We All Do It....

Take blogging breaks, that is. I believe I have three good (enough) excuses.

1. Work's been a little crazy.
2. I've been hunting. There's a lot more to it, but that's another post....
3. I'm working election polls on Nov. 6th, and had to go to a training. For one day.

Are those good enough? How about I have a lot of school? Hmmm?


Speaking of which......maybe I should do some right now. I'm currently doing a book analysis on Ivanhoe, and I am seeing a very strong connection between it and some of Tolkien's works. I'll probably end up writing a paper on that for fun.  I write random papers a lot. Maybe they'll get published.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

That doesn't matter. Ferthu hal, mon freondere!

Well, I "meant" to....

I meant to write bout St. Francis but it utterly escaped my mind at the time. Despite my tardiness let's look at the REAL St. Francis:

St Francis confronting the sultan.

Often times people use St. Francis as an example for animal rights. 

St. Francis loved the animals - that is a very valid point. I love 'em too, in they yard, fields, or ovens. 

I see no need to go into details about it; it suffices to say that if eating animals is a sin, then fine. Animal "souls" ("live giving spirit" ? I forget the proper term) are less than human souls. Human souls are eternal. Take care of human life first, and then move on to the animals. Anyone seen PETA demonstrating outside Planned Parenthood? The ecology where I live cannot sustain the deer population - if they wanna talk population control let's start with Bambi.

Anyways....

St. Francis also received the stigmata.

 That's one of those things I always forget, and it's amazing to contemplate that, and add to his other accomplishments. He truly was an alter Christus.

St. Francis, pray for us!

Little Things

So when I was younger, I admit, I was not a fan of St. Therese. I thought her and St. Francis were overrated. No, seriously, I did!

I didn't see what was so fascinating about a Carmelite nun and a friar who loved animals. (I am an avid yet unlucky hunter so when I hear people say St. Francis loves animals and we can't kill them it works me up!)

I never denied her sanctity or anything - but I always thought, why doesn't St. Louis de Montfort, or St. Dominic, or St. Margaret Mary have as much of a "fan base"?

Because, as I grew older I realized that she did what all saints do; little things. But unlike most saints, she left us a very clear and simple path. We must do little things for God- and only what he wants. That's it! So easy! As for St. Francis....I'll get to him tomorrow! Though it will probably enrage PETA. Haha.

St Therese, pray for us! 

Motivation

Being a senior in high school, I often get this look of shock - everyone knows about it, but most people don't know how it really works. I explained to a guy at work last night, and he said, "Well, I would love to have been homeschooled, but I'm just not motivated enough."

The flaw in that reasoning should be evident: motivation is not inherent - it is externally influenced.

That doesn't mean that everything around you decides your "motivational status" - but it certainly influences it.

But motivation is not intrinsically externally influenced. The intrinsicness, or as a priest friend would say, the whatness of motivation is attitude. Attitudes are decisions. Decide to do your job. It's that easy.

This motivation, the decision to do your job, should be carried out everywhere in our lives. Our spiritual lives are the most important.

Just because I wake up and don't "feel" like making my morning  mental prayer does NOT mean I am not motivated. It means I am influenced to be unmotivated, or let's be honest, lazy (and in this case slothful), but I am not unmotivated.

The point that I decide, "You know, I don't feel like praying so I won't" is when I become demotivated. It's sort of like the idea of aridity - just because I am experiencing aridity in prayer does not mean I am not praying.

Which brings me to my point:

Always make your daily meditation - and the days you don't feel like doing it are the days you absolutely have to!

St. Francis de Sales would always make an hour of prayer every day, except for when he was pretty busy. On those days, he always spent at least two hours in prayer.It's kind of like a gas tank, if you'll excuse the crudeness of the metaphor. On the days you drive 100 miles you'll need eight gallons of gas, but on the days you drive 200 you'll need sixteen.

If you're "feeling" demotivated, don't be discouraged! You are not demotivated until the moment you decide to be demotivated. It's as simple as that.

Archdiocese of the Internet

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, on this 28th day of September, Anno Domini 2012, formally erects the Diocese of Internet. The seat of the Diocese is established at the site known as What Does the Prayer Really Say?

His Excellency, Archbishop of the Diocese of Internet - Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
Vicar General of the Diocese of Internet - Fr. Tim Finigan
Chancellor of the Diocese of Internet - Fr. Ray Blake


Secretary to the Bishop - (who should I put here? Supertradmum?)
Secretary to the Vicar General - Mac McLernon
Secretary to the Chancellor - Laurence England

Archdiocesan Spokesperson - Thomas Peters
Archdiocesan Canon Lawyer - Dr. Ed Peters
Archdiocesan Commentator/Comedian - The Curt Jester.
Archdiocesan Liturgist - Deacon John Giglio

Religious Vocations Contact - Fr. Michael Mary, FSSR (Redemptorists)

Archdiocesan Newspapers  -

Rorate Caeli
New Liturgical Movement

May God Bless the new diocese and may it bring many souls into the harbor of salvation.

*this is not intended to be serious*

Exploring the Blogosphere: Laurence England

There are many bloggers in the Catholic blogosphere; very, very many. It's always great to read other Catholic blogs - I make it a rule that if I have spare time I will check out one new one every day.


But there's still many more; I would love to read them all and generally try to drop a comment by when I do. It's impossible to read them all of course, so I have a small list of blogs that I check daily. One of them happens to be That The Bones You Have Crushed May Thrill.


I have always looked up to The Bones; he is a great Catholic role-model for youths everywhere. I contacted him and he very graciously agreed to allow me to interview him. Without further ado....


    Tell us a little bit about yourself. What made you start your blog, That the Bones You Have Crushed May Thrill?



At the time I started my blog, my flatmate was another Catholic who read blogs and had started one of her own. I started to read my parish priest's blog and also I started commenting on Damian Thompson's Holy Smoke blog. I could see that Catholics were really making an effort to evangelise through the new media and I found it very inspiring. So, I decided to start my own blog. I named it after a penitential psalm, psalm 51, one of my favourites. 

     From reading your blog, it is clear you have a lot of compassion for the homeless and really try to live out your Catholic life. How long have been doing this and what caused you start your ministry?

My favourite Saints, like Francis, Anthony of Padua, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta spent a great deal of time preaching repentance and showed that following Christ meant going really in the opposite direction to what the World expects of us and saw in the poor a very special presence of Christ.  To me these Saints are heroes and their lives are very inspiring. I think it is hard for us to offer an authentic vision of the Gospel if we are indifferent to the poor. I worked for some time at ATD Fourth World, a charity in London working with people in poverty and that was started by a Catholic priest in France. In Brighton my parish priest urged people to join the soup run so I got involved with that. I think as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta said, the poor give more to us than we give to them. There is spiritual joy to be found in serving the poor because we are serving Christ. Really, service to the poor is a commandment given us by the Lord. We'd be silly to ignore that.

    What can other Catholics do to help those who suffer from material hardship?

There are always local initiatives run by the Catholic Church such as the SVP. The main thing is that we try to give of ourselves and to be generous as the Lord is so generous to us. He holds nothing back from us of Himself. We should give of ourselves to the poor - in doing this we ourselves experience some kind of liberation from our self-centredness. We should try to be brave and reach out to others, with love and a measure of prudence of course.

   It is also clear music plays a large role in your blog. How important is music to you?


I used to be in a band but gave it up. I didn't like performing, really, in front of an audience. I think it brings out the worst in me. I feel more comfortable now writing songs about the Faith and posting them on YouTube. It's less direct. I like to busk every now and then, but even then, prefer to do it with others. I have a gift for lyrics and try to turn lyrics about matters to do with the Faith into songs. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I'd like to think that he who sings his blogposts blogs twice, but I'm unsure that others see it that way! On a more general note about music, I'd like to sing Gregorian Chant more, but I struggle to find the time and place for this.

     You also are a strong supporter of traditional marriage. What do you think of the situation in Britain right now?

I think it is not scaremongering to say we are on the cusp of another dramatic and damaging upheaval in society - another cultural revolution that could be the fatal blow to the family. The main problem, as I see it, is that such legislation for same sex marriage will have so many consequences beyond those couples who wish to marry who are of the same sex. What does this mean for religious freedom? What does this mean for democracy? How can the State redefine something that doesn't belong to it? What does this mean for a child's education and moral formation? Are parents unable to give a child a moral formation that doesn't involve destroying their innocence of a very adult subject? There are so many questions but few answers are given. I fear the worst for the future of the UK and for the family. We have to uphold the dignity of marriage because on it rests the future of society and even peace.

    What would you tell your fellow Catholics they can do to aid in the fight?


The main thing is that we must pray and find time to pray the Rosary. We can do nothing without the help of God and Our Lady's prayers. Our main weapon against the culture of death is prayer - hopefully prayer will lead to action on our part. The blogs are a good way to keep informed of the Faith. We should be familiar with the Church's teachings and accept them as from God. We should familiarise ourselves with the Catechism. We need to rediscover a deep love for the Faith and to share it with others. 

    Do you find that other people in the blogosphere are an important influence on your blog; that is, do you find the online community to be a good ally in fighting the good fight or do you feel like you are all alone?


I don't feel alone in blogging because it is obvious that there are so many people out there fighting the same fight to present the Faith to the World. I'm always reading other people's blogs and its a community that works in union with the Church to evangelise. It is one very positive aspect of the internet revolution - it has opened a door to Catholic opinion that is no longer confined to certain Catholic magazines or newspapers with a limited view or limited number of writers. 

     What blogs do you usually read; who would you recommend for further reading to your readers?


I avidly read my parish priest's blog, Fr Ray Blake. I also read A Reluctant Sinner and Fr Tim Finegan. I would certainly recommend these blogs but also a lot of the other blogs that appear in my sidebar. 

     What do you find the biggest challenge facing you as a blogger?


Knowing when to stop. It can become obsessive and a little unhealthy. It's important that blogging doesn't take over our lives entirely and that we still have time to pray and be human and interact with other people in a truly human setting. It is important we don't inhabit a fantasy world.   

  If you could only make one last blog post, what would it be?


There you go, there's your third miracle. (After my death) It's unlikely, but hope springs eternal!

Thank you so much, Mr. England! It was really a pleasure and I look forward to communicating with you again!

No Coincidences...

Libya's President says.

This was not about a YouTube video. When I first heard that it happened on 9/11 I had my suspicions. His statement that they used RPG'S and mortars confirms this.....mobs don't just spontaneously use those on the anniversary of the worst attack on US history in years. That was no coincidence.

Every terrorist's dream.

People often says something like "We shouldn't be in the Middle-East because blah bleh blue blah blah". OK, forget the rest of the Arab countries for a minute. This is Libya. Libya! Remember, the country that Obama sent aid to without Congressional approval? Whether or not that was a good decision is irrelevant in my case- why did they attack us since we pretty much saved them? That would be like us killing the French Ambassador to the US after the Revolutionary War! There are no words to describe this other than: ingratitude.

A planned terror attack on the country who was primarily responsible for their freedom. Especially after the country's leader broke laws to help them!

So it doesn't even matter whether or not we should be there in the first place- what matters is that we helped them at their request and now they're just paying us back. Hmm.

And this is an embassy, this is a diplomatic center- no violence about it's presence. What would happen if an American mob stormed into the Libyan Embassy in D.C.? Hmm? At least we'd call out our military to protect them or something.

This only proves what I have been saying for years: there is no such thing as radical Islam. This is normal Islam!

And if you don'r believe me, I highly recommend a book: Islam at the Gates by Diane Moczar.

St Francis of Assisi and St Charbel Markhouf, pray for us!