Fish, Fire and a Friar Feast

A Fish Story
No, I'm not talking about fish on Fridays. I'm depressed about our goldfish tank. You see, my father-in-law, as he was taking care of the pets while we were in the Carolinas, thought it would be a nice surprise thing to do if he went and added a fish to our tank to replace the koi we lost a few months back. We only noticed it the day after we got back, which elicited some choice cuss words. It would have been cool except, firstly, he picked the ugliest damn goldfish I have ever seen. We call him/her/it "Bottlenose."

Second, we knew from previous experience that TJ's dad is not especially careful in selecting fish, and we figured we'd have some problems as we had no idea where he got the fish--probably Petco, who are notorious for infected fish (Grrr!!).

Then, finally, last week we noticed "Comet," the one we thought was a feeder goldfish that turned out to be a dang pretty one (brighter orange, longer tail, nice dorsal fin) with personality, had red splotches along his dorsal fin and near his tail--and his fins were shredded. Bottlenose had been picking on Comet, so I figured that's where his fins got shredded. Otherwise, looked it up, figured it was bacterial. Red patches clear up, except for weird, knobby white growths along the shredded dorsal fin. We figure we're on the road to recovery... except I noticed that Comet was "flashing" against the filter intake. But it didn't ring a bell. Yet.

To make a long story short, Bottlenose came to us infected with anchor worms, probably fish lice, and God only knows what else. He was in the tank four days before we got home from NC, and... holy cow.

Anchor worms are REPULSIVE (I'm nauseated at the thought of parasites--I shuddered at a tick on TJ's leg in NC that I removed), and nearly impossible to eradicate once they get a foothold, or headhold, or whatever. Once they start hatching and latching around the gills and mouth, it's pretty much over. The fish suffocates (gills) or starves (mouth), or both. I watched poor Comet suffering, and I apologized to him silently over and over, sorry I didn't trust my gut feeling when I saw him flashing.

Comet died on Friday morning, which really depressed me. My afternoon was spent in a rage as I spotted worms--actually they are crustaceans--on all the other fish, and angrily contemplated the possibility of losing the entire tank. For all of my brother's and my indifferent fish parenting as kids, our fish of several varieties, including goldfish, never never NEVER got parasites--ich and other nice lil diseases, sure--but not parasites. None of TJ's tanks did either. I was pissed! pissed! pissed! on Friday afternoon, all because F-i-L "meant well." Sorry to say: BULLSH*T. TJ told his dad to NEVER do that again.

*sigh*

Needless to say, we're dosing the hell out of the tank--did before Comet died, but too late to save him. Bottlenose isn't looking too hot, with the nasty things sprouting from his face, gills, and fins. "Tiny," the last of the feeders, *seems* to be hanging in there; the damn anchor worms are almost longer than that fish. Our last beautiful orange/black/white koi, Spot, seems to be okay, but he too is flashing and has that sprouting that poor Comet had on his dorsal fin. One anchor worm along his dorsal, none on his face yet.

It pisses me off that we will probably lose the whole tank for one stupid fish we had no say in getting. I know TJ's dad meant well, but damn it all--we'd just gotten the environment stabilized. We could live with the algae blooms that look like hell but don't bother the goldfish, because they eat algae anyway.

I know they are "just" fish, but when we care for the well being of a creature we deliberately obtain, we get attached to them--and to have them decimated for the reasons outlined above...

*goes off, muttering to self, averting gaze from tank at all costs*

Fire On the Mountain
Father Wade Menezes of the Fathers of Mercy (the picture does no justice--*fans self furiously*) was at our parish today; he is of the same order of Father David Wilton who spoke so eloquently yet forcefully at the beginning of Lent in re penance and confession. I was intrigued by the fact that I do believe I spied a cassock and a white lace alb (!) under the vestments. Black shoes, black pants, cassock, alb, and then the white vestments appropriate for the Feast of Corpus Christi. But a cassock and lace!! Now, I was born post-Vatican II, yet I know what it is--and I have never seen a priest wear one until today. I was impressed. And this of a priest only seven years my senior. WOW. But on a day where it's 110... oof... he better drink lots of water.

He also impressive in other areas as well: I didn't think that anyone could out-chant Father Vince at the Basilica, but now I have found someone who puts Fr Vince to shame. I can only describe it as an 'otherworldly' voice. I closed my eyes... he has that talent of modulating his voice and volume to where it seems like it's surrounding you. It was amazing. That is what one of the angels must sound like.

But don't be misled by his chant talents and the face and build worthy of modeling--he had a barnburner of a homily, starting with a talk on the Feast of Corpus Christi and the whole theology of it, backing it up with the sixth chapter of John. He expounded on how Luther never intended to leave the Church, never intended on messing with Marian theology, and would probably cry if he knew that his little movement has produced 23,000 splinter groups in Christianity--and to pray for our separated brethren. He quoted from church fathers such as John Chrysostom and Cyril of Alexandria. He quoted extensively from third and fourth century texts. He challenged all to make a point to do Eucharistic Adoration: "one hour a week!" I was intrigued and interested.

His strong wording (bordering on fiery discourse) ended with "If you go along with gay marriage... abortion... euthanasia... contraception... cloning... eugenics... in this Culture of Death, then you have no right to come up here and receive the Body and Blood of Christ!" By the time he was done, you could hear a pin drop on the carpet. I surreptitiously looked around and saw many sitting bolt upright and looking mighty uncomfortable; however, many were quietly smiling, or bunching a fist and muttering, "YES!" as the lady in front of me did, she and her husband smiling at one another. I just smiled. He hit home, which is his purpose--he wants people uncomfortable. He's winnowing out the weak and the ambivalent. He only pounded on what the Church has preached and taught forever.

I always find it curious that it's always the mission/preaching fathers who do these topics. Every once in awhile I hear a deacon punctuate discourses with these teachings. It's a no-brainer, really: pastors don't touch the topics of sin and hell and all those topics that make people squirm or make people mad, because it's the foofy-cloud God and the pacifist-peacenik Jesus that puts the bread in the basket, so to speak. Poor Father Hoorman, you know he's going to get nailed with complaints after today's Masses.

The fact that Fr Hoorman has the Fathers of Mercy at the parish speaks volumes. He wants his parishioners challenged. He wants them to know that Catholicism is not a passive religion. And I guarantee you that Fr Wade or Fr David will never see the walls of St Paul in Moon Valley, or of St Timothy in Mesa, or parishes like them. Oh, heavens, no.

I would LOVE to see Father Wade (CPM) vs. Father Larry (OFM) in a debate: fiery hardliner vs. peacenik liberal. I would charge admission--it would be great and educational. Think SMACKDOWN!! heh heh...

~~

I was cruising the Internet on some other items on Father Wade, and in that search I found the best technical (as opposed to a general, watered/dumbed-down) explanation to fend off those who think we "worship" Mary and the Saints. From an article on Eucharistic Adoration, he wrote:

"The Blessed Sacrament receives latria: worship due God alone. Whereas the saints and angels receive dulia (veneration) and the Blessed Virgin Mary receives hyper-dulia (the highest of veneration), the Triune Godhead alone receives latria which is “worship” properly speaking (and not veneration). And because the Blessed Sacrament is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity—truly Present in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—the Eucharist, too, receives latria."*

I think this is a nice explanation to counter accusations of cookie-worship and idol-worship.

There is a quote Fr Wade used in that same article that I love, from St. Jose María Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei: “When you approach the tabernacle, remember that He has been awaiting you for 20 centuries.” Try wrapping your brain about that. Wow.

Fabulous Feast of a Friar
To end on an even more positive note, this past Tuesday was St Anthony's Day, yes he of the Lost and Found patronage. I love St Anthony of Padua. I have a chat with him at least once a week. I've done "Tony's Tuesdays" as much as I can, which is a neat novena. Next year I want to do a St Anthony's party.

But St Anthony wasn't just about finding things, he was a fabulous preacher and teacher, and got St Francis' permission to have books and to teach theology, which Francis was against as it went contrary to his ideals of simplicity. He was originally of the Augustinian order, but switched over when he saw the procession of the bodies of the first Franciscan martyrs.

His patronages include, but not limited to: animals, barrenness, faith in the Blessed Sacrament, fishermen, Lisbon, Portugal (where he was born); lost articles, mail (I find this curious!), mariners, Padua, Italy (where he lived); poor people, sailors, seekers of lost articles, sterility, and watermen.




















O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the Sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms, and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.
Amen. (Say 13 Paters, Aves, and Glorias)

St. Anthony, performer of miracles, pray for us.


______________________
* from Catholics United for Faith website, "An Answer to A Crisis of Faith: Adoring the Lord in the Year of the Eucharist" by Fr Wade L.J. Menezes, CPM, 2005