Category Archives: Religion

BRING BACK THE PIE!

03 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Catholic, Holidays, Religion

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(The following is a blog post I wrote 12.26.16, but is applicable today.)

christmaspiegirlgraphicsfairy004bThe majority of Catholics have fallen into the same mindset as the general culture when it comes to the schedule of celebrating holidays.

Easter doesn’t suffer as much as Christmas, presumably because Easter isn’t a major retail holiday season, so the stakes aren’t as high, economically speaking. Sure, McDonald’s does a big business in fish sandwiches during Lent, and Cadbury gets its share due to goo-filled chocolate eggs.

Christmastide is greatly abused and forgotten these days, to say nothing of poor Advent.

Starting today, we enter the REAL Christmas season. Just as the rest of the world is putting away their decorations and throwing their trees in ponds, Catholics are just getting started…or should be. Santa has come and gone, but our 40-day celebration of the Infant Christ and His Holy Family begin now.

Fisheaters.com lays it out the traditional celebration very nicely for us:

The entire Christmas Cycle is a crescendo of Christ’s manifesting Himself as God and King — to the shepherds, to the Magi, at His Baptism, to Simeon and the prophetess, Anna (Luke 2). The days from the Feast of the Nativity to the Epiphany are known as “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” with Christmas itself being the first day, and Twelfthnight — 5 January — being the last of the twelve days. Christmastide liturgically ends on 13 January, the Octave of the Epiphany and the Baptism of Christ (at which time the season of Time After Epiphany begins). But Christmas doesn’t end spiritually — i.e., the celebration of the events of Christ’s life as a child don’t end, and the great Christmas Cycle doesn’t end — until Candlemas on 2 February and the beginning of the Season of Septuagesima.

Christmas: Christ is born
Feast of the Holy Innocents: Herod slaughters the baby boys in order to kill the Christ Child
The Circumcision (the Octave of Christmas): Jesus follows the Law
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus: After He is circumcised, He is named and becomes a part of the Holy Family
Twelfth Night: The Twelve Days of Christmas as a Feast come to an end
Feast of the Epiphany: Jesus reveals His divinity to the three Magi, and during His Baptism, and at the wedding at Cana
Baptism of Our Lord/Octave of the Epiphany: Christmas liturgically ends with the Octave of the Epiphany.
Feast of the Holy Family: Jesus condescends to be subject to His parents
Feast of the Purification (Candlemas): 40 days after giving birth, Mary goes to the Temple to be purified and to “redeem” Jesus per the Old Testament Law of the firstborn. Christmas truly ends as a Season with Candlemas and the beginning of Septuagesima.

So, now that you know that we are just starting Christmas, pull out the ham, bring back the pie, return the ribbon candy, and don’t take down the tree! We have a lot to celebrate. Besides, a 40-day celebration of our eternal salvation hardly seems adequate.

Merry Christmas!

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THE PAPAL VISIT: IN THE STYLING OF ROSEANNE ROSEANNADANNA

25 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by in Amusing, Faith, Pop Culture, Religion, Uncategorized

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,

"Dear Roseanne..."

Dear Roseanne, Ever since Pope Francis arrived in the United States and started talking about this, that, and the other thing, all I’ve been hearing is people complaining about what he’s saying, what he isn’t saying, what he should be saying. What do you think about all this and should I even care? Sincerely, Milton Dworkin

What does this have to do with anything?

Mr. Dworkin, I know what you’re talkin’ about, because, I, Roseanne Roseannadanna, have had the same thought! From the minute the Pope arrived, I’ve only been upset that he was wearin’ white after Labor Day, but when you’re the Pope, I guess you can do whatever you want! Like this one time, when Dr. Joyce Brothers was at the same restaurant I was at. I looked over and there she was-eatin’ her meatloaf with a salad fork! I said, “Hey! Joyce! What’re you doin’ with that salad fork, eatin’ your meatloaf?!” Meatloaf was goin’ everywhere! It was makin’ me sick! I thought I was gonna die!

Anyway, so Pope Francis talked to the members of Congress yesterday and he talked about the Golden Rule, and the death penalty, and the environment. I don’t know if any of those congress people were payin’ attention or not, but a lot of Catholics were. It made me think of my Aunt, Hosanna Roseannadanna–who was a real brainy, serious kinda’ gal–and who used to say to me when I was just a little, tiny girl, she’d say, “Rosanne, the Church cares about all of the issues facing people today, but She doesn’t weigh war, healthcare, and capital punishment the same as She weighs abortion or other non-negotiables like euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, and same-sex unions. For instance, just as if your child had both a messy room and been caught freebasing heroin. Both are bad, but one necessitates an immediate, serious discussion. The other can be dealt with along the way.”

It's always somethin'...

It just goes to show you. It’s always somethin’. If it’s not one thing, it’s another.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS RULES AND EXPECTATIONS. THANK GOD.

11 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by in Catholic, Pop Culture, Religion, Right on, Uncategorized

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In 2005, the United Auto Workers issued a statement regarding Marine reservists who were using a UAW parking lot that read, in part, “While Reservists certainly have the right to drive non-union made vehicles…that doesn’t mean they have the right to park in a lot owned by the members of the UAW.”

Coke/PepsiIf you are an employee of PepsiCo. and are seen drinking a Coca-Cola product in public, you can be, and should expect to be, formally reprimanded by the company.

Last month, a Glendale police officer was fired after writing on his personal Facebook page that the protesters in Ferguson should be “put down like rabid dogs” and were “a burden on society and a blight on the community.”

Instead of outrage, protests, or letters to editors, people were pleased the officer was removed from his office. His behavior was not appropriate for his office so he was removed from it.

Imagine if a person were to interview for and accept a position at Planned Parenthood, out himself as anti-abortion and then become outraged when Planned Parenthood didn’t stop providing abortions. Would the community support him for his beliefs? Would there be public outrage that Planned Parenthood wasn’t open-minded or catering to its employee’s beliefs? Would there be media scrutiny?

Of course not.  How absurd.

If a person actively seeks out employment within a Catholic institution, he should understand and expect that the basic tenets of the Faith will be promulgated and; hopefully, upheld in that institution.

Catholic institutions and people who are employed by Catholic institutions should be held to a much higher standard. Catholics have a right to expect our institutions and employees be held to a higher standard. Catholics should be pleased that our institutions and employees are held accountable for their actions.  Catholics should support our institutions and employees for adhering to these standards.

If we as the Church do not hold firm to our beliefs and our traditions; if we do not intend to teach the Faith, to propagate the Faith, to defend the Faith, then what has been the point of the last 2000 years?

In the Archdiocese of St. Louis employees sign a Christian Witness Statement upon employment with the archdiocese. This statement reads in part: “‘IndeedQuotation-Fulton-J-Sheen
the primordial mission of the Church is to proclaim God and to be His witness before the world.’  …the following Witness Statement applies to all who serve the Archdiocese of St. Louis. All who serve in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, in the parishes, schools, offices, agencies and other ministries and apostolates will witness by their public behavior, actions, and words, a life consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church.”

If you want to park on the UAW lot in Detroit, you’d better not drive a non-union made car.  If you want to work for PepsiCo., you’d better not drink Coke.  If you want to be a police officer, you’d better not suggest anyone should be “put down”. If you want to work for the Catholic Church, you can’t live a life that publicly defies Her teachings.

 Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.
-Saint Paul to the Thessalonians.

OUR FIAT. DO NOT BE AFRAID.

17 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Advent, Catholic, Faith, Religion, Uncategorized

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At the moment our first parents, Adam and Eve, lost Paradise for us, we began waiting. 2,000 years ago, a young girl named Mary waited with the rest of the world for her savior, not knowing that she would be the vessel that would pour out salvation to humanity. With just a few words, the world’s wait was over…

The Latin for “let it be done” is “fiat.”  Mary’s response to the angel, in Latin is, “Ecce ancilla Domini; fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.” Mary’s “fiat” is her “yes” to God.  So “fiat”, in addition to being the name of a cute, little Italian car, is what we use to refer to Mary’s response to the angel.

Mary’s fiat is special because it is through this act of humble submission to the will of God that the Son of God makes His entrance into human history, taking on a human nature and becoming one like us in all things but sin. It is an example to us of obedience and faith in the Lord.  Imagine if each of us responded to the will of the Lord by saying, “Let it be done!”

Last year, Pope Benedict XVI offered a reflection concerning the role of Mary as a model of prayer and the prototype of the Christian life and vocation. In this instruction he said, “The Christian life involves a continuing, ongoing walk with the Lord. He invited each of us into an intimate, personal, exchange of love, a life of communion. This kind of intimacy with a living, loving God is the interior meaning of Mary’s Fiat, her Magnificat, and the example of her life.”

Mary’s life, if we look at it without her role in salvation, is unremarkable. She was, except in sin, like any other young woman 2,000 years ago. She cooked, she cleaned, she visited with neighbors and family. She existed.

Where Mary’s story becomes remarkable is the point at which God initiates a relationship with her. We often hear people say they are “seeking God” or “finding God.”  To say we’re “seeking God” implies that He is hidden from us. He is not hidden, He is with us, always and everywhere–always has been, always will be. It is really more accurate to say that we are simply trying to figure out what it is that God wants of us. What we don’t often have is the luxury of one of the archangels coming to us to tell us what, exactly, it is that God is asking of us, but, we’re not Mary and I suppose as the mother of the savior of the world, there’s bound to be some favoritism…

Our own relationship with God really has more to do with opening ourselves to recognizing that God is already there, always has been, and is seeking us out.  Our relationship with God is not one of discovering a God who is hidden from us, but rather, one of opening ourselves to let God enter in. In Matthew (7:7) we are told, “Seek and you shall find.” God is already there, and has been there from time eternal, waiting for each one of us. That surrender to God is not always easy; however. A relationship with God, like all relationships, takes work to keep the relationship strong, healthy, and productive.

It’s important to remember, too, that even for Mary, whom God held in such special favor, there was fear, and we know this because the angel says, “Do not be afraid, Mary…” (1:30).

Fear is not an uncommon response when we first start thinking about coming into a relationship with God. We might ask ourselves, who is this all-powerful Creator of the universe? What is God like? What does He want of me? Will I be worthy? Am I going to be asked to do something “holy” (like, become a nun or missionary or something?) Am I going to have to change the way I live my life? Am I going to become some sort of weird “religious fanatic?”

Mary is, indeed, asked to do something great for God, something strange and wonderful. But first she is assured that she is perfectly acceptable to God just as she is. The angel tells her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (1:30). The most important thing about God is that we do not have to be afraid. One of the things I love about our faith is that we are continually being told, “Do not be afraid!”  In fact, that phrase appears 365 times in the Bible.  Interestingly enough, over the last 2,000 years, we seem to not heed that admonition as much as we should, but nevertheless, when we do reflect on it, it’s comforting.

“Do not be afraid.” It is that assurance from Gabriel that gives Mary the courage to accept what God is asking of her.

God is asking her to do a great thing. He is asking the same thing of each one of us–literally, to bear God’s Son into the world. But we will not have to do it alone.  We do not have to be afraid. God will be with us along the way, and God will give us the strength to bear what we have to bear, and to do what we have to do. Have the courage to repeat Mary’s fiat and say: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.”