Burning the Candle at Both Ends

A beautiful song...

This song was performed at Ryan Barrett's funeral. To my untrained ear, it sounded even more beautiful than this.  But this version does  come close to what we heard on Wednesday.  As you listen, please whisper a little prayer for Ryan's soul and for healing for his family.

A Bishop Shepherding His Flock

I wanted to share something that happened at Ryan's wake last night.  I looked up at the doorway and saw our newest bishop on Long Island, Bishop Peter Libasci walking in.  Now, by marriage, Mary Ellen is related to a pretty high ranking monsignor in our diocese, so I figured he must have called for the Bishop to pay a visit.  I went over to greet the Bishop, since I felt somewhat of a connection... as a young priest he was assigned to the parish I grew up in and his first funeral there was my mother's. He also confirmed my niece, while still a priest, with a special dispensation.  Last year, this time as a bishop,  he confirmed my daughter with this same niece as a sponsor.  Full circle!

The Bishop spent quite alot of time with the Barretts and at the end of the evening, after he had left, I spoke with the Monsignor and thanked him for arranging this visit.  He looked at me puzzled and said "I had nothing to do with that.  The Bishop said he had read in the paper that Ryan had wanted to be a priest.  All priests are entitled to a visit from the Bishop at their wake!"  Wow! 

When I met Bishop Libasci at the door he said to me "I just had to come and see the little priest."  Maybe because this is the year of the Priest, but this story really touched me and gives me incredible hope for the Church. Let's all continue to pray for our priests... new priests, seasoned priests, and future priests!

Keep Holy the Lord's Day

That's what they're doing at Catholic Vote , and I think it's a great idea.

Signing off 'til Monday! 

It's Mary's Month!

A Touch of Class

How I wish this had turned out differently for the graduates of Notre Dame. How I wish our president would have  shown one tenth the class that Mary Ann Glendon has shown in politely declining to accept an honor from a Catholic University  so eager to turn  graduation day into a political debate. I am so disappointed at the scandal and division this has caused in our Church... all while Mr. Obama  sits back and enjoys the circus! 

Read the letter Mary Ann Glendon wrote to Fr. Jenkins here.   

Oh, The Irony

When I saw the headline, I had to read further to see if this was true!  It is true!  But what captured me most, was the irony... she knows nothing of Our Lady of Guadalupe, yet accepts the dubious honor of being bestowed with the Margaret Sanger award ... the highest honor given by Planned Parenthood. What the...?

 

 

Hillary Clinton leaves flowers for Our Lady of Guadalupe, asks ‘Who painted it?’

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton / Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 27, 2009 / 04:59 pm (CNA).- During her recent visit to Mexico, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an unexpected stop at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and left a bouquet of white flowers “on behalf of the American people,” after asking who painted the famous image.

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was miraculously imprinted by Mary on the tilma, or cloak, of St. Juan Diego in 1531. The image has numerous unexplainable phenomena, such as the appearance on Mary’s eyes of those present in the room when the tilma was opened and the image’s lack of decay.

Mrs. Clinton was received on Thursday at 8:15 a.m. by the rector of the Basilica, Msgr. Diego Monroy.

Msgr. Monroy took Mrs. Clinton to the famous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which had been previously lowered from its usual altar for the occasion.

After observing it for a while, Mrs. Clinton asked “who painted it?” to which Msgr. Monroy responded “God!”

Clinton then told Msgr. Monroy that she had previously visited the old Basilica in 1979, when the new one was still under construction.

After placing a bouquet of white flowers by the image, Mrs. Clinton went to the quemador –the open air area at the Basilica where the faithful light candles- and lit a green candle.

Leaving the basilica half an hour later, Mrs. Clinton told some of the Mexicans gathered outside to greet her, “you have a marvelous virgin!”

This evening Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to receive the highest award given by Planned Parenthood Federation of America -- the Margaret Sanger Award, named for the organization's founder, a noted eugenicist. The award will be presented at a gala event in Houston, Texas.

I've been waitng for this...

 I'm sure by now, most readers of my blog (yes,both of you!) are aware of the public outcry against the decision by Fr. Jenkins, president of Notre Dame University, to invite President Obama to, not only speak at this year's commencement exercise, but to be awarded with an honorary degree from the university.  In reading around the web, I was heartened to see that in 2004, the USCCB issued a statement, which in no uncertain terms addressed this very issue. When I read this for myself, my first thought was  that this priest is acting in direct disobedience to the bishops. Why aren't any of the Bishops addressing this issue head-on with this guy? Finally, this morning I found  this on LifeSite News.  A Bishop who is confronting Jenkins on his bad decision. Yippee! I am praying more of our bishops jump on this bandwagon.  The Catholic Church in America needs to show strength and unity in its leadership these days. This very public controversy is a test  which I am hoping we pass! Notre Dame needs to place the teachings of our Lord and His church above any sort of fleeting, worldly notoriety gained by having the president address its graduating class! If you haven't already done so, please add your name to the growing numbers of people signing this online protest of Fr. Jenkins and his blatant, slap-in- the face to his own superiors and the Catholic community at large... not to mention the insult and scandal he brings on Notre Dame University... named for the model of pro-life obedience herself, and on our Lord Jesus who must be immensely saddened at the thought of honoring someone who has so little regard for human life.

If you haven't signed the protest already here is a link

This is the text of Bishop Olmsted's letter to Fr. Jenkins.

Dear Fr. Jenkins,

I am saddened and heavy of heart about your decision to invite President Obama to speak at Notre Dame University and even to receive an honorary degree.

It is a public act of disobedience to the Bishops of the United States.  Our USCCB June 2004 Statement "Catholics in Political Life" states: "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles.  They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."  No one could not know of the public stands and actions of the president on key issues opposed to the most vulnderable human beings.

John Paul II said, "Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights - for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture - is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with the maximum determination."

I pray that you come to see the grave mistake of your decision, and the way that it undercuts the Church's proclamation of the Gospel of Life in our day.

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted
Diocese of Phoenix

A Blessed St. Patrick's Day

Ash Wednesday

With the beginning of Lent upon us, I am going to try and break away from the internet as much as possible. My prayer for all of us is that this season of preparing for the Risen Christ through self-denial and sacrifice may find us all drawn closer to Our Lord in a deeper way.  Spending time in quiet prayer and returning to simpler ways around the home are what He is calling me to in the coming weeks.

And now, a funny Ash Wednesday story:

About fourteen years ago, I took my four young ones to noon Mass with a friend of mine on Ash Wednesday. She had two little girls at the time.  Our four-year-old daughters had been chatting about getting ashes for a few days. We kept saying... "Hold your bangs back when you go to get your ashes... stay in line when you go to get your ashes... go right back to your seat after you  get your ashes..." and other such instructions.  All went well except for one thing. The priest distributing ashes to our side of the church decided that this year, young children did not need to get ashes! I guess there must have been a shortage.  Our two little girls dutifully stood in line, holding their bangs back and returned to the pew with puzzled looks on their faces. Finally, my Jessie says to Angelica, her buddy... "You didn't get a rash... do I have a rash?"

Aaaah... childhood innocence.

Hope that gave you a smile... I always smile thinking of it! Have a Blessed Lenten season!

Lent, already?

 

Five-year-old Hannah chirps from the backseat this morning: "I know what I'm giving up for Lent!".

"What would that be?" I ask, taking the bait.

"I'm giving up eating dough!"

Of course.