Coast to Coast OSJ

New Colors for New York's Dolan

2012-01-06T09:46:00.003-05:00

A titanic figure in the American Church at present, the Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, is soon to acquire a new title--Cardinal. Of course, as the Archbishop of what we in the Western hemisphere may simply call "The City" (following a custom that goes back to Ancient Rome), the promotion has been anticipated since he became Archbishop in 2009. Now that his immediate predecessor, Cardinal Egan, is approaching the age of 80, Dolan's entrance to the Papal Senate follows the ecclesial custom of keeping no more than one "conclavable" Cardinal per city/diocese.

Congratulations to Timothy Dolan: President of the USCCB, Archbishop of New York, respected author, devoted pastor, and holy priest!

(You can also do what I do, and follow this story at Whispers in the Loggia, where Rocco Palmo seems to stay up-to-the-minute with this kind of stuff.)

Buon' Anno!

2012-01-01T00:10:00.000-05:00

Auguri, my friends!

And who couldn't love this one?

2011-12-24T21:12:00.002-05:00

This is a classic from my childhood that I wanted to share with you all. I have such fond memories of watching this, and was delighted to find it in its entirety on YouTube. Modern technology does have its perks!

You're looking there at the 1983 classic, Mickey's Christmas Carol, which is, of course, based on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Enjoy! And, if you have kids around who haven't had this pleasure, I highly recommend gathering them 'round the screen.

Another Favorite

2011-12-24T20:43:00.003-05:00

I will try and get a real Christmas message out to you tomorrow. You know, a nice reflection on the birth of Christ and the state of American society in the Twenty-first Century. For the time being, I will just share this little ditty with you. Perhaps my all-time favorite, I saved it just for tonight. Merry Christmas!

That would be "O Holy Night" as sung by Celine Dion. Not bad background graphics, either, in my humble opinion. Enjoy this blessed night!

Italian Style

2011-12-23T14:40:00.003-05:00

One of my own favorites, and also that of the late Fr. Mario Buttini, OSJ. Enjoy.

That would be "Tu Scendi dalle Stelle" as sung by Andrea Bocelli, written by St. Alphonsus Liguori. Here are the original lyrics and an English translation:

Tu scendi dalle stelle,

O Re del Cielo,

e vieni in una grotta,

al freddo al gelo.

O Bambino mio Divino

Io ti vedo qui a tremar,

O Dio Beato

Ahi, quanto ti costò

l'avermi amato!

A te, che sei del mondo

il Creatore,

mancano panni e fuoco;

O mio Signore!

Caro eletto Pargoletto,

Quanto questa povertà

più mi innamora!

Giacché ti fece amor

povero ancora!

From starry skies descending,

Thou comest, glorious King,

A manger low Thy bed,

In winter's icy sting;

O my dearest Child most holy,

Shudd'ring, trembling in the cold!

Great God, Thou lovest me!

What suff'ring Thou didst bear,

That I near Thee might be!

Thou art the world's Creator,

God's own and true Word,

Yet here no robe, no fire

For Thee, Divine Lord.

Dearest, fairest, sweetest Infant,

Dire this state of poverty.

The more I care for Thee,

Since Thou, o Love Divine,

Will'st now so poor to be.

A Festivus Miracle!

2011-12-23T13:28:00.002-05:00

As today is indeed Festivus (for the rest of us), I think that my happy resolution to the YouTube quandary should be duly recorded as a Festivus miracle. For those who know, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't this explanation should be sufficient.

Here it comes...

2011-12-23T13:15:00.000-05:00

Well, now that we have complete 100 posts and are approaching 3,000 pageviews on this fledgling little blog, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you all (however many of you there actually are) for reading and even, occasionally, commenting. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have!

That said, I did also want to apologize for abandoning my cyber post for all of fifteen days this month. As it turns out, finals and then the always-fascinating preparations for Christmas have selfishly consumed fifteen of my December days, and I don't think I can expect them back. In any event, I have a little spare time this morning, and so I wanted to share with you some more Christmas music, which is one of my favorite kinds of music in general.

Here, the "Carol of the Bells" by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (first), Celtic Woman (second), and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (third). The TSO version, as should be expected, features a modern rock-guitar twist, but I think it works. I also like the Irish fiddle solo superimposed onto the traditional melody in the Celtic Woman rendition. And, of course, the Mormon Tabernacle singers are simply superb. Which version do you like best?

TSO

Celtic Woman

Mo Tab

Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold

2011-12-23T12:25:00.002-05:00

I had previously seen a couple of shorter trailers for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, but they were not particularly revealing or inspiring (for Tolkien, which is a higher-set bar than average anyway, one might well wager). This new one, however, is quite nice, and I am now anticipating the (first) movie all the more. What do you think?

Concerning The Hobbit (I had to phrase it that way, of course), I would here note my personal opinion that the book does not, as far as I can recall, necessitate two feature films--and that do make them is likely to be simply a money-making ploy. I imagine it will be a successful one, too, because the first Hobbit film does now look quite good, and the Lord of the Rings films were, as well. However, fairness would dictate that I should also mention some of the chatter that I've heard indicating that the films are supposed to contian what we might call "supplemental" material. From what I hear, that does not mean that the producers of the fils are adding their own ideas and concepts (at least, not too much), but rather that they will be including material from the famous Appendices to The Lord of the Rings, and perhaps some of the stuff released by Christopher Tolkien as The History of Middle Earth, etc. If that is the case, then perhaps two films really are necessary. In any event, I am confident that it will go well, and I look forward to sharing the film review once I've seen it! Thoughts?

Technical Difficulties

2011-12-23T09:47:00.002-05:00

Some of you might have seen that I put a post up a few minutes ago, which I have since had to take down. It appears that YouTube is experiencing some technical difficulties. It seems to me that they have assigned the same URL to two videos, both of which I want to post here. So, until I get Christmas Music Post #2 sorted out, here is a picture of the Vatican's Christmas tree. Just embarrassing for the rest of us, isn't it?

RIP, Walrus

2011-12-08T20:23:00.003-05:00

The wider world may also note that today is the thirty-first anniversary of the assassination of Harry Potter-inspired Beatle, John Lennon. Seriously, though, I recognize that December 8, 1980 was a tough day for a lot of people in this world for exactly that reason. While I myself was never alive at the same time as he was, I have certainly been positively impacted by his music, and I acknowledge with heavy heart what a loss it was to the world of music and the world itself to have lost such a brightly shining star of poet so long before his time.

In the light of the current season and its bearing upon the impending one, and as what I consider an apt tribute to one of Lennon's primary messages throughout his life and career, I would like to leave you with what looks like film from the original recording (does anybody know for sure) of "Happy XMas (War is Over)," one by which I'm sure he is well-known:

Happy Immaculate Conception!!

2011-12-08T19:51:00.006-05:00

At right, we see (rather large, too) a picture of a mosaic in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. The church (whose rector, Monsignor Rossi, just happens to come from the Diocese of Scranton), which is the largest in the United States (the largest Catholic church, that is), is dedicated to our country's patroness, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.

Today has been a solemnity for the entire Latin Church, and a holyday of obligation here in the States (so run out to Mass now, if you haven't yet been). It is a very important day, and "Immaculate Conception" is a very important title/concept, theologically.

What does it mean, exactly? Well, it does not have anything to do with the virginal conception of Jesus. For some reason, the movies always seem to get that wrong. No, the notion that Mary was a virgin at the time of Jesus' conception is called the "Virgin Birth." The precise meaning of "Immaculate Conception," as students of Latin will immediately realize, is that Mary (Mary) was conceived without stain (Latin "macula") of sin. In other words, Mary was exempt from original sin, which, with the exception of Jesus himself, is a unique trait in the world of human beings. That is the Catholic belief.

Essentially, this is our way of articulating an important point: That Mary really was "full of grace" in the way that the angel Gabriel described her (Luke 1:28). My understanding is that the original Greek term, Κεχαριτωμένη (kecharitomene), does carry a pretty specific meaning, which implies that the action of "being graced" by god has been accomplished completely. Granted, I am not a Greek scholar, really, but this has been my impression. There's also a non-Scriptural explanation, tantamount to this claim: It would not be fitting for the Word of God to enter into humanity in the womb of a sinner. Also, it is within the Word's power as Redeemer to apply the saving grace of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection to His mother "beforehand," since He Himself, as God, is outside of time.

It's complicated, but I think most Catholics have a good sense of what we mean by this and why we think it's important, even if that "good sense" (Latin: sensus fidelium) is sometimes difficult to articulate. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask in the comment box!

Otherwise, buona festa to all!

Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen, Colonel Potter

2011-12-07T22:02:00.002-05:00

Generations of Americans have been affected somehow or other by the show M*A*S*H*, and I certainly include myself among them. A hilarious sitcom, and a poignant medical-military drama, who didn't choke up at the end of the last episode, which, for quite a while, was the most-watched event in television history? I know I did.

And who wasn't deeply inspired by the leadership of Colonel Sherman Potter, played by Harry Morgan? I know I was. Well, today, Pearl Harbor Day, Harry Morgan has died, and what a fitting day for it, too.

Seventy Yeas On

2011-12-07T21:38:00.002-05:00

Above is part of the famous address made by then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on December 8, 1941, to both houses of the Congress and to the Nation, regarding the "infamous" attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941--seventy years ago today. An event and a speech that changed the world and America's place in it in ways that continue to be felt (and argued about) to this very day.

May all those who fell at Pearl Harbor rest in peace.

Ochoa to Fresno

2011-12-01T10:52:00.004-05:00

Following a lead from St. John's Seminary professor of systematic theology, Paul F. Ford, it appears that the Holy Father has finally appointed someone as Bishop of Fresno--Armando Xavier Ochoa, currently the Bishop of El Paso.

A brief look at his Wikipedia biography reveals that he had been ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, is an alumnus of St. John's Seminary, and was in fact born right here in Oxnard, where me and my four Oblate companions are living.

Naturally, I am "breaking" the story well after the great Rocco Palmo, but the fact that he also has it up probably serves as confirmation enough for a few of you, especially since he is likely to have posted it before the Vatican did.

More as I hear about it, and pray for the "new" bishop (new to Fresno, that is).

Happy Birthday, Sam

2011-11-30T23:13:00.002-05:00

Anyone who has gone to Google today (and today only) will have noticed a curious scene depicting a bunch of troublesome-looking youth at work painting a fence. Naturally, connoisseurs of American literature will know that this scene was lifted from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by the great American author, Mark Twain. Google, not being in the habit of changing its front page whimsically, has done this today because it is the 176th anniversary of said author. So, happy birthday, Sam!

They Fought like Warrior Poets

2011-11-30T18:35:00.004-05:00

I hope that all of us are familiar with that powerful line from the end of Braveheart, which was, of course, a highly romanticized depiction of real events in the history of Scotland, including the figures of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, and the Battle Bannockburn. Why do I mention all this? Why am I writing about Scotland at all today?

Well, that, my friends, is because today is the Feast of St. Andrew, and St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. So, I though that it would be a fitting celebration of St. Andrew's day to mention that briefly here on Coast to Coast OSJ, as well as share with you what happens to be one of the leading competitors for the unofficial Scottish national anthem, Scotland the Brave. (Alas, since Scotland is not independent anymore, the official national anthem is the same as that for the rest of the United Kingdom, God save the Queen.)

If you're a bagpipe enthusiast, I hope you enjoy this. If you're not, I ask that you at least try to listen through once. Incidentally, it is my opinion that this might be the most familiar piece of pipe music in the non-Celtic world. Any thoughts on that?

Oh, and how about a poll question: Who is your favorite Scot, living or deceased? Mine is Sean Connery.

Welcome to Advent 2011

2011-11-28T23:08:00.003-05:00

Well, I just wanted to get in a quick post about the change of season and the implementation of the new translation of the Roman Missal....so:

It's advent again. Look forward in the coming few weeks to a YouTube serenade right here on Coast to Coast OSJ!

The new translation....how was everyone's experience? Was it awesome, or was it awful? (If you're smart enough to know that those words are not necessarily antonymous...gold start for you, my friend). Personally, it went very well on my end, although the very first Mass in the new translation (a Saturday vigil) did have one significant departure from rubrics: They sang the Gloria. I guess that after such hype, and so many weeks practicing it during Ordinary Time, they forgot that, despite implementing the new translation (ample cause for praise and jubilation), Advent is one of the seasons in which the Gloria is generally not used. But, other than that, it went well. Feel free to blow up my comment box telling me about your own experiences. Funny stories will get you bonus points on the final, which is coming up in a few weeks!

Other than that, things are well. I had a good Thanksgiving at an Oblate parish here in California, and enjoyed spending a little quality time with my confreres. How 'bout y'all?

And here, a haunting version of one of my favorites for the season by Irish singer Enya:

New Oblate Parish!

2011-11-20T14:51:00.003-05:00

Also of note is the fact that today, the Solemnity of Christ the King, marks the official inauguration of the new parish of St. Joseph Marello in Pittston, which has been formed from the previous parishes of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Rocco, both of which have been staffed by the Oblates of St. Joseph since 1929. The new parish is also staffed by the Oblates of St. Joseph, and both churches will continue in operation, for the time being, at least.

It is noteworthy, of course, that this was the date chosen for the establishment of the new parish. It was chosen because of its proximity to the tenth anniversary of the date of canonization of St. Joseph Marello, November 25. As we mark that momentous anniversary, and as we prepare to begin a new liturgical year, let us all pray for the success of this new endeavor, that we may be better able to serve the interests of Jesus in the new arrangement! Let us pray especially for the Oblate fathers who staff the new parish, Fr. Joseph Sibilano and Fr. Jackson Pinheiro.

St. Joseph Marello, pray for us!

I wonder, do you know Him?

2011-11-20T11:50:00.000-05:00

An interesting little piece of inspirational Christian oratory for you on this Solemnity of Christ the King. Today is the last Sunday of the liturgical year, and we begin afresh next week. What a good time to reflect on whether we truly know Him, and to what extent, and whether he truly is our King--that is, whether he really is my King and your King.

More Congratulations

2011-11-19T19:55:00.002-05:00

In a move that would no doubt thrill Le Corbusier, the Diocese of Orange has now officially acquired the Crystal Cathedral, which will become its official cathedral, in time. Congratulations, Diocese of Orange! Let's see what happens next....

Congratulations are in Order

2011-11-19T19:50:00.002-05:00

I have no photo yet, but four seminarians of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles were ordained to the diaconate this morning at Padre Serra Parish in Camarillo, by the Most Rev. Thomas Curry, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese, Episcopal Vicar for the Santa Barbara region. Congratulations, then, to the Rev. Messrs. Manuel León Bravo, Chan Lee, Eben MacDonald, and Nabor Rios. Pray for them!

Well Deserved

2011-11-18T17:24:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to share with you some news from my Alma Mater, that a building at the University of Scranton, one of his numerous physical plant projects, has now been dedicated (and so quickly after his presidency) to Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, SJ, now president of Marquette University. I didn't have the opportunity to know him, but his leadership was certainly a palpable quality of my years there, which has certainly borne rich fruit. Congratulations, Fr. Pilarz, and keep up the fantastic work!

This is Just Awesome

2011-11-14T23:03:00.002-05:00

For those who don't know, Back to the Future is my favorite movie of all time. Perhaps that makes me a nerd, but I embrace it. Evidently, Michael J. Fox reprized his role as Marty McFly recently for a New York fundraiser. I imagine that the fundraiser for his Parkinson's Disease research organization. Regardless, it's awesome to see him on stage doing Johnny B. Goode again, and still pretty much looking the part. Check it out!

St. Søren...Pray for Us???

2011-11-11T17:04:00.003-05:00

As I was paging through Wikipedia to find helpful links for the previous article, I was surprised to see that, in the Lutheran Church, today is also the "feast" (because I'm confused) of "St. Søren Kierkegaard." Students of philosophy will recognize that as the name of the father of what we now know as existentialism. A great and influential figure, to be sure. But a saint? I wouldn't have guessed it. Evidently, he is also so honored in the Episcopal Church, albeit on 8 September (which appears to have no significance other than being the day on which he proposed to Regine Olsen, which engagement he broke off the following August). Well, if anybody has any more information on this, I'd be happy to read up on it.

Armistice Day, Veterans Day, and Martinmas...No Coincidence

2011-11-11T16:41:00.004-05:00

Happy Friday! In addition to being 11/11/11, it's well worth noting that today is also, in America, called "Veterans Day." Once upon a time (i.e., after the First World War but before the Second), it was known as "Armistice Day," in commemoration of the cessation of hostilities on the western front of WWI, which took effect on 11 November, 1918, at 11 AM. The day continues to be known as Remembrance Day in other countries, and was dubbed "Veterans Day" in America to honor all the living who served in our country's military (those who fell in battle are honored on Memorial Day).

It is no coincidence whatsoever that 11 November is also the feast (little "f") of St. Martin of Tours, who has been a widely revered saint throughout Christendom since the fourth century. He was the first widely renowned saint who was neither a martyr nor a biblical figure, and he was a soldier, before laying down his arms and converting. St. Martin is celebrated in a variety of traditions, the Roman Catholic included, and in a variety of different countries, thus making him one of the few somewhat peripheral figures in Christianity whom we all (more or less) are willing to maintain and celebrate. In this age that is no stranger to violence, let us not forget the example of Martin the soldier, the future Bishop of Tours, who refused to fight for Rome, claiming himself a soldier for Christ.

Sneak Peak of Things to Come

2011-11-10T13:18:00.003-05:00

Hey, folks. I hope everything is going well for you on this feast of St. Leo the Great. Since I don't have classes until the afternoon on Thursdays, I thought I might share with you a possibility that I am considering for a major overhaul of the Oblate website. Here is a sneak peak screenshot of what may become the new front page. Tell me what you think!

The Final Frontier of Theology

2011-11-09T22:41:00.002-05:00

As some of you will no doubt already be aware, St. John's Seminary, in Camarillo, CA, the institution of higher learning at which I am studying theology, hosted an event on Tuesday night called the "Eberhardt Lecture," an annual, public lecture in honor of a now-deceased professor of Church History. This year, my first, the lecture was about Theology and Extraterrestrial Life, delivered by the Rev. Thomas O'Meara, OP, Professor Emeritus of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, who will soon have a book published on the subject. As long-time readers will also know, I am a big sci-fi fan, myself, and so I was particularly interested in the topic.

First, with regard to the science, Fr. O'Meara, who is not a physicist or any other kind of scientist (except in the broader, rather outdated sense of that term in which a theologian is a scientist), gave the crowd (about 150 at my estimation) a brief run-down of the facts, sighting things like the number of stars in an average galaxy, the number of known galaxies, the number of known planets, the likelihood of planets around any given star, and, of particular interest, a little thing known to interested parties as "The Drake Equation," which purports to define the parameters around which the probability of contact with other intelligent life in the universe could be calculated. From all of this, his point is simply that there are so many galaxies, each with so many stars, that, in his opinion, the likelihood of intelligent extraterrestrial life in the universe is rather high (even if we can never have contact with it).

He then wondered what the existence of such beings might mean for our theology, whether the conceptual limits of Christianity are open or closed to that possibility. In short, he determined that Catholic theology is indeed open to the real scientific possibility of extraterrestrial intelligent life, and that there is even a tradition that goes back as far as Origen with regard to the question. One matter of particularly importance was the relationship between those other, admittedly hypothetical forms of life, and the redemption that we believe to have been wrought here, in Jesus Christ. A soundbite version of his thesis is that, if those other forms of life are "fallen" in the sense that we are, then the door remains open, in speculative theology, for a multiplicity of incarnations, according to the multiplicity of distinct fallen natures. He takes this from musings of Thomas Aquinas and Karl Rahner, under whom he studied in Münich. (Here's more information about Aquinas on this question.)

In all, it was an interesting discussion, one that raised a number of theological and philosophical conundra that are not likely to be definitively settled anytime soon. I also got the chance to eat lunch with him, and I would like to take this opportunity to say that he made a very good impression on this young theologian, as he was quite down-to-earth, personable, and a wonderful conversationalist. I look forward very much to reading his book when it comes out, and I recommend it to all of you.

RIP, Smokin' Joe

2011-11-08T11:59:00.003-05:00

A record of 32-4-1 in the boxing world is quite impressive, especially if the 34 includes a 15-round unanimous decision against boxing legend Muhammad Ali, as Joe Frazier's does. He was one of the giants of the sport, whose name and renown were well-known even outside the world of boxing's fans. Ali himself acknowledged Frazier, "The Gorilla" as he called him in the run-up to their famous last stand in Manila, as his single fiercest opponent. Praise like that is hard to come by and certainly well-deserved. Now, reports are in the meanest left hook in boxing history died yesterday from liver cancer, with which he was only diagnosed a few weeks ago. Let's all pray for the repose of this soul, that he may finally be finished fighting.

Free Language Learning

2011-11-03T11:40:00.003-04:00

Guten Morgen! I was cruising the web recently looking for a way to learn some German. I had the idea that YouTube would probably be an avenue to explore in order to have lessons that provide both writing and pronunciation. Well, I happened upon a project called Girls4Teaching, which seems to be exactly what I was looking for. Apparently, it's a group of university students who banded together to teach languages online. (I have the impression that the languages they're teaching are their native languages, so who knows where they may all have come across each other!) In any case, there are a host of video and written lessons in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Swedish, and Spanish for Italian-speakers. Contrary to what the name and layout might otherwise suggest, it doesn't appear to be capitalizing (at least, not pornographically) on sex appeal. It seems to be legitimate. In the few videos I've watched, nothing risqué has taken place, but I have learned a (very) little German. Admittedly, their English is not the best, but that's not why you're going there, right? So, if you're looking to pick up one of those languages, check them out.

They also have a YouTube channel, but it looks to me like a more organized and accessible approach to their material is to be had through their main site.

Catholic Media Usage

2011-11-02T20:28:00.001-04:00

I just ran across this on the old Facebook, and I thought I would pass it along, as it strikes me as a great Catholic usage of the media, something which is downright indispensable in our times.

RIP, Everybody

2011-11-02T19:21:00.002-04:00

Just a quick one on today's special celebration, All Souls. Whereas yesterday we celebrated the glory and eternal joy of all those who ran the race to the finish, today we commemorate and pray for all those, who are by their very nature unknown to us, who have died and still await the moment of definitive victory. I would love to wax theological about the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, but I'd like even more to leave you with a simple meditation piece, the Dies Irae, one of the Church's coolest musical compositions ever, which (I believe) used to be sung at every Latin-rite funeral. Some today with criticize it as too dreary, fearful, etc. For me, I think it's a great musical composition, and I like the poetry. I'm providing a subtitled edition so that you can see that it's not all about eternal flames and suffering. Make a special note of that before you go out and visit the cemetery to pray for your loved ones, your friends, or your total strangers who need your help:

I would point out a few things: First, isn't it neat how the whole thing is in the first person singular perspective? It's a plea for my salvation, for mercy to be shown me, and it directly addresses Jesus in this regard. While I agree that Christianity is a community religion, it's important, in my opinion, not to lose this aspect, also. On the other hand, I'm sorry about the inconsistent use of the letters "i," "j," "s," and "f." They were going for a medieval thing that didn't work to well, I know. Also, there are a few straight-up misspellings that I'm sure you caught. Kindly disregard. Not to mention the translation, which, if any of you know Latin (and I know that some of you do) sacrifices some meaning for the sake of the poetic form. It's a trade-off, as always. Rest assured that the meaning is essentially intact. Lastly, my favorite lines (highlighting the not-so-dolorous aspect of this composition):

Qui Mariam absolvisti,
Et latronem exaudisti,
Mihi quoque spem dedisti.

You who absolved Mary,
And graciously heard the thief,
You have also given me hope.

Yes, we have here a humble admission of sin and unworthiness, but also a firm hope in God's mercy and the realistic understanding that my/your own salvation does not depend on me/you.

Happy Diwali!!!

2011-10-25T23:30:00.002-04:00

Apparently, today is also the beginning of Diwali, which is a big celebration all throughout India, apparently for somewhat different reasons and with somewhat different customs depending on location and religion. In any case, Happy Diwali to any and all celebrating it! And dig on this astounding photo of the celebration from space. Holy Cow (get it?)!!

We Band of Brothers

2011-10-25T22:39:00.004-04:00

Ever wonder where that phrase came from? It happens, along with a great many other things in our common idiom, to come from the great William Shakespeare. Specifically, it comes from the play Henry V, as a part of a monologue that I think everyone should know, if not by heart, then at least upon the hearing. It is, I would say, one of the greatest and most rousing monologues ever composed in our language. Incidentally, today is St. Crispin's Day, thus, I give you The Speech:

That, of course, is the 1989 Kenneth Branagh version. You may also be familiar with the version from the movie Renaissance Man, which is an excerpt from the longer speech.

Personally, I find the rhetoric of the latter version more effective, but the speech itself is a gem of English oratory, even if Mr. Branagh happens to have overdone it a bit. Other versions have been done, including that by Laurence Olivier, though I have not seen them, and their YouTube availability is not impressive. In any case, even if the Battle of Agincourt and those who died beside Harry the King on October 25, 1415, have not been duly remembered, it seems that this speech has, and probably will be for quite some time.

Coast to Coast OSJ Poll: Which of the two versions here do you prefer, and why?

Cross into the Black

2011-10-20T14:22:00.004-04:00

Above, the Reverend Brother (i.e., Deacon) Sergio Emmanuel Pérez, OSJ, of the California Province, prepares the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist not thirty seconds after his ordination to the diaconate in a later-than-usual ceremony begun at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, 18 October, at the Church of St. Joachim in Madera (an Oblate parish). The Mass was celebrated by the Most Rev. Richard Garcia of Monterey, CA; concelebrated by the Oblate Superior General and two provincials (California and Pennsylvania) and numerous other priests, served by Oblate and diocesan seminarians (author included), and well-attended by a host of the faithful.

Congratulations to the Congregation's latest deacon, and may God bless him!

As other (and perhaps better) photography becomes available, look forward to more.

I Guess you Guys aren't Ready for That Yet

2011-10-19T16:08:00.004-04:00

Do you know what today is? I'll bet you don't. I mean, reading a nice, Catholic blog like this, you might expect me to make some poignant (ha!) commentary about today being the feast of St. Isaac Jogues and his companions. Perhaps later. Today is also something else, something that's also very significant for American culture and, indeed, the West as a whole. Today is the 85th birthday of one Chuck Berry, musical pioneer, veteran performer (still on the road, actually), and grandfather to most of what any of us hear when we turn on the radio. Happy Birthday, Chuck.

And there he is playing an oldie, at least where I come from, and truly one of my favorites. By the way, who knows where I got the title of this post?

Congratulations to King Jigme

2011-10-13T12:16:00.004-04:00

I know that you are all probably already well aware of this, but the king of Bhutan, whose internal affairs commonly make it to international scrutiny, has recently taken a wife, in what appears to have been an economically simply but liturgically involved ceremony. Thanks to Yahoo! news for the tip, and the photo gallery. Reading a little about the king was interesting--well-liked (by citizens in general and specifically teenage female citizens), Oxford educated, moving for reform, takes frequent bike rides through the streets of his small country and is known by the gentry to be quite personable. He sounds like the kind of politician we would all like to see more of. So, if any American office-holders or hopefuls happen to read my blog (I don't know, maybe a Pittston city councilman?), note well that this is the kind of personality that your constituents will support.

Things that Don't Exist in California

2011-10-08T15:35:00.007-04:00

I thought my non-West-Coast readers might get a kick out of this. I was certainly blown away by it when it first dawned on me:

First, Edy's Ice Cream. It's never been my favorite (that would probably have to be Turkey Hill, behind the iconic and not-everyday-fare Ben & Jerry's), but it's always been pretty good, and I am a particular fan of some flavors that are harder to find in other brands, like double fudge brownie. In California, there is no Edy's. What there is, is Dreyer's. Notice that they have exactly the same packaging, save for the name. As it turns out, Wikipedia confirms that they are one and the same company, but the East gets a different name (taken from one of the two co-founders, and the company's original name) in order to avoid confusion with the popular ice cream company known as Breyers.

Second, Hellmann's mayonnaise. The East-Coast mayo staple, far superior to the cheap substitute called "Miracle Whip" (which, according to Leviticus 44:12, is an abomination), has long been known by its jingle, "Bring out the Hellmann's, bring out the best." No other mayonnaise, in my opinion, has ever come close. Here in California, though, there's a mayo that knocked my socks off, called, Best Foods mayonnaise. It also comes in the same packaging as its East-Coast counterpart, and even includes the slogan, "Bring out the best" on its jar (as does Hellmann's). Again, Wikipedia tells us that they are the same mayonnaise, owned by the same company. East of the Rockies (all over the world), it is Hellmann's, but west of the Rockies (again, all over the world, even into Asia), it is Best Foods.

For your comparison:

Crazy, isn't it?

Our Lady of the Rosary

2011-10-07T11:06:00.005-04:00

That may not look like the image you were expecting on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. And with good reason. It's not a picture of Our Lady of the Rosary, or Our Lady, or the Rosary. It's a picture (a really cool painting, I'd say) of a naval battle. Why? Well, it's a painting of the Battle of Lepanto (LE-pahn-toh), which occurred on October 7, 1571. It was a battle between the Ottoman Empire and several smaller kingdoms of Europe. The Pope, Pius V, called for a Rosary procession in St. Peter's Square to pray for the success of the battle, on which he and many others believed the fate of Europe rested.

As a brief historical note (and you should keep in mind that I'm no historian), it's worth observing that, at this time, the Ottoman Empire had invaded Europe as far as Vienna, and, if they had won this naval battle off the coast of Greece, the history of the Western World would have been very different. The simple fact of that matter is that, at the time this battle was fought, political, military, cultural, and religious world were all rolled up into one. The Ottoman Empire was Muslim, and the "Holy League" was Christian. The Ottomans were Turkish, the Holy League Europeans. This was more than a simple political or military struggle, its cultural and religious dimensions were tightly wrapped up in the whole affair. Indeed, for some people, they were the whole affair. Europe was on the brink of losing not only the political structure with which it was familiar and comfortable, but its entire cultural, and religious, identity. In response to that possibility, the Pope encourage prayer, specifically prayer of the Rosary.

One might observe that similar things are happening today. Is not the Western World at risk of losing its cultural and religious identity to a kind of secularism that has never before been known? Granted, there are no military battle lines to be drawn up here (thank God), but there is a war of ideologies, born in the Enlightenment and continuing into this day. Of course, people of this day and age may not even acknowledge such a thing as the "Western World." It has essentially dismantled itself, for better or for worse. Nevertheless, there is a civilization that, for centuries, encompasses nations and was built on certain values, values which are now more than ever being called into question. I fully support the dialectical process of inquiry, and believe that intellectual freedom and honesty are conducive to truth. Still, I am at heart a pretty traditional guy, and I think it erroneous to presume that the new is automatically and necessarily the best. So, as the face of the Western World changes, I recommend staying rooted. For me, that means staying rooted in traditions and values that have, I think, proven themselves over time. It means staying rooted in That which does not change, and that calls for staying rooted in prayer.

For Pius V and the Catholics of his day, an efficacious form of this "rootedness in prayer" was the Rosary. Who am I to disagree?

At the DMV

2011-10-06T22:51:00.002-04:00

Well, I went to the DMV today to get myself a California driver's license, since I'm going to be out here for a while. While I was there, they made me take the written test in an open-air testing section riddled with 40-year-old desks. It put me very much in mind of this classic scene from the hit TV-show Taxi. I hope you enjoy it.

And, as Paul once told Annabell during an airing of a real 1980s classic, Rev. Jim is certainly the zaniest character that Christopher Lloyd ever played, even compared to another all-time favorite of mine, Dr. Emmett Brown from Back to the Future.

Shhh....It's St. Bruno's Day

2011-10-06T11:46:00.004-04:00

For those who aren't aware, today is the feastday of St. Bruno, the founder of the Carthusian Order, known in the Catholic world as simply the strictest, most radical monks in the Western Church (everyone always says that--are Eastern monks stricter?). The Order was founded way back in 1084, and is still going with hardly any revision. Their way of life is austere, solitary, strict, and slow-paced. These guys (and gals, actually--there are Carthusian nuns) are serious about the contemplative life, as can be seen from checking out their websites (in England, America, and internationally) or the movie that was recently made about them, Into Great Silence. If you don't have anything to do for about three hours, and are not at risk of falling asleep without a constant barrage of sensory input, it's a good documentary and about the only inside look you'll get into a very secluded way of life.

Why do I mention all this? Well, aside from it being the founder's feastday, it's important to remember that one of the foundational maxims of Oblate spirituality is, "Be Carthusians indoors and apostles outdoors." Our founder was well-acquainted with the austerity and devout, contemplative prayer life of the Carthusians, and it was an example he wanted us to be serious about imitating. Now, obviously, the Oblates are not monks, and perhaps the point is a bit hyperbolic. To really be a Carthusian indoors almost implies not going outdoors and doing apostolate, which is not what we're about. However, even understood as an exaggeration, there is wisdom here. Marello wanted us to be dedicated to a life of reflection, union with God, and intimate prayer so that we could have a fruitful apostolate. So, understanding who the Carthusians are and what their life is like, even if ours will never resemble it in externals, is a good idea for us Oblates, and anyone else who takes our spirituality seriously (or is simply curious about us).

If you happen to check out the English Carthusian website, which is very attractive and well-designed (someday ours will look like that...), I highly recommend exploring the "Community" section, which provides a nice virtual tour of the monastery (since you'll never see it in real life--they don't take visitors).

Lastly, for those of you who've reached the necessary maturity to enjoy this, you might like to know that the Carthusians are renowned world-wide for something else, a liqueur called "Chartreuse," which is made at the first Carthusian monastery in France. Monks have long supported themselves by the work of their hands, and these make what I've been told (I still haven't tried it) is some of the best "acqua vitae" on earth. So, if you are able to pick some up at some point (according to the website, there are a bunch of varieties available), toast St. Bruno, but don't sing any drinking songs.

Steve Jobs...

2011-10-05T23:45:00.002-04:00

...Requiescat in Pace.

I have never owned an Apple product of any kind, so I can't say that I'm aware of the way in which Steve Jobs, founder and long-time CEO of Apple, "changed my life." Nevertheless, I have seen and heard a lot of people making that claim today, in light of news that he has died.

Regardless, I have to acknowledge that the world of technology has lost a pioneer and a giant, so for that we who are not Luddites should mourn. May he rest in peace.

If there's anything about him you'd like to share, the combox is available.

Quote of the Day

2011-10-04T23:51:00.005-04:00

From Cardinal Piacenza, during his address to the seminarians at St. John's seminary. Extremely loose translation provided by Coast to Coast OSJ:

"You will likely be the first generation able to interpret the Second Vatican Council correctly, in light of what the documents actually say instead of the 'Spirit of Vatican II.'"

The phrase "hermeneutic of continuity" was heard more than once, also. Additionally, despite his somewhat stern appearance, I found the Cardinal to be rather down-to-earth, personable, and even humorous, so that was nice.

Francesco d'Assisi

2011-10-04T11:39:00.002-04:00

Well, as surely everyone is aware, today is the (Roman Catholic) feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Actually, as one of my classmates at St. John's pointed out, today is not the anniversary of the saint's death, which was yesterday. Accordingly, non-Catholic parts of the Christian world that celebrate this feast (such as the Anglican Communion) celebrated it yesterday. As a trivia question, can anyone tell me why we celebrate it today and not on October 3?

So, get out there, hug a tree, praise God, preach the gospel, and don't bother opening your trap. Really, though, let's not forget that today is indeed a great celebration for the Catholic world, and Francis is certainly one of the happiest diners at the celestial banquet! I leave you with the classic. I know it's long (especially broken into two parts like this), but it's worth it.

Part One

Part Two

Did anyone notice that the Pope is played by Alec Guinness? Do you know what else he played? That's right, Obi Wan Kenobi.

A Visit from the Red Hat Society

2011-10-02T16:57:00.002-04:00

No, the other Red Had Society. That's right, gang. This coming Tuesday, October 4, St. John's Seminary will be receiving a special guest (for reasons not fully explained...), Mauro Cardinal Piacenza, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy. He will be in Los Angeles from Rome and specifically asked to visit the seminary. So, that will be a lot fun. It looks as if he doesn't speak English, but does speak Spanish (in which he will be celebrating Mass). I'll let you know how it goes.
(He looks a little stern, doesn't he?)

Book Review: The Phenomenon of Man

2011-10-02T14:15:00.004-04:00

I suppose Pierre Teilhard de Chardin is not light reading. I knew that before I picked this one up, but I wanted to read it anyway, since I had heard about the enigmatic Jesuit priest-scientist and some of his strange ideas. I knew that he was one of the only people (and maybe the first) to talk about the relation between the doctrine of original sin and the theory of evolution (i.e., how can inherited impulses lead to sinful actions?), and I knew that some of his theories had gotten him silenced (by his superiors) well before his career or life were over. Beyond that, I didn't know much, and I wasn't sure where to start when I found a veritable Teilhard de Chardin section in the novitiate library, but it seemed that lot of the other works made reference to this one, or at least listed it as having been published first, so I went at it. That was probably about four months ago.

Granted, I haven't been reading The Phenomenon of Man exclusively in the intervening time, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a pretty difficult read, at least from my point of view. It's a very interesting blend of science (paleontology, geology, evolutionary biology, anthropology), philosophy, and religion. I had a hard time understanding a lot of the views that the author seems to have come up with upon his own reflection, probably in part because I have so little exposure to the science involved. The book is not overly technical, but it is written by a scientist, and concerns itself primarily with science, not in the sense of mathematical formulas (he's not that kind of scientist, anyway), but often in mentioning as if well-known paleontological findings, theories, and jargon with which I found myself unfamiliar. Additionally, my impression is that the author's original thought--about the biological origin and destiny of mankind and all life--is somewhat pseudo-scientific. I have a hard time imagining that it would be well-received by the scientific community at large.

A possible explanation for that difficulty may simply be the fact that I am reading the book more than sixty years after it was written, and a great deal has changed in the scientific world since that time. I think that anyone with a basic high school scientific education is probably aware of things that Teilhard de Chardin was not, and so some of his scientific claims may be a bit out-dated, and therefore the really important claims in the book, the ones about the origins and destinies of mankind, life in general, and, indeed, the whole planet, may be in need of revision. Of course, since they were never mainstream science to begin with, perhaps I'm being overly hard on them. Certainly, the intent of the French Jesuit was to discover and express a finality, a teleological meaning, to the process of evolution, and to express the essence of the strange appearance of Man on the planet not so much in terms of its often obscure past, but in its future, which he seems to think is more clearly comprehensible than most.

All in all, it was a difficult, but fascinating read. The author sets out to do something quite unique and rather challenging, and I think he does it in a way that will not be matched for quite some time. It may not be easy to understand, and I think I see why his superiors had theological qualms with some of it, but it certainly stands out as a one-of-a-kind piece of Twentieth Century thought. More than that, I think it continues to give even a contemporary reader plenty of things to think over and ponder as he reflects on who he is and who we are in this strange world of ours.

Contagion--Possible Spoiler Alert

2011-09-28T22:31:00.005-04:00

I just saw Contagion with the guys on our "community outing." It was pretty good. If you're into disease movies, such as Outbreak, you will probably enjoy it. For me, it was superior to Outbreak because the disease treated was not insanely violent and was not known before the epidemic occurred, adding some more realistic medical drama to the whole story. Also, it was neat to cover the beginning of an epidemic through the process of study and possible treatment. The lack of excessive military politics was another plus. I was also surprised to see the inclusion of a blogger (much more attentive to his task than yours truly) and the political/journalistic/economic dimension of his part in the movie. In all, it was pretty good.

A few critiques,though: For one, it is true (if you've heard it) that it moves a little slowly. It's also true that this is the kind of movie made of multiple sub-stories, not all of which are connected by anything other than the epidemic. Some people abhor that, others are into it. It doesn't bother me, but it may bother you. Lastly, with regard to the multiple sub-stories, my bigger complaint would be that I don't really understand how all of them ended. Perhaps I'm just not that attentive, but some of their resolutions don't seem to make much sense. One more minor critique: the beginning of the movie is riddled with absurdly exaggerated population statistics, assuming that the story is set around 2011, which it appears to be. It's a minor point, but a figures like 17M for London and 3M for Minneapolis seemed rather unrealistic, at least to me. (According to Wikipedia, they are about 7.8M and 382,000, respectively.)

Props to whoever made the decision to start on "Day 2" of the epidemic, not revealing "Day 1" until the very end. Good call.

And a gold star to Demetri Martin for his role. I was waiting for him to launch into "important things" or "If I," but he stood his ground and played a serious role. Good work.

If you've seen it, feel free to comment!

Disjunction of the Week #6

2011-09-26T23:35:00.003-04:00

While this segment will probably be a regular for Fridays (and I mean it this time), I thought I would get the ball rolling early since it's been so long. Here goes:

An important part of childhood, for most generations until the present batch of youngsters, has been the act of reading. There are, even today, tons of books oriented at a juvenile (in the non-pejorative sense) audience. I can look back on my childhood and note with fond memories the books that I loved, which influenced me, made an impression on me, etc. So, in the light of all that, and because the Oblates are characteristically concerned with the welfare of this world's (and this society's) "poor youth," I ask:

Doctor Seuss, or Shel Silverstein?

My Answer: Shel Silverstein. While I am no doubt a fan of Dr. Seuss's meter (known to more literary circles as anapestic tetrameter), and often enough the content of his poetry, I have always found the works of Shel Silverstein to be more intellectually stimulating and important--more engaging and more meaningful. Perhaps this is due to Dr. Seuss's work being addressed to a younger audience that that of Silverstein, but that doesn't particularly sway me. I will always simply be more concerned about where the sidewalk ends than with which side of my bread I may butter (even if that was allegorical!). So, I say Shel Silverstein. (Also, the iconic author photo on the back cover of his books is great, no?)

Above, my favorite Silverstein title. Below, a good one from the runner up.

Humor, Bro. Patrick Style

2011-09-26T23:23:00.002-04:00

I don't know whether I've ever shared this on the blog before, but a lot of you will probably already know that this is my favorite joke of all time. Most people don't find it funny at all. And yes, that is Eddie Murphy!

Pray Always, Now Included

2011-09-26T23:04:00.002-04:00

Well, friends, we start off the new life of this blog with a prayer request. A dear friend's grandmother is in pretty serious-sounding condition in the hospital, and could use the spiritual support of any and all who can offer up a few prayers, good works, or even good vibes. This is what we all count one on another for, so thanks in advance!

Reports of my Death are Greatly Exaggerated

2011-09-26T16:40:00.002-04:00

Thanks, Sam.

So, how've you been? Things with me have been rather awesome, if I do say so myself. Since we left off, I've graduated college, gone to novitiate in Loomis, CA, professed vows on July 29, 2011, and started studying theology at St. John's Seminary in Camarillo, CA. The province has a new provincial, Fr. Philip Massetti, OSJ, but the majority of you probably already knew that.

I've made some sweeping cosmetic changes to the blog, as you can see (let me know if you can't--that's a serious technical problem). What do you think of them? How about that background picture, huh? I wish I could say I took it myself, but it came with the new layout, which is just a pre-fabed ("pre-fabbed"??) template from Blogger. I'll investigate the possibility of replacing it with my own picture--maybe the woods behind the seminary or the beach in Oxnard. For now, it's pretty nifty by itself compared to the old solid black background, no?

Well, that's it for the time being, gang. This time around things are gonna be a little bit different. Look forward to hearing from me soon. And don't be shy about commenting to let me know how things are with you.

DISCLAIMER: Though this blog may, from time to time, deal with subject matter that they would find interesting, Art Bell and George Noory have had nothing to do with its production or development. If they would like to involve themselves, they are more than welcome.

(Did anybody get that joke???)

Habemus Episcopum!

2010-02-22T23:29:00.006-05:00

Well, folks, a quick check of the Vatican News Service's daily bulletin has just confirmed that Monsignor Joseph Bambera has been appointed the tenth Bishop of Scranton. Monsignor Bambera has been operating in the diocese as Cardinal Rigali's local delegate since Bishop Joseph Martino's retirement in August. Let us all pray that your new bishop will be the shepherd that we so desperately need!

2009-12-24T21:32:00.004-05:00

Well, folks, some unfortunate events kept me from providing last week's Disjunction of the Week. However, in light of the Holy Day's festivities and all, I think I can make up for it with a double-feature. So, you have that to look forward to, in case trees and presents and very solemn Masses weren't enough.

I'm going to keep this late-night post short and sweet. Have a Merry Christmas, all of you. Now that the Day itself has arrived, the media is going to lead us all to believe that the Season, which they've been celebrating since after Halloween, is over. Thankfully, we "in the know" people are aware that Christmas has only just begun, so let's make sure and celebrate it to the hilt for as long as it lasts. Christ is born! Let's let the world know it.

Decadence and the Fall of Rome

2009-12-11T23:19:00.006-05:00

I think the Empire is on its way out, my friends. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to be liked about America. Unfortunately, I am increasingly coming to the conclusion that most of it is in the past. America is at a crossroads, and I fear we're going to veer wildly in the wrong direction and possibly careen off the edge of the cliff, if something serious does not change soon. The social and moral problems that we face are only getting worse as time goes on. American people seem to have so embraced a life of hedonism and secularism that there is nothing stopping them (us) from the complete corrosion of our moral values. That, dear friends, is always the beginning of an age of total moral decadence, and that, in turn, is usually the last phase of any great society. We need more Fulton Sheens in this country if we're going to get it turned around.

You might wonder what, exactly, I'm talking about. Well, in case you haven't heard, the economy is in something of a bad state. There are people still losing their jobs or still unemployed, people struggling to get by and put food on their families' tables. These people exist in the United States today in the highest numbers that they have in recent memory. In the midst of all this financial hardship, the worst economic recession since the Great Depression, there is a company that offers such a ridiculously opulent luxury to swanky high-income customers that I am truly appalled by its mere existence. Here's an example:

Do you know what that is? That's an Apple MacBook Pro, plated in 24-karat gold. Yes, that's right. It's one of the most expensive computers on the market today, and now there's a company out there offering to plate its external elements in 24-karat gold, just in case you have a little extra spending money at this time of year. In case you're wondering, you can also get a whole host of other electronics (iPhones, Blackberrys, other computers, TVs, etc.) plated. Gold isn't the only option, either. They also offer white gold, platinum, chrome, and a host of others.

As Jesus commanded the apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Pray!"

Disjunction of the Week #5

2009-12-11T17:57:00.005-05:00

As many of you are likely to already know (thus raising questions about why I bother to talk about it), this coming Sunday is called "Gaudete Sunday," with "gaudete" being that Latin word, "Rejoice!" This is the third Sunday of Advent, set aside to take a moment and be joyful in the midst of what was not quite a sorrowful season, but which is decked out in purple nevertheless. As with Laetare Sunday in Lent, Gaudete Sunday is one of only two occasions throughout the entire year wear priests have the option (option) to wear "rose" (more or less pink) vestments. Thus, Disjunction of the Week #5:

Rose vestments, or violet vestments?

My Answer: Rose vestments. Sure, it may not be everyday anymore when you can see a man dressed in pink, and that may have certain very unfortunate connotations in American society. Nevertheless, the Church is not about American society. The Church is not about any society. In fact, the Church is about changing American society for the better, as with any other. I think the symbolism and meaning behind the use of rose vestments is really cool, and I like to see priests taking full advantage of all the variety permitted by Holy Mother Church. Thus, I'm down with rose vestments.

That said, there are good rose vestments, and there are bad rose vestments. Basically, the difference is that between a dignified, manly "rose" and a weak, pathetic, girly "pink." A man, a priest, should never look girly or effeminate when celebrating Mass. I think the vestment at the top of this post is an example of the good kind of rose vestments (they are available here). An example of the bad kind might be something like this:

We'll leave it at that.

His Eminence

2009-06-01T11:44:00.003-04:00

Well, Angelo Cardinal Sodano left our humble town yesterday afternoon and is now safely back in Rome. I am expecting to sort through all of the video and still photography that was taken during his visit soon and post whatever comes out as the best of the best. Our photographer reportedly took around 800 pictures. There's going to be a lot of sifting...

As for personal impressions, the Cardinal was a very warm, down-to-earth man. I had the opportunity to serve a private Mass for him yesterday morning, after which he gave me a Papal rosary as a gift. It was a wonderful experience for me, one that not many minor seminarians in this world can boast of (excuse the terminal preposition). His presence among us was truly an honor, and all of the festivities were fantastic. More to come ASAP.

(Above, Father Paul McDonnell welcoming Cardinal Sodano to the seminary chapel during his Solemn Mass on the Feast of St. Joseph Marello, Saturday, May 30th.)

Disjunction of the Week #4

2009-05-22T15:25:00.004-04:00

Folks, allow me to preface this by saying that, over the course of the next week-and-a-half or so, there shall be a great many more posts of more substantive matters. After all, we are staring down the barrel of the Triduum and Feast of St. Joseph Marello, which begins this Wednesday at 7:00 PM (all are invited--it's at the seminary in Laflin). What's more, after the day's festivities on Saturday (the Feast), there is the Solemn Pontifical Mass of Thanksgiving (a mouthful that never gets old, in my humble opinion) with Cardinal Sodano. For those incapable of scrolling down, that Mass is at 3:00 PM on Sunday, May 31, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, in Pittston. You are deeply encouraged to attend. So, with posts of a serious nature ahead, and finals week now just behind, I feel safe and justified in dedicating the remainder of this post to the Disjunction of the Week:

Now, allow me to preface this by saying that, in my opinion, it is a very serious matter. This is no disjunction to be wantonly disregarded. If you answer it wrong, we will likely no longer be friends (I hope the sarcasm dripping off these past few sentences is thick enough for you to catch.) So, to prevent all further ado, I give you, Disjunction of the Week #4:

Nathan's Famous, or Sabrett's?

My Answer: Sabrett's. Admittedly, this is a difficult and important for every person to make as they grow out of their adolescence and flower into thriving adulthood. Also admittedly, there are merits to both choices. First, let's begin by examining the other, incorrect, choice, which is Nathan's. I do enjoy Nathan's. Don't get me wrong about that. What's more, they are single-handedly responsible for the invention of the only sporting event that I watch with any regularity, the Annual Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Who could allow the Fourth of July to pass without seeing those ten minutes (now) of glory? Nathan's has a lot going for it and, all kidding aside, I can respect the possibility that some of you may fall into the grievous error of choosing Nathan's over Sabrett's. Allow me to instruct you as to why you would be wrong:

The merits of Nathan's aside, Sabrett's does, in my opinion, have an even greater cultural impact. I know, with the Contest on the list of Nathan's achievements, this seems like a hefty and perhaps indefensible claim. Nevertheless, I would posit that Nathan's has essentially that and that only on the list of their cultural gravity. One gigantic achievement, and that is all. From what I hear, the Contest is not even all that popular outside of Coney Island, with some people preferring lesser sporting events like the "Superbowl" and "World Series." In the face of that, what does Sabrett's have? When a sane person thinks of New York (the important part, that is), they ought to have a few very certain ideas come to mind. Among them, if they meet the previous requirement of sanity, I should say would be the hot dog vendor, the guy on the street in the tin tank with that blue and yellow umbrella proudly proclaiming his purpose. The dirty-water-dog. It is part of the life and breath of that Town, and, for as much as I may pretend to deny it, I have to admit that the old Urbs (well, technically not the old Urbs) is indeed the center of at least all American civilization.

I don't really know what it is. It's one of those things for which I have an intellectual intuition without being able to find an adequate means of expression. There's just something about the experience of going up to that guy and asking for "one with chili and cheese" and cracking open a can of Coke while walking down the street to the hustle and bustle of it all, enjoying a 100% beef natural casing hot dog that you know was simmering quietly in a vat of its own delicious juices (as well as those of its companions) for hours before you picked it up. Actually, there's a hot dog vendor here in Scranton (Sabrett's, of course). I went to his stand when it was on campus a few times and witnesses will likely recount that, as I unwrapped the gleaming aluminum foil and took that first incomparable bite, I could be heard to say, dog still in mouth, "Now that's America." And so it is. Your thoughts?

Weekend Update

2009-05-15T08:10:00.002-04:00

Well, the last week of classes is about to be safely behind me. That's right, the spring semester of my third year is speeding toward the finish line, incredibly enough. Hard as I may find it to be this much further down the path of formation, I still have six years ahead. Of course, given how quickly the past three seem to have gone, I am sure the remaining six will fly by, as well. Father Paul will be sending me all over the Wyoming Valley for Masses in no time. Those ruminations aside, next week is still finals week, and so I do have a lot to do in this coming week. A few papers to write, a few exams to take, and hopefully to come out alright in the end. And then we have to prepare for the Cardinal....

Well, before I head off to eggs and sausage land (breakfast, that is), I thought I would give you the next disjunction of the week, this one is #3:

St. Augustine, or St. Thomas Aquinas

My Answer: St. Augustine. Don't get me wrong, St. Thomas Aquinas is certainly a stand-up saint and Doctor of the Church. In fact, I would not dispute the claim that his theology is the official version, fully endorsed by the Church, and that this is a claim to fame of which even our dear Augustine cannot boast. Additionally, St. Thomas definitely composed some killer music. I also have to mention that there's a certain innocent joy one gets in considering St. Thomas as the pudgy Dominican who doesn't talk a lot, but who can give a serious beat-down to any philosophical or theological opponent in writing. St. Thomas is definitely worthy of n amount of praise, n being a number approaching infinity. I'm just saying that I think St. Augustine is worthy of n+1 amount of praise.

And why? Well, I think Augustine was a cooler guy. For one thing, he has a truly inspiring conversion story. For another, you've got to give him some additional props for defending the Church so bravely and accurately when it was under attack after the fall of the Roman Empire. The way I see it, St. Augustine is the Catholic Church's James T. Kirk, the guy who forged the path, the great pioneer in whose footsteps all others must follow. St. Thomas Aquinas, by that analogy, is like Jean-Luc Picard. In many ways, he may be a more efficient, capable starship captain (theologian and philosopher), but that's only because he had the good example of that first predecessor to follow and embellish.

Your thoughts?

The Pope in the Middle East

2009-05-08T22:37:00.000-04:00

Well, for those few who read my blog...and are unaware, I just wanted to take a brief moment this evening and write up something a wee bit more serious that the disjunction of the week, which would be to briefly comment that our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, is currently on his pilgrimage in the Middle East. Since Pope Paul VI took his landmark, history-making pilgrimage there after the Second Vatican Council, this trip has become something of a Pontificate tradition. Unfortunately, the Middle East remains a place of bitter hatred and controversy, and the Holy Father's trip has is not without a certain level of security risk to it. Thus, I would only urge all of us, as he himself has done, to pray, not only for his safety and the safety of all those involved, but also for there to be some true spiritual progress made by this pilgrimage in the direction of greater peace and concord between the Middle East and the West, between Islam and Christianity.

Disjunction of the Week #2

2009-05-08T14:59:00.003-04:00

Well, I have committed myself to coming up with a new disjunction for us to discuss once weekly, and it shall always be on Friday, and so I shall do that now. Keeping in mind that these disjunctions are explicitly intended to induce humor, I give you:

Star Trek, or Star Wars?

My answer: Star Trek

For me, this is truly a tough question. Going far back into my childhood, I can actually remember staying up late on the weekend with my parents and watching The Stargazer with Jack Horkheimer, followed by reruns of the original Star Trek That's right, despite being born in 1987, I was raised on the original, the real McCoy (pun most definitely intended). The Next Generation was also there, but I always enjoyed the original more, for some reason or another. Watching Star Trek with mom and pop is one of the fondest memories that I have, and it was through that experience that I developed a life-long interest in science fiction in general. I remain very much a Trekkie.

Still, Star Wars has not been without its impact on my life. While the Trek is undoubtedly a means to examining certain germane cultural questions in a fictional setting, Star Wars is a science-fictional re-presentation of some of humanity's eternal struggles, like any good literature often will be. Star Wars explores the "big questions" of good and evil, love and hate, destiny and free will, and life after death. The films (I speak particularly of the original three, though I am not entirely averse to the CGI-laden second trilogy) also have a formidable soundtrack, fantastic battle and hand-to-hand scenes, some great jokes, and, perhaps most important to me, the archetype of the wise old sage. I love the wise old sage, and Star Wars was gracious enough to supply two of them, Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda. As the sages get older and physically more feeble, they only become wiser and their command of the Force becomes greater. It's fantastic. Still, despite the profound contribution of Star Wars, it does suffer from some stolen themes and plot devices. I fully encourage you to read the Baghavad Gita and discover that Hindu monks came up with Star Wars thousands of years before George Lucas was born.

In all, I think that Star Trek is just more perennial, more fun, a better vehicle for social commentary and exploration of new ideas, and has had a greater social impact. I think more people identify with the phrase "Live long and prosper" than they do with "The Force be with you," and I think society is justified in that.

ANNUNTIO VOBIS

2009-05-01T23:50:00.006-04:00

Gaudium Magnum! On Pentecost Sunday, 31 May, 2009, His Eminence Angelo Cardinal Sodano, Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals and former Vatican Secretary of State, will celebrate a Solemn Pontifical Mass of Thanksgiving at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish church here in Pittston, PA!

The occasion for the celebration is the eightieth anniversary of the presence of the Oblates of St. Joseph in the United States, their first assignment having been here in Pittston. Additionally, this celebration is planned to coincide with the celebration of the feast-day of our Founder, St. Joseph Marello, a priest of Cardinal Sodano's own home diocese. The Mass will begin promptly at 3:00 o'clock.

Local clergy and Oblates of St. Joseph will concelebrate, as well as visiting clergy from Raleigh, NC; California; and Perú. The Bishop Emeritus of Scranton, James C. Timlin, D.D., will assist in choir. The general public is invited to attend the Mass and join us in our joyful celebration. Members of the press, other bloggers, etc., are fully encouraged to advertise this event themselves in order to gain as much wide-spread attention for this celebration and the visit of Cardinal Sodano, a rare privilege for a small town in Northeast PA.

The cardinal is also seen here imposing ashes on the head of John Paul II (santo subito):

St. Joseph the Worker

2009-05-01T23:16:00.003-04:00

I would be remiss, of course, if I neglected to mention the handsome man on our left.
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Who is he, you might ask? Well, he is St. Joseph the Worker, indeed, the very same Joseph venerated on March 19 as the Spouse of the Virgin Mary. Today, however, he is venerated on a separate feast-day and for a separate reason, and that is, precisely, his status as an entirely ordinary, common manual laborer. Tradition tells us he was a carpenter, and that is why we see him operating a laborious manual drill by the candle-light of what seems to be a young girl, but is probably supposed to be Our Lord. (Kudos to Georges de la Tour for that intensely masculine rendering.) In any case, this feast-day was decreed by Pope Pius XII on 1955 to be celebrated on May 1 each year, in order to sanctify the secular (sc., of heavily communist influence) celebration of labor in and of itself common in Europe, thus continuing an ages-old Church tradition of sanctifying a non-Christian celebration by placing a new Christian celebration over top of it.

So, the message to be drawn from this is, of course, that work is a good thing, not a necessary evil. Work is a person's way of participating in the Divine act of creation, by maintaining and sustaining the creation that God has given us to watch over. Work is a means of sanctification and of cultivating virtue, as both St. Joseph and his Foster-Child were well aware. Work, however, is not a supreme good simply in itself, as the secular celebration might have us believe. Work ought not to be venerated for its own sake, but for the sake of the fact that it is yet another way in which the Lord allows us to imitate Him in one of His most profound activities. It is another way for us to "be perfect, as...[our] heavenly Father is perfect."

Disjunction of the Week

2009-05-01T09:07:00.001-04:00

I've decided to start a new segment here on the old blog, which I am calling the Disjunction of the Week. For those who have not sat through a grueling logic course (and then, like me, had the audacity to take a second one for kicks), I will explain that a disjunction is a choice between two options. Technically, logicians will also allow for the making of a third choice, "both." However, to keep things simple, I would like to limit us to an either-or scenario. It is my hope that readers will find my weekly disjunctions entertaining enough to participate in via the comment box, and also that they will motivate me to post more regularly, since I will now have a weekly obligation. Without further ado, this week's disjunction:

Does pizza come in "pies" or "trays"?

My answer: Having been acclimated to the entire pizza realm mostly by my father's family, I say that pizza comes in "pies." For the record, my father's family is half from Miners' Mills, Wilkes-Barre, and half from Jersey City, NJ. The Miners' Mills portion (Gramps) emigrated to Jersey City after World War II, but brought the Jersey City portion (Mamu) back with him to Harvey's Lake in the 1970s, and thus I consider my father mostly a Jersey boy. Among them, pizza can never come in trays, and I have inherited their point of view. However, special mention should be made of that rectangular form of pizza that could clearly never be a "pie," either. It is my opinion, since "tray of pizza" is not a phrase in our vocabulary, that these should always be called "sheets."

Now, it is of particular note that the pizza recipe prevalent in this area is largely the Old Forge style, quite distinct from anything available in the environs of New York or, from what I understand, Chicago, the two big-name varieties sold here in the US. The fact that the local pizza recipe is distinct does, in my opinion, warrant the change in its attendant vocabulary, and so I would never dispute with someone who calls one of these a "tray" of pizza. The phrase, however, remains foreign to me and I only use it when "going local" for the sake of you townies. This is one of the ways in which it is sometimes evident that I am not so much a Pittston kid as I sometimes think.

Ecce Ancilla Domini!

2009-03-25T22:58:00.005-04:00

Buona Festa! I realize that we are more or less approaching the end of this happy feast day, but I wanted to be sure and get my two cents in before the Solemnity expires completely. For those who haven't had their breviaries handy today, March 25th is exactly nine months before December 25th, which is of course Christmas. Put two and two together. I'll wait....

Yes, indeed, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. What usually happens nine months before a birth? How was this event different in the particular case of Jesus Christ? Bingo. Today is the day that the Church celebrates the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the apparition of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, and her humble acceptance of God's plan for her.

In my opinion, this feast is of particular importance to modern society, and, so say I, ought to be a major tool for re-evangelizing the West, as nearly everyone in the Church believes we must do. Why is this the case? Well, there are two dimensions in which I see this feast as one of paramount importance to contemporary Western society:

First, there is the "Fiat" dimension. In Mary's simple statement, "let it be done to me according to your word," I believe the contemporary West, if it is truly willing to engage in any degree of self-reflection, my find its true and stark antithesis. That is to say, Mary's "Fiat" (Latin for "let it be [so]") is the expression of a very important and very deeply Christian sentiment that is very nearly dead in this civilization of ours. On the contrary, the defining maxim of Western society as it now stands is "let it be done to me according to my word." The West has become spiritually paralyzed the more it has become materially wealthy. Where there is material prosperity, faith becomes a true challenge, and so it is in our society. We are at the crossroads. One path, wide and level, leads to perdition; the other, straight and narrow, leads to salvation. The "Fiat" will reveal which is which.

The second dimension, perhaps of even greater importance, is the Incarnational dimension, if you want to call it that (honestly, I'm not sure I do). Anyway, the point I'm getting at is that today is the day Catholics believe Jesus became Man, and it has been today for many centuries. I have never honestly heard anyone propose that Jesus was not human until Christmas, that Jesus had not yet become a human person until His birth. Rather, it seems to be the constant and continuous thought of the entire Church that Jesus has been a man since the moment of His conception. Consider the tremendous pro-life meaning present in that belief!

I'm not exactly sure why today is not a huge day for promoting the pro-life cause in the Church. The fact seems to be that a great many Catholics do not accept the Church's belief that human life begins at conception, and yet it is the belief of the Catholic Church that Jesus became a human being today, nine months before He was born. The two notions cannot be reconciled. Either the Incarnation happened today, or it happened at some other point between today and Christmas. That simply is not what the Church teaches. Today ought to be a day of great zeal and evangelization, to renew and re-evaluate our commitment to the cause of protecting human life. Today, the day that the most important of all human lives began, ought to be the day the entire Church commits herself to the purpose of defending human life from conception to natural death. Why it isn't, I don't know. Keep it in your prayers.

Also, consider this:

And also this:

St. Joseph's Day

2009-03-20T22:10:00.003-04:00

Well, the Feast Day may actually be over and done now, but I'm going to plead "octave" on this one, and, since I therefore have until next Friday to post something about the Feast of St. Joseph, I'm by no means late.

That said, I would like to take a very brief opportunity to say that, after a very wonderful novena preached by a Franciscan Friar from the Custody of the Holy Land (stationed in Washington, D.C.), the Solemnity of St. Joseph was celebrated with great solemnity (go figure) here at the seminary both at 10:30 in the morning with a Mass celebrated by the novena preacher and at 7:00 at night, celebrated by the auxiliary bishop of Scranton, the Most Rev. John Dougherty. Both Masses were splendid.

As you might imagine, the Feast of St. Joseph is a rather joyous occasion for the Oblate community, a day filled with wishes of "buona festa" ("happy feast-day"), laughing, singing, and so on, even if you don't happen to be of Italian descent. I can honestly say that, as has always been the case since my arrival at the seminary, St. Joseph was duly honored yesterday with those celebrations, and I pray to him that he may intercede for all of you! Happy Feast of St. Joseph! Buona Festa!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T16:45:00.003-04:00

As everyone most likely knows, this is a special day for myself and for many Irish throughout the world, not least of all the Irish diaspora here in the United States. Yes, indeed, today is the feast day of the Apostle of Ireland, that great snake-driver, St. Patrick. This is a day for all of us of Irish descent to celebrate, of course, that which is "our thing" in common, but also, in my opinion to have a few serious thoughts, if we can manage.

First, all of this drunken revelry--not a part of the actual holiday. Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to alcohol, and I'm not averse to the occasional drink, myself. However, the idea that St. Patrick's day is about green beer and consuming as much of it as possible in order to get as sick as possible as early as possible is simply offensive. Does anyone know how they traditionally celebrate this day in Ireland? That's right, the same way we celebrate Thanksgiving (sans football and with different food).

Second, of course, I think this is a great time for all of the diaspora to take few moments and reflect on Ireland itself, and the sorry state that that nation is in. After centuries of oppressions and violence, several attempts at revolution, one finally successful, political turmoil, internal violence tantamount to a civil war, and the continued partition of a once-united nation, Ireland's history is full of grief and sorrow. In my opinion, the partition of Ireland contributes to that sorrow still, and it would be best for Ireland, I believe, if it were once again whole. What do you all think? Does 26+6=1? Would it be better for Ireland to be reunified? Should there be but one Irish people with one Irish culture, given that they have but one Irish history? Let me know, and happy St. Patrick's day!

Not Quite the Ides, but Still Disastrous

2009-03-09T16:39:00.002-04:00

In a monumentally terrible decision in his as-yet wet-behind-the-ears presidency, Barry O'Bama has decided to officially overturn George Bush's executive policy prohibiting the use of federal funds (in other words, your tax money) for embryonic stem cell research. Thus, I imagine that it will no doubt shortly be the case that the money the federal government has taken from you will be used to fund embryonic stem cell research, on some level, at least.

Now, what about this research? I mean, there are plenty of scientists and quasi-scientists out there claiming that it will magically lead to the cures for all of the worst diseases that afflict the human race. Supposedly, embryonic stem cell research is going to cure Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson's, cancer, and anything else that the current medical establishment has not yet been able to cure. Somehow, I doubt that this research will swiftly and effortlessly lead to such a fantastic revolution in medicine. However, that's not to say that it does not provide some promise. So, basically, the question on anyone's mind ought to be: Well, if it shows promise for potentially decreasing massive amounts of human suffering, what's so wrong about it?

The answer to that is actually fairly simple. Stem cells, as far as I (a far cry from a scientist, I'll have you know) understand it, are cells that form in the very beginning stages of what I believe to be life just after fertilization. When the fertilized egg (the zygote) needs to grow, it does so by dividing, splitting itself, and forming new cells. Those cells have the remarkable ability to turn into practically anything that they're needed to be on down the line--brain, heart, muscle, lung, and so on. Scientists want to tap into this remarkable stem cell ability to change into different things in order to grow things like brain cells, heart cells, liver cells, pancreas cells, and so forth in order to undo the effects of some pretty nasty diseases. The only problem with the plan, however, is that it requires them to take stem cells from a growing embryo and use them for someone else. In the process, the embryo (a person) is destroyed (i.e., killed). On that grounds, the Catholic Church and many other persons and organizations have seen through the promise of stem cell research to its underlying moral problem, and ruled it out as an unethical alternative. Sure, it could help, but people will die in the process, and that isn't acceptable.

Now that President Obama is lining himself up to be a fierce opponent of the Pro-Life movement, I think it is time to start rethinking our game plan and tackling new problems with new force.

Experience

2009-02-18T20:32:00.003-05:00

A lot of people say to me, "But, Pat, doesn't being a seminarian mean that you have to give up a lot of the experiences most people have in college?" In fact, it does. There are a whole lot of experiences that most 21-year-olds have had that I have not. There is a lot that I have not done, and, if everything goes according to plan, a lot that I will never do. Even if everything were not to go according to plan, there are certain opportunities that I have willingly passed up, and which I would not then get back. Certainly, the choice to enter the seminary, the choice to pursue what I believed and still believe to be a vocation, has involved sacrifice already, not merely in the future. Won't I miss out on a lot of the "normal" things of college life? Sure, I already have, and I did in high school as well.

But, you know what, I don't lament the fact that I never got drunk on prom night and did things that I might well regret for the rest of my life. I'm not bothered by the fact that I've never had the experience of living in a dorm, and it's okay that I will never get the chance to hang around the campus all day and "live it up" (which is rather low-key in Scranton) with my fellow college students. Why is that okay? After all, for many or most people, these years are filled with so much formative experience, so many memories that shape an entire life and make people what they will always be from now on. So, why is it okay that I have not had those formative experiences? Simply, because I've also never gone skydiving.

Hear me out. What I mean is that we each get only one life, just one. And it's just plain wrong to presume that you can use that one life to have all of the experiences possible. Sure, I've missed out on a lot, and I will continue to miss out on a lot. I am fully aware of what I have missed, but I am also fully aware of what I have chosen in its place, which is what most of the rest of the world misses. I have had experiences, different from the normal ones, to be sure, that have shaped who I am and what I will always be just as much as those other experiences, though in a different way.

A lot of people approach this question as if I were giving up the normal path and getting nothing in return. That isn't the case. I have made my choice, and I have taken a different path. I graduated from high school almost three years ago, and it wasn't like Ferris Beuller's Day Off or The Breakfast Club or Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink. There were times when I wanted it to be, but it wasn't. Now, it's over, and I'm in college. It isn't like Animal House or Accepted. The rest of my life will not be like When Harry met Sally or The Godfather or The Lord of the Rings. My life will be something different, something without a stereotype and a banal cultural expectation. My life will be different, and that means giving up what is commonplace. I have chosen that, and I continue to choose it every day.

The Rationale

2009-01-26T14:57:00.005-05:00

No, this is not about the rare vestment. Sorry, liturgical geeks. Not this time.

Rather, I am talking about the rationale behind a solid pro-life stance. Frankly, my experience has been that there are a good many Catholics in the Church who, rightfully enough, oppose abortion, but, sadly, are unable to defend their stance. To be a little harsh, these are the people who make the rest of us look like idiots when our beliefs are challenged. Of course, they don't do nearly so bad a job as folks like Nancy Pelosi, who knowingly give scandal by making it appear as if the Church's position were somehow debatable or unofficial. That is not the case.

That, my dear friends, is exactly the right example of what we are up against in the contemporary Church. Nancy Pelosi is an "ardent, practicing Catholic" only in the make-believe world where Catholicism is a religion without codified doctrine or morals. However, please understand that I, for one, do not believe that Nancy Pelosi is actively opposing a doctrine that she knows and understands to be true. Rather, I believe that Nancy Pelosi, like so many others, is the product of the tremendous confusion that overwhelmed the Church in the 1960s. When the Second Vatican Council closed, she was a mere 25 years old, and that was in 1965, right in the middle of social turmoil that has yet to be completely resolved.

Speaker Pelosi is one of millions of Catholics in this kind of predicament. It is our job, as Catholics, to be able to explain to her what the Church believes and why. Additionally, it is our job, as opponents of abortion, to be able to explain our case to anyone who denies it or wants it clarified. Since the latter task is more general (and often the one more necessary), I shall begin there.

Why do I believe that abortion is wrong? The answer to that question comes in two parts. First, I believe that it is always wrong to directly end an innocent human life. Second, I believe that abortion directly puts an end to innocent human life.

Now, it may seem like that first claim will probably go uncontested in any debates you may have on the matter. Do not be fooled, however. There are plenty of people who think they believe that it is wrong to directly end an innocent human life who are really not as solid on it as they may seem. Off the top of my head, I can cite the examples of people who usually oppose abortion, but advocate it or tolerate it in cases where the mother's life is at risk, where the child is the product of rape or incest, where the child is not likely to survive birth, where the mother may not be able to provide an adequate existence for the child, and where the child is known to have a high probability of mental or physical handicap.

These are often cited by what I call "soft pro-choicers" as circumstances that mitigate the severity of the act of abortion. At face value, I think we can all understand where they are coming from, here. No, it is not "fair" for a woman (probably a young girl) to have to carry, deliver, and raise a child that she never intended to have, and that she would not have were it not for a sexual crime perpetrated against her and against her will. That is by no means fair. It is not easy to raise a child with physical or mental disabilities, and to do so may well be beyond the abilities of many women. Justice is supremely denied when a mother has to work multiple jobs to cover the bills and can barely scrape together enough money to feed her child. No pregnant woman wants to die during delivery. All of the situations noted above as potential mitigating circumstances are understandably painful and difficult to handle. They do violate an inherent human understanding of justice and right.

Nevertheless, what we as opponents of abortion must always contend is that abortion does not decrease the injustice of the situation, but rather it increases the injustice. It is better to exist than not to exist. It is better to be alive than dead. Furthermore, if we truly believe that it is wrong to directly end an innocent human life, we must also acknowledge, then, that it is better to let a child be born who will die during delivery (that is, indirectly), than to kill it beforehand. Likewise, it is better to let a child be born whose birth will kill its mother (indirectly, again) than to kill the child beforehand. It is better to let a child be born into a life made difficult and risky by disability or poverty than to deny that child the possibility of any life at all. It is better for a woman to allow her brother's or father's or uncle's or anonymous rapist's child to be born than to impose on that child a death sentence for a crime committed by someone else.

We are not talking, here, about the application of principles. We are talking about the principles themselves. Thus, while some may accuse us of being harsh and our ideals too lofty for implementation, while we may come off as favoring the life of the child or as having some wicked desire to impose further suffering on a woman already going through a difficult time, we must always keep in mind that these beliefs are necessarily implied by the principle that it is morally wrong to directly end an innocent human life. Anyone who denies our claims denies that principle, and it is on that ground that these differences of opinion must be argued. Do not allow yourself to be caught up in difficult questions of application, many of which are designed to make you seem (and feel) like a heartless attempt at humanity. Rather, remember that the principle is worded in such a way that it protects as much life as possible from direct harm. To encapsulate that thought briefly: To carry the child to term is the only way that both mother and child could possibly both live good, happy lives.

The second principle is one that will be much more commonly and easily opposed, with the claim that abortion does not bring a direct end to an innocent human life, because the zygote/embryo/fetus is not a human being. This is a question entirely outside the realm of religion. Therefore, your argument cannot be based on the Bible, on Church teaching, on documents of the USCCB, or on apparitions in a slice of toast, unless you are arguing with people who accept that those things have authority. If you are not, if you are arguing with, say, an atheist (a worst-case scenario for which you ought to be prepared, as its reasoning carries over easily to discussion with other groups), then you will have to base your argument on science and common sense. Mine goes something like this:

Scientifically speaking, there is one sure-fire way to know what species even a single animal cell belongs to. All that needs to be done is to count the chromosomes in the nucleus. That is to say, no two animal species have the same number of chromosomes in the nuclei of their cells, so you could give a qualified scientific professional the skin cell (for example) of any animal, and counting the number of chromosomes in its nucleus will reveal its species of origin. For human beings, that number is 46. So, if you give a scientist a cell and ask him what species it came from, he'll count the chromosomes in its nucleus, and, if that number is 46, he'll say that it's a human cell.

Now, in species that reproduce sexually, there are two kinds of cells (for our purposes), diploid (body) cells and haploid (reproductive) cells. Diploid cells include things like skin, bone, muscle, blood, etc., and they form constitutive parts of an individual organism (an individual person). Haploid cells, on the other hand, are meant only for reproduction, and include ova (egg cells) for women and sperm cells for men. Haploid cells contain half the number of chromosomes found in diploid cells. So, a human gamete (haploid/reproductive cell) will have 23 chromosomes. Why half? Well, that question is answered in considering the process of sexual reproduction. If everything goes according to plan, what eventually happens is that the sperm, containing half the chromosomes of a body cell, and the egg, also containing half the number of chromosomes, will united, to the point that their two nuclei fuse together, and the result is a cell with a nucleus containing 46 chromosomes, a human diploid cell, called a zygote (the process of uniting them was called fertilization).

At that point, it is of paramount importance to note that the zygote has a full complement of 46 human chromosomes, thus giving it a complete set of genetic code. What does it do after that? It rapidly begins to divide, splitting in half, and then in half again, and then in half again. The number of cells keeps on doubling and doubling and doubling. Eventually, some of those cells begin to take on specialized purposes, and it is not long before scientists can identify heart, lungs, bones, skin, muscles, and a brain. In essence, once the sperm and the egg are united and their nuclei become one nucleus, the zygote can be determined as the beginning of a years-long process of unbroken, systematic growth, resulting in something that everyone identifies as a human being, given enough time. If you trace the growth of any person on earth back far enough, you cannot but arrive at the zygote where it all began. On the other hand, there is no human zygote (i.e., one with 46 chromosomes) in existence that can become anything but a human being.

This is the part where many pro-abortion contenders will claim that the zygote is indeed a human cell, complete with its 46 chromosomes, but that it is not an organism distinct from the woman in which it is found. That, really, is a claim that ought to be pretty easy to handle. All that need be done is note two simple things:

1.) If this claim is correct, then there is (or was, at fertilization) a cell inside every pregnant woman that had the ability to grow into a distinct human organism, despite being a part of her body in the first place. How can this be explained, if the zygote is indeed part of the woman? At what point does the "cellular mass" (as they call it) cease to be a part of the pregnant woman, and why?

2.) The genetic code of the zygote is distinct from that of the mother. Only half of the zygote's genetic material comes from her, the other half coming from the father. How can the zygote be a part of the woman's body if it has distinct DNA? Where did this distinct DNA come from? Is it not a bit conspicuous and coincidental that this zygote has exactly the same DNA as the "cellular mass" (as they call it) which, upon birth, we now call a child, and that that DNA never changed from the moment of fertilization?

Follow these two lines of reasoning voraciously, and it seems to me that anyone will be forced to admit that the zygote, at the very least, is not a part of the mother's body, nor of the father's body. It should not be a hard sell, given the fact of continuous traceable development from that stage forward, to argue that the zygote must, therefore, be a distinct human organism, albeit one of only a single cell. The alternative to that conclusion is to claim that a "mass of cells" that is neither a part of the mother nor a distinct organism somehow "becomes" a distinct human organism at some point in its development. If that idea comes up, I usually just ask how the "mass of cells" (as they call it) can "become" a human being without any change whatsoever in its genetic code. To get a bit philosophical, one might also ask what the cause of that "change" from non-organism to organism might be, in other words, what's different?

At this point, we've laid out that we believe that the life of a new, distinct organism begins at fertilization, and that we believe it is morally wrong to directly end an innocent human life, and so more argument should not be necessary. Those are the two pillars of the argument. The claim that the zygote (and every developmental stage thereafter, of course) is a human being may be a hard sell, but it is one that can be made to a greater number of people, since it requires no religious bias or faith, simply reason, which we all have. The claim that it is wrong to directly end an innocent human life, actually, may be the harder sell. Somehow, there are people who believe that the zygote is not a human being/organism. They should not be too hard to sway. Harder to believe, though, is that there are people who accept this and still support abortion. I suppose we'll get into that subsequently, since this rant has been rather long.

The Saddest Anniversary

2009-01-22T16:38:00.004-05:00

Well, Catholic Americans, today is a day that ought to live on in an infamy far greater than December 7 ever could. Today is the day when it was proved that the pen may indeed be mightier than the proverbial sword, because it was on this day, in 1973, that seven Supreme Court justices gave their approval in the case of Roe vs. Wade to declare that abortion was a fundamental right under the United States Constitution, and that, therefore, it could not be banned. It was that simple act, which was not itself an act of violence, that has led to the deaths of some 45 million innocent children, who never made it so far as their first breath.

As a result, this day has become the rallying point for those in the United States who recognize this grave injustice, and who are gathered in our nation's capital today to make their voices heard and to demand justice from the government that has allowed this all to happen.

In my humble opinion, the mere facts that this court decision past (let alone that is passed with a 7-2 majority), and that there were people then who fought voraciously to ensure that it did, and that there are more people today who will fight sometimes more voraciously to ensure that it is not overturned, and that the American people have just inaugurated a new president, who has declared that it is a priority of his administration to guarantee that the so-called "right" to abortion is in no way hindered with this nation's borders, are all indicators of a culture whose moral compass was accidentally dropped overboard into the vast sea of iniquity long ago. That, to me, is the real problem.

It would not be nearly so grave a situation if there were a so-called "right" to abortion that no one ever used. It would not be so terrible for us as a people if abortion were completely legal, but no abortions occurred. The truly sad fact is that abortion, legal or illegal, continues to happen, and to the tune of about one million per year. One-third of the people whom I should know and who should be roughly my age have fallen under the sword of an aggressor whom they never knew, and should never have had to fear. One-third of the young Americans never lived to see their own birth. If it were not the case that abortion were seen as a solution to a problem, then this court decision would not matter. However, the fact of the matter, to be elaborated in at least one succeeding blog post, is that the problems are there to make pregnancy a difficult and harrowing experience, and there are enough people in this country with loud enough voices to convince women in "problem pregnancies" that abortion is a way out. And that is the real injustice...

The Dream, Part II

2009-01-19T17:30:00.003-05:00

Here is the speech that the Rev. King delivered when he gathered a quarter-million people at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. This is truly one of the greatest examples of oratory of the Twentieth Century, as well as a landmark in the civil rights movement.

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

The Dream

2009-01-19T16:42:00.004-05:00

Hopefully, we are all fully cognizant of exactly what today is for us (well, for those of us in the United States, anyway). I mean, of course, that today is Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, and it is the day we observe both in honor of a great man and his high social and moral aspirations, as well as to mourn the sad fact that his life was brought to such an abrupt and unjust end. Of course, for those of us who were not alive to witness these events take place, the holiday has taken on a somewhat more symbolic nature, and has become a day for us to ponder the racial situation of the United States, the great strides that have been made since the Rev. King's time, and the amount of work left to be done.

Personally, I think that the racial climate in the United States is not all that it's often cracked up to be. America may be a land of opportunity, but it is not yet a land of milk and honey. Sadly, the existence of racism in this country is too often allowed to continue simply because of its anonymity and its covertness. That is to say that the few racists that are left in the United States (by comparison to what I consider the generally racist population of our entire past before the 1960s or so) today are allowed to persist in their ignorance and their racism largely because many people are not aware of it, or worse, because people refuse to acknowledge that there could be any racism left. Unfortunately, hatred appears to be in unlimited supply.

While I was fortunate to grow up in a nuclear family where race mattered as little as eye color (which was none, of course), I also grew up in an extended family where race was very important, and it was not uncommon for me to hear my grandparents and their brothers and sisters racial slurs that I knew, even as a child, could only be offensive. Thus, I have been shown both sides of the coin from a very young age, and I have been aware that there are people who are racists still living, and some of them are not senior citizens, as was shown in this local story of a synagogue defaced by a teenage girl. The problem persists.

On the other hand, I also routinely find myself fed up with the degree to which I believe the Rev. King's message was distorted. I don't see why the ideal of cultural diversity should be to divest each individual of his ethnic and cultural heritage in order to set everyone on equal, if equally bankrupt, ground. No, to me it is entirely important that my ancestors came from Ireland, and that fact connects me in a very profound way to a country I have never seen and to people I have never met. It helps me to identify myself, and I cannot imagine what I would be without it. I have seen that it is likewise with people whose ancestors came from Germany, Italy, Poland, Mexico, and many other places. I do, of course, understand that that is perhaps somewhat more difficult for most of the black people in America, whose ancestors were by no means immigrants, but I have seen a good number of them attempt to reconnect with the Africa from which, in one way or another and at one time or another, their ancestors came.

Still, there are those who seek a "racial blindness" from Americans, as if none of that were important. These are the people who say to me, "you're not Irish, you're American." True, I am an American, and that fact also carries a profound significance for me. Nevertheless, I cannot say that I am American by ethnicity. The only people in the United States who can accurately and honestly claim to be ethnically American are those whose ancestors lived on this continent before European explorers ever knew it was here, and I am not one of them. I am a citizen of the United States of America, naturally born within her borders, and that fact gives me a certain political and cultural identity, but it is not an ethnic or historical identity. That fact is plainly seen when I consider the great significance of the fact that, as I trace my family's history back further and further into time, I will always come to a point where my ancestors came to this country from somewhere else. That is, and, I think, should be, important.

This nonsense of racial sensitivity and political correctness has gone entirely too far, in my humble opinion, to the point where I could conceivably be called a bigot or a racist for identifying myself as Irish, and others as Italian or Polish, etc., based on their family's country of origin, historically speaking. As far as I'm concerned, it is not racism to acknowledge the ethnic diversity present in America, this land that claims to be a melting pot. Rather, it is only racism to actively disadvantage people, or wish to disadvantage people, based on their race and nothing more. Racism is refusing to hire someone because he's Jewish. Racism is not saying "shabbat shalom" to someone because you know he's Jewish. These are entirely different.

I like Italian and Indian food, Jewish wit and humor, Irish and black music, and on like that. Yes, there is such a thing as Jewish humor. Here is an example:

There is also such a thing as Italian food. Another example:

And, you know what, there is also such a thing as black music (Jazz, hip hop, etc.), and, yes, even black names. If Aidan is an Irish name, and Santiago is a Spanish name, and Mordechai is a Jewish name, and Guido is an Italian name, I don't see why we can't claim that Denzel or Roshanda are black names. These example of cultural and ethnic identity should not, I argue, be eschewed as potential sources of racial discrimination, but rather they should be embraced as elements of an ethnic heritage and identity that gives a person historical roots far deeper and more significant than this 233-year-old nation could possibly provide. Take it from kilt-wearing Patrick Kevin McLaughlin--ethnicity is a good thing.

So, that is my Martin Luther King, Jr., rant. If you have any thoughts about the matter, feel free to leave some comments. I realize that this is a touchy subject and a difficult issue, but it's one that will only get worse if we ignore it or pretend that it doesn't exist. So, may he rest in peace, and may his dream become reality.

Felix Diem Nativitatis

2008-12-26T13:52:00.002-05:00

Well, world (ha!), I hope that the first day of the Christmas season (i.e., yesterday), went wonderfully for you, and that the rest of what is in reality a season will also be joyful and holy. In other words, let's not take down the tree simply because the presents have been unwrapped. I don't really have much more to say, but, again, my kindest regards, prayers, and well-wishes to all of my supportive and helpful readership.

I think I'll go watch A Christmas Story again...

RIP Cardinal Dulles

2008-12-13T10:32:00.002-05:00

For those who do not yet know, the story seems to have broken on Whispers yesterday that one of the United States' most beloved Princes of the Church, Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ, has fallen asleep in Christ. Dulles, a world-renowned professor of theology at New York City's Fordham University, and a man who could boast of the esteem of none other than the reigning Holy Father, died yesterday (the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe) at the age of ninety. He will be laid to rest next Thursday afternoon from St. Patrick's Cathedral, and will be interred among his confreres of the Society of Jesus.

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace. Amen.

It's That Time Again

2008-12-08T16:24:00.002-05:00

Before I even begin, allow me to explain a little something: When I mentioned, in my last post, that I wanted to hear from the readers and get a little input on my radio idea, I was referring to you, the person reading this blog. That's right, you. If you can understand the words on this screen, then I welcome and encourage your e-mails at the address previously given in the afore-mentioned post.

That aside, it's Advent. It is, in fact, the second week of Advent already. Time has simply flown. Imagine, it's already finals week at school. It's already the middle of December, and Nativity Parish in Scranton has already celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with Bishop Martino (which went great, by the way).

Advent, for me, is a difficult liturgical season. Lent is very clear. Lent is penitential. Lent has managed to maintain a great deal of its spiritual and supernatural character. Advent, on the other hand, is not so explicitly penitential, and has been so vastly overshadowed by the so-called "Holiday Season" of Wal-Mart and Hallmark that it is truly difficult to live out any kind of Advent spirituality in contemporary American culture. That's one man's opinion, anyway.

Nevertheless, I would like to offer to you, my readers (even those who have not responded to my request for input), a chance to enter into some Advent spirit with a much-loved even if not-so-time-honored chant, "Veni, Veni, Emmanuel."

As classes wind down, I will hopefully be living up to this responsibility of blog-posting a little more, well, responsibly. Until next time...

November

2008-11-18T11:41:00.004-05:00

So, it has once again been a while. I apologize (once again). Seminary life is at times very busy, and, when I get the chance, I sometimes like to sit back and marvel at how quickly it can all creep up on you. My semester is going well. Things at the seminary are likewise going well, though there is a spot of bad news that may interest you. Fr. Buttini, the seminary's long-time front door watchdog, has decided to take a bit of a hiatus. At the age of 94, he has not relocated himself to Atlantic City nor Florida, but rather to a nursing home. Just a few days after Fr. Pavese's funeral, Fr. Buttini took a fall and landed himself in the hospital. Since then, he has been moved to a nursing home, where he is receiving round-the-clock care and is recuperating rather well. It is a cross for him to be living outside of a religious community after 76 years under vows, but he is handling it well.

On a bit of a happier note, the Provincial Superior has received written confirmation that His Eminence, Angelo Cardinal Sodano, former Secretary of State for Vatican City and currently the Dean of the College of Cardinals, will indeed be coming to Pittston, of all places. The celebration is still in its infantile planning stages, but the Cardinal is planning to come for the celebration of the Solemnity of St. Joseph Marello, founder of the Oblates of St. Joseph, which will be held as a joint celebration along with the anniversary of the Congregation's pontifical approval by the Holy See and the opening of what is now known as the Pennsylvania Province. It should be a fun, if frantic, affair.

One might wonder, of course, why Cardinal Sodano is coming here, for our feast. And rightly so. Cardinal Sodano, as I understand it, is a great friend of the Oblates and has been ever since his childhood, in Asti (the city in Piedmont, Italy, where the OSJ were founded), where he attended an Oblate-run school, and had Oblates as teachers.

So, that explains the Sodano connection.

In other news, as extensively reported by Whispers, our local diocesan prelate, Bishop Joseph Martino, has been making headlines and getting made fun and ridiculed seemingly across the entire country. While I do agree with his message, delivery seems to have conjured an effect that was not exactly intended, or so I assume. Perhaps, indeed, any press is good press.

ATTENTION: OPPORTUNITY FOR READER INVOLVEMENT:

I am currently working with a friend who has a bit more radio production experience than I to put together a recurring radio show on WQOR, the local Catholic radio station housed at none other than my very own seminary. As a supplement to the already great material presented on the station, which is mostly drawn form the EWTN satellite, we seem to have agreed to take the show in a "contemporary Catholic culture" sort of direction, with the hope of attracting a younger demographic to the station (and, of course, to the Oblates). It is in this regard that I would like to get some feedback from y'all:

1.) How long a show do you think we should have?
2.) How often should the show air?
3.) What are some suggested topics for discussion on the show?

If any of you are willing to respond to any or all of these questions, your input would be happily welcomed in the planning stages of the new techno-endeavor. Oh, by the way, we would also be putting the recordings up on the old Internets for the non-radio-having population to appreciate. If there are any suggestions that fall outside the realm of my questions three, you can also feel free to send them in. You can add your responses as comments to this post, or in e-mail form, if you like. E-mails you can send to: seminarian.patrick@oblates-stjoseph.com

Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant

2008-10-23T10:08:00.002-04:00

Well, dear friends, I have the unfortunate duty of informing you all that the Our Lady of Sorrows Province has lost a dear patriarch. Yesterday afternoon, Fr. Paul J. Pavese, OSJ, fell asleep in the Lord at Little Flower Manor in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where he had been living for the past three years. Fr. Pavese, 91 years old, had served the Oblates of St. Joseph as a religious for 73 years and a priest for 66 years.

When I was a young boy, Fr. Pavese was my pastor for a few years at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Pittston. I distinctly remember the first Mass I ever served as a new altar boy. Fr. Pavese celebrated. Even though it was my first Mass, the other altar boy never showed up, so I had to serve alone. At the end of the Mass, Fr. Pavese presented the newest parish altar boy to the congregation. I never forgot that, and neither did he. Years later, when I entered the seminary, he still remembered that, even though he could never remember my name (or anyone else's for that matter).

Fr. Pavese was a good man, a prayerful priest, and a dedicated Oblate. He will be dearly missed. Fortunately, God is merciful, and will surely be merciful to him. Now is a good time to remember my favorite Scripture passage, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). For a man like Fr. Pavese, to live certainly was Christ, and I am firm in my belief that his death was indeed a gain.

Here is Fr. Pavese's official obituary.

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace.

This ought to serve as a fitting meditation on death and dying, for those interested.

Alright, Already

2008-10-13T15:00:00.003-04:00

I know what you're thinking. "Hey, that blog by that seminarian...what ever happened to that?" I have to admit, I've been letting it slide. Now that it's slid virtually as far as I can fathom, however, I need to rope it back in and get it under control. That shouldn't be too difficult. Life at the seminary has a remarkable tendency to adhere to a certain status quo.

So, the rector went to and returned from Rome, where he spent a few weeks discussing ad nauseum Lord knows what minutia (and perhaps even a few important topics, too). His trip went well, and not much has really changed at the seminary while he was gone. There is, however, a wee spot of news that may be worth mentioning:

The Our Lady of Sorrows Province, the one based right here in Pennsylvania, is going to merge with the Guardian of the Redeemer Province, way out in California. Both links can be found in the sidebar. This will mean, when it has happened, a new sharing of administration, buildings, funds, and personnel. It should be interesting.

Other than that, school is going well, my brother is enjoying college life (though, he has disappointed me--his favorite class is a business course), and my sister is enjoying her last year of high school. Speaking of my sister, she has some interesting plans for the period following her graduation (that is, her life): She's applying for a job with the company (evidently, the company) that staffs the National Park Service, hoping to become a ranger in Alaska's own Denali National Park. I hope that works out for her.

Lastly, some readers seem to think that it's a "big deal" that I'm turning twenty-one in a few weeks...

The Very Merry Month of...September

2008-09-03T15:05:00.002-04:00

Well, it's September now. That means no more fantasies of desperately holding on to the last shreds of summer. Classes have begun, the St. Rocco's processions is a distant memory of an entire two weeks gone by (pictures will be forthcoming, if I ever get them), and the annual Labor Day Triduum and Feast in honor of St. Joseph the Worker has come and gone. We're down to the nitty-gritty now, time to put the ol' nose to the proverbial grindstone, for whatever reason that may ever have been done.

In all honesty, though, I can say that I'm enjoying my classes, I'm looking forward to the semester, and I appreciate the increased sense of order and routine that the school year brings to my life. (Those comments not withstanding the maddening monotony which I am sure to decry before the end of November.)

I would like to take a moment (just sit right there), however, to point out that this is indeed NOT the case for everyone. Take, for instance, my kid brother, Tim. I received word yesterday that, after just over a week living on campus and "doing the college thing," he has begun to give in to the whims of peer pressure. That's right, I am shocked to see my brother running with the crowd and trying to blend in by...

Purchasing a breviary so that he can say the Liturgy of the Hours with his room-mates! While it is still the beginning of the semester, this does somewhat give me the imporession, perhaps entirely mistaken, that I do not need to worry about my brother going off to any keggers and making "bad decisions," nor about him becoming addicted to anything that an older brother wouldn't want him to be addicted to. On the contrary, it appears that, ideed, Franciscan University of Steubenville may well be a place where he can grow intellectually while having his faith cultivated and strengthened. Try finding that at your run-of-the-mill "Catholic" university.

Requiem and a Nun

2008-08-28T09:07:00.003-04:00

Well, briefly, before I get going to the funeral Mass of local Fr. Ed Williams, with whom I was loosely acquainted, I would like to mention to you all (or to y'all, depending on where you're from and where you're reading this) that I met a nun yesterday. A real nun. A nun who, astonishingly enough, believes the teachings of the Church. A nun who embraces her rule and her habit as a way of conforming herself to the cross of Christ. A nun who, even in view of all those other facts, is by no means old. I would place her in her early-to-mid thirties, at the latest. She's from an order called the Sister Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the ones who used to care for John Paul II (santo subito).

Her mother, who lived in Wilkes-Barre, has recently passed away, and I recall the first time I ever spoke to Sr. Mary Joseph. She was calling to inform my rector, who had preached their community's retreat the previous year and had visited Sister's mother several times, that she had died. I remember how trusting, peaceful, and even joyful she sounded. As far as I'm concerned, it's rare to find someone with that attitude toward death, especially the death of a parent, and I was impressed. I pray that her, her family, her congregation, and her class of postulants (she is in charge of postulants) will all be blessed abundantly by Almighty God.

A New Leaf

2008-08-25T17:49:00.002-04:00

Well, as unbelievable as it may seem, today was my first day of classes in my junior year of college. It's hard to believe I'm already beginning my third year of studies, and also that classes started so early in the month. However, such are the facts.

I'm looking forward to Logic, my first class of the day. The professor is very passionate, if you can imagine that, about his subject. As he said, "Don't fight the logic. It takes care of itself. I mean, I suppose it's possible...possible...that you might discover some flaw that philosophers have overlooked for 2,500 years, but short of that, just...accept it." That should be fun.

I'm also looking forward to Modern Philosophy, which ought to examine a lot of the assumptions contemporary society makes about politics and epistemology (theories of knowledge), which are the class's two main foci. Also, it appears that the professor is very capable, and that I will be able to learn a lot from him.

Aside from that, I have work to jump into as the editor of the Faith section of the University's newspaper, and I received a request today to co-host a show on the University radio station. We'll see what materializes.

In all, I am expecting this to be a good semester for me...

Aquí Estoy

2008-08-25T17:40:00.002-04:00

Mi primera noticia en español: Aquí estoy en la Oficina Hispana de la iglesia Santa Natividad en Scranton, PA, trabajando con nuestro sacerdote, Padre Victor León. Creo que voy a escribir a veces en español porque hay acá una comunidad hispana muy grande, y quiero aprender mejor sus costumbres, cultura, y lenguaje. Por eso, yo voy a trabajar aquí con P. Victor con los hispanos. Espero que ese trabajo vaya a crecer con los Oblatos, que son en los EE.UU. para trabajar con los imigrantes. Vamos a ver.

Danny DeVito

2008-08-16T21:42:00.002-04:00

Believe it or not, I had a conversation this evening on the way home from that same family-owned and operated restaurant that I mentioned below. Well, actually, that's not the unbelievable part. What is unbelievable, to this reporter, at least, is that I had a conversation about the future of the Church (go figure, I know), that made me think of Danny DeVito. Take a moment and try to figure it out. When you've given up, join me in the following paragraph:

My pastor and I were talking a bit about change. Change is an oft-discussed topic, with us. It usually seems that the Church will have to change to remain alive in this country. And that's when Danny DeVito came onto the scene. I instantly remembered the line, "If we don't change, we wither and die." As it turns out, after a bit of research, that was not actually the line that Danny DeVito spoke at a certain point in the movie Twins (which you may consider a "Bro. Pat Pick," if you'd like), but the idea was the same. What he said, for the record, was "If we don't negotiate, we wither and die." And so, long story short, perhaps that is a fact. A fact that applies as equally to people as to societies and, yes, even the Church.

I, for one, don't want to see the Church in America wither and die. I'm rather fond of the Church, to be perfectly honest. As I once told our beloved Fr. Victor (whose English, "está mejorando"), the mindset of too many people in these parts, clergy and lay alike, has been, "this is the way things are, because it's the way things always were, and this is the way things will always be." On the other hand, I am reminded of a prayer that we say at our perpetual novena every Wednesday, which says that our Founder, St. Joseph Marello, combined, "faithfulness to the Church with zealous attention to the signs of the times." We would all to well, I think, to imitate such an example.

A Quick Note

2008-08-12T19:35:00.002-04:00

Well, the Seminary's Family Day went splendidly on Sunday, though I would not say that it was without a hitch. The good Lord provided, that much is certain. You see, here in NEPA (that's Northeast Pennsylvania, for those of you outside the reach of the dialect) there was some pretty heavy rain Sunday morning, until about 10:20. When the Family Day picnic began (after 11:00 am Mass), the skies were blue and the air was a perfect temperature. Then, as things began to wrap up around 4:00, we started to see some nearly black clouds, soon followed by torrential rain, then hail. Thank goodness most everyone had already left--and for the fact that we had rented a tent. However, between the storms, Family Day went very well.

Also, I'd like to thank the apparently increasing number of you who know me in daily life and also read this blog. You have no idea how reassuring it is to hear that all of the time I spend musing on this thing is at the very least managing to entertain you. So, thanks for the encouragement and the support. God bless.

As Usual

2008-08-07T16:49:00.002-04:00

Well, I've been back here at the seminary since Saturday. Today, for those of you not keeping score, is Thursday. As usual, the business has kept me more or less from being able to get on and type up an entry to let you all know that I am alive and well. I am. I'm looking forward to tonight's holy hour for vocations with Bishop John Dougherty, too. It should be an enjoyable evening...

Genesee, Here I Come

2008-07-27T23:42:00.002-04:00

Well, I am about to embark (tomorrow morning, that is) on the highlight of my summer, my week-long retreat at the Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard, NY. I am very excited to be taking in some silence, solitude, and even some scenery at a nice contemplative monastery. So, just a note to all of you that while I am out seeking some spiritual regeneration, please pray for my success. Please pray for me during this retreat, that I may come out of it more committed to the authentic Christian life and more able to serve the Lord. I'll be praying for you, rest assured.

Like Sand through the Hourglass...

2008-07-17T22:32:00.003-04:00

Well, as far as I'm concerned, nothing is actually like sand through the hourglass. It has a charm all its own.

I know that y'all (as they might say here in the great Unadilla Valley of upstate New York) have probably been worried about me over this past...month...of not posting, at all, and I thank you. I just wanted to drop a line here on the old web-log and let everyone know that I am a-okay, hunk-dorey, fine and dandy (despite any posthumous objections from the late, great George Carlin), and, in fact, copecetic.

I've been holding down a thrilling, itellectually stimulating job that really does serve the greater good of human society and advance the salvation of souls. Well, that may be a slight exaggeration. I work in a pharmaceutical packaging plant, packaging free one-month samples of the bone-health medication Actonel. "Thrilling" does not nearly begin to describe what this job is not.

Otherwise, things are going pretty well. The fam is all well and good. My brother is safely and surely "grajeeated" (another localism) from high school and preparing for his first semester at Franciscan University of Steubenville as a student of both business administration (imagine my dismay) and catechetics (imagine my pride). My sister is working more life-guarding jobs than I can count, my mother and father are fine, and my uncle is secure in his decision to sell off all of his "livestock" and focus his clothing-optional organic farming operation on the plants.

I've been watching a lot of movies in my off-time, and, on the down-low, I am "secretly" working on a project whereby, one day in the not-too-distant future, the Oblate website will magically have two fully-functioning halves, one in English, to which you are already accustomed, and one in Spanish. Shhhhh. Be vewy, vewy quiet. I'm twanswating web-sites. Hehehehe. Seriously, though, it might take a while, so sit tight.

What's new with you?

The Levee's Gonna Break

2008-06-17T09:57:00.004-04:00

I don't have a picture of him yet, but Fr. Victor León, OSJ, of Cajabamba, Perú, arrived last Saturday. At the time, he spoke no English, and I was the only one here who spoke any Spanish (which has become diluted and confused due to my study of Italian over the last two years). Luckily, Fr. Michele Piscopo, OSJ, (the Superior General) and Fr. Brian Crawford, OSJ, arrived last Tuesday. Both of them speak Spanish, though Fr. Michele speaks no English. So, it's been a polyglot wonderland around here. Everyone but Fr. Brian and Fr. Buttini (and me) left for retreat yesterday. We're manning the fort.

For the last week before he left, I had been doing some "intensive" English lessons, beginning with the basic prayers to say the Rosary and the Angelus, and moving along into the Mass. He's doing well. Also, my several hours with him one-on-one everyday have provided me with the opportunity to see that he is very, very enthusiastic about being here. Here's the skinny:

In Perú, the Oblates have very little money. They do, in fact, live in abject material poverty, of the sort where they do not have the resources to feed themselves. As is often the case, poverty is directly proportional to piety, and so the Oblates in Perú have a healthy spiritual life, at least in comparison to other religious orders and dioceses in the area, all of whom have more material resources, but whose lifestyle is sometimes outright scandalous. This situation has produced many vocations for the Oblates, such that they now have some 150 seminarians, whom they cannot feed. It's a predicament, to be sure.

As a result, they have sent a confrere here to Pennsylvania, to help the Diocese of Scranton with its hispanic apostolate. He will live here and work here (ostensibly, for many years to come), and the money that he earns here will go back to Perú. To me, this is a win-win situation, because we here in Penna get a young, enthusiastic go-getter of a priest, and Perú's poverty is somewhat alleviated. Cool, huh?

Now, when I say that he's a go-getter, what exactly do I mean? Well, back in Perú, he had been in charge of the youth apostolate, then the vocation apostolate, and those are the two areas in which he would most like to see this province branch out and break some new ground. Not incorrectly, he believes that the local hispanic culture is bound to contribute to furthering these goals, since the local gringo culture tends to be retired, disinterested, or both. This has caused me to stop and think a little bit:

Something occurred to me the other day as I was driving to dinner with a friend of mine. American society is falling apart. That was not the epiphany. I have been confronted with that simple fact for my entire life. What I realized in the Spirit of Poverty (the Dodge) was that American Catholicism has taken what seems to me to be a flawed approach to fixing the problem. The approach, by and large (though certainly not exclusively), has been to hearken back to the glory days (see below) of Bishop Sheen and Fr. Peyton. The approach thus far, in most circles that I've seen, has been to try and revert. The Catholics who decry the decline of American culture (as opposed to those who play along) all seem to want to revert to before things got this bad.

They want to go back to before Roe v. Wade, before Terry Schiavo, before gay marriage in Cali, before Vatican II, before widespread divorce, before an AIDS epidemic in Africa, before the removal of prayer in schools, before Darwinian evolution, etc. Basically, they want to go back to before "everything started to go downhill" and pretend that it just never happened. I can understand that desire. However, I can honestly say that, from my vantage point, the Church has not been particularly successful with this approach.

Jesus did not call us to be reactionaries. Jesus called us, in a certain, very limited, non-political sense, to be revolutionaries, cultural revolutionaries. Think about it. When was admission to the Church at its apex? Read the Acts of the Apostles. How many times do we here about 5,000 people joining the Church in a single day, from a single town? When was the last time that happened in your parish? I can tell you that, in my parish, there have been no converts in the last two years, and probably less than twenty baptisms. The Church was at her best when she was new, and when her members were innovative. Consider the placement of Christmas, Easter*, and St. Valentine's Day. Conveniently located right alongside the ancient Roman celebrations of Saturn, Apollo, and the Lupercal (basically all feasts of lust and sin). This was no coincidence. The early Christians did not run from their society, spiritually impoverished and sinful though it was. Rather, they confronted it head-on and sanctified it, as if they were, say, the light of the world, or the salt of the earth. Imagine that.

And so, basically, my argument here is that this is what we need to do, as well. We need to confront society head-on and sanctify it. We also need to expand our horizons a bit. Just because something is different than it would have been in the 50's does not make it wrong. We need to adjust. We need to adapt. If we don't, this society will win out over us, and we will find the Church in America (as well as Europe) vanish like the morning dew, like a passing shadow. Now, I certainly don't have all the answers, but, not to sound clichéd, youth ministry is certainly where I'm looking when it comes to hope for the future.

So, getting around to the title of this post, a combination of Fr. Victor's enthusiasm and my Sunday-drive epiphany have led me to a new sense of direction. Youth ministry. It's all coming together. The Oblates were founded with youth in mind (granted, not exclusively), this society is deeply in need of the Church to raise it from the ash-heap, the Church is deeply in need of youth to do this insurmountable-seeming work. It seems all too clear. This, I think, is the work that I would like to focus on for the next...well, we'll see how long it takes. If it keep on a'rainin', the levee's gonna break.

*I am, of course, aware that the timing of Easter originally was based on (well, was the New Testament fulfilling of) the Jewish Passover, which occurs on the fixed date of 14 Nisan within the Jewish calendar, which is a relative date with respect to our Gregorian calendar. However, Western Easter is no longer based on Passover, but rather the vernal equinox, just like pagan sun-god celebrations.

Catechetical and Parochial Concerns

2008-05-25T17:29:00.002-04:00

I would like to mention that my pastor and I had a great talk last night with the proprietor and a few of the wait staff (all family) of a local Italian restaurant about why people have stopped coming to church. We focused on the youth, specifically. Hopefully, we will see this issue come closer and closer to the main focus of the Church in America as time goes on and the problem continues to get worse. Here's the experience of a Catholic youth (me):

Despite whatever you may hear from some groups in the field, I don't get the impression that there is a resurgence of youth interest in the Church. Not yet, anyway. I think a lot of that has to do with the nature of contemporary youth. Yes, contemporary youth spend a lot of time deeply abosrbed in a world of pseudo-communication and electronic media. However, they are also a skeptical, inquisitve bunch of people who don't appreciate being force-fed what they can plainly see to be a bunch of malarkey. Most of the adults working in the youth and catechetical fields like to talk about the "glory days" of the Baltimore Catechism and nuns who would crack you upside the head with a ruler if you got out of line.

I can see, very clearly, the underlying thesis of that nostalgia: First, it's a shame we can't just force kids to memorize articles of the faith and regurgitate them on command. Second, it's a shame we can't use physical force to scare them into obedience. I do not look at my grandparents' generation as the glory days of the Church in America. The people who lament our present time complain that kids today have no faith. I, on the other hand, believe that, if they had to be forced into memorization and scared into compliance, then my grandparents' generation may not have had much faith, either. Let's face it, they went to Mass because they had to, and they followed all the rules (and memorized every question in the Catechism) mostly because some old Irish (often) nun scared them with stories of hell and a vengeful God looking to catch them in slip-up and condemn them to hell. Were those really the good old days?

No, today's kids represent a true challenge. How do you get them to be interested in the faith, to want to learn more about it, and to understand its inner workings and the answers to the dozens of questions that they ought to be asking, all of which begin with the word "why"? How do you get them to care? How do you get them to live exemplary Christian, ethical lives without threatening them with eternal damnation? That's the challenge. I think we live in a fabulous time, because I think we live in a time that calls for a true reform. Whoever comes up with the solution to the problems faced by this day and age will go down in history with the ranks of Benedict of Nursia, Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, Pius V, Pius X, and a score of other Church-reformers who saw the challenges of their day and owned up to them.

Unfortunately, youth and catechetical ministry are not the only problem. A lot of people ask me, "Why aren't there any vocations today?" Well, first of all, I'm not so sure that the vocations aren't there; it may be the case that they're being ignored. However, I do like to tell people that there is no one reason. The lack of vocations comes from an entire society that is crippled and disfigured. I'll talk to you about that some other time. For now, one might also observe that part of the problem is the nature of parish ministry:

None of the priests I know is an accountant, yet they are solely responsible for the accurate keeping of the parish's financial books (sometimes working with budgets of millions of dollars). None of the priests I know is a licensed therapist, and yet they are often the only people asked for advice. If that advice fails or makes a certain emotional problem worse, it is not unheard of for someone to threaten to sue for giving unlicensed therapy. None of the priests I know is a contractor, engineer, or architect, and yet they are solely responsible for the state of their parish buildings. When the foundation settles and the walls crumble, it's the pastor's sole responsibility. None of the priests I know is actually trained in business or management, and yet most of their day is consumed with exactly such tasks. The point I'm getting at is this: Priests, in general, are trained in only two things, philosophy and theology (including liturgical practica). In other words, priests have little opportunity to truly exercise the fields in which they've been trained, and are (unfairly, if you ask me) constantly required to show proficiency where there could be no such reasonable expectation.

Ask almost any priest, and you will find that they are dissatisfied with the fact that they are very often unable to truly exercise their sacramental ministry. It's because they get caugt up in worrying about flower arrangements, electric bills, etc., etc. Priests are unnecessarily pulled in too many directions. Many of them look forward to retirment as the day when the can finally start being "real priests," whose principle ministries involve what? Bringing the sacraments and the Gospel to the people of Christ. That's why we have priests, and, too often, that's not waht priests do. As their numbers continue to decline, this system is not going to be sustainable for very long.

I would like to close with the words of our current Holy Father, "The priest is not asked to be an expert in economics, construction or politics. He is expected to be an expert in the spiritual life."

Panem de Caelo Praestitisti Nobis!

2008-05-25T16:58:00.004-04:00

Well, here we are at one of my most favorite feasts of the entire liturgical year, Corpus Christi. Unfortunately, my attempts to brings the traditional practice of a Eucharistic Procession to my weekend parish (St. Rocco's of Pittston) were unsuccessful, both because of a scheduling miscommunication, and because, basically I dropped the ball in getting the word out. Nevertheless, I greatly enjoyed watching the procession from the Lateran to Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. With any luck, I will be able to get this off the ground next year, on a smaller and more realistic scale.

The AARP Guide to Pills

2008-05-24T12:01:00.003-04:00

If you'll excuse a brief rant that has absoutely nothing to do with religion or seminary life, I would like to recount to you the tale of a young seminarian who once ventured on a quest to Barnes and Noble, the Wal-Mart of the book sales industry (and I mean that with all that it could possibly imply). On said quest, it was the duty of the young seminarian to acquire for his prefect a legendary work by Edward Gilmartin on priesthood and the Eucharist, with an unknown title.

Behold, having sojourned stealthily into the heart of the black realm of Mordor--I mean, Barnes and Noble--the young seminarian was told by the evil sorceress at the "help desk" that no such title was currently in print. Then, at that exact moment, the seminarian caught sight of something truly grotesque:

There, on a bookshelf, surrounded by other books, sat, seemingly harmless, a book which bore the title, The AARP Guide to Pills. As if gazing upon the cursed Egyption Book of the Dead, the seminarian cringed and felt a chill shoot through him all the way down to the bone....

Silly narratives aside, I was indeed appalled at the prospect that there could even be such a book. Immediately, I wondered how many distinct drugs such a book might discuss. The answer? Over 1,200. Twelve hundred. That's absurd. First of all, it seems to me that this is just the kind of book that enables certain do-it-yourself-minded people to believe that they will have to ability to contradict their physicians and pharmacists when it comes to medication. That's about as useful, in my opinion, as having stayed at a Holiday Inn Express...

My second gripe is that this, to me, is just a sign of a tremendously over-medicated, pill-popping culture in which 250 miligrams of the newest unpronounceable and side-effect-ridden chemical is sure to solve all of your problems. When my grandfathers were alive, they had exactly that mindset about hooch, and it didn't do either of them much good. I can't imagine that just because a doctor told you that it will cure what ails ya' makes it a good thing to put into your body. Doctors. Let's not forget that they're the same group of people, that upper eschelon of American society, that used to make recommendations about which brand of cigarettes was the best.

It just really burns me that the AARP, in its profound charity and compassion for the elderly among us, would exploit (and that's exactly what I think it is) them to the tune of $17.95 for a book about 1,200 medications, the information about which will lead to--what, exactly?

"No, doc. I don't need Fosamax, because it interferes with the Soylent Green I'm taking." You know, for as much as I may not place infallibility in the hands of doctors, I place a lot more of it in their hands than in those of their patients. No, I'm not saying that a patient should be uninformed about the chemicals they're putting into their bodies at a physician's direction. However, I am saying that having knowledge about that kind of thing, which could only be a cursory and barely-informed knowledge, isn't necessarily going to help you. Don't buy a book that gives you the "ability" to contradict your prescription-happy MD. Instead, talk to him, discuss your treatment, and understand the whole picture.

Be Not Afraid

2008-05-21T16:20:00.004-04:00

So, as they say out there in average-everyday-land (hmm, the Heidegger reference may be lost on some of you), it's been "like" a month since I've posted anything, and I have no adequate excuse for disappointing you like that. So, I'm going to apologize: "Mom, and the other three people who read this, I'm sorry it's been so long."

My self-effacement aside, finals are over. Hallelujah! (Forgive the non-Latin spelling.) With my second semester of my second year now behind me, it amazes me to consider the possibility that I may actually be half-way done with my four years here at "'De Oblates" in Laflin. More amazing, that means I'm about 22.2222...% finished with my formation for the priesthood as a whole. Wow. I feel pretty good about the past semester, I enjoyed myself, I got closer to some friends at Scranton, and I think I did well. Judging by the grades I received throughout the semester, I think I have to have gotten an A in "C+ Mohr's" class. That man is about as evil as hopscotch. I'm really not sure how he got his bad reputation. Also, since I know you've been wondering, I cannot explain or define phenomenology to you. Not even a little.

In other news, Fr. Buttini has returned to the hospital, though all indications indicate (well, what else would they do, right?) that he will be coming home tomorrow morning. This time, it was cellulitis on his leg, which, from my years as a physician, I know is not nearly as serious as his first episode.

Things here at the seminary are cooking along just nicely. The remodeling of the dining room, which has been going on since February, is almost complete. Rest assured I'll provide you some before and after shots when all of the work is finally done.

I'd like to take a moment (just sit right there....wow, a Fresh Prince of Bel Air allusion for all the other folks out there who grew up in the '90s) to discuss age and aging, if you don't mind. It has occurred to me recently that I am starting to be older than I used to be. I know, that sounds tautological, and, indeed, each of us is always older than he used to be. Nevertheless, I mean "older" in a much more significant way than with reference to objective clock-time since the moment of my birth. Rather, I feel myself moving into a completely different phase of life. What motivates this rumination is my sister's birthday (this past Sunday), on which she turned seventeen. Seventeen! My little sister is seventeen! That's insane. I mean, she's now legally able to purchase copies of Seventeen at the grocery store! In September, my brother will be nineteen, and, in October, I will be twenty-one. Imagine, I'm now moving into that enigmatic epoch of human life in which my age requires a hyphen. It's a crisis, that's for sure. Since nearly all of my readers have already climbed this particular mountain (some of you many, many years ago), I guess I don't need to dwell on it. The essence of my thought here is: wow, in a few short months, I'll be twenty-one and able, at long last, to rent a car on my own. Not what you were expecting, but, then again, that's what I try for.

It may be of interest to you that I have recently updated the OSJ PA Province's website to include my favorite color. Not that there was anything wrong with the old look, just that it didn't particularly float my boat anymore. I also wanted to create a greater contrast between our website and the OSJ CA's website, from which much of our layout had been shamelessly stolen. Feel free to let me know if it was a monumental mistake, and, if so, perhaps I'll consider taking another three weeks to change it all back again. Of course, since most of you come to my blog from the OSJ PA homepage, perhaps you already knew...

Final thought: I'm thinking about starting a vlog, just to make myself that much more of a nerd and, possibly, to spread my "message" to that many more people in this world. Given the success of vloggers like Phil DeFranco and James @ War, both of whose shows I have recently caught on to, it may actually be possible for me to be viewed by several dozens of people of the course of many months. I don't usually think from a marketing perspective, since I have absolutely no formal training, but it seems to me that marketing is more effective when it reaches more people. And you can quote me on that.

Till next time, keep looking up....

(Wait, "keep looking up"? Did he really just use Jack Horkheimer's sign-off from The Star Gazer? Who references Jack Horkheimer on his blog, honestly? Who even watches a weekly show about back-yard astronomy that only runs for five minutes? This dude is weird.)

Donald Calloway, MIC

2008-04-23T20:35:00.006-04:00

On Sunday, the seminary was blessed to play host (a second time in the same week) to Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, of EWTN fame. Fr. Don gave a presentation to a packed chapel on his conversion story, which is rightly acclaimed as miraculous, from a drug-addicted, sex-craved, violent thief with connections to Japanese organized crime to not only a Roman Catholic, but a priest to boot. His story was truly inspiring.

As I was listening, of course, I couldn't help but be reminded of St. Augustine (in fact, he mentioned the parallel himself, at one point) who conversion story was very similar, down to the detail of a newly-devout mother praying unceasingly for God to bring it about. The Church seems to be blessed, every now and then, to see a truly wretched sinner turn into a truly holy disciple.

On a less theological note, Fr. Don was a very mellow, easy-going guy whom I found very easy to get along with. He was only here briefly, and had been rather tired out from traveling, but he left a good impression. That's comforting for me, because Fr. Don works at the house of studies of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception in none other than Steubenville, OH, at Franciscan University, where by dear brother will be going to school in a few short months. Franciscan has a truly Catholic culture, and I'm glad that they have quality young priests like Fr. Don around to help keep it that way. Perhaps I'll have a chance to visit him the next time I'm in Steubenville.

Seminarians from California

2008-04-23T20:35:00.003-04:00

Welcome back readers, nice of you to join us. What's that? It's me who hasn't been here in a while? Why, that's preposterous! I'm the author you say? Well, I'll author you, Alice...Bang, Zoom!!!

Sorry about that. Occasionally, I break into a Honeymooners rant.

In real news, the seminary was pleased last week to play host to three seminarians from way out in California. Two of them (the ones pictured in cassocks) are Oblates, Bro. Matthew and Bro. Gustavo, both of them to be perpetually professed and then ordained deacons in the coming months (and then priests the following year). What brought them all the way out to Pennsylvania? Well, just a side trip on the way to St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers. I watched the papal address on TV (and probably heard more words than did my California counterparts), and was especially tickled at the part where he forgot to his Spanish-language address.

In any case, I was glad to meet some of the students from CA. Slowly but surely, I'm beginning to make acquaintances with Oblates from around the globe, which will no-doubt serve me well when I'm among them. For now, I just look forward to the day when I can return the favor of a visit...

Ah, Well

2008-04-02T22:22:00.005-04:00

Whew! Sorry it's been so long, readers (ehem....both of you.....). Holy Week, I took a break, as you ought to have known. Some break. The Chrism Mass was noticeably unhappy. The cathedral was nearly empty by comparison to last year (and, from what I understand, years previous), of both clergy and laity. I think, sadly, that this was a form of protest against the Diocese for its stand against the as-yet-unrecognized Catholic school teachers union. It's a long, complicated, touchy story that need not be gotten into here, but check it out here, if you're interested. As I was saying, it's a shame politics and religion are so easily blurred.

After that, my pastor, Fr. Dan, was sick throughout all of the Triduum with a nearly debilitating flu. It's hard being a rookie Master of Ceremonies in the first place, let alone having a priest who's barely able to stand for the most solemn liturgies of the Church calendar. It was a challenge, but everything went well. I did some more public singing, first at the Good Friday Veneration of the Cross at St. Joseph's in Duryea (a place where they chant St. John's Passion), then I sang the Exultet at St. Rocco's on Holy Saturday. I think all those years of being told that I have a terrible voice are starting to wear off, for better or for worse.

Then, of course, came Easter. All the Masses went beautifully, and I was especially touched by the choir's performance of the Regina Caeli at the end of the last Mass on Easter, which they will continue to do until the end of the season. Neat idea, huh? Then, I spent exactly 29 hours at home, which passed quickly but dearly.

During the octave of Easter, things got especially tricky. Last Thursday, on my way down to the chapel, one of our daily Mass attendees informed the rector and me that Fr. Buttini, the 94-year-old who's usually in the chapel by 5:00, was nowhere to be found. We ran to his room, and found him on the floor just behind the closed door. He was rushed to the hospital, and today has been the first day so far that I did not get the chance to go visit him. However, over this past week, he's been getting steadily (and slowly) better. He's feeding himself now, and keeps trying to say the Office, though he has trouble reading the breviary. His abilities to stand and walk are gradually returning. My understanding is that he'll be put into physical therapy any day now, and, if he doesn't quit (which would not be his style, after this much time), he should be able to return to a more-or-less normal life here at the seminary. Eventually. So, please pray for Fr. Buttini.

On a completely unrelated note, a local Catholic radio station has now relocated to a room in our seminary. The arrangement seems to be for the best for all involved. They get a truly Catholic space from which to broadcast, and we, in return, have increased access to the media to get our message out there. The owner has already offered me the possibility of "appearing" on the station, which will slowly increase local programming as time goes on. So, tune in to JMJ Radio, from St. Joseph's Oblate Seminary in Laflin, PA. That's 750 AM, Scranton's Catholic Radio station.

Otherwise, it's par for the course in the world of Brother Patrick. How are you doing?

Happy Feast Day

2008-03-16T17:38:00.002-04:00

Well, it's natural that I should be wishing the world a happy feast day ("buona festa," as they say around here), because yesterday was, of course, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who also goes by the titles of Guardian of the Redeemer and Patron of the Universal Church, among a slew of others. This is a high holy day for us in the Oblate community, and for the Church, as well. Once Holy Week is over, I'll try and write something about him and devotion to him for you. Meanwhile, it's Palm (Passion) Sunday, and I need to inform you that I'll be signing off for the duration of the week. I suggest you do the same--it's a great help in preparing for the liturgies of the Triduum.

Hapy Anniversary, OSJ

2008-03-14T09:06:00.005-04:00

If the rest of you are nerds like I am (and I know for a fact that some of you are), then you probably already knew that today was π Day. For those of you who aren't geeks, the reason for that is that the irrational number, "π" is approximately equivalent to 3.14, which are the numerals that make up today's dat (March 14 or 3/14). Thus, they (we) call today "π Day," which is, of course pronounced, "Pi Day."

There is, though, an altogether more important reason to celebrate today: On March 14, 1878, then-Fr. Joseph Marello founded the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Joseph in Asti, Italy, when our first member, George Medico, OSJ, and three of his companions took up the life that our Founder had laid out for them.

In light of the profound significance of this day, then, I would like to take this opportunity to mention, for those who do not know, what the Oblates of St. Joseph are all about: St. Joseph Marello founded the Congregation in the midst of turmoil and political unrest as Italy was undergoing its violent unification. As a result of this, certain factions became oppressive of the Church, and so there was a great lack of religious education going on, which naturally resulted in ignorant Catholics. Meanwhile, the ranks of the clergy were declining, and pastors found themselves burdened beyond anything they had ever seen. In order to curb the effects of this situation, St. Joseph Marello founded the Oblates to be educators and sacristans, in order to help fulfill two of the greatest needs of his day.

Over time (and not much time, at that), Fr. Marello welcomed priests into the order, and the manner in which we were to be at the service of the diocesan clergy was somewhat altered. Rather than being sacristans and catechists, some could now also help with the sacramental ministry of the priesthood. As time went on, the oder spread, with the intention always in mind to spread devotion to St. Joseph with them anywhere they went.

Today, the Oblates of St. Joseph are committed to assisting the Church in Her greatest needs, which seem, once again, to be the religious education of the youth and the lack of clergy. What characterizes the Oblates more than their mission (similar missions can be found in seemingly countless congregations throughout the Church) is their spirit. The Oblates are committed to living together in a spirit of family, to humble, anonymous service, and to imitating the tireless labor of Christ's guardian on earth, St. Joseph.

So, there's a little of that, for you.

2008-03-09T17:36:00.002-04:00

Every couple of years, this idea appears in my mind. It's an idea that's always essentially the same. It's an idea that I can't explain, and which does not coincide with my perception of reality. That idea is this: I say to myself, "Self, why don't you do something creative?" Then, I respond, "Self, I do do creative things. I write, for instance." Then I say, "No, no. Why don't you do something artisitic--like painting?" Unable to provide adequate reasons to convince me, I resolve that I should, indeed, take up painting.

The thought has come around once again. Lately, I have had the nearly-overwhelming belief that I ought to start painting. I've been tossing it to and fro in my mind, wondering whether watercolor, acrylic, or oil paint would be the best way to go; how much do easels cost; and what is the story with canvas, anyhow? For whatever reason, the thought has not yet explicitly occurred to me that I should not take up painting, since I have neither the requisite skill nor the patience to hone that skill. No, in the face of that little piece of "evidence" (who ever cared about evidence), I have consistently told myself that all I have to do is start with the basics. Don't worry about being able to reproduce the human form, just see if you can paint a square, and move on as you're comfortable.

I don't really know what it is, but I may end up running out to the art supply store and buying a bunch of painting supplies, only to find that "within the lines" would be a generous way of describing my artistic talents. Of course, having a sudden, inexplicable attraction to something that I would not normally even consider is a situation with which I am familiar. It has happened to me before. Can you guess when?

For those finished with the riddle, it also deserves mention that we are now well into the novena to St. Joseph, with the Feastday rapidly approaching. If you live in the area, or are devoted enough to St. Joseph just to fly (be my guest), be advised that Masses are at 7:30, 10:30, and 7:00 until next Saturday, when there will be an 8:00 and a 10:30. Then, of course, begins Holy Week, and the fun never ends for the contemporary seminarian. What fun? Well, for starters, not only am I singing the Exultet at my usual parish this year, but, due to the transfer of a deacon to an Hispanic parish in Scranton, I am also chanting the Passion on Good Friday. Don't you just love it? I do.

Welcome, March

2008-03-03T21:42:00.003-05:00

Hi there, all. I would just like to express how happy I am that March is here. For several reasons. As I have already noted, my favorite liturgical season is racing toward its apex, for which I cannot wait. On top of that, the Solemn Novena to St. Joseph starts this coming Thursday, and does not end until the Feast Day Mass on March 15, the day before Palm Sunday. That's eighteen solid days of solemnity. I know I'm a Church addict, and this is like smack to me. So, I'm excited. In addition, my own feast day is coming up, which means all you posers are going to try and make yourselves part of the greatest race on earth, at least for a day. It's a good day to be a proud Irishman, even if it is displaced by Holy Week.

Besides the litrugical reasons for joy, I am also a big fan of the spring weather. Today was absolutely beautiful. I love this time of year, when it's sunny and cool. Not too long from now, though, Pennsylvania will remind me who's boss and suddenly become unbearably hot, which will continue from about May until October, by my reckoning. So, I enjoy the weather when I can.

I just came off of what has probably been the busiest weekend of my semester so far. That's appropriate, since March tends to be the busiest month of the seminary year. Busy, sure, but I love it.

And now, to the real reason I wrote this post: I never appropriately welcomed those of you hailing from other countries. Officially, as of now, the numbers tell me that we have visitors from the Philippines, Malta, the UK, and Italy, in addition to our usual American suspects. Welcome, to all of you.

2008-02-22T09:42:00.004-05:00

Ah, the snow day. This is one of those occasions on which I reveal (now, ostensibly, to "the world") how much of an overgrown child I really am. After all these years, for most of which I have been entrusted with the venerable task of shoveling, I still can't shake this inexplicable feeling of freedom and joy that comes with discovering, to my heart's content, that school has been cancelled on account of snow. There's just something about it, even if I may spend my entire day reading phenomenology and writing a paper for Fr. Patrick "C+" Mohr (Philosophy of Religion), and not building igloos or fighting the latest battle in the Great Snow Wars. Still, a snow day has a certain youthful magic that I, basically the seminary version of a Toys 'R Us kid, refuse to give up.

So, if you have to go to class today, or if you're one of those "grown up" people who have to work and for whom a "snow day" never really occurs, well, try to enjoy yourself. I, for my part, am wearing a Hawaiian shirt and listening to the Great American Songbook. To each his own...

Best Film from a New Director

2008-02-17T14:13:00.003-05:00

No, this is not the vocation video. This is a video meant to demonstrate to the world, through mass media like this, that I (and, by extension, the Oblates) have a sense of humor. Take it for what it is, and I hope someone else thinks that this is funny.