I'm So Glad

Beginning. End. Middle.

2006-07-14T18:35:00.000-04:00

Recently Mrs. James and I were honored to be the Godparents to a darling baby boy. This is our seventh (shared) Godchild. At the same time as he was receiving this amazing sacrament, an elderly friend was joyfully commending her spirit into God's hands. My wife attended the funeral Mass a few days later. She said it was one of the most beautiful and joy filled Masses she had ever attended. And here we stand in the middle. This is our faith. I am glad to be a Catholic. To have the sacraments which bring me into right relationship with God in the way that he chose. This through no merit of my own but by His sheer generosity.

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a1.htm Baptism.
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c2a5.htm Viaticum.

Delayed Luggage Equipaje regrazado

2006-02-11T23:50:00.000-05:00

Fortunately we were somewhat prepared. We have enough clothes for one may be two days and we are hoping to see our luggage on Lunes /Monday. HAving fun. It is warm.

The Nest

2005-10-31T22:28:00.000-05:00

Our nest is far from empty. Many, who are just a little older than I, are going through the empty nest phase. Our experience will be of missing one child at a time as each moves into adulthood.

As I reflect on my oldest doing just that and anticipate for the others, I realize this is a very hard time for everyone. For the child, they are leaving behind not just their parents and siblings, but many friends and also their familiar environment. It is a big change. This quite apart from the fact that the college work and adult world are harder.

For their siblings, there is a whole new orientation of the family. The younger siblings will have a relationship with the oldest only in as much as we (and he) foster it.

From the parents view, there are many feelings. There is undoubtedly pride and admiration for the child. There is quite a feeling of helplessness. I would want to do anything for any of them. But I know that for them to do their best they need me to get out of the way. I am now able to focus on my other kids in a way I have never been able to. (The oldest I think always takes an inordinate amount of our attention as WE are learning on them.) My thoughts and prayers have always been as evenly divided as I can manage. Now, I am able to pray better for Jim, because I cannot bring my thoughts to him so immediately. My prayers for all my kids are more focused as I anticipate their goals and challenges.

Empty nesters always mention that now most of their attention is on each other. This could be good or bad depending on how well they cultivated their relationship prior. For us, we appreciate how short our time with each child is, and also how much longer we have to go. Perhaps we will have less empty nest time, all the more reason to continue to nuture our strong relationship.

I was most surprised by two things as we began this transition. Noone talks about how to maintian and build strong relationships between siblings. People don't talk as much about the first bird out of the nest as they do about the empty nest.

Ipod reaches 6000 songs.

2005-09-10T15:47:00.000-04:00

Song number six thousand is a beatles cover in spanish. Celia Cruz doing Obla Di Obla Do. I have to go through the songs at some point and get rid of useless duplicates and songs that happened on to my ipod by osmosis.

Long time no post

2005-09-10T15:45:00.000-04:00

yeah it HAS been awhile. I am thinking I will post occassionally but not at the previous pace.

In defense of . . .

2005-06-01T03:02:00.000-04:00

Certainty. By Charles Krauthammer.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,1066928,00.html
Always worth the read.

Back page of Newsweek, piling on? Last week George Will, now Anna Quindlen (surely more expected) attacking certainty. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7935070/site/newsweek/
Check out this quote. "The intolerant, the monomaniacal, the zealots driven by religious certainty engineered the worst attack on American soil, and the result has been intolerance, monomania and zealotry driven by religious certainty." Did she just conflate flying airplanes into buildings with nominating John Bolton to head the U.N.? pretty much.

I definitely think there is a meme of "doubt" (or "certainty is bad") out there.

Certitude and certainty

2005-05-31T00:02:00.000-04:00

Often conflated. Certitude commonly refers to the attitude or state of mind, while certainty is correlative to the truth, the "condition of the evidence of a proposition." (As the Catholic Encyclopedia says.) Oliver Wendell Holmes said wisely, "Certitude is not the test of certainty. We have been cock sure of many things that are not so." That is not to say that certitude is always an improper state of mind. If something is clearly true, is beyond doubt, then certitude is the appropriate response.

More from the Catholic Encyclopedia: "The proper test of truth is evidence, whether the evidence of a truth in itself or by participation in the evidence of some other truth from which it is proved. Many truths, indeed, have to be accepted on authority; but then it has to be made evident that such authority is legitimate, is capable of knowing the truth, and is qualified to teach in the particular department in which it is accepted. Many truths which are at first accepted on authority may afterwards be made evident to the reason of the disciple. Such in fact is the ordinary way in which learning and science are acquired."

(worth reading the whole article here:) http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03539b.htm

Certaintists need to address these arguments:
1. Certitude is dangerous for the world. As stated by Bertrand Russell "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."
2. Certainty is science, nothing more or less. (there is no moral certainty.)
3. There may be truth and thus certainty, but our ability to be certain (certitude) is impossible. Therefore, anyone who claims certitude is deluded.

Certainty, I think.

2005-05-25T15:25:00.000-04:00

This week, Mark Steyn and George Will have something to say about certainty. This is THE concept that enlivens anti-religionists. Certainty it is said makes people more likely to fight and kill each other. Mark Steyn writes in defense of certainty (though really it is just a movie review) http://www.steynonline.com/index2.cfm?edit_id=26 and George Will in Newsweek writes againsthttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3672506/site/newsweek/. I think that George is staking out a new position (for him) on this. Will writes after an extended listing of many scientific facts designed to demonstrate "the complexity and improbability of everyday things," that"the greatest threat to civility - and ultimately to civilization- is an excess of certitude. The world is much menaced just now by people who think that the world and their duties in it are clear and simple. They are certain that they know what-who-created the universe and what this creator wants them to do to make our little speck in the universe perfect, even if extreme measures-even violence-are required."

Now I am quite certain that Mr. Will is not remembering all the good that certainists are doing in the sure knowledge that it is what Our Creator wants us to do. Moreover he seems to be speaking about radical Islam, though he never mentions it or any religious faction by name. He then goes on to allude to the partisanship in America, as if that were any comparison to decapitation or other acts of terror. He writes, "It has been well said that the spirit of liberty is the spirit of not being too sure that you are right. One way to immunize ourselves against misplaced certitude is to contemplate-even to savor-the unfathomable strangeness or everything, including ourselves."

Not all certainists surely are religionists. And certainly not all of those who are so sure of themselves are right or good. But should we remove the idea of certainty because it is impractical? There might be certainty, but people can't handle it?

I recently have been scrounging through a many years encrusted music collection. (See my prev. Ipod post.) One artist, Iris Dement, stands out much as she did when I first heard her. Her soulful plaintive voice reaches in and touches your soul. (My wife more simplisticly says she sounds depressed.) The first song on her 1992 debut album, Infamous Angel is a credal statement for the uncertain, called Let the Mystery Be. And while I disagree with its message, it is a very good song because musically and lyrically it conveys its meaning clearly (and even convincingly although that is rather ironic for a song against certainty.)

So your homework class, read George Will and listen to Iris. When those you disagree with state their case well, it allows room for you to clearly develop your own position. Here are the lyrics to Let The Mystery Be:
http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/dement-iris/let-the-mystery-be-11276.html

Everybody's wonderin' what and where they all came from.
Everybody's worryin' 'bout where they're gonna go when the whole thing's done.
But no one knows for certain and so it's all the same to me.
I think I'll just let the mystery be.
Some say once you're gone you're gone forever, and some say you're gonna come back.
Some say you rest in the arms of the Saviour if in sinful ways you lack.
Some say that they're comin' back in a garden, bunch of carrots and little sweet peas.
I think I'll just let the mystery be.
Everybody's wonderin' what and where they all came from.
Everybody's worryin' 'bout where they're gonna go when the whole thing's done.
But no one knows for certain and so it's all the same to me.
I think I'll just let the mystery be.
Instrumental break.
Some say they're goin' to a place called Glory and I ain't saying it ain't a fact.
But I've heard that I'm on the road to purgatory and I don't like the sound of that.
Well, I believe in love and I live my life accordingly.
But I choose to let the mystery be.Everybody's wonderin' what and where they all came from.
Everybody's worryin' 'bout where they're gonna go when the whole thing's done.
But no one knows for certain and so it's all the same to me.
I think I'll just let the mystery be.I think I'll just let the mystery be.

This is one mystery I would like to explore further in future posts.

I pod.

2005-05-16T23:48:00.000-04:00

It is not true that my failure to post on this blog for more than a month is because I recently received a 30 gig Ipod photo for my birthday. I have been very busy with many things, including down/up loading or im/exporting some 2200 songs on to this high tech transistor radio. More later . . . great tune coming on . . . I just have to dance.

Defining Character II

2005-04-13T22:26:00.000-04:00

What is character as refers to our politician? LAGuy has a very modern idea that how the politician lives his life is separate from his political ideas and plans. This is the compartmentalization idea, that was popular during the Clinton scandal. (forgive me LAGuy if I mischaracterize you.) Whereas, I believe that ideas have consequences and the corollary that actions spring from ideas. Therefore it would be very hard for a person to not want to enact his/her perfect world.

The ideal world of Hillary Clinton is intimately linked with her character. (Because I disagree with it does not mean I think she is wholely a-(or im-)moral.) LAGuy says that he will vote for ("hire") the person who most represents his programs etc and conversely will not vote for the person who represents programs he hates. "the more "character" he has, the more reason I have to vote against him. That's how little character matters. " But in saying this he narrowly defines character to mean only the integrity of the politicians stated political ideas with his intent to enact them. He misses what is the larger point, which is that the political ideas and ultimately actions are directly related to who this person is. Now LAGuy I think will argue that this is a distinction without a practical difference. The who of the politician is not really what he hires. A machine could as easily do his theoretical politician's job.

Of course there are two big practical objections to this theory. One is that we don't know ahead of time all the issues that will come before a politician. We only know "how they would generally vote" by knowing their character which is " the inherent complex of attributes that determine a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions." Thus we need to know their character to know how to judge their possible actions in the unknown.

Two, our vision and the politican's vision compare ultimately as our characters do. Our loftiest ideals cannot rise very high if we do not have actions which have supported them in the past. This is something which he will probably strongly disagree with and so I will try to clarify as much as possible ahead of time. My own knowledge of this comes from practical experience. Whenever, I have endeavored to actualize (George Orwell cringes as I add -ize to nouns to verbify them) an ideal, I realize how hard it is. And as I persist or retreat, my own courage to achieve this end defines my belief in its potential for success by anyone. In other words, if I do not really have the courage and persistence to see an ideal brought closer to a reality, I do not really believe that ideal. I believe something less than that ideal. Thus my own personal belief in keeping promises, for example, does actually determine my faith in anyone's ability to keep promises. The more I struggle and persist in my goal of keeping promises, (the more reliable or trustworthy I am) the more I will believe in the ideal of trust and reliability. Obviously I will not always succeed, still my habits do affect my politics. If I don't trust people (or myself) then I might be more inclined to allow artificial barriers (laws) to exist that might not be necessary if people could be trusted.

I hope this clarification of what character means, and how in practice it does not work as LAGuy theorizes it, makes his idea of compartmentalization of character unrealistic.

Defining Character

2005-04-13T20:54:00.000-04:00

One of the reasons I wanted to bring this debate to my blog is that LAGuy seemed to be wanting to end the debate and I don't think it has really begun. First of all, I think we are talking past each other to some extent because of a disagreement about what character means. While both of us have some idea that it means integrity with one's ideas and actions. LAGuy seems to limit character to mean just this minimal honesty. So, with some help I would like to define character more clearly.

OneLook.com has a quick definition of character: " the inherent complex of attributes that determine a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions."

The etymology from dictionary.com: "[Middle English carecter, distinctive mark, imprint on the soul, from Old French caractere, from Latin charactr, from Greek kharaktr, from kharassein, to inscribe, from kharax, kharak-, pointed stick.]"

And well-known quotes:

Sow an act...reap a habit; Sow a habit...reap a character; Sow a character...reap a destiny.--George D. Boardman

Such as are your habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of your mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts.--Marcus Aurelius

Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny.--Tryon Edwards

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.--Aristotle

Truthfulness is the main element of character. --Brian Tracy

Put more trust in nobility of character than in an oath. --Solon

Reputation is what the world thinks a man is; character is what he really is. --Anonymous

Everyone tries to define this thing called Character. It's not hard. Character is doing what's
right whne nobody's looking. --Anonymous

You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for
him. -- James D. Miles

Character is what you are in the dark. --Dwight Moody

Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. --Abraham Lincoln

How can we expect a harvest of thought who have not had a seedtime of character? --Thoreau

There never was a good knife made of bad steel. --Benjamin Franklin

The best index to a person's character is (a) how he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can't fight back. --Abigail Van Buren

"Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character." — Albert Einstein

"Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike." — Theodore Roosevelt

“Character is that which reveals moral purpose, exposing the class of things a man chooses and avoids.” — Aristotle

Of course the rule on this blog concerning quotes is: Always End with Chesterton.

When some English moralists write about the importance of having character, they appear to mean only the importance of having a dull character.

When a politician is in opposition he is an expert on the means to some end; and when he is in office he is an expert on the obstacles to it.

It is terrible to contemplete how few politicians are hanged.

A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.

If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.

The free man owns himself. He can damage himself with either eating or drinking; he can ruin himself with gambling. If he does he is certainly a damn fool, and he might possibly be a damned soul; but if he may not, he is not a free man any more than a dog."

"It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong."

"Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice."

There is only one thing that it requires real courage to say, and that is a truism.

There is no such thing as fighting on the winning side: one fights to find out which is the winning side.

The Character Debate

2005-04-13T20:38:00.000-04:00

LAGUY begins: "If I hire someone to paint my house, I'd be concerned about his character. Will he try to overcharge me, might he try to steal something? But when I "hire" politicians, character is pretty low on the list. I just want them to support programs I support, or do nothing. Character hardly enters enter into it. . . . [discussion about Hillary, Kerry, Swift boats] . . . In any case, I hope we don't see national office as a reward for being a good person (that should be its own reward), but as a job we're trying to fill with the person who'll do the best job."

My first response: "You are kidding, right? Worried about a painter who comes to paint your apartment and not worried about the character of someone who has control of many millions of dollars, who could sell every vote, who could run on one message and do the opposite (many repubs and dems have). Not to mention making decisions that effect EVERYTHING in your life. Your very freedom, your every action and interaction little and big. Too many things to list. (I will list some if you continue in this silliness). But no, you can choose to worry about your painter and whether his bad character will lead to a decorating disaster. Insert head in sand.Of course you think I care about character because I am a social conservative. I think that anyone: leftie, rightie, libertarian, or other should care very much about character."

LAGUY ripostes: "In response to Skip James comments (check out below), I'm quite serious about character not counting much. A national political figure makes huge decisions that effect hundreds of millions of people and trillions of dollars. That's what counts to me, not whether he sleeps around or drives like a maniac. Even if he hires family or takes a bribe, it's a small matter compared to someone of high character who supports bad policies. And don't forget what he does on his job is public knowledge, so whenever his "bad character" affects his judgment in a bad way, we can know about it and do something.That's why it's more important to know the character of a guy you hire to paint your house. A closer comparison, actually, would be there are two men, A and B. A is of the highest character and is an accountant who refuses to ever paint anything, B is a personal mystery but a great housepainter. Who would you rather hire paint your house? What matters foremost, so much that character should rarely enter into it, is what a politician will do, not how he acts in private moments."

My 2nd response: "Character counts. First, Rush Limbaugh is not my idea of character counts. He is arrogant and has flashes of strong work but day to day he does not approach great thinking. I know it is hard to maintain the kind of audience he has, but my judgement of talkers is based on whether they are thinkers. He does not have broad interests. He is moderately intellectually curious. There are much better right and left on talk radio.

Second and way more to the point, the guy who takes a bribe, is the guy who will screw you the voter. That guy will screw you publicly and somehow that makes it better for you. Once he has betrayed you, (publicly by not voting the way he said he would or privately by taking a bribe thereby selling your vote), it is too late. It is like having your house painted badly. You might be able to contact the BBB or complain but your house is still messed up and you still have to get another painter. Only now you don't trust painters so much.

Character counts in carpet installers. My carpet was installed by two guys who were high on pot at the time. And now my carpet is not laid properly. It is wearing out quicker in spots where it was not stretched out. And I can get someone else to relay my carpet at my expense or I can complain about these potheads. But to who? (Am I the victim of a victimless crime?)

So LAGuy's theoretical idea is: but what if these pot head carpet layers were geniuses at carpet laying? What if they did a fantastic job? What if the politician who lies and cheats in every other aspect of his life, really took care of his constituents? Its an interesting theory. It happens to be ridiculous in practice.

So, the next question is what if there are two guys, one who will paint your house but is a pot head and one who won't paint houses but is a good guy. I wonder why these are my only choices. Is this a false dichotomy?

What about the FACT that NOONE is not a hypocrite? All the character guys have flaws. All you gotta do is look closely and there is something in their life that conflicts with what they espouse. This is why character counts so much. Anyone can say what they think you want to hear. Only those who truly believe that their principles matter will stay the course and actually try to put those principles into practice. Of course noone is perfect but some people are trying to live by their principles and others are not. Those who are will fail, less often and enact what they set out to more often."

More Character by LAGuy:"Skip James replied to my "Character" post. Scroll down to see his comments. He feels, by the way, that character counts a lot. (Sorry Skip, last time I quoted you at length in the body of the post, but don't have time to now.)Actually, I agree with most of what Skip says. I just think he misses the point. Let's say you're a liberal in 1996, and think Clinton has less character than Dole. You may even think Clinton has sold out his party a few times. You will still vote for Clinton since he's far more likely to give you what you want than Dole.Which candidate had the most character in 2004? Was it Dennis Kucinich? Ralph Nader? Michael Badnarik? Some guy I never heard of? I don't know--it's never easy to tell. But who cares. If a guy says he'll fight for programs I hate, and fight against programs I like, then the more "character" he has, the more reason I have to vote against him. That's how little character matters. "

An Anonymous poster comes to my aid:"I think your analysis of character depends upon the shared value set you're talking about.Your point is a good one, that the more character a Democrat has, the likelier that I, a Republican, will vote against her--assuming I am worried about, say, raising taxes or gun control.But if I value sufficiently a number of other things that I think she values, such as our constitutional structure or any number of other things (let's say we both believe the senate filibuster should be maintained, even though I believe more than she does that it ought not to rise to the level of a minority veto), then it's exactly character that would cause me to vote for her.I will believe that she will do what's right as against her interest--a rough definition of character--while "my guy" who says the right things about issues I care about, but has no character, will abandon me on all counts (the specific Republican issue, e.g., guns, and the "shared value" issues) as soon as it benefits him to do so.This is the same thing Skip said, in a different way. Put another way, maybe you missed the point, not Skip."

LAGuy stays in the game: "I don't mean to argue this into the ground, but I think this still shows how little character matters.First, in the real world, it's almost impossible to gauge a candidate's character. For practical purposes, "character" is generally a sham issue, as you can see by the fact that most partisans only seem to attack the character of the other party. So many who claim it's important are merely using it as a pretext to vote for their side. (I'm not saying they're hypocritical, by the way--they honestly believe that people who make the arguments they believe in are of higher character than those who support programs that no decent person would honestly be associated with.)Second, even if you can separate out character, you're still going for the guy who supports your views most--that is simply 99% of what you're voting for.Third, most "character" deficits actually have nothing to do with politics, and aren't about selling you out, but are more about being a jerk in private life. These are just not things I believe in worrying about when I vote--as I said earlier, I don't believe in voting a guy in as a reward for being honorable (virtue is its own reward), but for being someone who'll properly represent me.Then, finally, there's the case where you have two candidates with the exact same views and you can actually tell which one has better "character." Even in this imaginary situation, you'd still often vote against character since 1) no candidate perfectly lines up with you so you'd want her to make compromises anyway and 2) someone who has so much character that she won't bend may not get anything passed in certain situations, and therefore you'll get nothing rather than the half a loaf a wheeler and dealer would get you."

Anonymous quips: "You're a lawyer, aren't you?"

Character Counts

2005-04-13T19:52:00.000-04:00

I have been having an exchange of ideas with my friend LAGuy at his Pajamaguy Blog on the idea of character. I will bring this discussion over to this blog, so that I can complete my thoughts on it.

Theology of Prayer

2005-04-13T19:42:00.000-04:00

On my recent reading list is a small book by Father John Hardon called Theology of Prayer. The book is small but is packed with helpful thoughts on the meaning of prayer and then how to pray. It appears to be a transcription of conferences on prayer as the format is very conversational. I find Father Hardon's insights very helpful in my own prayer. Recommended.

Likely you will find this as a used book as it was published in 1979. (the photos of nature scenes at each chapter opening have a certain 1970's religion style.)

Fox and Friends

2005-04-04T01:09:00.000-04:00

It has been amazing to watch the Papal reflections of many faithful Catholics. Some of them are even my friends. Christopher West (who I do not know) was explaining the Theology of the Body to one stunned and nodding correspondent. Chris was asked about why people don't want to listen to the teachings of the Church. He responded that some people say there is no truth. "And in response I ask them, Is that true? They say that we cannot know what is and isn't true. And I ask them, How do you know that? Then they say well we cannot be sure what we know and don't know. And I ask them, Are you sure?" I loved it.

Steve Ray, Ed Peters, Jeff Cavins, and Jimmy Akins, all proclaimed the truth of Catholic teaching. The opportunity to publicly express how John Paul 2 has shaped us and our church has been greatly used and I am proud of the way many of our lay leaders have responded.

Also very interesting has been watching the various correspondents react to the Pope's challenge to their own faith. One woman stated clearly that she was a Cafeteria Catholic. You could hear in her voice that as she spoke it, she was uncomfortable with her own lack of integrity. She will now go to her family, her friends and her children and explain to them that she chooses to go only half way. Can she live with her own dysfunction? I believe a door was opened. I pray that her words prick her conscience and that she is led to a deeper relationship with God and a personal integrity. This is just one example. Several others openly expressed their Catholic identity in a very positive way.

How often does television really explore individual people's faith experiences? Not very! This has been yet another gift from JP2. Thanks.

A Pope Like No Other

2005-04-03T23:39:00.000-04:00

A Pope like no other
By Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein

Few Jews or Catholics appreciate how far one man went in redressing the wrongs of centuries. Looking into the early days of the late Pope, we find the roots of his friendship with the Jewish people.

Pope John Paul spoiled one of my favorite anecdotes. This may sound mean-spirited, but I can think of no greater tribute to the memory of a remarkable man.
Rabbi Yonoson Eybeschutz, one of the greatest Jewish scholars of the Eighteenth Century, stood as a young boy in the area in front of his house, peering over the fence at the pedestrian traffic. A local non-Jewish boor, half-drunk, couldn't resist the opportunity to take a pot shot at a Jew, even if he was a quarter his size.
"Hey, Jew!" he called to the boy. "What's the difference between a Jew and a pig?"
Little Yonoson did not have to think long to respond. "The fence, of course!"
This story speaks volumes of the relationship between Jews and non-Jews of that time in general, and the adversarial relationship between Jews and the Catholic Church — from whence flowed so much of the anti-Jewish venom — in particular.
Two Popes blunted the impact of that story, changing it from a definition of the present to a vivid description of the past. Both were affected, perhaps even radicalized in their relationship with the Jewish people, by the Holocaust.
Archbishop Angelo Roncalli helped save thousands of Jews as a Papal Nuncio, sometimes defying the policies of his superiors. As Pope John XXIII, he would preside over Nostra Aetate, which overturned centuries of Catholic attitudes towards Jews. Until then, Jewish-Catholic relations were a succession of footnotes to early Church leaders like Origen ("the blood of Jesus falls on Jews, not only then, but on all generations until the end of the world") and St. Cyprian ( "the Bible itself says the Jews are an accursed people .... the devil is the Father of the Jews.") Nostra Aetate made it Church teaching that the entire Jewish people of antiquity was not complicit in the crucifixion, and that Jews of subsequent generations should certainly not be saddled with any form of collective guilt.
What John XXIII did in the realm of theoretical teaching, John Paul translated into practical and unmistakable preaching by example. He did this with a flair for the dramatic, for the big moment whose eloquence did not fade when the crowds went home.
He was not only the first to visit a synagogue, but his embrace of Rabbi Toaf told of a willingness to reverse the antagonisms of two millennia. What he spoke went further yet, when he called Jews "our elder brothers of the Ancient Covenant never broken by G-d and never to be broken."
Many Jews, rightfully so, were skeptical of any warming up to the Jews that did not include an acceptance of the Jewish right to the Land of Israel. They assumed that the Church would be unwilling to part with its boilerplate reaction of so many centuries that saw the Jew wander in exile from place to place, banished from his Land for having rejected Jesus. The Pope did not mince words. He pointed to the debt that Catholics owed to Jews, and then drew his fateful conclusion. "The act of establishing diplomatic relations with Israel is simply an international affirmation of this relationship."
This attitude, as well, he turned into a succession of dramatic moments. He visited Israel. He made the pilgrimage to Yad Vashem. He said what Jews had bet no favorite son of the Church would ever say that the Church — meaning not only Christians, but Christianity itself — had to assume much of the blame for centuries of anti-Semitism, and for the Holocaust. As he put it, "the fact that anti-Semitism has found a place in Christian thought and teaching requires an act of teshuva", repentance.
He was certainly aware that teshuva connotes an active making of amends, not just the feeling of regret. How else to explain the prayer he composed asking G-d for forgiveness for Church crimes against the Jews, and the moving moment when he placed that prayer as a kvitel(petitioner prayer note) into the Western Wall in Jerusalem?
G-d of our fathers, You chose Abraham and his descendants to bring Your name to the nations: we are deeply saddened by the behavior of those who in the course of history have caused these children of Yours to suffer and asking Your forgiveness; we wish to commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood with the people of the Covenant.
He grew up in a town with 8000 Catholics and 2000 Jews; his best friend throughout his life was Jewish. He understood Jews — and the horrors inflicted upon them — as none among his successors will.
A Jewish perspective on the career of John Paul will look beyond the center-stage moments and find the small episode that says it all. Yaffa Eliach (Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust, pgs. 142-147) found it for us decades ago. (Click HERE to purchase this truly incredible book. Sales help fund JWR.)
A Jewish couple in Cracow anticipated the worst, and entrusted their small son to a Gentile couple in the town of Dombrowa, who accepted the boy at no small risk to their own lives. The parents left directives to see to it that their son be raised Jewish and reunited with relatives in North America if they should not return.
They didn't, but the couple (who did not have children of their own) grew attached to the little boy. Over time, they decided to adopt him as their own, and asked the new parish priest to baptize him. The priest questioned the child's provenance. What had the parents said? The couple told him of their wish to have the boy sent to relatives across the Atlantic. The priest refused to baptize the child. In time, his relatives were located, and he was sent to them, and grew up to become an observant Jew.
The priest would later become Pope John Paul. When one of the most prominent pre-Holocaust Chassidic sages, the Bluzhover Rebbe, heard the story, he remarked, "Perhaps it was the merit of saving a single Jewish soul that brought about his election as Pope. It is a story that must be told."
As it turns out, it was an unfinished story. Perhaps it would not be inappropriate to see shades of the Talmudic maxim at work — "one mitzvah [religious act of compassion] drags the next in its wake." Karol Jozef Wojtyla's decision that day showed his acceptance of and regard for both Jews and Judaism. It led not only to his becoming the Pope, but to an unparalleled role in taking the Church to a different place in its relationship with the Jewish people. If both Catholics and Jews will study his teaching, if the story of the young Rav Yonoson Ebyeschutz becomes a relic rather than a reality, we will have created a memorial to him of that he would be proud.

Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein is the Sydney M Irmas Chair in Jewish Law and Ethics at Loyola Law School. He also coordinates intergroup affairs at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and in that capacity has much more to say about the current state of affairs between Jews and many other faiths. Those curious enough to want to find out are invited to join him for Passover at the Hilton Torrey Pines in La Jolla, CA

I race sled dogs.

2005-04-03T23:25:00.000-04:00

At your workplace do you have motivational posters instead of actual art? Now that alone should be enough to make you snarl. Then every once in awhile you actually look at the posters and see how ridiculous they are.

There is one that I see regularly. The company that prints it is called Baudville. "Putting applause on paper," is their motto. The slogan on this particular poster is: "Extraordinary! We are surrounded by extraordinary people!" Now this would probably be okay. Then the body of the poster has 36 cartoon people, each with a different interest or extraordinary activity. I race sled dogs. etc. Again what's the problem. There are two quotes that bug me: I'm an amateur astrologer and I write horoscopes.

Two people out of 36 who do astrology and not one of these extraordinary people pray? There is no allowance for religious expression in this diversity world. I want to be tolerant of our differences. Why doesn't diversity include me?

2005-04-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

Good and faithful servant.

Papal Reflections

2005-04-01T22:41:00.000-05:00

On October 16, 1978, I was in the second month of my senior year of high school. Jimmy Carter was President. We were in the Cold War. Today, my eldest son is in the final months of his last year of high school. There have been four subsequent presidents. The Communist threat has changed to the terrorist threat. Most importantly and to the point, my spiritual life has gone through quite a roller coaster ride during this time, as well. Pope John Paul II has been the only Pope our children have ever known. For them his influence could hardly be measured. However, I am here reflecting on what JP2 has done for me.

Of course, I was in high school when Pope John Paul I was elected and then shortly afterward died. As with most men, I took awhile to mature. I remember joking (certainly not with originality) that the next Pope would be Pope George-Ringo. It was definitely a big surprise and therefore got everyone’s attention when a Polish Cardinal was elected. Because Detroit has a big Polish community, there was lots of celebrating locally. In 1987, he even visited Hamtramck. I was puzzled when at his first address, he said, “Be not afraid”. Who was afraid? I barely thought of the statement in theological terms.

The first time he really impressed me spiritually was early in his pontificate. Jimmy Carter did an interview with Playboy magazine. In the interview, he said he lusted after women. It made all the papers. Without mentioning Carter by name, the Pope publicly quoted the Scripture in which Jesus says that if you only look lustfully upon another woman you commit adultery in your heart. Further, he said if you look lustfully upon your own wife, you commit adultery in your heart. Of course, the world at large sorely misunderstood the whole situation, (probably Carter’s meaning, and definitely the Pope’s.) Many thought the Pope was saying it is wrong to desire your wife. Now some of this is foggy, but I remember distinctly being surprised that this Pope was engaging the culture and this was different.

I cannot summarize twenty-six years of the Pope’s accomplishments or my spiritual pratfalls in short space. My spiritual growth has been profoundly affected by John Paul 2. I have read all of his encyclicals at least cursorily. I remember particularly being impressed by his interview/book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope as another important attempt to engage the wider culture. He has taken people, even people who strongly disagree, seriously. The 1993 Catechism was a major work, which brought the teachings to the world and to many Catholics in a straightforward way. Though he did not write it, he nurtured it and brought it to fruition.

Still it took until 1995 for me to accept my full Catholic identity and to understand that my life must be dedicated to Christ in His Church. I have been a regular Sunday Mass attending Catholic all of my life. When I was in Catholic school for three years, my faith deepened in mysterious ways that helped me through my own many faults over the years. In 1994 on my thirty-third birthday, I made a blasphemous joke, that I was unsatisfied with my progress to date since I had accomplished so little compared to Jesus. Though I quickly repented of the blasphemy, the thought of how little I had accomplished spiritually was brought to my attention in a new way. What kind of relationship did I have with God? Could I afford to take him so lightly?

Many things combined that year to bring me to a decision point with God. First, my son, Jim, challenged me in my faith. He was precociously asking many questions that I sheepishly was completely inadequately prepared to answer. You cannot give what you do not have. Jack Kevorkian was roaming the state snuffing out lives at an astonishing rate. As a new homeschooling parent, I took seriously my role as a teacher and actively began reading prodigiously. All around me were people who were being awakened, just as I was to our faiths. Many of us felt energized by this active, brilliant, engaging Pope. Some were moved specifically by his writings, which were frequent, and accessible, others by the way he related to people. Lastly, I sinned grievously. I did so knowing I was wrong but also rationalizing that many Catholics and even clergy approved of my actions.

God have mercy on me. God had mercy on me. I was brought to my knees. I knew that I had offended my God and I asked for his mercy. I received that grace. How, in the midst of a renewal of my faith and the beginning of my adult education in it, did I go so far off course? I know now that God brought me to the point where I had to decide if I really believed in Him, really trusted Him. If I took him at His Word, I must be obedient to him. This was the most cleansing moment of my life so far. Conversion is miraculous. I was able to unload many burdens, chronic sins that I had struggled with for all my life up to that point.

After conversion is conversation. Conversation is still turning, turning ever toward the face of God in interaction with Him. Prayer. Still I needed much more education. I come from the poorly catechized generation of Kumbaya Catholics. The Pope was very helpful here. Now I read encyclicals, saint biographies, and everything I could get my hands on. The Pope had set up (just for me) a revolution in Catholic publishing. There was (and is) quite a bit to access in spiritual reading today. John Paul 2 rightly receives much credit for this revival.

Several years ago I read the George Weigel biography of the Pope and was bowled over by his life. Now as I watch his final sufferings as this once athletic man is crippled and this smiling Pope’s face becomes a mask, I know that there is a deep integrity about his person and all of his teaching. He takes God seriously. He has taken us seriously. Yes, he preaches the faith but importantly he lives it. God bless you John Paul II. Thank you.

Pictures of Nicaragua

2005-04-01T00:07:00.000-05:00

I finally learned how to upload pictures to my blog. It turns out it is really easy. These are the pictures I wanted to share from my trip to Nicaragua. The trip is journaled in the mid-February posts on my blog. Enjoy these pictures, I enjoyed this trip.

2005-04-01T00:05:00.000-05:00

Jorge, Jessie and Nancy take a swing.

2005-04-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

Edith sings. The bed and breakfast at the bio-preserve.

2005-04-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

Processing the image of Guadalupe through Esteli. (Charlie and Roger.)

2005-04-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Our hotel lobby in Managua.

2005-03-31T23:59:00.001-05:00

The scenery of the preserve near Esteli.

2005-03-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

Our beautiful hotel courtyard in Esteli

2005-03-31T23:57:00.000-05:00

Chico and Joe play their guitars.

2005-03-31T23:56:00.000-05:00

Many men rode horses along the roadside.

2005-03-31T23:53:00.000-05:00

At the church in Esteli. The children are beautiful. The Deacon and Roger.

2005-03-31T23:52:00.001-05:00

The mariachi band.

2005-03-31T23:52:00.000-05:00

Dave, my wonderful translator and Theresa.

2005-03-31T23:51:00.000-05:00

This image was processed through Esteli for many years. It is a gift to the clinic.

2005-03-31T23:49:00.001-05:00

This boy got my Michigan hat. His name was David.

2005-03-31T23:49:00.000-05:00

Chico and I

2005-03-31T23:48:00.000-05:00

Dave Wittgens, myself, and Ron Otremba with Vivian, at the dedication.

2005-03-31T23:46:00.000-05:00

Our Lady of Guadalupe was honored at the dedication of Tim's clinic.

2005-03-31T23:45:00.000-05:00

Awaiting good Nicaraguan food, while enjoying a Tona Beer.

2005-03-31T23:43:00.000-05:00

Roger and I in front of Tim's Clinic

Morality and Reality

2005-03-25T23:59:00.000-05:00

I don't agree with Mr. Brooks' analysis that morality does not fit reality. But I have not seen the social liberals perspective as well put (especially from one). There seems little room left but to pray for Terri and her family. And to pray for mercy for all those who treated her callously.

Several important points that got missed alot. One, she was not dying. I repeat, she was not dying. Two, she was not brain dead. Whether she was in a "persistent vegetative state" is up for argument. But it is now more clear than ever that we must banish that phrase. Legally, if she had indicated to her family her choice to remove her tube and there had been no argument, it would have been okay. (This is how the law has been interpreted for quite a few years.) Morally it would not have been.

One more thing, I take care of dehydrated people just about every day of my working life. They are not comfortable.

From the NYTimes(via Freerepublic): http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1371044/posts
"Morality and Reality

NY Times ^ | March 26, 2005 | DAVID BROOKS

OP-ED COLUMNIST

The core belief that social conservatives bring to cases like Terri Schiavo's is that the value of each individual life is intrinsic. The value of a life doesn't depend upon what a person can physically do, experience or achieve. The life of a comatose person or a fetus has the same dignity and worth as the life of a fully functioning adult.

Social conservatives go on to say that if we make distinctions about the value of different lives, if we downgrade those who are physically alive but mentally incapacitated, if we say that some people can be more easily moved toward death than others, then the strong will prey upon the helpless, and the dignity of all our lives will be diminished.

The true bright line is not between lives, they say, but between life and death. The proper rule, as Robert P. George of Princeton puts it, should be, "Always to care, never to kill."

The weakness of the social conservative case is that for most of us, especially in these days of advanced medical technology, it is hard to ignore distinctions between different modes of living. In some hospital rooms, there are people living forms of existence that upon direct contact do seem even worse than death.

Moreover, most of us believe in transcendence, in life beyond this one. Therefore why is it so necessary to cling ferociously to this life? Why not allow the soul to ascend to whatever is in store for it?

The core belief that social liberals bring to cases like Ms. Schiavo's is that the quality of life is a fundamental human value. They don't emphasize the bright line between life and death; they describe a continuum between a fully lived life and a life that, by the sort of incapacity Terri Schiavo has suffered, is mere existence.

On one end of that continuum are those fortunate enough to be able to live fully - to decide and act, to experience the world and be free. On the other end are those who, tragically, can do none of these things, and who are merely existing.

Social liberals warn against vitalism, the elevation of physical existence over other values. They say it is up to each individual or family to draw their own line to define when life passes to mere existence.

The central weakness of the liberal case is that it is morally thin. Once you say that it is up to individuals or families to draw their own lines separating life from existence, and reasonable people will differ, then you are taking a fundamental issue out of the realm of morality and into the realm of relativism and mere taste.

You are saying, as liberals do say, that society should be neutral and allow people to make their own choices. You are saying, as liberals do say, that we should be tolerant and nonjudgmental toward people who make different choices.

What begins as an appealing notion - that life and death are joined by a continuum - becomes vapid mush, because we are all invited to punt when it comes time to do the hard job of standing up for common principles, arguing right and wrong, and judging those who make bad decisions.

You end up exactly where many liberals ended up this week, trying to shift arguments away from morality and on to process.

If you surveyed the avalanche of TV and print commentary that descended upon us this week, you found social conservatives would start the discussion with a moral argument about the sanctity of life, and then social liberals would immediately start talking about jurisdictions, legalisms, politics and procedures. They were more comfortable talking about at what level the decision should be taken than what the decision should be.

Then, if social conservatives tried to push their moral claims, you'd find liberals accusing them of turning this country into a theocracy - which is an effort to cast all moral arguments beyond the realm of polite conversation.

Once moral argument is abandoned, there are no ethical checks, no universal standards, and everything is left to the convenience and sentiments of the individual survivors.

What I'm describing here is the clash of two serious but flawed arguments. The socially conservative argument has tremendous moral force, but doesn't accord with the reality we see when we walk through a hospice. The socially liberal argument is pragmatic, but lacks moral force.

No wonder many of us feel agonized this week, betwixt and between, as that poor woman slowly dehydrates.

E-mail: dabrooks@nytimes.com"

Nicaragua February 18

2005-02-18T23:43:00.000-05:00

So Thursday night we went to the Cathedral for Mass.

The people here are very spiritual.  At Mass the priest

thanked our group and the Vincentian brothers for the work

at the clinic. After Mass they had benediction and procession

of the Sacrament.  Then we were taken to meet the Bishop.

The Bishop just celebrated his fiftieth year in the

priesthood on Feb 6th.  He is very nice and thanked us

and spoke with us for 45 minutes. Then we went to another

late dinner.  Toña is the beer of choice here and is very

good.  Today we woke up and took our cold showers and I tried

in vain to maintain my fast.  No breakfast.  Then off to the

clinic.  The plan: work till lunch, quick lunch and then

back to work till three then on the road to Managua.

The clinic was swamped.  We left only a little late and

then had our car trouble.  Still and all we got to Managua

in time to have yet another late dinner (forgot my fast

and ordered steak).  Now we are going to bed for an early

rise tomorrow and the airport which is literally across the

street.  I will see you soon and will call your cell when I

get to Houston.  Please have it on, I want to hear your voice.

Nicaragua Feb 18 pm Broken axle

2005-02-18T20:57:00.000-05:00

Just arrived back in Managua.  We rode here from Jinotega in this broken-down Hyundai

micro-bus which had a broken axle half way here.  It was rea-al fun.  We are going to eat

and stuff soon.  We drove from the high mountain area down to Managua through the

afternoon and shortly after we got through Matagalpa the axle broke.  The van had been

straining through the entire trip but apparently had had enough.  The Vincentians pulled to

the road side and there was a dairy farm across the street.  We looked at the cows.  They

all had big ears.  Then we drove back to a repair shop which looked more like a vehicle

grave yard.  This was when I became somewhat concerned.  It was getting late and we were

going to be half way there with no transportation.  The Vincentians assured us that it would

only take 15 minutes to fix.  It actually took 25 but that was way less than I expected.

And then we were off towards Managua again.  The trip was still a couple hours more

but I admit the ride was smoother.  I do appreciate the Vincentians calm in the face of

my American impatience.

February 17 PM

2005-02-17T21:09:00.000-05:00

So today despite little rest I awoke early and went to the

Cathedral, with Dave (who I just today found out is Michelle's

brother) and Roger.  The wood work was cool and they had

Eucharistic Adoration.  Then we went back had a very nice

breakfast served by the very nice staff (and owners) of our

very cheesy hotel.  Then the brothers picked us up to go to

the clinic.  They were very punctual.  As opposed to Esteli,

they are much more businesslike.  They started the clinic at

8.  The pharmacy was a little behind because they had to

unpack still but we got in the rhytmn.  I have prayed with

every family so far and they really appreciate it and I

really love it.  The girls have names like Exceliente Maria

and Aruscelly de Succor and many other titles of Mary.

Of course the boys all bear Saints names.  I have had to

give people money to buy medicine (if our traveling pharmacy

did not have it) or get an xray (only 3 bucks and worth

about the same) and many of the kids seem to never have seen

a doctor before.  They are showered with presents.  Jessica

brought so many toys.  Each child gets candy, Bible (both

at our office) tooth brush and paste, toys coloring books

and their meds.  Today I handed out the remainder of my bars

and the kids really went for those.  (chocolate is not

common here, it melts).  Then at night some of us went to

Mass.

Nicaragua February 17 AM

2005-02-17T08:33:00.000-05:00


The hotel in Jinotega is kinda bad.  There is a very narrow

staircase to our rooms that has nothing on either side but a

rickety handrail.  The room is for three but is not really big

enough for three songle beds.  The shower and commode and sink

are in enough space that you could not go to the bathroom while

someone is showering or you would get just as wet.  The shower

was very very cold.  This room did not have bugs ( I checked)

but is by far the worst accomodations I have stayed in short

of actual camping.  All night long the roosters crowed and the

dogs barked.  In Esteli they had a city wide alarm clock at 6am.

Literally a big siren would go off for thirty seconds.  In Jinotega

the roosters just crow louder and louder until at last at daylight

they stop.

Nicaragua -- February 16 PM

2005-02-16T23:58:00.000-05:00

Today was very fun and also exhausting. We were supposed to work from 8 till 11 am and then go up to the preserve with our Esteli friends. We worked a little longer, maybe till 2 or 2:30 and then get in Curtains, our bus and after a brief stop at our hotel, we drove up to the cloud mountain. We were crammed into the bus with all of us and the Esteli staff. Also with us is a woman named Edith who is a botanist and also plays guitar very well. She made a very good tour guide. All the way up, I sat with Jessie who is Chilo's 16 year old daughter. She is trying to learn English. We would point at things and I would say it in English and she would say it in Spanish. Meanwhile Roger was trying to talk with Edith. Dave sat in between Roger and me and translated like crazy.

The cloud mountain. The air has enough humidity that the plants are greener. There are pine trees there but it was not cold. We hiked a short distance to a bed and breakfast (actually looked like two new wooden cabins.)

The preserve has a bed and breakfast (three cabins and a family

that lives there cooks for you) And they made us an excellent

dinner.  The preserve was beautiful with natural orange, coffee

and plantains growing all around.  There were pines and what looked

something like oak trees.

There the Esteli staff entertained us with Edith playing some traditional Nicaraguan songs. Then Ronnie played his self-penned song. Last year for his birthday, the Hope Clinic team had bought him a guitar. This year he can play well and is writing songs. The food was delicious. You had a choice: chicken soup which appeared to be 1/2 of a chicken in broth or 1/2 of a chicken cooked over open flames in a spicy special mix. Actually you didn't have a choice and I luckily got the barbeque chicken. It was very, very good. The staff got each a little present, a keychain or something. They are very tender hearted. We appreciated greatly their help to us. There were definitely tears, but we were not to separate so soon.

We drove down to Esteli, arriving later than planned. Bridget said, "okay ten minutes to bring your suitcases down and load onto the bus. " We entered the hotel courtyard and there was a mariachi band which immediately began to play for us. We each danced with a staff member. It was fun. Then transfer the suitcases to a bus and then get the pharmacy stuff and we are finally off. We arrived in Jinotega about 11:30 at night. The Esteli staff had ridden up with us. There were many more tears.

Finally we were off to Jinotega.  This was a loong uphill bus ride

in a bus that was probably used by some North American School past

its useful life.  We arrived late in Jinotega and they insisted

that we go eat as they had already prepared food for us.  First we

wanted to drop off all the pharmacy stuff at the clinic which

looked pretty nice.  The St Vincent DePaul Society runs the clinic

out of a sort of boarding house.  (hard to describe because just

about everything here is built of cinderblocks or cement.  So

nothing looks like a house.  Then we ate and then went to bed.

A very long day.

But the St. Vincent Depaul people in Jinotega (Heeno- tayga) are men. And they had been waiting for us. They told us that the people at the restaraunt had been waiting hours for us and that we must eat or we would insult them. So, several of us went to eat. I saw a beautiful painting on the wall and when I purchased it, they were not mad at us any longer. The hotel here is not the same. There is a very narrow stairway with a rickety metal railing. I could barely fit my suitcase through. The room has just enough for three beds (Ron, Roger, and me) and the bathroom is a shower and commode and sink in as close proximity as is impractical. Still no visible bugs so we cannot complain.

Nicaragua -- February 16 AM

2005-02-16T07:35:00.000-05:00

This am, ready for breakfast.  Good sleep.  Our accomodations

in Esteli have been very good.  The hotel has free internet.

The hotel has a nice restaraunt connected.  Today we work from 8

to 11 and then we pack up our stuff and then they have a surprise

for us from 12 to 4 and then to Jinotega.  (2 hour drive).

Nicaragua February 15 night

2005-02-15T20:27:00.000-05:00

Imagine this.  After seeing one hundred and twenty patients today, the staff

and patients of Tim´s Clinic led the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe (in a big

wooden procession stand) on the shoulders of the clinic doctors and Charlie

through the streets of Esteli to the parish Church.  This is followed by Holy Mass

and then a night time procession back to the clinic.  Along the way people join in

to the procession and others look out from their windows and doors, many with

tears in their eyes.  The tears especially in the eyes of the older ones who may

remember one day when they were very young watching such processions.

All along the way people are singing Nicaraguan folk songs to Mary the Virgin

of Guadalupe.  Fifty people or more join the procession as it crawls through the

 streets.  We end with clapping and singing at the clinic.

Nicaragua Feb 15th afternoon

2005-02-15T13:21:00.000-05:00

We went to the clinic this am and just got back.  I am writing as we wait for lunch.

It was busy this morning.  The kids were perhaps overall better nourished and less anemic than those yesterday

A grandmother brought in her 12 year old granddaughter who weighed 20 pounds.

The report was that she had had polio, but that is not enough to explain her extreme condition.

She was malnourished and developmentally delayed and she had flies all around her.

She will probably not live long because any infection could kill her.  She has no reserve to fight off an infection

or other illness.  But in the meantime her Grandmother cares for her and loves her.

Most today though are happy well fed (relatively) and everyone has pinworms.

They come with assorted other problems and I like that I can solve some of them in seconds.

They have certain idiomatic phrases which lead to a quick diagnosis.

¨Sleeps with his eyes open¨ means restless sleep and thus pinworms or some other infestation.

We sang and prayed with Chilo leading prior to beginning. Lori would really like Chilo.

Chilo has four children of her own, but many street kids come to her to be fed and now

she has many teens who play music and so forth.

The whole clinic is run by young men and boys and some older women.  They are a big help.

The pharmacy is getting backed up and we have to solve some of that with standard prescription writing.

In the meantime we get done a half hour before the pharmacy.

(There are still people in the waiting room and the teens play music and do sketches to entertain them.
Bye for now.

Nicaragua February 15 am

2005-02-15T07:24:00.000-05:00

I don´t know how many patients I saw because I always saw whole families at a time.

Bridget will know that.  It did not feel like that many.  We had to send some to come back (today)

because the pharmacy was so backed up.  Our pharmacy is staffed by three people but they are learning

the doses and calculations, as well as the meds, so it takes some time to get the medicine ready.

Jessica ("Tim´s Honey", Jessica¨) was honored at the dedication as was ¨Carlito¨

Neither spoke.  Carlito is taking on more responsibilities for Tim´s clinic.

Sometimes Bridget being a woman can not get things done by asking,

whereas the same thing asked by a man will get done immediately.  Charlie is a great guy.

We talked awhile last night.  Jessica is fitting in well also.

The head of the Saint Vincent Depaul Society in Nicaragua spoke, as did ¨Chilo¨ who is Maria Auxiliadoro.

Today will be our longest in Esteli.  Tomorrow we will have to stop a little early to get ready to move

to our next stop.

I love you kids
I love you Momma.
I miss you all.

Nicaragua-- February 14 pm

2005-02-14T19:34:00.000-05:00

The dedication went very well. We had another ribbon cutting/ dedication today before we saw too many patients. The local media were there. Charlie and Roger did the family proud (or is it humble.) He said that today is a day of hope for us all. For us particularly because we believe that God is the God of the living and not the dead so therefore Tim is here, with us. And for the people of Esteli because they can know that God is with them and cares for them.

The morning was fairly okay because of the dedication and so it was short. And the afternoon was much harder, busier and the people were poorer. This afternoon the people who live at the dump (yes, live) were brought to us for their needs. They all were anemic, malnourished and with parasites. It was very hard because we could solve such a small part of their problems. It is very physically, mentally and emotionally draining. The people are very nice and happy. The children are beautiful. All could use a day of soaking in a bathtub and several steak dinners. We prayed with every child and family as we took care of them. Dave has been a huge help. I am learning Spanish and he is learning medicine. Both of us at a very rapid pace but probably not with the depth that we will later learn from books. The difference is this experience will give us much to hold on as motivation to do better.

Everyone here is well except a very few who have had mild diarrhea. Roger is doing well but looks a bit tired tonight. (no surprise) Everyone on the team is pitching in mightily. The nurse with us was an agnostic before this trip. If she can remain so afterward I don't know how.

I had to send a patient to the hospital, a little three month old girl. She was dehydrated and febrile and was panting her breaths. She looked okay when she came in the room. Then when she woke up she did not. We had to run her down the street with her older brother and her mother and hail a taxi to take her to the hospital. It was very hard. The nurse was with me.

I also took care of a girl with seizures (none in the clinic) who could not afford the 480 cordobas for an EEG or the medicine. And another child who was ten or twelve years old who looked as though she had some undiagnosed syndrome. Could it have been (or now be) treated? I don't know and probably never will.

Anyway that was my day. We have much to be thankful for. So much that we don't even know.
Hug em and kiss em for me.

On the way home we bought more medicine and charged it to my card. Should be between 40-60 bucks. 788 cordobas.

Nicaragua --February 14 am

2005-02-14T07:44:00.000-05:00

Good Morning.  Happy Valentines and Sts. Cyril and Methodius Day.  Are your roses holding up?  A siren awoke us at 0600.  It was a morning siren apparently, not a fire or something.  The town has sirens at 6am, noon and 6pm.  Had a good sleep and looking forward to a busy day.  Now for breakfast.

Nicaragua February 13 evening

2005-02-13T15:20:00.000-05:00

We are now in Esteli. The hotel is in fact better than the previous. I am rooming with Roger. It is very nice. It has a shower and a nice bathroom. Even a TV, which does not work but looks nice, kinda fifties. The room and the courtyard are in tile. There is a garden in the center and the rooms arranged around it. Small about 15-20 rooms. A small hostel in which all the profits are given to help families and children.

The dedication of the clinic was amazing. In the entrance to the clinic, they had placed an old painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The town used it to process around the town on her feast day for many years. They would start the processions from the very building that is now Tim´s clinic. Chilo, whose formal name is help of Christians after Mary Help of Christians, prayed so eloquently in Spanish that many tears were shed. Then Roger spoke of the meaning the Guadalupe image carries for his family and for us all. It was VERY moving. Christ and Mary were present. The clinic is in Esteli not too far from the church. We will go to Mass later tonight.

All the hotels (all two of them) have Internet stations, so you have three or four computers at your disposal. I will be able to email you regularly. I don´t know what happens at our next stop, Jinotega,which is the poorest and most rural of all. Esteli is more of a city than I had expected. It is surrounded by mountains and is somewhat elevated itself. The people are incredibly happy and friendly. One young man, Chico is incredibly funny. He can mimic just about anything. He learned his Englsh (it appears) from listening to songs on the radio. To hear his imitations of our English through actors and popstars is very entertaining. We rode the bus up from Managua for two hours and sang Christian songs most of the way. First we would sing them in English and then he would teach us them in Spanish. We just finished lunch. There is no way I can´t have meat. There is no beans and rice at the restaraunt. While we were eating a little girl came up to Chilo. I asked if it was her daughter. She said no, that children just come to her. I gave her my chicken and Chilo packaged it with several other peoples donated meal remains and the girl took it with her. There is definitely poverty. The town though is fairly nice with cement streets and mostly cement or cinder block houses.

When we were praying before the Guadalupe image, Two people were holding her image up because they had not gotten her hung up fully yet. So then I helped them hang her up. They used nails into the cement walls for brackets and so forth. It felt precarious at first but we kept working at it until we felt the image was secure. Many of the local people came by while we were having the dedication. They would pray or tear up.
God is good.

Nicaragua February 13

2005-02-13T08:48:00.000-05:00

Today is a day of rest.  We prayed this morning (The doctors and my med student translator)

in the outdoor chapel.  The hotel is like a fancy motel.  There are numerous blocks of four rooms spread amidst several 10-15 gardened acres.  The chapel is in one corner of the property.  There are two pools.  We went swimming last night.  The beer Toña is very good.  The agua is not bad bottled.  The food for breakfast was good.  No bugs in room.

Having fun.  On to Esteli to dedicate the clinic tomorrow.  I think this is a change of plans.

To be in Nicaragua

2005-02-12T21:38:00.000-05:00

Just arrived. The weather is warm even after dark. Many of the people on our plane were also on mission trips of various sorts. I sat next to a REAL cowboy on the airplane. I have now met our whole team. We will be going to the next stage of our trip tomorrow after breakfast. I am llooking forward to all of the activities. Dr. Ron Otremba was very helpful in orienting me to what we will be doing. It sounds like it will be fun. I have to modify my lenten fast of meat, because if you are served something, that may be the only thing you get for quite awhile. Anyway, I´m so glad!!

hello

2005-02-10T21:41:00.000-05:00

hello, this post is short and reluctant

Michigan Joins the Union

2005-01-26T04:04:00.000-05:00

Michigan entered the Union as the twenty-sixth state on January 26, 1837. Over 200 years earlier, when French explorer Étienne Brulé visited the region in 1622, some twelve to fifteen thousand Native Americans lived there. Sault Sainte Marie, the state's oldest town, was founded in 1668 at a site where French missionaries had held services for 2,000 Ojibwa in 1641. The Ojibwa, along with the Ottawa, helped the French establish a thriving fur trade in the Great Lakes region.
Great Britain acquired control of present-day Michigan in 1763 and administered it as a part of Canada until 1783, when it was ceded to the United States under the provisions of the Treaty of Paris. Part of the Northwest Territory from 1787 to 1803, Michigan became a separate territory in 1805. Bishop Frederic Baraga,Bishop of Marquette and Saulte Ste. Marie, Michigan,circa 1844-circa 1860.America's First Look into the Camera: Daguerreotypes, 1839-1862
Originally settled by French Catholics, Michigan maintained its strong Catholic identity in the early nineteenth century, attracting a large number of Catholic immigrants. Dioceses were established at Detroit (1833), Marquette, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Saginaw, Gaylord, and Kalamazoo.
The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 prepared the way for a great influx of settlers between 1830 and 1850. Michigan made a significant contribution to the Union in the Civil War. Some 90,000 Michigan soldiers fought for the Union—14,000 gave their lives.
Mining, lumbering, and agriculture dominated the Michigan economy in the nineteenth century. After 1910, the automobile industry emerged as the predominant source of income in the state. Manufacturing jobs attracted new immigrants, many of whom left homes in the rural South and migrated to Michigan's urban areas. Today, nearly half of the state population resides in the Detroit metropolitan area.

The American Memory collections feature a wide variety of material highlighting the history of Michigan:
Penned by Irving Berlin in 1914, "I Want to Go Back to Michigan" was a hit that year. Later it was a success in vaudeville and eventually, in its most famous rendition, sung by Judy Garland in the film Easter Parade (MGM, 1948). Of all the "phonograph singers," none made or sold more records than Billy Murray whose version is featured here. He recorded for all the major record companies of the period—Victor, Columbia, and Edison. His renditions of the era's popular songs, recorded on cylinder and disc, numbered in the hundreds and sold in the millions.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/today.html

Company Fires All Employees Who Smoke

2005-01-26T02:13:00.000-05:00

Michigan Firm Won't Allow Smoking,
Even On Employee's Own Time
UPDATED: 8:55 PM EST January 25, 2005
LANSING, Mich. -- Four employees of a health care company have been fired for refusing to take a test to determine whether they smoke cigarettes.
Weyco Inc., a health benefits administrator based in Okemos, Mich., adopted a policy Jan. 1 that allows employees to be fired if they smoke, even if the smoking happens after business hours or at home.
http://www.wral.com/news/4126577/detail.html

This brings up all sort of interesting legal and ethical questions for the employee as well as the employer. (Fair) enforcability would be the obvious difficulty with any such policy. What about privacy? Does the employment contract give up such a "right"?

Where's The Other Wheel?

2005-01-26T01:49:00.000-05:00

Unicyclists get this question as often as my large family gets asked if we know what causes that.
Here are some answers:
"It'll be along in a minute.
Where's your originality?
That's the nth time I've heard that one today.
Real men (women) don't need two wheels.
I'm paying for it in installments.
You're kidding, it was there last time I looked (and promptly fall off)
I didn't put enough locks on it.
I loaned the other wheel to a friend. Sit here and make sure he comes by.
I don't need it!
I got the bike on sale, half off...I didn't realize they meant the bike.
It's the economy; can't afford the other wheel.
This is the recession model.
I'm on a time payment plan.
It's this downsizing thing.
It's on the train to Glasgow. It's on an exchange program with another wheel.
Two wheels? That's twice as hard!
Don't be daft, where would I put a second wheel?
My other wheel? Why, I don't need a training wheel anymore!
It's having a rest, it'll be along on the next cycle. "

http://www.unicycling.org/
Yes I'm Bored-- The Unicycle Page

Ken's Coin Flipping page

2005-01-26T01:12:00.000-05:00

In case you need to make it official.
http://shazam.econ.ubc.ca/flip/index.html

International Phonetic Charts--Interactive

2005-01-26T01:06:00.000-05:00

Mirabilis, how do you find all this stuff?
http://www.paulmeier.com/ipa/charts.html
Check out the supersegmentals!

Super Pope

2005-01-26T01:01:00.000-05:00

Stange. Strangely cool. I picked this up through so many links that I figured it would be best to just go with the original. http://www.phatmass.com/amusement/superpope/

Abortion and The Conscience of a Nation

2005-01-24T23:08:00.001-05:00

January 22, 1973 the Supreme Court of our nation made law. And not a good one. This is a reflection from Ronald Reagan at the ten year anniversary. We now are past the thirtieth anniversary of this tragic decision. Pray and work for the end to abortion and for a changing of hearts to embrace and choose life.

http://www.humanlifereview.com/reagan/

http://www.roevwade.org/court.html

Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan, while sitting as the fortieth president of the United States, sent us this article shortly after the tenth anniversary of Roe v. Wade; we printed it with pride in our Spring, 1983 issue, and reprint it now, after Roe's twentieth anniversary, just as proudly.
The 10th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade is a good time for us to pause and reflect. Our nationwide policy of abortion-on-demand through all nine months of pregnancy was neither voted for by our people nor enacted by our legislators— not a single state had such unrestricted abortion before the Supreme Court decreed it to be national policy in 1973. But the consequences of this judicial decision are now obvious: since 1973, more than 15 million unborn children have had their lives snuffed out by legalized abortions. That is over ten times the number of Americans lost in all our nation's wars.
Make no mistake, abortion-on-demand is not a right granted by the Constitution. No serious scholar, including one disposed to agree with the Court's result, has argued that the framers of the Constitution intended to create such a right. Shortly after the Roe v. Wade decision, Professor John Hart Ely, now Dean of Stanford Law School, wrote that the opinion "is not constitutional law and gives almost no sense of an obligation to try to be." Nowhere do the plain words of the Constitution even hint at a "right" so sweeping as to permit abortion up to the time the child is ready to be born. Yet that is what the Court ruled.
As an act of "raw judicial power" . . .

Symphony of Sorrowful Songs

2005-01-24T20:13:00.000-05:00

Seven Sorrows CD arrived today. Definitely for the kids. (Note to the band: glad you listened to your parents and included the acoustic versions.)

In contrast, Henryk Gorecki's Symphony No. 3, Op. 36 is music which can aid meditation on the sorrowful mysteries.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000013YW/qid=1106618072/sr=8-7/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i7_xgl15/103-6719680-0340623?v=glance&s=classical&n=507846
For classical music it is very accessible. The first movement is based on a 15th century Lamentation in which the Virgin Mary suffers in union with her Son. The mood is set by the deep sonorous sound of double basses and then each instrument builds the sound. The Lamentation is sung by the soprano Zofia Kilanowicz.

"My son, chosen and loved,

Let your mother share your wounds

And since, my dear son,

I have always kept you in my heart,

and loyally served you,

Speak to your mother,

make her happy,

though my dear hope,

you are leaving me."

The song unwinds with slow fading of those deep basses. The intensity of the strings and the bass plumb the depth of sadness. The second movement is based on a prayer to Mary Queen of Heaven. This prayer was scrawled on the wall of a Gestapo cell by an 18 year old student. The lyric's poignancy is heart-breaking as the student begs Mary not to cry.

Mother, no, do not cry,

Queen of Heaven most chaste

Help me always.

Hail Mary.

The third movement is based on a Polish folk song in which a mother mourns her missing soldier son. She grieves for her son. Slowly she hopes that though his body may not have been properly buried, she can trust him to God. She bids the "song-birds of God" sing for him and "God's little flowers" bloom for him.

Where has he gone,

My dearest son?

Killed by the harsh enemy, perhaps,

In the rebellion.

You bad people,

In the name of the Holy God,

Tell me why you killed

My dear son.

Never more

Will I have his protection,

Even if I weep

My old eyes away,

Or if my bitter tears

Were to make another Oder,

They would not bring back

My son to life.

He lies in the grave

I know not where

Though I ask people

Everywhere

Perhaps the poor boy

Lies in a rough trench

Instead of lying, as he might,

In a warm bed.

Sing for him,

Little song-birds of God,

for his mother

Cannot find him.

And God's little flowers,

May you bloom all around

So that my son

May sleep.

Therese - the movie review

2005-01-23T21:09:00.000-05:00

My wife and I saw the movie Therese last week. We wanted to go see this movie because 1) we wanted to support the folks who made a Catholic movie and 2) we were curious to see it as we both have read Therese's autobiography and her parents story. We consider St. Therese one of our friends. The movie was showing at our local cineplex (rumor has it that the Knights of Columbus supported one weekend and the theater decided to run it for two weeks.) We called to get the time and the movie was announced as thhereese.

Six degrees of Kevin Bacon
At the show we basically knew everyone there. (except for the couple that later left.) I told my wife we should check the credits because we probably know someone in the cast.

Center of the Screen?
My first critique of the film is possibly due to the screening, but I think is related to the cinematography. Several times throughout the picture the main characters' faces were cut off. You could not see their eyes. Now I could see that at least part of the problem was that the screen in our theater was not getting te whole movie. But c'mon this shouldn't even be a question. The faces should be in the center of the screen. This is home video basic. Did anyone else seeing this movie experience this?

Now what follows in the next few paragraphs is a pretty tough critique vut will be followed by some positive comments at the conclusion. Overall I thought the movie didn't work as a piece of art or to try to evangelize. There were a few good moments and I want to point those out. I must say up front that I didnot go into this movie expecting TPOTC or anything close. I did see the one woman stage drama of Therese produced by Leonardo DeFilippis (thats one l and two p's). I liked the stage drama and so was expectantly awaiting the movie. But this movie is not as good as the stage drama, by a long shot. And it is not in the same league with half a dozen saint bio-pics let alone TPOTC. Let's look at the specifics.

The writing: No story arc. No main character development. Episodic vignettes with dialogue mixed with scenes of Therese gazing heavenward while she narrates. Jaw-droppingly-dumb first line of the movie. Therese's first line is to tell her mother that she wishes her dead, (because then she will be in heaven with God.) No kidding-- the next shot is of the mother's casket being carried away. Boy, that is really reaching the widest possible audience. Now someone is going to comment that St. Therese actually said this, to which my answer is, 'who cares?'. How many people were NOT evangelized because they tuned out in that first scene?(and even this could maybe be excused, if the film were anything approaching art.) Therese starts out pious and ends little changed. The only character that develops is a nun who treats her poorly at first and then later truly loves her. There is no connection (except the lapsing of time) between one event and the next. No character is introduced until the girls all go to the Carmel and Dad formally points to each girl and says, her name. This happens after we are let to wonder who's who for several scenes. There is more. But it is enough to say that the writing was weak.

Directing and acting. Some of these troubles while clearly evident are difficult to assess in laying blame. There is a scene in which Therese prays for a condemned criminal. She asks for a sign of his conversion. We see this man in a large open circular brick room with a pole in the center to which he is chained and he spits and growls like a dog. The bizarre spectacle took me out of the picture. The acting was bad or was the man told to act dog-like. There is another scene in which the young Therese is bed ridden with an illness. Is she truly ill or is she having some kind of emotional reaction to her sister's leaving to become a nun? It is difficult to tell. Her illness consists of her tossing and turning in bed, while her family sits around her worrying and praying. Again is this bad acting or poor direction? Her apparent miraculous recovery is very much diminshed by the lack of clarity in portraying her illness.

Lindsay Younce is a fresh face. She plays Therese dreamily. She seems to do well in scenes in close quarters. Her face tells the story pretty well. Her physical skills as an actor seem weak. For example, she can't pretend to drop something. (this is called for twice in the script.)

I noticed positively the actresses who play Sister Augustine and Therese's sister Pauline. I thought the scenes with Sister Augustine were among the best and the ending was also written and played better than everything else. There is some good here.

I really wanted to like this movie. I doubt anyone who is not a Catholic already familiar with Therese's story and/or rooting for this Catholic movie will find it worth viewing. I wish the people who made this film the best and hope they learned a lot.

Seven Sorrows

2005-01-19T06:55:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad about the Catholic band, "Seven Sorrows." I just ordered their CD and a T-Shirt. I've heard good things.

If you are wondering how a "glad" guy can celebrate "seven sorrows," either consult your local theologian or look at my meager attempt to explain. here:
http://imsoglad.blogspot.com/2004_12_01_imsoglad_archive.html

Sorrowful Christians? or Joyful?
Is there a legitimate theology of sadness or sorrow among Christians?The word sorrow is used 69 times in the Old and New Testaments. Joy is used 165 times. Many of the references to "sorrow" are actually talking about how one's sorrow will be turned to joy. However it is important to remember that there are many reasons for people in the Old and New Testament to feel sorrow. Most notable of these is the Passion of Christ. Traditionally and scripturally Mary shares this with Jesus in a special way. Christians should also be considered realists. To look at the world and see much abject suffering and not to acknowledge this and incorporate it into Christian theology would be grossly negligent. So, clearly there is a legitimacy to Christian sorrow.Below several links here are images of the sorrowful Christ or sorrowful mother.http://www.mfa.org/artemis/fullrecord.asp?oid=32324&did=500
http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pinfo?Object=45910+0+none
http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/andre/sorrows.html
Also is some discussion of the theology of sorrow:
http://sycophants.info/good-friday.html
http://www.udayton.edu/mary/meditations/sorrowsmed.html
http://www.catholictradition.org/7sorrows.htm

And how does this correspond with the joy and gratitude Christians claim?http://www.stlukesrec.org/sermons99/11trin99.htmlSo there are two emotions in the heart of the praying believer. On the one hand, we sorrow, like the Publican, over our sin. On the other hand, we are exhilarated by God's grace and forgiveness in Christ. Which brings us to the challenge posed by Sartre at the introduction. Does the Christian constantly grovel in the dust before God like the actor in The Flies? Is the Christian life primarily sorrow or joy? Gloom or sunshine? A vale of tears, or a feast of jubilation?The answer is yes. Both of them. G. K. Chesterton called this one of the odd, yet delightful paradoxes of Christianity. In his book Orthodoxy he explains how orthodox theology has a mystical talent for combining vices which seem inconsistent with each other. That is why atheists like Sartre are constantly getting it wrong. They'll accuse Christians one day of being too glum, and the next day accuse them of being too jovial. They denounce Christendom as being too pacifistic, and at the same time too bellicose, too worldly and too unworldly.Here I quote Chesterton, "Christianity got over the difficulty of combining furious opposites, by keeping them both, and keeping them both furious. The Church was positive on both points. . . . It has kept them side by side like two strong colours, red and white, like the red and white upon the shield of St. George. It has always had a healthy hatred of pink."http://www.iconsexplained.com/iec/02087.htm

Empty Nests and Hearts.

2005-01-19T06:31:00.000-05:00

That's the NYTimes Headline to this David Brooks piece. Quotable: About one fifth of women over forty have no children. 70 percent of these women regret this. (from Gallup poll) Hat tip to family scholars. Interesting thoughts within the piece which provoked thoughts in me of how we can convey this to the next generation in a real way. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/15/opinion/15brooks.html?ex=1263531600&en=9966dc2252cc9b1e&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland

Two are better than one

2005-01-19T03:24:00.000-05:00

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

This was read at our wedding. She is a big part of my joy. Friend. Constant companion. She challenges me. My first memory of her is watching her happy gait, (almost skip) as she walked away. This was at work. She loves to talk. I like to get to the point. I should listen more. Seven kids later, she keeps us all going. Every day in many ways I am grateful for her. She takes seriously that third strand. When we met, I told her I was a "good picker" and "lucky."
What I am is Blessed.

Joy

2005-01-19T03:21:00.000-05:00

Gratitude is the seedbed of joy. — Peter Kreeft
http://cowpi.com/journal/

Friendship -- Just a Perfect Blendship

2005-01-14T14:01:00.000-05:00

"A friend is dearer to us than the light of heaven, for it would be better for us that the sun were extinguished than that we should be without friends." (St John Chrysostom)
http://praiseofglory.com/family.htm/

"A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price....." (Sirach 6:14-15).

http://libretto.musicals.ru/text.php?textid=97&language=1
Du Barry Was a Lady
Music: Cole PorterLyrics: Cole Porter
Book: B. G. DeSylva + Herbert Fields
Premiere: Wednesday, December 6, 1939
----Friendship
Judy: If you're ever in a jam, here I am
Johnny: If you're ever in a mess, S.O.S.
Judy: If you ever feel so happy you land in jail, I'm your bail
Both: It's friendship, friendship
Just a perfect blendship
When other friendships have been forgot
Ours will still be hot
Judy: A-lottle-dottle-dottle-dig-dig-dig
Johnny: If you're ever down a well, ring my bell
Judy: And if you're ever up a tree just phone to me
Johnny: A-yes-sir-eeIf you ever lose your teeth and you're out to dine, borrow mine
Both: It's friendship, friendshipJust a perfect blendship
When other friendships have been forgate
Johnny: Gate?
Both: Ours will still be great
Johnny: A-lottle-dottle-dottle-chuck-chuck-chuck
Judy: If they ever black your eyes, put me wise
Johnny: If they ever cook your goose, turn me loose
Judy: And if they ever put a bullet through your brain, I'll complain
Both: It's friendship, friendshipJust a perfect blendship
When other friendships have been forgit
Ours will still be it
Judy: A-lottle-dottle-dottle-hep-hep-hep
Johnny: If you ever lose your mind, I'll be kind
Judy: And if you ever lose your shirt, I'll be hurt
Johnny: If you're ever in a mill and get sawed in half, I won't laugh
Both: It's friendship, friendshipJust a perfect blendship
When other friendships are up the crick
Ours will still be slick
A-lottle-dottle-dottle-woof-woof-woof
hep-hep-hepa-chuck-chuck-chucka-dig-dig-dig

Always end with Chesterton:
"Because our expression is imperfect we need friendship to fill up the imperfections." (Illustrated London News, June 6, 1931)

"A queer and almost mad notion seems to have got into the modern head that, if you mix up everybody and everything more or less anyhow, the mixture may be called unity, and the unity may be called peace. It is supposed that, if you break down all doors and walls so that there is no domesticity, there will then be nothing but friendship. Surely somebody must have noticed by this time that the men living in a hotel quarrel at least as often as the men living in a street." (ILN September 8, 1917)

"Only friendliness produces friendship. And we must look far deeper into the soul of man for the thing that produces friendliness." (What I Saw In America)

"The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people." - ILN, 7/16/10

"When giving treats to friends or children, give them what they like, emphatically not what is good for them." - Chesterton Review, February, 1984
http://www.chesterton.org/discover/quotations.
html#There%20are%20two%20kinds%20of

The Business of America is Business.

2005-01-14T13:45:00.000-05:00

Often misattributed to Calvin Coolidge. He did say something remarkably close, "After all, the chief business of the American people is business." Tempered in the same speech with, "Of course the accumulation of wealth cannot be justified as the chief end of existence." The speech concludes: "We make no concealment of the fact that we want wealth, but there are many other things that we want very much more. We want peace and honor, and that charity which is so strong an element of all civilization. The chief ideal of the American people is idealism. I cannot repeat too often that America is a nation of idealists. That is the only motive to which they ever give any strong and lasting reaction." Thank goodness he qualified his remarks.

Still there seems to be some debate about Silent Cal's philosophy of business and higher ends.

"To quote Tom Silver (Coolidge and the Historians, 1982), "Coolidge's attitude toward money-making and wealth is the commonsensical one, namely, that wealth is justified only as a means to higher ends. Wealth does provide, in its turn, the leisure and the wherewithal to pursue, for instance, a liberal education, which is among the noblest ends of man."
However, Professor Arthur Schlesinger in Crisis of the Old Order wrote, "(Coolidge's) speeches offered his social philosophy in dry pellets of aphorism. "The chief business of the American people," he said, "is business." But, for Coolidge, business was more than business; it was a religion; and to it he committed all the passion of his arid nature. "The man who builds a factory," he wrote, "builds a temple. The man who works there worships there." He (Coolidge) felt these things with a fierce intensity.

Source:http://www.calvin-coolidge.org/pages/history/research/ccmf/bitt02.html

Church and Advertising

2005-01-14T13:41:00.000-05:00

A link first and when I have time a discussion.
http://advertising.utexas.edu/research/law/catholic.html

Also inter mirifica
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/
ii_vatican_council/documents/
vat-ii_decree_19631204_inter-mirifica_en.html

Word of the Day

2005-01-14T13:36:00.000-05:00

Cupidity cu·pid·i·ty ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ky-pd-t)n.
Excessive desire, especially for wealth; covetousness or avarice.
[Middle English cupidite, from Old French, from Latin cupidits, from cupidus, desiring, from cupere, to desire.]

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=10&q=cupidity

And reflection from St. Antoninus:
http://www.stantoninus.net/anto3.htm
"The object of gain is that by its means man may provide for himself and others according to their state. The object of providing for himself and others is that they may be able to live virtuously. The object of virtuous life is the attainment of everlasting glory."
St. Antoninus' Summa Theologica (I. 1,3,ii)

"If the object of trade is principally cupidity, which is the root of all evils, then certainly trade itself is evil. But that trade (as natural and necessary for the needs of human life) is, according to Aristotle, in itself praiseworthy, which serves some good purpose, i.e. supplying the needs of human life. If therefore the trader seeks a moderate profit for the purpose of providing for himself and family according to the becoming fortunes or their state of life, or to enable him to aid the poor more generously, or even goes into commerce for the sake of the common good (lest, for example, the State should be without what its life requires), and consequently seeks a profit not as an ultimate end but merely as a wage of labor, he cannot in this case be condemned."

The Happiness Without a Cause

2005-01-14T10:52:00.000-05:00

The "Happiness" without a cause,
is the best Happiness,
for Glee intuitive and lasting
is the gift of God.

I fear we have all sorrow,
though of different forms
—but with Life so very sweet at the Crisp,
what must it be unfrozen!
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

Thanks to:
http://weblog.theviewfromthecore.com/

Warm words from Emily and especially heartwarming on this crisp icy morning.

Sloganeering

2005-01-13T10:56:00.000-05:00

My recent visit to the fakest place on earth (my tagline for them, not theirs), made me sensitive to corporate messages. What is a company saying aobut itself and how should we respond when we perhaps like the product but not the slogan (or vice versa)? I will be looking into this interesting area some more over the next few days and hope to have some insight.

Go ahead make me dead

2005-01-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

or "Feelin' Lucky?!?"
Steve Drake of Not Dead Yet reviews Clint Eastwood's pro-euthanasia hit and its critical acclaim here : http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/reviews/drakemillionbaby.html The money quote, "This movie is a corny, melodramatic assault on people with disabilities. It plays out killing as a romantic fantasy and gives emotional life to the "better dead than disabled" mindset lurking in the heart of the typical (read: nondisabled) audience member." But it is also worth the tack on why such films seem to universally receive critical praise, and not uniform praise to films in which disabled go about their daily lives. At least Clint Eastwood is not playing against type. His societal solutions as proposed in his Dirty Harry movies were of similar construct, 'we could clean up a lot of the world's problems by killing a few more people."

Hat tip to churchofthemasses http://www.churchofthemasses.blogspot.com/
via Amy Welborn http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/1660299
for the reference to Steve Drake's review.

Consider the End

2005-01-11T21:04:00.000-05:00

Consider the End
Avise La Fin or Respice Finem
The formal motto of many families, including my own. It dates back at least to Chilo of Sparta (~500 BC), one of the Seven Sages of Greece. What is the "end" here? The end of time? The end of our life? The goal or purpose? All may apply. When we think of our end, the end of our life, we should think of the purpose of our life, our goals. Consider the end, the meaning of life. Keep in mind our death and this will help us to persevere in our mission on earth.

"In everything one must consider the end."
Jean De la Fontaine French poet (1621 - 1695)
from http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/28787.html

"The end crowns all,
And that old common arbitrator,
Time,
Will one day end it."
Author: William Shakespeare Source: The History of Troilus and Cressida (Hector at IV, v)
from http://www.worldofquotes.com/topic/End/1/

All's well that ends well; still the fine's the crown. Whate'er the course, the end is the renown. Author: William Shakespeare Source: All's Well That Ends Well (Helena at IV, iv)

1 Cor 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

Matthew 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved

Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

2 Corinthians 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

1 Timothy 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

Catechism on Torture

2005-01-11T05:26:00.000-05:00

via HMS Blog: http://www.exceptionalmarriages.com/weblog/BlogDetail.asp?ID=20455

"Let's look at Catholic teaching one more time. The Catechism's treatment of the Fifth Commandment includes a section on "Respect for the Dignity of Persons," which includes a subsection on "Respect for bodily integrity." There, we find:
Torture which uses physical or moral violence to extract confessions, punish the guilty, frighten opponents, or satisfy hatred is contrary to respect for the person and for human dignity.
First of all, then, no torture.
And second, while I suppose there's some slight possibility that the category of "torture" is narrower than the category of that "which uses physical or moral violence to extract confessions," etc. - in other words, while there's some slight possibility that some uses of such violence don't count as "torture" - I think that reading would be very strained and highly unlikely. I think it's overwhelmingly likely that the Catechism is saying that if it "uses physical or moral violence ...," then it's "torture," and hence it's out of the question.
One might compare the previous sentence: "Terrorism threatens, wounds, and kills indiscriminately; it is gravely against justice and charity." Surely the Catechism doesn't mean to teach that there are some things that threaten, wound, and kill indiscriminately but that are not terrorism and hence are permissible?
Whether or not the "physical or moral violence" is severe, then - whether or not the physical or other pain that they inflict is severe - it's torture, and it's immoral, period.
This becomes still clearer in light of the other major Magisterial source on the subject: Vatican II's Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, part I, "The Church and Man's Calling," chap. II, "The Community of Mankind," no. 27 (quoted in John Paul II's encyclical on fundamental moral theology Veritatis Splendor, chap. II, "'Do not be conformed to this world,' [Rom. 12:2] - The Church and the discernment of certain tendencies in present-day moral theology," sect. IV, "The moral act," subsection on "'Intrinsic evil': it is not licit to do evil that good may come of it [cf. Rom. 3:8]," no. 80). The relevant passage:
Furthermore, ... whatever violates the integrity of the human person, such as ... torments [or "torture"] inflicted on body or mind, attempts to coerce the will itself; ... all these things and others of their like are infamies indeed. They poison human society, but they do more harm to those who practice them than those who suffer from the injury. Moreover, they are supreme dishonor to the Creator.
Here, the meaning of torture is not explained as it is in the Catechism. However, note the additional reference to "attempts to coerce the will." Such attempts are in general "infamies indeed," and out of the question, whether or not they take the form of "torture." Even, then, if the Catechism does not rule out all coercive "physical or moral violence," all infliction of pain, as "torture," all such methods of coercion are nonetheless immoral.
Is this teaching a challenge to our culture in more ways than one - as one of my readers observed? Absolutely. For one thing, for the purposes of our criminal justice system, we have now generally rejected physically or morally "violent" punishments in favor of deprivations of freedom as a response to the misuse of freedom. We take freedom away by imprisoning, or limit it by extension by depriving people of its fruits by inflicting fines, or, in what ought to be "very rare, if not practically non-existent" cases, we remove the fundamental condition for its exercise by inflicting the death penalty. We do not, by contrast, use whippings (physical violence) or humiliation in the town square (moral violence - though, sadly, a few judges in recent years have decided to be "creative" and reinvent such punishments). But on the other hand, our culture has not wholly rejected physically violent punishment - corporal punishment - in other settings, like the family. And it just won't do to say that spanking is okay, therefore the Catechism can't mean what it says. It ought to challenge our ideologies, including about child-rearing, rather than vice versa. (In fact, Greg is right that, while spanking might be better than letting kids go feral, it's not the best way to go.)
For another thing, "interrogations" in the context of our domestic criminal justice system are probably at least sometimes "coercive," and this, too, ought to stop. It's not "coercive" when people are convinced to feel guilty about their wrongdoing itself - including about their failure to reveal information that they, in justice, ought to reveal. Maybe it's not coercive to make what are genuinely privileges a reward for cooperation. But when, e.g., punishments that would not otherwise be due to a criminal are added because he won't cooperate - or when he's deprived of fairly basic human needs like sleep or the use of a toilet - then, I think, we have a problem, whether the practice takes place in a police station in Downtown USA or in the camp at Gitmo. But, again, the point is to let ourselves be challenged by true Catholicism, not vice versa.
. . .There are some issues on which there ought to be no compromise, even in a time of threats to our nation. Torture is one of them."

Tortured Specter?

2005-01-11T04:32:00.000-05:00

Radio Blogger shows why (in his humble opinion) we need Arlen Specter and really succeeds in showing why he is NOT on our side. Here is his take at http://www.radioblogger.com/ :

"A little different tune. By the way, for all you who wanted to torpedo Arlen Specter as Judiciary Committee Chair (K-Lo, this means all of you on the Corner), after Gonzales finished testifying, three eggheads from academia sat down in an attempt to scuttle the nomination, using the torture policy. Specter asked a simple question to all three. If we had Mohammed Atta a day before the attacks, would torture be justified to prevent 9/11. He asked all three, and all three were immediately discredited because they either had no answer or diverted away from the question. Before any other Senator had the chance, these guys looked foolish.
Specter will eventually hose us somewhere down the line. He doesn't agree with us socially. But he is still someone you want on your side the rest of the 90% of the time. He knows how to run the committee."

"If we had Mohammed Atta a day before the attacks, would torture be justified to prevent 9/11. (sic)?
If we had Mohammed Atta a day before the attacks, would torture be justified to prevent 9/11? "

So, because Arlen Specter can score cheap points by (potentially) pointing out the hypocrisy of "eggheads," he is the man for the job at Judiciary?!? Does his question always get a yes answer? Should it? If torture is wrong, is it always wrong? (Disputations spend some time pondering this here: http://disputations.blogspot.com/. )

But shouldn't we be seriously asking the question? I think conservatives would be mad if liberals scored on such an obvious cheap shot. Clearly the matter is complicated. Clearly any quick "no" answer is going to seem either heartless or worse and any long answer (yes or no) will also seem the same. This is similar to the hypothetical asked of Dukakis about whether he would be in favor of the death penalty if his wife was raped and murdered. Though he famously blew the answer, it is an unfair question. The only correct short answer is, "Yes I would want to kill the sonofabitch quick but I would hope that the state would do so more patiently." To the torture question, the correct answer is another question, "How do you know Atta's information can help stop the attacks and if you know that how did you find it out short of torture?" or "How many people did you have to torture to find out Atta had the information you needed to stop the attacks?"

So, is Specter in favor of torture? We still don't know. He succeeded in ending an important and potentially fruitful national discussion without answering the central question himself. Specter is not on our side. We want to have the debate. We want to check our govt. including our "conservative" govt. We want our govt to err on the side of life. The hypothetical Specter places before us is not a sincere attempt to gather information. We want sincerity from our leaders. Specter is not on our side. But I'm sure "he knows how to run the committee."

Run Sinner Run!

2005-01-01T05:09:00.000-05:00

As it turns out there are several other songs which are titled "I'm So Glad."
As you might guess, some are gospel tunes.

Most notable perhaps, is from Sam Cooke's the Soul Stirrers. With a cool refrain in which the singers call over and over, "Run sinner run, you'd better run sinner run."
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000000QME/qid=1104575003/sr=8-4/ref=pd_ka_4/103-6719680-0340623?v=glance&s=music&n=507846
http://www.geocities.com/martynb88/imsoglad.html
Here are the complete lyrics:
Written by: S.R. Crain (ATV-BMI)Performed by the Soul Stirrers
"Well you know, I'm so glad I know that trouble don't last always (3x)
Oh My Lord, I wonder, what shall I do (2x)
You better run, run on sinner run you better find you a hiding place (3x)
Well, my Lord, what shall I do, I wonder
I'm so glad, I'm so glad Lord, I know that trouble last always (3x)
Oh my Lord, I wonder, what shall I do
Well, I'm getting worried, what can I dowhat can I do, I'm getting worried, what can I do
You promised me dearest, you'd be beside me
You promised me Lord, you'd bring me out of trouble
You promised me Lord, you'd be my friend now
You promised me Lord, you'd stay right beside me
i'm so glad, so glad Lord, I have religion
lord in time, I'm so glad that I got religion (2x)
Soon one morning, you _____ creeping in my room
O, soon one morning, I ____ one morningOh my Lord, I wonder, what shall I do."

http://opengatemin.org/ImSoGlad.html I'm so very Glad (Gospel)
http://www.dottieburman.com/imsoglad.htm I'm so Glad you're in my life (love song)

And here's a Norwegian Folk Christmas Song (via a Mormon weblog)
http://www.timesandseasons.org/wp/index.php?p=1768
"Even though my name and family background is Norwegian, I was not all that aware of Norwegian Christmas songs and customs until I served my mission in Norway. One of the Christmas songs that I learned to love was “Jeg er så glad hver julekveld” ("I am so glad each Christmas Eve"). Here are the words with the English translation and you can hear the tune at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/m/imsoglad.htm
Jeg er så glad hver julekveld,for da ble Jesus født;da lyste stjernen som en sol,og engler sang så søtt.
Det lille barn i Betlehem,han var en konge storsom kom fra himlens høye slottned til vår arme jord.
Nå bor han høyt i himmerik,han er Guds egen sønn,men husker alltid på de småog hører deres bønn.
Jeg er så glad hver julekveld,da synger vi hans pris;da åpner han for alle småsitt søte paradis.
Da tenner moder alle lys,så ingen krok er mørk;hun sier stjernen lyste såi hele verdens ørk.
Hun sier at den lyser ennog slukkes aldri ut,og hvis den skinner på min vei,da kommer jeg til Gud.
Hun sier at de engler små,de synger og i dagom fred og fryd på jorderikog om Guds velbehag.
Å, gid jeg kunne synge så,da ble visst Jesus glad;for jeg jo også ble Guds barnengang i dåpens bad.
Jeg holder av vår julekveldog av den Herre Krist,og at han elsker meg igjen,det vet jeg ganske visst.
English translation:
I am so glad each Christmas Eve,
The night of Jesus’ birth!Then like the sun the Star shone forth,
And angels sang on earth.
The little Child in Bethlehem,He was a King indeed!
For He came down from Heaven aboveTo help a world in need.
He dwells again in heaven’s realm,The Son of God today;
And still He loves His little onesAnd hears them when they pray.
I am so glad on Christmas Eve!His praises then I sing;
He opens then for every childThe palace of the King.
[The remaining stanzas are best suited for home use.]
When mother trims the Christmas tree
Which fills the room with light,
She tells me of the wondrous Star
That made the dark world bright.
She says the Star is shining still,
And never will grow dim;
And if it shines upon my way,It leads me up to Him.
And so I love each Christmas Eve
And I love Jesus, too;
And that He loves me every dayI know so well is true.
Comment by Hans Hansen — 12/21/2004 : 2:38 pm"

Fakest place on Earth?

2005-01-01T04:11:00.000-05:00

Okay technically it should be "most fake." What do you think is the most fake place on earth? Plastic surgeon's office on Rodeo Drive? The CBS newsroom document center? Lip service from Ashlee Simpson? The FAQ(e) section of Pamela Anderson's website? The beer depot next to campus? (all those fake I.D.'s)
or does Umberto Eco know what fake is? http://www.transparencynow.com/eco.htm

Should be fun.

Love is Messy

2004-12-31T21:39:00.000-05:00

Best speech/sermon I heard this year was given at the Family Life Services Banquet.
http://www.women-helping-women.net/index.html

John Ensor http://johnensor.org/ spoke about the fact that love is messy.

He elaborated that when we take on one commitment out of love for another, then what proceeds from that is further commitment. Specifically when we encourage women to carry their babies to term then we have a continued responsibility for that woman and her baby. Or when we take in someone who doesn't have friends or family, we incur an additional responsibility and we also have to deal with aspects of their personality or life that we perhaps would rather not.

He also said that every generation is called to respond to a crisis on the nature of humanity in a very practical way. Whether it be the Holocaust or slavery or now abortion. We cannot generally respond by stopping the crisis in toto but one person at a time. The underground railroad saved people one at a time. He related a story of a person who was helping to hide a Jewish family during the Holocaust who responded with love when one of those hidden took ill. He contracted the illness himself, on purpose and then when medicine was prescribed for himself, he shared it with the hidden one.

I often become reluctant to help someone because I can see all the additional needs they have and am now more sensitive to the fact that this is a rule of love. It is messy.

So, as we begin this new year, everyone lets get messy!!

Good faith effort

2004-12-29T02:54:00.000-05:00

Will the ACLU ban all phrases that have even a hint of religiousity? Apparently not yet.
See this from the Weekly Standard:
"City of Angels
On Friday, December 17, two copies of Los Angeles County's 47-year-old official seal--the ones hanging on the front wall of its Board of Supervisors hearing room--were quietly covered over with temporary stick-um decals featuring a newly designed logo the county has chosen as a permanent replacement. What will eventually be a $700,000 county-wide reinstallation project got started back in May when the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California sent the Board of Supervisors a formal letter of complaint about the original seal, one minor iconographic element of which was a cross. The old seal was thus unconstitutionally Christian, the organization argued. And the supervisors--by a subsequent series of 3-2 votes--agreed.
Here's the thing, though: By the time the Board of Supervisors got back to work on Monday morning, December 20, the covered-over cross had somehow made itself clearly visible again, right through the stick-um decal's paper fabric. "It's a Christmas miracle," said a spokesman for supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, one of the Board's two replacement-project opponents. Antonovich's colleague, supervisor Don Knabe, agreed: "It is very symbolic that the cross has reappeared on a new seal directly above the new icon of [the San Gabriel] mission, which does not have a cross."
Nah, "I'm pretty sure it's a graphics problem," explained Tom Tindall, a general manager of the county's Internal Services Department. Either way, ACLU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan tells the Los Angeles Daily News that it's unfortunate the cover-over effort seems to have failed. "But they've made a good-faith effort," at least.
That "good-faith effort" part all by itself makes the whole story worthwhile, don't you think?"

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/
000/005/072ijrxf.asp?pg=2
emphasis mine.

He has made me glad

2004-12-29T01:19:00.000-05:00

I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart,

I will enter his courts with praise.

I will say this is the day that the Lord has made,

I will rejoice for He has made me glad.
He made me glad,He made me glad,

I will rejoice forHe has made me glad.

He made me glad,He made me glad,

I will rejoice forHe has made me glad.

Psalm 118:24"This is the day which the Lord hath made;we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Phil Christensen:
When I first heard "He Has Made Me Glad," I was a bus boy pouring coffee for an aging Women's Aglow group. A little blue-haired pianist pumped out a polka beat while those old saints clapped like school girls on each syllable of the chorus.

Though I wasn't yet a believer, I knew these women: some had been widowed or abandoned; others were riddled with cancer; and some were raising their grandchildren. My heart was moved as brittle, battle-worn voices rang with supernatural joy, singing, "He has made me glad! He has made me glad! I will rejoice for He has made me glad!"

Though Leona Von Brethorst's classic praise song overflows with triumph, the composer-much like me-didn't have many obvious reasons to be glad. Born in 1923 in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, Brethorst was raised in abject poverty. "We didn't know we were poor," she says, because "everyone else was like us." She remembers going to school without shoes while she and her sister shared three dresses. She and her ten siblings also shared the arms-length attention of a harsh father.

Cold winters kept them home during most of the year, but in the summer the family walked three miles to a Full Gospel church. The heartfelt praise of Appalachian saints made a deep impression on the young woman; fiddles, guitars and banjos rang through the valley while some clogged before the Lord. "It was tremendous!" Von Brethorst recalls, "They'd really get happy and dance!"

Von Brethorst's childhood faith faded during World War II as she took a job in the defense plants of Detroit. After the war, she married and had her two children.

When her toddler became critically ill with polio-related seizures, she cried out to God in faith, begging, "If You don't let him die, I'll give the rest of my life to You." God did heal the child, and doctors confirmed the miracle. The joy of her renewed faith was soon overshadowed by her husband's distaste for Christianity. He laid down an ultimatum: choose between him and Jesus.
Leona chose Jesus. She never remarried and, as a single mom, battling exhaustion and clinical depression, she worked odd jobs and raised her children to know the Lord.

It was during those years she discovered her gifts as a worship leader. She wrote dozens of praise songs and taught them to her fellowship. "God would give me the melody to every word," she explained. "I don't know a note of music or how to play any instrument!"

"He Has Made Me Glad" sprang not out of the poverty, abandonment or the depression she had experienced, but out of the loneliness of seeing her children grown and moved away. The song was God's way of teaching her that thanksgiving is the key to experiencing the joy of the Lord.
The morning she taught the song to Calvary Fellowship, Von Brethorst says laughter and dancing erupted, lasting for hours. The youth of the church soon took it with them to a summer camp where it began its global journey. Now found in every modern hymnal and songbook - the fourth most Licensed praise song through CCLI (refer to the current CCLI Top 25 Songs list) - "He Has Made Me Glad" provides retirement income for Von Brethorst. Penned in the mid-1970s, it has been recorded in a variety of styles, but most recently, the song was remodeled with a clever, fresh rhumba beat in the 1996 Maranatha! Praise Chorus Book Audio Series.
Pondering the song's enduring popularity, Von Brethorst exclaims, "It's strange! I don't feel different than anyone else singing it. I do feel the Lord has blessed the song because it contains the Bible's pattern for worship. We do enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise," she adds. "It's a choice we make."

"I believe worship leaders are as important as senior pastors; you can cause the Word of God to lodge in people's hearts through worship." The secret, she says, is to "stay very close to the Holy Spirit."

Now 74 years old, Brethorst lives in Long Beach, California, still active in her community and at her home church, Calvary Fellowship.
Phil Christensen is the Worship Pastor at Chapel of the Hills Community Church in Sandy, Oregon. http://www.ccli.com/WorshipResources/SongStories.cfm?itemID=8

The Holy Bible: King James Version. 2000.
The Psalms: 100

An Exhortation to Thanksgiving

A Psalm of praise.
1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2 Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the LORD he is God:
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him,and bless his name.

5 For the LORD is good;
his mercy is everlasting; 1 Chr. 16.34 · 2 Chr. 5.13 ; 7.3 · Ezra 3.11 · Ps. 106.1 ;
107.1 ; 118.1 ; 136.1 · Jer. 33.11
and his truth endureth to all generations.

Published by The American Bible Society http://www.bartleby.com/108/19/100.html

Word of the Day (for yesterday)

2004-12-29T01:16:00.000-05:00

Word of the Day for Tuesday December 28, 2004
raillery \RAY-luh-ree\, noun:1. Good-humored banter or teasing.2. An instance of good-humored teasing; a jest.
I moved from one knot of people to another, surrounded by a kind of envious respect because of Sophie's interest in me, although subjected to a certain mordant raillery from some of this witty company. --Peter Brooks, World Elsewhere
Her raillery and mockery are fun -- but ultimately rather tiring, and tiresome. --Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, "Eastward Ho!" review of Shards of Memory, by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, New York Times, September 17, 1995
Raillery is from French raillerie, from Old French railler, "to tease, to mock."
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for WOTD
">Link

Cool Toy -- 20Q

2004-12-28T23:32:00.000-05:00

Has anyone else seen this nifty little handheld toy? Its called 20Q and basically you think of something and it asks you 20 questions and then guesses what it is. It is amazingly good. It is a lot of fun to try to find things it cannot get. The first question (standard for the game) is Animal vegetable mineral or other? From there it plays fair and asks the usual bigger than a bread box type questions. I hear there is a web site with more info. Will check it out at: www.20q.net/ or http://20q.secondthought.com/ Taking nothing away from the game it does not give specific answers to many questions. For example just "turtle," or "rabbit." Once you know its an animal most people can get it by 20 questions. The "other" category is, to me, more impressive.

From http://librarystories.blogspot.com/2004/12/20qnet.html: "20Q.net is an experiment in artificial intelligence. The program is very simple but its behavior is complex. Everything that it knows and all questions that it asks were entered by people playing this game. 20Q.net is a learning system; the more it is played, the smarter it gets."

Common Law v Civil

2004-12-28T22:56:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to Jimmy Akin, http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/1594439 who has such a good mind and a diverse set of interests. This piece from Legal Affairs, details the theory of four economists who analyzed how the laws (or the legal tradition of a country) impacts its economy. Some of their conclusions are just what we might expect. Others are not.
http://www.legalaffairs.org/issues/January-February-2005/feature_thompson_janfeb05.html

It seems to me the greater difference in economies is in those countries with a STABLE legal system as opposed to those which use either system (common or civil). Is common law older than civil law? As I understand it common law developed out of custom or rather practical experience, whereas civil law derived from legal theorems and their interpretation.
I found these sites helpful: http://www.svpvril.com/comcivlaw.html http://www.bartleby.com/65/ci/civillaw.html
http://www.bartleby.com/65/co/commonla.html

So, little do I know about this subject. I will ask my lawyer friends at pajamaguy to opine.

2004 one sentence summary

2004-12-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

What will be the one sentence summary of the year that (almost) was 2004?

In America? America still divided politically by two visions of man's relationship to God.

In the World? The world is still a very scary place to be: War in Iraq, Terror, Natural Disasters.

In the Church? (American) Catholic Bishops begin to assert themselves on "conservative" political issues. (Rome) Pope John Paul II continues to lead with words over discipline.

Supreme Court pick?

2004-12-28T07:05:00.000-05:00

Michael McConnell http://www.ck10.uscourts.gov/judges.cfm?part=2&ID=18 is the rumored pick of President Bush for the next Supreme Court vacancy. He is pro-life in his writings. He currently serves on the Tenth Circuit court. He has a history of good relations with liberal law professors at University of Chicago and elsewhere. I don't know his record in the Tenth. His writings indicate he would support school choice and (hopefully) pro-life issues.

The rumor through my friend LAGuy @ http://pajamaguy.blogspot.com/

Hat tip to the rage monkey (lifted with attribution)

2004-12-28T02:41:00.000-05:00

From RageMonkey: "Graffiti implosion Several months ago Fr. Tharp commented to me about some graffiti on a building in his mission town of Cherokee, Oklahoma. At the time, he told me he was going to post on it. Well, he never did. Today, he and I went to Cherokee and he showed me the graffiti. He still hasn't posted on it and so I am going to share his witty observation. The graffiti reads as follows:
Listen to yourself, not others!
OH, masterful town rebels, I am trying to follow your advice/command, except that YOU told me to do that, not me, and I'm supposed to listen to myself and not others! It just all comes crashing down."
http://ragemonkey.blogspot.com/

Circular logic and thus perhaps not "crashing" down but swirling down.

Only fables . . . two legends kill time.

2004-12-28T01:08:00.000-05:00

Interesting. Thanks to Jimmy Akin.
"Only fables," he (Godel) said, "present the world as it should be and as if it had meaning."
http://chronicle.com/temp/reprint.php?%20id=7ixqqc97xiroy9hnb9o2154f61c2wl02

Word for the Day

2004-12-27T22:03:00.000-05:00

operose (OP-uh-roas) adjective
1. Tedious; diligent.
2. Requiring great effort.
[From Latin operosus (laborious, painstaking; active), from oper-, from opus (work). Ultimately from Indo-European root op- (to work, produce) that is also the ancestor of words such as opera, opulent, optimum, maneuver, and manure.]
"He (David Brown) is an operose Bachelor of Music, with a reading knowledge of Russian acquired in the national service, who has never been to Russia." Richard Taruskin; Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man; The New Republic (Washington, DC); Feb 6, 1995.
"'How do you feel?' asked Carol. 'Old, operose and obese,' he said pointing to his paunchy stomach." Linda Varsell Smith; With a Human Touch: Karen Harmony Rainbow; Rainbow Communications; 2003.
From the most noble soul to the most dastardly individual, we all share traits that extend over the spectrum. It would be rare to find a person who can be completely characterized by a single word. This week AWAD discusses five adjectives that will help you describe people you may encounter. Can you see the face of a friend, relative, neighbor or co-worker in these assorted arrangements of the alphabet?

X-Bonus Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. -Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, musician, Nobel laureate (1875-1965)

http://www.wordsmith.org/words/today.html

Funny---Stolen from Disputations

2004-12-27T20:48:00.000-05:00

A Christmastide cooking tip:
Add booze. If that doesn't help the taste, you can always set it on fire. If there's one thing people think is fancier than cooking with booze, it's setting food on fire on purpose.
http://disputations.blogspot.com/

Another one (unattributed because I can't remember where I saw it): The three wise men are bringing gifts to the infant Jesus and they are heard to say, "These gifts are for Christmas and your birthday." That one especially for all the December birthdays out there.

Religious Affiliation May Lower Suicide Risk

2004-12-27T15:34:00.000-05:00

Religious Affiliation May Lower Suicide Risk

December 27, 2004 11:05:21 AM PST , Reuters

Depressed men and women who consider themselves affiliated with a religion are less likely to attempt suicide than their non-religious counterparts, according to new study findings.
"If someone acknowledges being religious, all else being equal, they are at lower risk to act on suicidal thoughts than someone who does not acknowledge religious affiliation," study co-author Dr. Maria A. Oquendo told Reuters Health.
Further, she added, "it does not appear to make a difference what religion they state their affiliation for."
Previous research has shown that religious countries tend to have lower rates of suicide than secular nations. Studies have also shown that a higher degree of religious commitment is associated with less suicidal behavior.
In the current study, Oquendo and her colleagues at Columbia University in New York City examined the influence of religious affiliation on suicide attempt in a study of 371 depressed inpatients at a psychiatric institute. About half of the study participants had attempted suicide at least once in their lifetime.
Overall, men and women who said they belonged to a religion had a history of less suicide attempts than those who reported no religious affiliation, Oquendo and her team report in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Specifically, 48 percent of patients affiliated with Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism or other religion reported having attempted suicide, compared with 66 percent of those with no religious affiliation.
Religious patients also reported experiencing less suicidal thoughts than did their non-religious peers, despite similar high scores on assessments of depression and hopelessness.
Patients with no religious affiliation were more likely to have had a first-degree relative who committed suicide and to have a history of substance abuse, the study's findings indicate. They also tended to be younger, were less often married or had children and were less often in contact with their family members.
Upon further analysis, Oquendo and her team found that attempted suicide was most common among patients who did not think suicide was immoral and those with less feelings of family responsibility, both of which were most common among men and women with no religious affiliation.
"It appears that people who state they have a religious affiliation are more likely to have moral objections to suicide and may not act on suicidal thoughts because they think it is wrong to do so," Oquendo said.
"These findings suggest that asking patients about such topics and supporting their involvement with their religious group may be protective against suicidal behavior," she added. "Of course that has not been demonstrated, but our study suggests it is a possibility," she said.
SOURCE: American Journal of Psychiatry, December 2004.
http://health.yahoo.com/search/healthnews?lb=s&p=id%3A67045

Asia Quake's Tsunamis Kill Nearly 11,800

2004-12-27T01:24:00.000-05:00

Asia Quake's Tsunamis Kill Nearly 11,800
From yahoo/AP: "COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Legions of rescuers spread across Asia Monday after an earthquake of epic power struck deep beneath the Indian Ocean, unleashing 20-foot tidal waves that ravaged coasts across thousands of miles and killed nearly 11,800 people and left millions homeless. " http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20041227/ap_on_re_as/indonesia_earthquake

Prayers:
For all those who lost their lives so suddenly and tragically.
For all the families who lost loved ones or suffered injury from this devastating earthquake.
For all those who lost their homes or businesses from same.

Next question: What can we do to help?
International Red Cross/Red Crescent http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/index.asp
Catholic Relief Services: http://www.catholicrelief.org/
Disaster relief organizations by religion:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/66/story_6607_1.html
Reliefweb through the UN: http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf

Christmas Season not just a day

2004-12-26T22:10:00.000-05:00

"The Christmas season celebrates the birth of Jesus (on December 25) and continues until the Baptism of Our Lord." http://www.easterbrooks.com/personal/calendar/rules.html

Christmas is traditionally celebrated as an octave. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family and remember the fight to Egypt and its cause. We don't know how old Jesus was when this event took place. The take home message commonly is an intertwining of obedience and trust. How families are (ideally) places where one can trust that the others have your best interest at heart. And that trusting and obeying God is not unlike a child's obedience to his parents. He might not always understand why they ask something of him. But he knows that they have his best interest at heart and so obeys on this basis.
http://www.catholicculture.org/lit/calendar/day.cfm

A great discussion of the seasonality of the Christian calendar is here:
http://www.kensmen.com/catholic/time.html "Unlike pagan religions which see time as an endless cycle, Christians see time as being linear; it has a beginning and will have an end. Within Christianity's linear, "big picture" sense of time, though, the passing of hours is experienced as cycles of meditations on holy things (think of a spiral -- of a circle of time moving ever forward toward His Coming). The Catholic year (the "liturgical year") is made special by celebrations commemorating the lives of Jesus and His mother, the angels, and the legion of Saints who lived their faith.

Every single year, aware Catholics "re-live" the Gospel, from Christ's birth to His Ascension and Heavenly reign. In Spring He enters the world by coming to rest in Mary's immaculate womb; nine months later, in Winter, He is born, circumcized, and given a Name. He is raised in the Holy Family, and meets His cousin, John. He goes into the Desert and we go with Him during our Lenten Season. Then follow His Passion and Agony, which are soon vanquished by His Resurrection, His Ascension, and the Pentecost. Now He reigns -- and forever, and we await His Second Coming as we prepare to celebrate again His First Coming. The cycle begins again, like a wheel that's been spinning for two millenia. The Catholic who is aware of this wheel is necessarily aware of Christ; the Catholic who also celebrates the Feasts well and practices the traditions of the Church lives intimately with Him.. All of the Church's Feasts fall into one of the 2 main "liturgical cycles" made of 7 "liturgical seasons." Each of the Seasons has an associated mood, its own "feeling in the air," its own scents and ornaments. There is even for each Season an associated color which will be reflected in the priests' vestments and liturgical art, church decoration, and so on (though on certain Holy Days within a particular season, that Day's color will take precedence over the season's color). "

Jonah G has it right on the Christmas Wars

2004-12-26T22:03:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, one and all!

Just caught this pre-Christmas piece by Jonah Goldberg. http://www.nationalreview.com/goldberg/goldberg200412230837.asp

I think it says better what I was attempting to say earlier, here: http://imsoglad.blogspot.com/2004/12/christmas-wars.html

Ten Reasons Not to Die . . .

2004-12-24T01:47:00.000-05:00

. . the Dr. Kevorkian way.

This Spiked piece reviews, from a non-religious viewpoint, why a proposed amendment to Britain's Suicide act is not a good idea.
http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/0000000CA82B.htm

For me, the money quote: "The Assisted Dying bill will instead place an onus on doctors and carers to help individuals to commit suicide. One of the most ugly arguments to come from the Voluntary Euthanasia Society is that disabled people should have the right to die, too. We must be clear that we are being obligated to give the proverbial man on the bridge a push (or perhaps to make the bridge wheelchair accessible)."

"Christmas Wars"

2004-12-23T23:15:00.000-05:00

I have nothing to say about the so-called "Christmas Wars" being fought all over blog-dom. Okay I have a little to say: This seems to me to be an attempt by some (on both sides) to redstate-bluestate (=politicize) everything, including Christmas.

As Santa would say, "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night."

Another of the many reasons

2004-12-23T22:47:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad to watch my youngest as she sleeps.

This is a special parental thing that almost defies description, and in my case probably does. But I have talked to hundreds of parents who feel the same thing. The utter joy at just watching your child sleep. And this not because you like 'em better when they are not all rowdy and noisy. She looks so peaceful and truly beautiful. I sorta wish I could upload a picture but I doubt it would quite capture the sublimity of the moment.

Midnight Christmas Mess

2004-12-23T22:23:00.000-05:00

This year I will be going to Christmas Eve Mass. We are looking forward to a bustling Christmas in which we enjoy the company of our family and some close friends. Traditionally we have a kid gift exchange on Christmas eve. We will go to Mass first where the Kings Choir will sing, and then dinner and then the gifts. We hope the weather won't put the damper on too many people's celebrations.

My friend LAGuy ( http://pajamaguy.blogspot.com ) has an old vinyl record of mine titled the same as this post. I remember it had a bittersweet song from Wednesday Week as well as some garage band mixing Them's (Van Morrison's) Gloria with Gloria in Excelsis Deo. Somehow it seemed they were able to pull it off without being blasphemous. Certainly I have heard Christian Rock that would be more upsetting to a saint's ears.

Sorrowful Christians? or Joyful?

2004-12-22T23:28:00.000-05:00

Is there a legitimate theology of sadness or sorrow among Christians?

The word sorrow is used 69 times in the Old and New Testaments. Joy is used 165 times. Many of the references to "sorrow" are actually talking about how one's sorrow will be turned to joy. However it is important to remember that there are many reasons for people in the Old and New Testament to feel sorrow. Most notable of these is the Passion of Christ. Traditionally and scripturally Mary shares this with Jesus in a special way. Christians should also be considered realists. To look at the world and see much abject suffering and not to acknowledge this and incorporate it into Christian theology would be grossly negligent. So, clearly there is a legitimacy to Christian sorrow.

Below several links here are images of the sorrowful Christ or sorrowful mother.
http://www.mfa.org/artemis/fullrecord.asp?oid=32324&did=500
http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pinfo?Object=45910+0+none
http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/andre/sorrows.html

Also is some discussion of the theology of sorrow:
http://sycophants.info/good-friday.html
http://www.udayton.edu/mary/meditations/sorrowsmed.html
http://www.catholictradition.org/7sorrows.htm

And how does this correspond with the joy and gratitude Christians claim?
http://www.stlukesrec.org/sermons99/11trin99.html
So there are two emotions in the heart of the praying believer. On the one hand, we sorrow, like the Publican, over our sin. On the other hand, we are exhilarated by God's grace and forgiveness in Christ. Which brings us to the challenge posed by Sartre at the introduction. Does the Christian constantly grovel in the dust before God like the actor in The Flies? Is the Christian life primarily sorrow or joy? Gloom or sunshine? A vale of tears, or a feast of jubilation?
The answer is yes. Both of them. G. K. Chesterton called this one of the odd, yet delightful paradoxes of Christianity. In his book Orthodoxy he explains how orthodox theology has a mystical talent for combining vices which seem inconsistent with each other. That is why atheists like Sartre are constantly getting it wrong. They'll accuse Christians one day of being too glum, and the next day accuse them of being too jovial. They denounce Christendom as being too pacifistic, and at the same time too bellicose, too worldly and too unworldly.
Here I quote Chesterton, "Christianity got over the difficulty of combining furious opposites, by keeping them both, and keeping them both furious. The Church was positive on both points. . . . It has kept them side by side like two strong colours, red and white, like the red and white upon the shield of St. George. It has always had a healthy hatred of pink."
http://www.iconsexplained.com/iec/02087.htm

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