revised process.

The Catholic Church has MANY canonized saints—MANY more saints than the calendar has days. Even doubling and tripling up on some days, there still aren’t enough days in the calendar to venerate ALL canonized saints with their own special day. Do we REALLY need any more canonized saints? Also, if we feel the need for an intercessor, then why not ask those who have died, and we know were good and faithful Christians, like our mother or father, grandmother or grandfather, godmother or godfather, etc., to intercede for us?

As far as the process of sainthood is concerned, why change the longstanding practice of waiting for decades after a person dies to begin the canonization process? Has shortening the process cheapened it? Has it become “political”? IMHO, these are valid questions. Maybe it would be better to suspend the process of canonizing more saints rather than to canonize more and more saints in less and less time. Direct our prayers to God. If we feel that we need an intercessor, then call on one of the MANY existing canonized saints, or your own intercessor, who you knew to be a good and faithful Christian.

The process for annulments in the Catholic Church has been criticized as being “political”. Some are able to get annulments relatively quickly, while others can’t get them at all. With some annulments it’s difficult to see what the “impediment” to marriage was when the couple were married by a priest, lived together for years, and had children together.

Like Dad, I find myself thinking more for myself the older that I get. When I was a child in Catholic grade school, I was taught that if you’re good that you go to heaven, and that if you’re bad, you go to hell. I have come to realize that this teaching was wrong. Protestants believe that our being saved has NOTHING to do with what we do, but is ALL about what God did for us. He sent His Only Son to redeem us, to pay the debt, and to open the gates of heaven for us. It’s ALL about Jesus, and what HE did for us.

So, when it comes to fans, saints, annulments, or salvation, I don’t need popular thinking, or ANYONE else, for that matter, to figure it out for me. Like Dad, I can figure it out for myself, thank you.

Ray Koenig, Jr.
January 16, 2011
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Christina Taylor Green

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“Her life began on a tragic day, and ended on a tragic day. Everything in between was beautiful.”

What a beautiful way for a father to describe the short life of his daughter!

Christina Taylor Green was born on September 11, 2001, the day that many innocents died in a horrific attack on this country by fanatical Islamic terrorists. She died on Saturday, January 8, 2011 when a deranged murderer attacked Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and other innocents in a Tuscon, Arizona parking lot. Thirteen were injured, some gravely, including Rep. Giffords. Six died, including 9-year old Christina.

It is impossible to make sense of this horrible tragedy; but, I am reminded of Another whose earthly Life began and ended in tragedy. We may think of Jesus’ birth as a happy day, and it was, for us. But, the price of redemption for those who He loves was great. God became man. The Creator became like his creatures. Is what was glorious for us tragic for God? I think so.

“His Life began on a tragic day, and ended on a tragic day. Everything in between was beautiful.”

Could it be that God wanted one who bears His Holy Name to be with Him? I think so.

Pray for us, Christina, as you enjoy the loving embrace of Your Heavenly Father and Mother.
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"The Greatest"

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I remember Muhammad Ali when he was still Cassius Clay. Was there “trash talking” before the “Louisville Lip”, aka “The Greatest”? Maybe so; but, Muhammad Ali made “trash talking” an art form. What few of us realized early in his career was that he could back it up.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Ali_1965.jpg/220px-Ali_1965.jpg

Muhammad Ali is controversial; he says what’s on his mind. He doesn’t worry about what other people think, how he looks to the press, to his fans, or to the public, the size of his opponent (including the US Government), or the odds against him. Muhammad Ali “trash talked”; but, he backed it up with great physical skills and a terrific work ethic.

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Paul Koenig

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My nephew, Paul, is a senior at Pius X HS in Atlanta. He's a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. He's getting full scholarship offers from colleges that he hasn't applied to (e.g. Auburn). He's thinking of majoring in engineering. His sister, Mary, is a senior at Georgia Tech. His father (my brother) graduated in engineering from the University of Virginia.(Sorry, Karl, but I think that Paul favors GA Tech over UVA.)

Soon Paul will decide. When he does, I think that he should hold a press conference and invite the media, just like outstanding HS athletes do when they sign a letter of intent.

Congratulations, Paul. We are VERY proud of you.
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Dean Gallen

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Dean Gallen was the dean of the School of Engineering when I went to Villanova University from 1964 through 1968. He was a brilliant man. Even better, he was a GOOD man. Here are some of the things that I remember about Dean Gallen:

During the first week or so of my freshman year at Villanova, there was an assembly of all freshman engineering students. Dean Gallen said: “I want you to take a moment and introduce yourself to the person sitting in front of you and on each side of you.”

After a few noisy moments, while we were introducing ourselves to each other, Dean Gallen called for silence. He said: “Only one in four of you will get a bachelor’s degree in engineering from here. Some of you will flunk out; some of you will transfer. For the one in four who does get an engineering degree from here, it won’t be easy.” Needless to say, I remembered what Dean Gallen said to us that day, during the next four years, and afterwards.

My first face-to-face encounter with Dean Gallen came during my sophomore year. I was struggling. I had struggled during my freshman year. Going into final exams, I worried about failing three courses: calculus, chemistry, and physics. I failed physics; I retook it in summer school. (Retaking physics during summer school is a story in itself, which I’ll save for another day.)

I vividly remember sitting in the back yard of our house on Quantico Street (Arlington, VA) with my Mom during the summer between freshman and sophomore years, and telling her: “I’m going back to Villanova this semester and give it EVERYTHING that I’ve got. If I don’t make it, then at least I can say that I tried my best.

After I received midterm grades for the first semester sophomore year, I scheduled an appointment with Dean Gallen. I sat in a chair in front of his desk. He had a folder with my grades in front of him. He asked: “What brings you here today?” I responded: “I need a 2.0 to graduate. I’ll never get there. I want to transfer out of engineering.”

As a side note, Dean Gallen’s son, Kevin, was in my engineering class. Kevin had a VERY high cum—close to 4.0. Dean Gallen said to me: “Ray, these midterm grades don’t count. If you’re between a C and a D, then your professor is going to give you a D at midterm to try to motivate you. I’ll make you a deal. You keep doing what you’re doing—keep studying hard—and I will PERSONALLY see that you get transferred to the curriculum of your choice here at the end of the semester, if that’s what you decide that you want to do.”

Long story short—I got my 2.0+. I can thank Dean Gallen for keeping me in engineering.

Another vivid memory that I have of Dean Gallen was his little “chats” our senior year. He told us: “The best students don’t always make the best engineers.” (Remember, Dean Gallen was a BRILLIANT and accomplished student himself, as was his son Kevin.) I will NEVER forget what Dean Gallen told us about the best students not always making the best engineers.

I will ALWAYS remember Dean Gallen. He was a GOOD man—a GREAT engineer, a GREAT dean, a good FAMILY man, and a good Christian.
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Fatima prayer

Please pray this (Fatima) prayer with me:

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

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In our parish people leave by the scores while communion is being distributed. They talk out loud in the sanctuary about golf, restaurants, friends, etc. It’s shameful.

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Please, God, forgive us for “...the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences with which He is offended”.

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May God have mercy on our souls.

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Kyle, can you solve it?

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http://hardeevilletutor.blogspot.com/

OK, Mr. Honor Roll, Science Award, can you answer the questions?

No cheating! I will quiz you on the answers when I see you in a couple of weeks!

Love,
Rascal
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Parable

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If you don't know GOD, don't make stupid remarks!!!!!!

A United States Marine was taking some college courses between assignments. He had completed 20 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan .

One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist, and a member of the ACLU. One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "GOD, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform... I'll give you exactly 15 min."

The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am GOD, I'm still waiting."

It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.

The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently.

The other students were shocked and stunned, and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, "What in the world is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"

The Marine calmly replied, "GOD was too busy today protecting America 's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot. So He sent me."

The classroom erupted in cheers!
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more Great Granddad photos of WWII

Grandma found these photos in a small book of photos that Grammy had. To enlarge them, just click on the photo.

Great Granddad Floyd Johnston

Kyle, Your Great Granddad, Floyd Johnston, served in the US Navy during World War II. He was assigned to LST (Landing Ship, Tank) # 55, where he saw lots of action carrying men, equipment, and supplies. For more about LSTs, google "LST". Following are some of Grammy's photos. (You can enlarge them by clicking on them.) 

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The caption on the back of the top photo reads: "Dad's ship: LST#55". 

The caption on the back of the bottom photo reads: "Johnston, F.E., LST#55".

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top: no caption 

bottom: "Ready for delivery"

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top: "Launching of L.C.T. 763 that was carried across by L.S.T. 55" 

bottom: "This is the L.C.T." 

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top: "This is at the docks in New Orleans." 

middle: " This was in Panama City, Florida." 

bottom: "This is the Deck Force hard at work painting the deck."

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top: "These are the ship's Officers." 

middle: This is the Small Boat Crew". 

bottom: "These are the Gunners Mates." 

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top: "This is the Engineer Division." 

middle: "This is Ship's Control." 

bottom: "This is the deck force painting the side of the ship." 

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top: "LST's docked. reloading." 

middle: "This was taken inland in France." 

bottom: no caption 

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top: "Masler" (last letter "r"? I don't know what this means.) 

bottom: "Dad's ship. Norfolk, US to So. Hampton, LeHarve, England, France, Germany, Italy, Norway"