St Louis the King (August 25) and Other Items of Passing
Funny how St Louis the King's feast day is this Friday. A king who truly knew how to rule and lead, from prayer to family to being a warrior (not that he didn't have his days). As a prominent Franciscan Tertiary, as they were known then, he is the patron, along with Elizabeth of Hungary, of the SFO.
St Louis has been in my mind for a week now, after a mood-darkening tour through a place appropriately called "Relics." At least they had that straight.... anyhow, I'd been passing this place on Camelback for a long while now, and after taking care of some business, I had time to wander in. I thought it would be just another Scottsdale/North Phoenix trendy crap place.
Boy, was I wrong.
I walked in, and initially it was a rustic wood table, an old French olive oil clay jar, things of that nature. Then my eye was caught by a glass case--I walked closer to find a very old carved wood saint of Spanish origin, probably 1700s or so if not earlier, along with other very old figurines and such from some church. Then the window caught my attention.
There was dear St Louis the King, a gorgeous stained glass window ripped intact from some church in France, frame and all. Next to it was, if I remember correctly, the patron saint of Rouen (the name escapes me now). It was in the same style and similar frame, although this window didn't survive the years as well. This priceless, irreplaceable artwork in some crappy antique shop!
As I turned back to the case thoughtfully, a monstrance on the glass case of the checkout area almost made me ill. What is *that* doing here? A beautiful gold monstrance with blue enamel workings, sitting in its obviously native reliquary arch--ripped intact from whatever wall it had been in.
As I continued through this place, I shivered to the bone--ironwork crosses, bannisters, and accents, all of the same style and time period, cannibalized by some hunter. There was an entire wood panel that included the confessional door, which had been incorrectly identified ... things of this nature that gave me the eerie sense of history raped for profit.
I'm not really that sentimental, but as I continued on I had the feeling that Jesus was weeping, saying "look what they have done to My Church!" All the religious that had been at this French church, monastery or convent over the hundreds of years (many tags placed the dates in the XVI-XVII centuries) must have been looking on sorrowfully as the place to which they had dedicated their lives was ripped apart. I could smell, feel, know that history in all that iron and wood, destroyed in the name of profit and secularism.
By the time I left, I was upset. Oh, if I only had the money to purchase the window, the monstrance, and various other religious items, and save them from being some ignorant person's "decor"... My heart was so sore, and I joined in weeping with Jesus.
What sacrilege.
~~
My boss is active in the Right to Life movement. Sometimes, I prepare his newsletters, announcements and replies to the editor. I was working on one of the latter today.
It's such an explosive topic that even as he merely sought to straighten the record in a local paper, emotional and provoking phrases rang out from the screen I was typing them on to.
I had no idea that an endorsement from Right to Life for a candidate was so coveted to the point that candidates will twist the truth to bend the voters. Not that I'm surprised--I grew up around party politics--but the gubenatorial primary promises to be somewhat inflammatory.
~~
I hate it when a choir mangles a song.
Even if you're not an advocate of post Vatican II music, I think "The Cry of the Poor" by John Foley, SJ, will move you. As a part of that oft-mentioned awesome choir I had been a part of, we had done this piece often. Four part harmony with the organ only undertoning with the old church's acoustics, it was quite haunting. It's a tune that will stick in your head in a good way.
It's supposed to be in a moderate tempo, which we had slightly slowed at places for effect--I believe the Italian musical term is fine. This past Sunday I went to 8:30 choir in New Parish at which they have the contemporary choir, which has a 50/50 chance of getting on my nerves. For Communion, they did "The Cry of the Poor," dragging out the refrain to the point were every beat was almost two seconds each. Then, to brighten our day, they turned the verses into a pop beat. Not the 'slightly faster' that I'm looking at in my copy of Choral Praise as I write this, but a full out, almost Harry Connick fast jazz beat kind of pace.
Oh yes, they did that. All the way through. Refrain dragging and the verses popping. I was astonished.
No matter that they were in tune... with the clarinet bleating and the drums whapping, it totally destroyed the aura that this piece is supposed to create.
I will skip out on 8:30 from here on out. It's 7:00 am, or 12:30 when it recommences in October, at New Parish or 9:00 am at Old Parish, tho the thought of Fr Hollywood letting his ego shine kills me too--but he does have wonderful taste in music.
I had a hard time explaining to TJ about being a "music snob."
~~
I'm now entering a fearful phase in the race to conceive before I turn forty. It's too new, too raw to write about it at this time, but I will at some future date.
~~
Pray for my dear friend Terri DeMuro, who has been very ill.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Sunday, August 06, 2006
A Different Kind of SAT
The SAT (Salvation Aptitude Test)
I have stolen this gleefully from Noel J. Augustyn’s article on the New Oxford Review’s old website (http://www.newoxfordreview.org/1998-99/apr99/noelaugustyn.html ). If you go to this page, there is a funny but sad and illuminating commentary on the state of Catechism in the Church today.
How many of these can you answer correctly?
1. One of the prayers at Mass refers to this man as "our father in faith." Both Jews and Arabs regard him as their ancestor. Jews, Christians, and Muslims all consider him to be their spiritual father. Name this patriarch.
2. This patriarch and his wife, Sarah, had a son in their old age. God tested the father by asking him to sacrifice this son but stopped him from doing so at the last minute. Name the son.
3. Years later, this son and his wife, Rebekah, had a son who was to be the father of what became the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Who ,was he? (Hint: "Israel" was the name later given to him by God. He had a brother named Esau.)
4. We all know that Moses led the Hebrews (Israelites) out of Egypt in what is called the Exodus. How did the Hebrews come to live in Egypt hundreds of years earlier?
5. When we think of Moses we think, too, of Aaron and Joshua. Identify either Aaron or Joshua.
6. Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. List the Ten Commandments.
7. Pick one of the Ten Commandments and tell why you believe it is especially important.
8. Apart from the Ten Commandments, there are the Two Great Commandments. State them.
9. What is the connection between the Two Great Commandments and the Ten Commandments?
10. State the "Golden Rule."
11. Saul was the first king of Israel. Who was the second? (Hint: He is considered the most important of the Jewish kings, and as a boy he was a shepherd.)
12. The second king of Israel had a son named Solomon. Write something you know about Solomon.
13. After the first reading at Mass we recite or sing prayers and hymns, some of which are very old, so old they are said to have been written by Solomon's father. What do we call these prayers and hymns?
14. There are three books in the Old Testament named after women. Name one of them.
15. Who is Job?
16. In speaking of the Old Testament, we hear the phrase "the Law and the Prophets." Name one of the Old Testament prophets.
17. Write something brief about one of the following: "the Babylonian Captivity" or "the Maccabees."
18. The first four books of the New Testament are the Gospels; their authors are called the Evangelists. Name the four Evangelists.
19. What is meant by the term "the Annunciation"?
20. What is meant by the term "the Visitation"?
21. We all know what we celebrate on the feast of the Nativity (which is also called Christmas), but what do we celebrate on the feast of the Epiphany (which is also called the 12th day of Christmas)?
22. Three places of importance in the childhood of Jesus are Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Nazareth. Pick one and tell why it was important in the early life of Jesus.
23. Who is John the Baptist?
24. Lent has forty days, just as a particular episode in the life of Jesus had forty days, before He began His public ministry. What was this episode?
25. We know that Jesus often taught in parables. Name your favorite parable and tell why it is your favorite.
26. Fill in the blank: One of the most famous of Jesus' teachings is called the Sermon on the _________.
27. Jesus is often called "the Divine Physician" because He cured people of various illnesses. Write something about your favorite miracle or sign where Jesus cured a sick person or sick people.
28. Jesus taught us to pray what we often call the "Our Father." There is a more formal name for this prayer. What is it?
29. What is "the Transfiguration"? [Given today's Feast, this should be easy!]
30. There are two kings named Herod in the Gospels. Pick one of them and tell something about him.
31. Bethany is the name of a village near Jerusalem. (There is another Bethany "across the Jordan," where John the Baptist was baptizing.) Martha and Mary, who were friends of Jesus, lived in Bethany with their brother. Name their brother and tell why he is important.
32. What is "Palm Sunday" all about?
33. Why is "the Passion," from the Gospels, read at Mass on Palm Sunday?
34. Whenever we recite the Creed at Mass, or say the Apostles' Creed, we mention Pontius Pilate. Who was he?
35. Name the person who was forced to help Jesus carry His cross. (Hint: He is remembered in one of the Stations of the Cross.)
36. Pick one of these two terms and tell something about it: "the Upper Room" or "the Garden of Gethsemane."
37. Golgotha is the Hebrew name for the hill near Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. This place is also known by another name. What is that name?
38. According to the Gospels, Jesus spoke seven times in His three hours on the cross. Choose one of these seven sayings (also called "the Seven Last Words") and quote it, or paraphrase it (that means, put it in your own words).
39. Tell how one of these men is connected to the Crucifixion: Nicodemus; Joseph of Arimathea.
40. Jesus' first appearance after His Resurrection was to a woman. Name her.
41. There is a phrase in common usage -even today that contains the name of one of the Apostles. Fill in the blank: "Doubting ." What did this Apostle doubt?
42. Who is called "the Prince of the Apostles"?
43. The last appearance of Jesus to His Apostles after His Resurrection is commemorated annually by a Holy Day of Obligation 40 days after Easter (or on the seventh Sunday of Easter). It is called "the Solemnity of the … ?
44. Fifty days after the Passover, Jews celebrate God's giving the Ten Commandments to Moses; fifty days after Easter, Christians celebrate God's giving the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and Mary. What is the name of this Christian feast?
45. Before he became a great missionary, St. Paul was a great persecutor of the early Church. He guarded the cloaks of the men who stoned to death the man we call the first martyr. Name this first martyr.
46. St. Paul wrote many letters (the Greek word for letters is Epistles) to early Christians and their communities in the Mediterranean world. In a letter to those at Corinth, a city in Greece, he described what we call "the Three Theological Virtues." The third of these, which is "charity" or "love," Paul called "the greatest." What are the other two?
47. St. Paul and St. Peter were martyred during the reign of the emperor Nero about thirty years after the Crucifixion. They were martyred in the capital city of the empire over which Nero ruled. Name this city.
48. For much of the first three centuries of her history, the Church suffered persecution. Many Christians were martyred and often Christians couldn't worship in public. Then, in the early part of the fourth century, an emperor ended the persecutions. Name him. (Hint: He named the eastern capital of the empire after himself, it was formerly called Byzantium and is called Istanbul today.)
49. Name the Seven Sacraments.
50. Which sacrament does every Christian receive?
51. Name the Corporal Works of Mercy (there are seven).
52. Pick one of the Six Precepts of the Church and tell why you think it is especially important.
53. "Pride" is often' called the worst of the Seven Deadly Sins. Pick another one of the seven and tell why you think it is especially "deadly."
54. A prayer that has been popular since the Middle Ages is called "the Rosary." It now traditionally consists of 15 "decades" where we think about certain "mysteries" in the lives of Our Lord and Our Lady. These mysteries are in three groups of five: the Joyful; the Sorrowful; and the Glorious. Take one of these groups and name the five mysteries in that group. (If you can't think of a mystery's title, then describe what event is remembered in that mystery.)
55. Over her history of nearly 2,000 years, the Church has been divided many times. Some of these divisions have never been completely healed. For example, the year 1054 is when "the Great Schism" between East and West occurred. The year 1517 is often cited as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Say something about either one of these two historical events that have seriously affected Christian unity.
56. Name your patron saint and write something about him or her.
57. Name a favorite saint besides your patron saint, and write something about him or her.
58. Name your favorite Holy Day of Obligation (besides Christmas).
59. In what continent is the Holy Land? A. Europe, B. Asia, C. Africa, D. Australia.
60. Ecumenical Councils are meetings when bishops from all over the world come together. Some Councils have been held in places like Nicaea and Ephesus, in what is now Turkey, or in places like Trent, Italy. The most recent Council was held from 1962 to 1965. What name or title is given to this Council?
61. Since Old Testament times, God's people have practiced "fasting." In Lent, for example, adult Catholics "fast" on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. (And during Lent all Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays.) We also "fast" for at least an hour before receiving the Eucharist. What do we mean by "fast" and why do you think we do it?
62. What is the Christian virtue of chastity, and why is it important?
63. The Church has four signs or "marks." The Church is (fill in the blanks): One, _____, Catholic, and _________.
64. Why did God make you?
Older readers will note that the last question of this exam is the first question of the old Baltimore Catechism. It's a good question with which to end, for it remains the basic question (and as coaches are fond of saying, success is built on mastery of "the fundamentals").
I know I have to do some research!
The SAT (Salvation Aptitude Test)
I have stolen this gleefully from Noel J. Augustyn’s article on the New Oxford Review’s old website (http://www.newoxfordreview.org/1998-99/apr99/noelaugustyn.html ). If you go to this page, there is a funny but sad and illuminating commentary on the state of Catechism in the Church today.
How many of these can you answer correctly?
1. One of the prayers at Mass refers to this man as "our father in faith." Both Jews and Arabs regard him as their ancestor. Jews, Christians, and Muslims all consider him to be their spiritual father. Name this patriarch.
2. This patriarch and his wife, Sarah, had a son in their old age. God tested the father by asking him to sacrifice this son but stopped him from doing so at the last minute. Name the son.
3. Years later, this son and his wife, Rebekah, had a son who was to be the father of what became the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Who ,was he? (Hint: "Israel" was the name later given to him by God. He had a brother named Esau.)
4. We all know that Moses led the Hebrews (Israelites) out of Egypt in what is called the Exodus. How did the Hebrews come to live in Egypt hundreds of years earlier?
5. When we think of Moses we think, too, of Aaron and Joshua. Identify either Aaron or Joshua.
6. Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. List the Ten Commandments.
7. Pick one of the Ten Commandments and tell why you believe it is especially important.
8. Apart from the Ten Commandments, there are the Two Great Commandments. State them.
9. What is the connection between the Two Great Commandments and the Ten Commandments?
10. State the "Golden Rule."
11. Saul was the first king of Israel. Who was the second? (Hint: He is considered the most important of the Jewish kings, and as a boy he was a shepherd.)
12. The second king of Israel had a son named Solomon. Write something you know about Solomon.
13. After the first reading at Mass we recite or sing prayers and hymns, some of which are very old, so old they are said to have been written by Solomon's father. What do we call these prayers and hymns?
14. There are three books in the Old Testament named after women. Name one of them.
15. Who is Job?
16. In speaking of the Old Testament, we hear the phrase "the Law and the Prophets." Name one of the Old Testament prophets.
17. Write something brief about one of the following: "the Babylonian Captivity" or "the Maccabees."
18. The first four books of the New Testament are the Gospels; their authors are called the Evangelists. Name the four Evangelists.
19. What is meant by the term "the Annunciation"?
20. What is meant by the term "the Visitation"?
21. We all know what we celebrate on the feast of the Nativity (which is also called Christmas), but what do we celebrate on the feast of the Epiphany (which is also called the 12th day of Christmas)?
22. Three places of importance in the childhood of Jesus are Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Nazareth. Pick one and tell why it was important in the early life of Jesus.
23. Who is John the Baptist?
24. Lent has forty days, just as a particular episode in the life of Jesus had forty days, before He began His public ministry. What was this episode?
25. We know that Jesus often taught in parables. Name your favorite parable and tell why it is your favorite.
26. Fill in the blank: One of the most famous of Jesus' teachings is called the Sermon on the _________.
27. Jesus is often called "the Divine Physician" because He cured people of various illnesses. Write something about your favorite miracle or sign where Jesus cured a sick person or sick people.
28. Jesus taught us to pray what we often call the "Our Father." There is a more formal name for this prayer. What is it?
29. What is "the Transfiguration"? [Given today's Feast, this should be easy!]
30. There are two kings named Herod in the Gospels. Pick one of them and tell something about him.
31. Bethany is the name of a village near Jerusalem. (There is another Bethany "across the Jordan," where John the Baptist was baptizing.) Martha and Mary, who were friends of Jesus, lived in Bethany with their brother. Name their brother and tell why he is important.
32. What is "Palm Sunday" all about?
33. Why is "the Passion," from the Gospels, read at Mass on Palm Sunday?
34. Whenever we recite the Creed at Mass, or say the Apostles' Creed, we mention Pontius Pilate. Who was he?
35. Name the person who was forced to help Jesus carry His cross. (Hint: He is remembered in one of the Stations of the Cross.)
36. Pick one of these two terms and tell something about it: "the Upper Room" or "the Garden of Gethsemane."
37. Golgotha is the Hebrew name for the hill near Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. This place is also known by another name. What is that name?
38. According to the Gospels, Jesus spoke seven times in His three hours on the cross. Choose one of these seven sayings (also called "the Seven Last Words") and quote it, or paraphrase it (that means, put it in your own words).
39. Tell how one of these men is connected to the Crucifixion: Nicodemus; Joseph of Arimathea.
40. Jesus' first appearance after His Resurrection was to a woman. Name her.
41. There is a phrase in common usage -even today that contains the name of one of the Apostles. Fill in the blank: "Doubting ." What did this Apostle doubt?
42. Who is called "the Prince of the Apostles"?
43. The last appearance of Jesus to His Apostles after His Resurrection is commemorated annually by a Holy Day of Obligation 40 days after Easter (or on the seventh Sunday of Easter). It is called "the Solemnity of the … ?
44. Fifty days after the Passover, Jews celebrate God's giving the Ten Commandments to Moses; fifty days after Easter, Christians celebrate God's giving the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and Mary. What is the name of this Christian feast?
45. Before he became a great missionary, St. Paul was a great persecutor of the early Church. He guarded the cloaks of the men who stoned to death the man we call the first martyr. Name this first martyr.
46. St. Paul wrote many letters (the Greek word for letters is Epistles) to early Christians and their communities in the Mediterranean world. In a letter to those at Corinth, a city in Greece, he described what we call "the Three Theological Virtues." The third of these, which is "charity" or "love," Paul called "the greatest." What are the other two?
47. St. Paul and St. Peter were martyred during the reign of the emperor Nero about thirty years after the Crucifixion. They were martyred in the capital city of the empire over which Nero ruled. Name this city.
48. For much of the first three centuries of her history, the Church suffered persecution. Many Christians were martyred and often Christians couldn't worship in public. Then, in the early part of the fourth century, an emperor ended the persecutions. Name him. (Hint: He named the eastern capital of the empire after himself, it was formerly called Byzantium and is called Istanbul today.)
49. Name the Seven Sacraments.
50. Which sacrament does every Christian receive?
51. Name the Corporal Works of Mercy (there are seven).
52. Pick one of the Six Precepts of the Church and tell why you think it is especially important.
53. "Pride" is often' called the worst of the Seven Deadly Sins. Pick another one of the seven and tell why you think it is especially "deadly."
54. A prayer that has been popular since the Middle Ages is called "the Rosary." It now traditionally consists of 15 "decades" where we think about certain "mysteries" in the lives of Our Lord and Our Lady. These mysteries are in three groups of five: the Joyful; the Sorrowful; and the Glorious. Take one of these groups and name the five mysteries in that group. (If you can't think of a mystery's title, then describe what event is remembered in that mystery.)
55. Over her history of nearly 2,000 years, the Church has been divided many times. Some of these divisions have never been completely healed. For example, the year 1054 is when "the Great Schism" between East and West occurred. The year 1517 is often cited as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Say something about either one of these two historical events that have seriously affected Christian unity.
56. Name your patron saint and write something about him or her.
57. Name a favorite saint besides your patron saint, and write something about him or her.
58. Name your favorite Holy Day of Obligation (besides Christmas).
59. In what continent is the Holy Land? A. Europe, B. Asia, C. Africa, D. Australia.
60. Ecumenical Councils are meetings when bishops from all over the world come together. Some Councils have been held in places like Nicaea and Ephesus, in what is now Turkey, or in places like Trent, Italy. The most recent Council was held from 1962 to 1965. What name or title is given to this Council?
61. Since Old Testament times, God's people have practiced "fasting." In Lent, for example, adult Catholics "fast" on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. (And during Lent all Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays.) We also "fast" for at least an hour before receiving the Eucharist. What do we mean by "fast" and why do you think we do it?
62. What is the Christian virtue of chastity, and why is it important?
63. The Church has four signs or "marks." The Church is (fill in the blanks): One, _____, Catholic, and _________.
64. Why did God make you?
Older readers will note that the last question of this exam is the first question of the old Baltimore Catechism. It's a good question with which to end, for it remains the basic question (and as coaches are fond of saying, success is built on mastery of "the fundamentals").
I know I have to do some research!
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