HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR PAPA!!!
Today is Pope Benedict's 80th birthday.
From CNA :
"'The Church both in Rome in the other parts of the world is invited to join the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, to raise to God our Father a deep prayer of thanks for his 80th birthday and the second anniversary of his appointment,' the Vatican Press release reads."
And I have, and I do all the time.
Long Life and Health!!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The Right Thing To Say
Time: This Past Monday Morning
Place: Work
Who: Me and Boss
What: Answering phone
Me: "Good morning, law office."
Boss: "Well, good morning... He Is Risen!"
Me (with a smile on my face): "Indeed, He is Risen!"
Boss: "Oh my gosh, you're the only one who knows how to respond to that!"
Is it bad to be very proud of that accomplishment? Is that considered pride?
I wish everyone would greet everyone else this way first thing Monday morning.
*satisfied grin*
Time: This Past Monday Morning
Place: Work
Who: Me and Boss
What: Answering phone
Me: "Good morning, law office."
Boss: "Well, good morning... He Is Risen!"
Me (with a smile on my face): "Indeed, He is Risen!"
Boss: "Oh my gosh, you're the only one who knows how to respond to that!"
Is it bad to be very proud of that accomplishment? Is that considered pride?
I wish everyone would greet everyone else this way first thing Monday morning.
*satisfied grin*
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Its Just My Blue Blue Mood*
I don't know quite how to say it, but I guess I'll just say it: I'm discouraged.
This weekend I was slated to present Chapter 5 of "Catch Me a Rainbow," the soft-cover (spiral) text used by many Fraternities for Formation. The title is "Listening to Scripture." I thought it a great topic to ruminate on in our usual round table way that we do things. There are great things to discuss in the first part of the chapter, especially in terms of asking, "How do you listen? What are your methods?"
I really liked the chapter because it has a subtopic on fundamentalism, and within that text in CMaRT I sensed subtle jabbing into those who observe the Tridentine rite. I wanted to explore that phenomenon within the Church, that movement that pushes for ecumenism with the non-Catholics, but refuses to be brotherly to those of our brethren--separated or not--who do prefer the Latin Mass.
Well, that didn't happen. See, our formation director... well, let me state for the record that her teaching methodology and her knowledge and background in terms of Franciscanism is second to none--she learned under Regis Armstrong, OFM Cap., that great Franciscan scholar. There is one other who recently transferred who has the same background, and we are so very blessed to have them. They make the Saturday formations and the ongoing formations wonderful and edifying.
That said, our formation director has this one little flaw: she is adamantly against anything that existed prior to Vatican II. If any of us bring up the Latin Mass in general conversation, she gets this wild look in her eye and a set to her jaw. I know she knows of my position in terms of my growing respect and understanding of the Latin Mass (I never have figured out how we went from there to here in terms of Liturgy, but that's beside the point). So, knowing she knows this, and sensing that she knows I know of her aversion to anything to do with the Tridentine era, she proceeds to hijack my chapter to vent about her peeves regarding all sorts of things with the 'fundamentalists' within our own faith.
For an example, she was going on about if a woman had uterine cancer, she had to ask her priest if it was within Church rules to have surgery, the conflict being that she had to be open to children. She often speaks of how demeaning the robes nuns were required to wear, and how they were to conduct themselves, and all their restrictions. These and other things were brought up, my chapter taken WAY out of context and I was given no opening to get it back on track. I was astounded at her vehemence--tolerance indeed!
Franciscanism is all about peace and joy... and demonizing the Tridentine Mass and those who prefer it?
I look at it this way in terms of my formation: it is the closest we have in this modern day to the Mass that Francis heard. It has not, and never has been, declared illegal; in fact, I was reading earlier this week that Papa Benedetto is moving closer to making the Latin Mass on a more equal footing with the Novus Ordo. After this weekend, I'm inclined to cheer the fact more than usual.
If I may digress...
The dawning of a new age that Vatican II was to open has instead gone awry: the overflow of lay participation they imagined has never materialized--every parish I've been in constantly scrambles to fill serving spots at Masses; vocations are down in most areas; attendance is down; scandals perforate the very fabric of faith; people do not know their faith. One of the things the formation director criticized was the memorizing of the Baltimore Catechism; my argument is that if it's Truth, what is wrong with memorizing it? It's not saying you can't further explore, but if you can't even get the facts out, how can you ever defend the Faith?
[a phenomenon I have observed out here in Phoenix is that the parishes that allow either the Tridentine Mass to be said or the Novus Ordo in Latin are extremely healthy parishes. St Thomas the Apostle on 24th Street in Phoenix and Corpus Christi in Ahwatukee come to mind, parishes that are happy and healthy and seem to have a greater number of seminarians compared to most]
All I remember of CCD was sitting in McCready Hall and singing "If the devil doesn't like it, he can sit on a tack--OUCH!" I remember coloring a lot. Nothing formative remained with me twenty years down the road. My catechism kids, though, are getting a much better grounding: they went to the Perpetual Adoration chapel last week; they have gone through a Seder meal; they know the difference between the Old Testament and the New (I barely did until I was in my twenties); they have picked saints from a broad range of choices for their Confirmation names with excellent reasoning in their essays, things of this nature. I quiz them from my copy of the Baltimore Catechism and they do pretty good--I didn't know and couldn't explain the answers when they were my age.
The times are a'changing... thank God.
But anyway...
We were given time in this session to discuss our May presentation. This has been a bit of a heartbreaker as well. I have a fellow Candidate who treats me as a leper (oh, the irony! and was one of those who nominated me for chair! gadzooks) because we didn't select the topic offered, and pretty much refused to participate; barely speaking to me isn't an answer either. Then the formation director steered our subject matter--not that the topic was bad (it's actually excellent), but it was the passivity with which it was accepted by the majority--and the minimization of the role of the priest we were hoping to have come to be our guest speaker really saddened me. I guess I'd better tell old Padrino not to bother.
So... in my state of mind by the time we dispersed on Saturday, I couldn't bear to attend Sunday's meeting. I was disillusioned and frustrated and disappointed. I know everyone at some point goes down this road when they're on this journey, the turn to that road prompted by individual things. And I know it will get better.
But for now, I'm in a blue mood.
~~
Two ironies in the past couple of weeks:
I ran across a beautiful San Damiano cross in a gift shop, gold paint on white resin in a pretty bas-relief; I don't usually buy things on impulse, but I did buy this and have Fr Alonso bless it for me. I didn't find it at the Franciscan parish, nor at the usual places: I found it at the gift shop of a Jesuit parish, St. Francis Xavier's Marian Shop on Central Avenue. Go figure.
Then the score today became Jesuits 2, Franciscans 0, when I opted to bypass the Franciscan parish. I can't bear to deal with leaving Mass angry at the showboating and the disrespect of people's work time (he made Ash Wednesday Mass almost two hours--people had some explaining to do, unfortunately) during work week by a particular priest. I couldn't chance it on the most holy of weeks. My boss later told me that Mass was said by Padrino, but it's a crap roll, and... no. No, I opted out of that, and took a different chance: I went to St. Francis Xavier today for Mass--and the third of Tony's Tuesdays (although I left my Novena stuff in my Christian Prayer book in the car). I don't know who the priest was, but it was beautiful, appropriate, orthodox, quiet and--get this!!!--thirty minutes even with the extra Gospel excerpts. There was no circus on the altar--mostly just Father doing what he needed to do to say Mass, not a Sacristan trotting across every five minutes, and things of that sort.
I am blessed to work for an attorney who frequents Mass during the week and who usually goes to Franciscan Parish, so now he knows what I mean when I return from there and say, "it ran long," with a roll of the eyes. On Ash Wednesday, the normally unflappable Boss was seething, and finally understood my frustrations.
Listen: I'm not one of those who advocate what my husband calls "drive through Masses"--I'm not a toe-tapper or a watch-watcher. But it's rude when it's a weekday Mass and it runs past, say, forty-five minutes. I'm all about GOOD music and appropriate liturgy, but if the Church wants people to continue to come to Mass during their lunch hour, they need to respect that time. Today I found that respect.
Thank you, Father Wonderful Jesuit (I don't know his name) for a beautiful Mass that I needed badly.
Yes, a Candidate for the SFO trumpeting the Jesuits! What is this world coming to? *chuckle*
~~
I leave you with this, from the Gospel of John from today's Mass:
We will follow later.
_____________________
* Thank you, Mr. Orbison.
I don't know quite how to say it, but I guess I'll just say it: I'm discouraged.
This weekend I was slated to present Chapter 5 of "Catch Me a Rainbow," the soft-cover (spiral) text used by many Fraternities for Formation. The title is "Listening to Scripture." I thought it a great topic to ruminate on in our usual round table way that we do things. There are great things to discuss in the first part of the chapter, especially in terms of asking, "How do you listen? What are your methods?"
I really liked the chapter because it has a subtopic on fundamentalism, and within that text in CMaRT I sensed subtle jabbing into those who observe the Tridentine rite. I wanted to explore that phenomenon within the Church, that movement that pushes for ecumenism with the non-Catholics, but refuses to be brotherly to those of our brethren--separated or not--who do prefer the Latin Mass.
Well, that didn't happen. See, our formation director... well, let me state for the record that her teaching methodology and her knowledge and background in terms of Franciscanism is second to none--she learned under Regis Armstrong, OFM Cap., that great Franciscan scholar. There is one other who recently transferred who has the same background, and we are so very blessed to have them. They make the Saturday formations and the ongoing formations wonderful and edifying.
That said, our formation director has this one little flaw: she is adamantly against anything that existed prior to Vatican II. If any of us bring up the Latin Mass in general conversation, she gets this wild look in her eye and a set to her jaw. I know she knows of my position in terms of my growing respect and understanding of the Latin Mass (I never have figured out how we went from there to here in terms of Liturgy, but that's beside the point). So, knowing she knows this, and sensing that she knows I know of her aversion to anything to do with the Tridentine era, she proceeds to hijack my chapter to vent about her peeves regarding all sorts of things with the 'fundamentalists' within our own faith.
For an example, she was going on about if a woman had uterine cancer, she had to ask her priest if it was within Church rules to have surgery, the conflict being that she had to be open to children. She often speaks of how demeaning the robes nuns were required to wear, and how they were to conduct themselves, and all their restrictions. These and other things were brought up, my chapter taken WAY out of context and I was given no opening to get it back on track. I was astounded at her vehemence--tolerance indeed!
Franciscanism is all about peace and joy... and demonizing the Tridentine Mass and those who prefer it?
I look at it this way in terms of my formation: it is the closest we have in this modern day to the Mass that Francis heard. It has not, and never has been, declared illegal; in fact, I was reading earlier this week that Papa Benedetto is moving closer to making the Latin Mass on a more equal footing with the Novus Ordo. After this weekend, I'm inclined to cheer the fact more than usual.
If I may digress...
The dawning of a new age that Vatican II was to open has instead gone awry: the overflow of lay participation they imagined has never materialized--every parish I've been in constantly scrambles to fill serving spots at Masses; vocations are down in most areas; attendance is down; scandals perforate the very fabric of faith; people do not know their faith. One of the things the formation director criticized was the memorizing of the Baltimore Catechism; my argument is that if it's Truth, what is wrong with memorizing it? It's not saying you can't further explore, but if you can't even get the facts out, how can you ever defend the Faith?
[a phenomenon I have observed out here in Phoenix is that the parishes that allow either the Tridentine Mass to be said or the Novus Ordo in Latin are extremely healthy parishes. St Thomas the Apostle on 24th Street in Phoenix and Corpus Christi in Ahwatukee come to mind, parishes that are happy and healthy and seem to have a greater number of seminarians compared to most]
All I remember of CCD was sitting in McCready Hall and singing "If the devil doesn't like it, he can sit on a tack--OUCH!" I remember coloring a lot. Nothing formative remained with me twenty years down the road. My catechism kids, though, are getting a much better grounding: they went to the Perpetual Adoration chapel last week; they have gone through a Seder meal; they know the difference between the Old Testament and the New (I barely did until I was in my twenties); they have picked saints from a broad range of choices for their Confirmation names with excellent reasoning in their essays, things of this nature. I quiz them from my copy of the Baltimore Catechism and they do pretty good--I didn't know and couldn't explain the answers when they were my age.
The times are a'changing... thank God.
But anyway...
We were given time in this session to discuss our May presentation. This has been a bit of a heartbreaker as well. I have a fellow Candidate who treats me as a leper (oh, the irony! and was one of those who nominated me for chair! gadzooks) because we didn't select the topic offered, and pretty much refused to participate; barely speaking to me isn't an answer either. Then the formation director steered our subject matter--not that the topic was bad (it's actually excellent), but it was the passivity with which it was accepted by the majority--and the minimization of the role of the priest we were hoping to have come to be our guest speaker really saddened me. I guess I'd better tell old Padrino not to bother.
So... in my state of mind by the time we dispersed on Saturday, I couldn't bear to attend Sunday's meeting. I was disillusioned and frustrated and disappointed. I know everyone at some point goes down this road when they're on this journey, the turn to that road prompted by individual things. And I know it will get better.
But for now, I'm in a blue mood.
~~
Two ironies in the past couple of weeks:
I ran across a beautiful San Damiano cross in a gift shop, gold paint on white resin in a pretty bas-relief; I don't usually buy things on impulse, but I did buy this and have Fr Alonso bless it for me. I didn't find it at the Franciscan parish, nor at the usual places: I found it at the gift shop of a Jesuit parish, St. Francis Xavier's Marian Shop on Central Avenue. Go figure.
Then the score today became Jesuits 2, Franciscans 0, when I opted to bypass the Franciscan parish. I can't bear to deal with leaving Mass angry at the showboating and the disrespect of people's work time (he made Ash Wednesday Mass almost two hours--people had some explaining to do, unfortunately) during work week by a particular priest. I couldn't chance it on the most holy of weeks. My boss later told me that Mass was said by Padrino, but it's a crap roll, and... no. No, I opted out of that, and took a different chance: I went to St. Francis Xavier today for Mass--and the third of Tony's Tuesdays (although I left my Novena stuff in my Christian Prayer book in the car). I don't know who the priest was, but it was beautiful, appropriate, orthodox, quiet and--get this!!!--thirty minutes even with the extra Gospel excerpts. There was no circus on the altar--mostly just Father doing what he needed to do to say Mass, not a Sacristan trotting across every five minutes, and things of that sort.
I am blessed to work for an attorney who frequents Mass during the week and who usually goes to Franciscan Parish, so now he knows what I mean when I return from there and say, "it ran long," with a roll of the eyes. On Ash Wednesday, the normally unflappable Boss was seething, and finally understood my frustrations.
Listen: I'm not one of those who advocate what my husband calls "drive through Masses"--I'm not a toe-tapper or a watch-watcher. But it's rude when it's a weekday Mass and it runs past, say, forty-five minutes. I'm all about GOOD music and appropriate liturgy, but if the Church wants people to continue to come to Mass during their lunch hour, they need to respect that time. Today I found that respect.
Thank you, Father Wonderful Jesuit (I don't know his name) for a beautiful Mass that I needed badly.
Yes, a Candidate for the SFO trumpeting the Jesuits! What is this world coming to? *chuckle*
~~
I leave you with this, from the Gospel of John from today's Mass:
As sad as this passage is and to the sadness to which it leads, I can see the hope.My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look
for me, and as I told the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to
you.
Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?"
Jesus answered him,“Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you
will follow later.”
We will follow later.
_____________________
* Thank you, Mr. Orbison.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna to the Son of David
"Then the people cried out before Jesus, in whom they saw he who comes in the name of the Lord. In fact, the expression: 'He who comes in the name of the Lord,' had become the way to designate the Messiah. In Jesus they recognize him who truly comes in the name of the Lord and brings God's presence among them. This cry of hope of Israel, this acclamation to Jesus during his entry into Jerusalem, has with reason become in the Church the acclamation of him, in the Eucharist, who always comes among us in the name of the Lord, uniting the ends of the earth in the peace of God. Given that the Lord is coming, we come out of our exclusivist realities and become part of the great community of all who celebrate this holy sacrament. We enter into his kingdom of peace and acclaim in him, in a certain sense, our brothers and sisters, for whom he comes to create a kingdom of peace in this lacerated world. "
Benedict XVI, Palm Sunday 2006
"Then the people cried out before Jesus, in whom they saw he who comes in the name of the Lord. In fact, the expression: 'He who comes in the name of the Lord,' had become the way to designate the Messiah. In Jesus they recognize him who truly comes in the name of the Lord and brings God's presence among them. This cry of hope of Israel, this acclamation to Jesus during his entry into Jerusalem, has with reason become in the Church the acclamation of him, in the Eucharist, who always comes among us in the name of the Lord, uniting the ends of the earth in the peace of God. Given that the Lord is coming, we come out of our exclusivist realities and become part of the great community of all who celebrate this holy sacrament. We enter into his kingdom of peace and acclaim in him, in a certain sense, our brothers and sisters, for whom he comes to create a kingdom of peace in this lacerated world. "
Benedict XVI, Palm Sunday 2006
Sunday, March 25, 2007
This and That
It was nice to read the Repulsive yesterday and find this... the local section has the High Fives section in which this blurb was posted. Fr. Hoorman's anniversary Mass and reception was awesome; what the article didn't mention was that the goal was topped by at least 30,000 cans by the time the party was started. My question is, why is it an "A-OK" instead of a "High Five"? I certainly think that this celebratory work of charity outranks the 70th anniversary of the Bashas' stores and the influx of flights to Williams Gateway airport, both of whom got high fives. I just don't understand.
Here's a HIGH FIVE to Fr. Hoorman, Corpus Christi Catholic church, and everyone who supported that drive.
~~
My good friends from California called this week, and AJ asked what should they do to get the baby (due in May) baptized. Because of their unorthodox schedules, it's been impossible for them to be able to go to RCIA classes over the last several years. I advised them to talk to the pastor of the local parish, explain the situation, and see what he says. The other problem is that even AJ--the most lapsed of Catholics--laments the whacked way that the LA Diocese is run by Mahony, and he is worried about the lack of orthodox teaching. He and I had a long talk about that. I'm so glad we have Bishop Olmsted--he's quietly and patiently weeding the garden in this Diocese.
~~
Speaking of California people, I found Mike's obit earlier this week. After the usual information, the last sentence read: "Mike was employed by the U.S. Forest Service for 29 years." I found it incredibly sad: his 52 years on this earth was marked by a single sentence.
It makes you think: how will you be remembered?
~~
We had two days of rain this past week after the temps the week before soared to 95, as I had posted before. Thank God it cooled down. I have been doing long overdue yardwork all weekend.
You'd never guess that I'd mowed the lawn a week ago...
~~
I was nominated in absentia to chair preparations for the presentation by the Candidates at May's meeting. I don't mind such things, but it does get frustrating when I say 'hey, let's get together, get some ideas on the table,' and I get laconic responses. Finally, thanks to the pushing of one of the other Candidates, we did have a meeting--lots of fun!--but only a portion of us showed. Since we're going by the "majority principle," we made executive decisions there. First option selected was to have a Friar come and talk, and in this instance it was decided to approach Fr. Alonso de Blas, OFM. I have a meeting with him on Tuesday, and we will go from there. I'm praying very hard that his calendar is free on that date so that everyone can listen to his funny and enlightening talks. If you cruise my postings, you know that I am an Alonso Groupie, and this would be quite the coup. "Padrino, por favor..."
In the event that he is unable to attend, we picked the topic of "Franciscan Life: What Does It Mean?" and it was agreed to turn it into a small group/roundtable discussion--everyone's idea of what the Franciscan Life is unique, and it's a subject that we all can learn from, as well as fostering discussion and getting to know each other better. I hope to also incorporate the several good suggestions emailed from a couple of the other Candidates. And, even if we get Fr. Alonso, I am going to ask him to speak on the topic from his perspective.
I'm praying for Fr. Alonso to be able to come and speak. It will be a meeting session to remember.
It was nice to read the Repulsive yesterday and find this... the local section has the High Fives section in which this blurb was posted. Fr. Hoorman's anniversary Mass and reception was awesome; what the article didn't mention was that the goal was topped by at least 30,000 cans by the time the party was started. My question is, why is it an "A-OK" instead of a "High Five"? I certainly think that this celebratory work of charity outranks the 70th anniversary of the Bashas' stores and the influx of flights to Williams Gateway airport, both of whom got high fives. I just don't understand.
Here's a HIGH FIVE to Fr. Hoorman, Corpus Christi Catholic church, and everyone who supported that drive.
~~
My good friends from California called this week, and AJ asked what should they do to get the baby (due in May) baptized. Because of their unorthodox schedules, it's been impossible for them to be able to go to RCIA classes over the last several years. I advised them to talk to the pastor of the local parish, explain the situation, and see what he says. The other problem is that even AJ--the most lapsed of Catholics--laments the whacked way that the LA Diocese is run by Mahony, and he is worried about the lack of orthodox teaching. He and I had a long talk about that. I'm so glad we have Bishop Olmsted--he's quietly and patiently weeding the garden in this Diocese.
~~
Speaking of California people, I found Mike's obit earlier this week. After the usual information, the last sentence read: "Mike was employed by the U.S. Forest Service for 29 years." I found it incredibly sad: his 52 years on this earth was marked by a single sentence.
It makes you think: how will you be remembered?
~~
We had two days of rain this past week after the temps the week before soared to 95, as I had posted before. Thank God it cooled down. I have been doing long overdue yardwork all weekend.
You'd never guess that I'd mowed the lawn a week ago...
~~
I was nominated in absentia to chair preparations for the presentation by the Candidates at May's meeting. I don't mind such things, but it does get frustrating when I say 'hey, let's get together, get some ideas on the table,' and I get laconic responses. Finally, thanks to the pushing of one of the other Candidates, we did have a meeting--lots of fun!--but only a portion of us showed. Since we're going by the "majority principle," we made executive decisions there. First option selected was to have a Friar come and talk, and in this instance it was decided to approach Fr. Alonso de Blas, OFM. I have a meeting with him on Tuesday, and we will go from there. I'm praying very hard that his calendar is free on that date so that everyone can listen to his funny and enlightening talks. If you cruise my postings, you know that I am an Alonso Groupie, and this would be quite the coup. "Padrino, por favor..."
In the event that he is unable to attend, we picked the topic of "Franciscan Life: What Does It Mean?" and it was agreed to turn it into a small group/roundtable discussion--everyone's idea of what the Franciscan Life is unique, and it's a subject that we all can learn from, as well as fostering discussion and getting to know each other better. I hope to also incorporate the several good suggestions emailed from a couple of the other Candidates. And, even if we get Fr. Alonso, I am going to ask him to speak on the topic from his perspective.
I'm praying for Fr. Alonso to be able to come and speak. It will be a meeting session to remember.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
A Day for the Irish and Then Some
Happy St. Patrick's Day! No, I'm not going to blather on about what he did and all that. I'm just glad I'm Irish--I don't have to wear green.
Have I ever told you that I make great corned beef and cabbage? My beef, carrots and potatoes came out phenomenally awesome. But... well, yeah... I kinda forgot the cabbage part... it's sitting in the fridge. What am I going to do with it?
Yes, I am a slacker.
No, it's not that I'm not paying attention, or haven't dreamed up posts. They're still sitting in draft form... on paper. And they're humdingers. And they're still in the trunk of my car with the bodies... er.... yeah.
It's already 95 degrees here in Phoenix. I mowed the lawn today and it was gorgeous, but by 11:30 it was time to head inside. WAY TOO EARLY--go away, high pressure system!
The Franciscan portion of this post will consist of the alert that Tony's Tuesdays--if one is observing the 13 week novena--starts this Tuesday, the 20th of March. So get thyself to Mass and go from there. There are several novena prayers... pick one, and have at it! Anthony is my best friend lately, because I have lost my mind. Help!
(yes, I suspect I was in the sun a bit too much today)
I would ask that you keep in your prayers two people: the first is Deacon Phil Simeone. He is doing much, much better but is still facing surgery. He and his wife are some of my very favorite people, and I wish him a continued, speedy recovery.
The second is someone who I haven't seen since December 10, 1997, at the Incident Command post for a rather graphic plane crash recovery in Lytle Creek Canyon, but who in succeeding years was never far from my affections, and was always on my short list of people I wanted to see again someday. This old pal is a fellow Irishman, so I figured that St Patrick's day would be appropriate to post about him.
Mike Fogarty died last week, former prevention officer on the San Bernardino National Forest, most recently in the aviation ops department, an aviation fan extraordinaire whose passion for helicopters was well known. While he wasn't popular with some folks (popularity being something he never gave two pins for), he was always extremely kind to me, and was always my "Brother Eurotrash." I can still see his swagger and clearly hear his smartassery in my mind's eye, that glimmer in his eye when he was particularly amused, and recall the many amicable chats we had and the good advice he gave me in my tour there on the Forest. It was Mike who brought me home from the burn ward back in 1995 in his patrol truck; he popped his head into the barracks to check on me while I was off duty and afterwards when I on light duty.
He died much too young, and his passing has greatly shocked me. I prayed for him at Mass on Wednesday, and it was then that hit me like a truck--gadzooks, who would have thought that Mike would be gone at such a young age? How tragic. My condolences go out to Mike's son and his family and friends.
It was a hard week for the Berdue last week: not only did they lose Fog, but also Charlie Stump and Larry Smith, the latter two after long illnesses. As was exclaimed to me last week, "What next?"
Happy St. Patrick's Day! No, I'm not going to blather on about what he did and all that. I'm just glad I'm Irish--I don't have to wear green.
Have I ever told you that I make great corned beef and cabbage? My beef, carrots and potatoes came out phenomenally awesome. But... well, yeah... I kinda forgot the cabbage part... it's sitting in the fridge. What am I going to do with it?
Yes, I am a slacker.
No, it's not that I'm not paying attention, or haven't dreamed up posts. They're still sitting in draft form... on paper. And they're humdingers. And they're still in the trunk of my car with the bodies... er.... yeah.
It's already 95 degrees here in Phoenix. I mowed the lawn today and it was gorgeous, but by 11:30 it was time to head inside. WAY TOO EARLY--go away, high pressure system!
The Franciscan portion of this post will consist of the alert that Tony's Tuesdays--if one is observing the 13 week novena--starts this Tuesday, the 20th of March. So get thyself to Mass and go from there. There are several novena prayers... pick one, and have at it! Anthony is my best friend lately, because I have lost my mind. Help!
(yes, I suspect I was in the sun a bit too much today)
I would ask that you keep in your prayers two people: the first is Deacon Phil Simeone. He is doing much, much better but is still facing surgery. He and his wife are some of my very favorite people, and I wish him a continued, speedy recovery.
The second is someone who I haven't seen since December 10, 1997, at the Incident Command post for a rather graphic plane crash recovery in Lytle Creek Canyon, but who in succeeding years was never far from my affections, and was always on my short list of people I wanted to see again someday. This old pal is a fellow Irishman, so I figured that St Patrick's day would be appropriate to post about him.
Mike Fogarty died last week, former prevention officer on the San Bernardino National Forest, most recently in the aviation ops department, an aviation fan extraordinaire whose passion for helicopters was well known. While he wasn't popular with some folks (popularity being something he never gave two pins for), he was always extremely kind to me, and was always my "Brother Eurotrash." I can still see his swagger and clearly hear his smartassery in my mind's eye, that glimmer in his eye when he was particularly amused, and recall the many amicable chats we had and the good advice he gave me in my tour there on the Forest. It was Mike who brought me home from the burn ward back in 1995 in his patrol truck; he popped his head into the barracks to check on me while I was off duty and afterwards when I on light duty.
He died much too young, and his passing has greatly shocked me. I prayed for him at Mass on Wednesday, and it was then that hit me like a truck--gadzooks, who would have thought that Mike would be gone at such a young age? How tragic. My condolences go out to Mike's son and his family and friends.
It was a hard week for the Berdue last week: not only did they lose Fog, but also Charlie Stump and Larry Smith, the latter two after long illnesses. As was exclaimed to me last week, "What next?"
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Happy Early Birthday To Me!
Da Beahs are in the Super Bowl! It will be the first Super Bowl I will be interested in since the 'Boys last appearance. Da Beahs have always been my default team. 21 years since Ditka and the Super Bowl Shuffle was all the rage--I was in eighth grade.
Gadzooks... now I feel old.
*dances happily*
Da Beahs are in the Super Bowl! It will be the first Super Bowl I will be interested in since the 'Boys last appearance. Da Beahs have always been my default team. 21 years since Ditka and the Super Bowl Shuffle was all the rage--I was in eighth grade.
Gadzooks... now I feel old.
*dances happily*
Monday, January 15, 2007
And A Belated Happy New Year to You, Too.
Yes, I have changed the title yet again. Sue me. *laughs*
I changed it originally so that I would not compete with THIS site, which needs the hits much more than I ever will. I see it needs updating, but even so, definitely higher priority there.
Then, also, I think it will change as my journey continues to meander. In the last formation session, we were talking about the letters of St Clare, specifically those with Agnes of Bohemia, and talking about the change in the tone and familiarity over the course of the letters left to us 800 years later. "Forma Vivendi" means "form of life," which wasn't a bad idea to convey in a title. However, I was reading the text of Pope Alexander IV's Bull canonizing St Clare at this site, and I was just entranced by the opening text: "CLARA CLARIS PRAECLARA meritis"--Clare outstandingly clear with clear merits. And, in the way things happen sometimes, I knew that I had finally stumbled across the working title for my blathering spot. And it is my site email too... so it worked out perfectly.
~~
If you look back to my disappointment in Confirmation preparation and materials for my niece last year, you know how I feel about the touchy-feely, politically correct campiness of some programs. I am happy to say that the catechism program I teach in is not anything like the disaster I attended last year.
I was encouraged when skimming through the confirmation workbook this weekend, and noted with much pleasure that there were questions that could have read right out of the Baltimore Catechism. There was also much less fluff. It was still goofy and the artwork is dorky, but hey, I'll take the victories where I can find them.
I am also encouraged by the range of Saints' names that are being chosen by the kids when they turned in their Confirmation saint essays. A Mary, a Cecilia, an Edward, a couple of Johns of various origins, a Margaret, two Ann(e)s that I saw, a Joseph, a Thomas, a Magdalen, a Patrick... unlike the apparent plethora of Francises that happens as it's a constant favorite subject of the pastor in past years. Mind you, I don't mind Francis at all... but it tends to be a default name to pick. There were some great explanations why they picked the saint they did. It's a good group of kids, all 110 or so of them (No, that's not a typo).
This program encourages the kids to pick a saint's name for Confirmation, which I think is a good thing. Yeah, I know about the argument that they should pick their baptismal name to tie back to that sacrament, but in a world increasingly leaning to Jaden/Madison/McKenzie/Neveah and all that crap, well, it's good to have an option, and at this rate, they'll have to make it mandatory. There is no Saint Addison or Blessed Kaden. Besides, it exposes them to the history of the Church, especially when you have about 80 minutes (usually less) to get the point across.
I am fortunate to have a great group of 6th graders. Of course, when you lay down the law from day one, you tend not to have any problems. But they're good kids anyway.
One thing that made me VERY happy about this program is that last week, we had "Excavating the Church Night"--keeping with the theme of the Indiana Jones-ish flavor of the program. Class was in the Church proper. There were 8 stations (not in their order):
I wish that the RCIA program my husband and I had been in had done something like this. Things would have been clearer for TJ and a refresher for me, and definitely a benefit for everyone in the program.
~~
Christmas was a mixed bag. Christmas Eve was ruined by my older brother's temper tantrum when TJ wouldn't cave in to his bullying. Christmas Day was nice and relaxing--wait, isn't it going against the history of the world to say that I had to go to my in-laws to relax? Ummm...
~~
Wishing for blessings and all the best in this new year of 2007!
Yes, I have changed the title yet again. Sue me. *laughs*
I changed it originally so that I would not compete with THIS site, which needs the hits much more than I ever will. I see it needs updating, but even so, definitely higher priority there.
Then, also, I think it will change as my journey continues to meander. In the last formation session, we were talking about the letters of St Clare, specifically those with Agnes of Bohemia, and talking about the change in the tone and familiarity over the course of the letters left to us 800 years later. "Forma Vivendi" means "form of life," which wasn't a bad idea to convey in a title. However, I was reading the text of Pope Alexander IV's Bull canonizing St Clare at this site, and I was just entranced by the opening text: "CLARA CLARIS PRAECLARA meritis"--Clare outstandingly clear with clear merits. And, in the way things happen sometimes, I knew that I had finally stumbled across the working title for my blathering spot. And it is my site email too... so it worked out perfectly.
~~
If you look back to my disappointment in Confirmation preparation and materials for my niece last year, you know how I feel about the touchy-feely, politically correct campiness of some programs. I am happy to say that the catechism program I teach in is not anything like the disaster I attended last year.
I was encouraged when skimming through the confirmation workbook this weekend, and noted with much pleasure that there were questions that could have read right out of the Baltimore Catechism. There was also much less fluff. It was still goofy and the artwork is dorky, but hey, I'll take the victories where I can find them.
I am also encouraged by the range of Saints' names that are being chosen by the kids when they turned in their Confirmation saint essays. A Mary, a Cecilia, an Edward, a couple of Johns of various origins, a Margaret, two Ann(e)s that I saw, a Joseph, a Thomas, a Magdalen, a Patrick... unlike the apparent plethora of Francises that happens as it's a constant favorite subject of the pastor in past years. Mind you, I don't mind Francis at all... but it tends to be a default name to pick. There were some great explanations why they picked the saint they did. It's a good group of kids, all 110 or so of them (No, that's not a typo).
This program encourages the kids to pick a saint's name for Confirmation, which I think is a good thing. Yeah, I know about the argument that they should pick their baptismal name to tie back to that sacrament, but in a world increasingly leaning to Jaden/Madison/McKenzie/Neveah and all that crap, well, it's good to have an option, and at this rate, they'll have to make it mandatory. There is no Saint Addison or Blessed Kaden. Besides, it exposes them to the history of the Church, especially when you have about 80 minutes (usually less) to get the point across.
I am fortunate to have a great group of 6th graders. Of course, when you lay down the law from day one, you tend not to have any problems. But they're good kids anyway.
One thing that made me VERY happy about this program is that last week, we had "Excavating the Church Night"--keeping with the theme of the Indiana Jones-ish flavor of the program. Class was in the Church proper. There were 8 stations (not in their order):
1) Altar/Tabernacle: I loved the "expert" who said more than once, "we
always say hello to Jesus by bowing or genuflecting." She won my heart when she
said that anytime you pass a Catholic church anywhere in the world, even if you
pass in a car, to bow as you pass. My mother taught me to bless myself as I
pass, so I *heart* this woman for saying it.
2) Baptistry/Oils - went over the font and the full immersion, the Easter
candle, and the three oils displayed prominently on the wall: chrism oil, oil of
the sick, and oil of catechumens
3) Divine Mercy Shrine - this was the one that involved the kids the least.
The "expert" was the mother of one of my kids, and she read straight from the
paper. They were disengaged and bored. It was unfortunate.
4) the stained glass windows - an eighth grader with quite a presence
presented this, and did wonderfully. I was startled when he said, "It's rude to
cut across pews." I blinked at him.
5) Statues - very well done, the kids got it and appreciated it.
6) Deal or No Deal: Reverence - it was a good talk about how to behave and
dress at Mass.
7) Sacramentals: sign of the cross, genuflecting, etc. This was a little
dull but the kids got it.
8) Confessional - this was a surprising success. It had a good, engaging
"expert," and the kids' knowledge was actually pretty good. I'm certain none of
them have stepped foot in the Confessional since their First Communion though.
*laugh*
I wish that the RCIA program my husband and I had been in had done something like this. Things would have been clearer for TJ and a refresher for me, and definitely a benefit for everyone in the program.
~~
Christmas was a mixed bag. Christmas Eve was ruined by my older brother's temper tantrum when TJ wouldn't cave in to his bullying. Christmas Day was nice and relaxing--wait, isn't it going against the history of the world to say that I had to go to my in-laws to relax? Ummm...
~~
Wishing for blessings and all the best in this new year of 2007!
Friday, December 08, 2006
Monday, December 04, 2006
Life Adjustments
It is already the first Sunday in advent. It's December, already, for crying out loud. Unbelievable. Where has the time gone?
It is the time of year where everyone scurries, where tempers get short and many folks pretty much need therapy by the time December 26th rolls around. However, as I told one of my readers-under-the-radar this week, the only thing that exceeds the majesty of Christmas for me is the Triduum of Easter. But it's close.
I can't think of Christmas without thinking of the greatest loss: Mom.
My poor dear late Mother was in love with Christmas. It was her time of year, the time of year she enjoyed and shined. The decoration boxes would be dragged out before Thanksgiving, and the tree would not come down until mid-January, dessicated and ready to burn. The party every year took eight weeks to plan, and the house was full every year with old and new friends--invitations were coveted. She loved Christmas shopping, taking care to find *the* present, selected with care and love. She and I would meet at AJs or at the Coffee Plantation an commisserate on our plan of attack for the holidays. She baked and baked, cooked and cooked. Everyone from Dad to my nine year old nephew has their own personalized stocking that hung along the divider of the entryway.
The house had two Christmas trees: the formal one was in the front room, every year a little different, and involved moving the big couch and the 75 year old grand piano. One year it was white and gold, the next red and white, the following year green and blue, etc etc. The other one was always in the living room--a big furniture move for that which always made Dad sigh--always multicolored with all sorts of ornaments and colors. When I asked her why she had the two trees, she replied that she would never see a tree because she was always in the kitchen, so she put one where she could see it. There were mini trees everywhere--on the pass-through, in the bathrooms, in the back yard, you name it.
She always had thousands of mini-lights in the front yard. This was contagious to the point that I would be the one putting them up and her directing (and now I put thousands of lights in my yard too--I am the Light Queen). I'm not talking about those silly traffic-glutting showcases: just the little lights all over the plum tree, the pine tree, the privet hedges, the bogainvillea. A very simple beauty. The only anomaly was that the frame of the house had the C-7 lights--but the little lights look silly there. Mom despised the icicle lights and refused to buy them.
The backyard was similarly lit. The trellis outside the living room window for years were gold lights, then eventually were always white. The oleanders had white lights and colored lights; the volunteer mulberry tree was in white also, sometimes with those mini-light hanging balls swaying in the cool night breeze. The oleys and all the trees created a canopy and I had a great time making it starry every year. TJ said once that it was like dining on a patio in an Italian restaurant with all the twinkling lights.
There was always a fire in her chiminea or in her firepit, burning wood and paper. That smell out there was just so Mom, her making up for the fact she had no fireplace. No matter, she'd have one outside instead.
So, the other night when TJ and I dropped by to say hi to Dad, it was a little strange. My #2 brother had dug into the closet and pulled out some of the little lights (or bought a couple of strings) and strung them sloppily along the privets and along the roof. Unremarkable. It was uncharacteristically dark and not a little sad. I wish I had the time to go over and put more up.
In the house, there were no stockings; no little gold reindeer along the big bookcase in the front room, no multi lights on the sideboard to reflect off of the silver. No nativity at the base of the tree that was obtained--a tree bought much too early (it was always a major production to decide what day we would get the trees, because the furnace would crisp them by Christmas Eve if it was bought too early). No lavish handmade centerpieces on all tables. No tea andles on the divider in their clear red votives. No series of pine wreaths lovingly handmade with boughs snitched from the tree sellers, adorned with the big pressed bright red bows. No big gold jingle bells hanging from the front and back doors to merrily announce every entry and exit.
The weird thing I couldn't place until later was that there wasn't any Christmas music playing. Mom had them playing 24/7 as soon as the local radio station started every year at Thanksgiving, in every room. It was almost deathly quiet in the house except for the TV.
So quiet, so dark, Mom's characteristic mark on the house there no longer, though her presence is still there. Always there.
Dad is going to put together a small Christmas party when the out-of-state kids are home--the 23rd, not really a good day to do that as it's Christmas Eve eve. However, he has no idea how to do it. He thinks he can call a couple of days before and they'll show. Calling is not a bad thing--there was always the "Core Group" of every Christmas party, and those are the people that he's inviting and who will more than likely come. Written invites are better, but that's just not his way. I told him that he need to do it by the end of this week.
He also mentioned that he needs to do Christmas shopping. That would be a first for him, and he admitted it. "Your mother always did that--I shopped for her only." He is debating gag gifts, which I think would be fantastic... I'd love to see it. I think we all should do gag gifts. :)
The best part of it is that Dad is functioning in that realm. I am encouraged that he is ready to entertain and socialize--a good mark of healing. Mama died three months short of their 50th anniversary, and I can still see the gaps in Dad's heart in his eyes. But he's emerging from that grief, finally.
But there is a big hole in the atmosphere at the folks' house, this first Christmas after Mom's death. Christmas Eve will not be as festive ever again. Things are not the same at all, and my eyes tear up at the thought. I realize that this is a part of life, one of those life adjustments that everyone goes through, but my first thought as my dad, my brothers, and my husband and I stood by Mama's body right after she passed was "Christmas is going to suck."
I need to remember to take a little Christmas tree to her grave this weekend. I should take Daddy with me.
It will be a sad and strange Christmas.
God, I miss her so badly right now.
It is already the first Sunday in advent. It's December, already, for crying out loud. Unbelievable. Where has the time gone?
It is the time of year where everyone scurries, where tempers get short and many folks pretty much need therapy by the time December 26th rolls around. However, as I told one of my readers-under-the-radar this week, the only thing that exceeds the majesty of Christmas for me is the Triduum of Easter. But it's close.
I can't think of Christmas without thinking of the greatest loss: Mom.
My poor dear late Mother was in love with Christmas. It was her time of year, the time of year she enjoyed and shined. The decoration boxes would be dragged out before Thanksgiving, and the tree would not come down until mid-January, dessicated and ready to burn. The party every year took eight weeks to plan, and the house was full every year with old and new friends--invitations were coveted. She loved Christmas shopping, taking care to find *the* present, selected with care and love. She and I would meet at AJs or at the Coffee Plantation an commisserate on our plan of attack for the holidays. She baked and baked, cooked and cooked. Everyone from Dad to my nine year old nephew has their own personalized stocking that hung along the divider of the entryway.
The house had two Christmas trees: the formal one was in the front room, every year a little different, and involved moving the big couch and the 75 year old grand piano. One year it was white and gold, the next red and white, the following year green and blue, etc etc. The other one was always in the living room--a big furniture move for that which always made Dad sigh--always multicolored with all sorts of ornaments and colors. When I asked her why she had the two trees, she replied that she would never see a tree because she was always in the kitchen, so she put one where she could see it. There were mini trees everywhere--on the pass-through, in the bathrooms, in the back yard, you name it.
She always had thousands of mini-lights in the front yard. This was contagious to the point that I would be the one putting them up and her directing (and now I put thousands of lights in my yard too--I am the Light Queen). I'm not talking about those silly traffic-glutting showcases: just the little lights all over the plum tree, the pine tree, the privet hedges, the bogainvillea. A very simple beauty. The only anomaly was that the frame of the house had the C-7 lights--but the little lights look silly there. Mom despised the icicle lights and refused to buy them.
The backyard was similarly lit. The trellis outside the living room window for years were gold lights, then eventually were always white. The oleanders had white lights and colored lights; the volunteer mulberry tree was in white also, sometimes with those mini-light hanging balls swaying in the cool night breeze. The oleys and all the trees created a canopy and I had a great time making it starry every year. TJ said once that it was like dining on a patio in an Italian restaurant with all the twinkling lights.
There was always a fire in her chiminea or in her firepit, burning wood and paper. That smell out there was just so Mom, her making up for the fact she had no fireplace. No matter, she'd have one outside instead.
So, the other night when TJ and I dropped by to say hi to Dad, it was a little strange. My #2 brother had dug into the closet and pulled out some of the little lights (or bought a couple of strings) and strung them sloppily along the privets and along the roof. Unremarkable. It was uncharacteristically dark and not a little sad. I wish I had the time to go over and put more up.
In the house, there were no stockings; no little gold reindeer along the big bookcase in the front room, no multi lights on the sideboard to reflect off of the silver. No nativity at the base of the tree that was obtained--a tree bought much too early (it was always a major production to decide what day we would get the trees, because the furnace would crisp them by Christmas Eve if it was bought too early). No lavish handmade centerpieces on all tables. No tea andles on the divider in their clear red votives. No series of pine wreaths lovingly handmade with boughs snitched from the tree sellers, adorned with the big pressed bright red bows. No big gold jingle bells hanging from the front and back doors to merrily announce every entry and exit.
The weird thing I couldn't place until later was that there wasn't any Christmas music playing. Mom had them playing 24/7 as soon as the local radio station started every year at Thanksgiving, in every room. It was almost deathly quiet in the house except for the TV.
So quiet, so dark, Mom's characteristic mark on the house there no longer, though her presence is still there. Always there.
Dad is going to put together a small Christmas party when the out-of-state kids are home--the 23rd, not really a good day to do that as it's Christmas Eve eve. However, he has no idea how to do it. He thinks he can call a couple of days before and they'll show. Calling is not a bad thing--there was always the "Core Group" of every Christmas party, and those are the people that he's inviting and who will more than likely come. Written invites are better, but that's just not his way. I told him that he need to do it by the end of this week.
He also mentioned that he needs to do Christmas shopping. That would be a first for him, and he admitted it. "Your mother always did that--I shopped for her only." He is debating gag gifts, which I think would be fantastic... I'd love to see it. I think we all should do gag gifts. :)
The best part of it is that Dad is functioning in that realm. I am encouraged that he is ready to entertain and socialize--a good mark of healing. Mama died three months short of their 50th anniversary, and I can still see the gaps in Dad's heart in his eyes. But he's emerging from that grief, finally.
But there is a big hole in the atmosphere at the folks' house, this first Christmas after Mom's death. Christmas Eve will not be as festive ever again. Things are not the same at all, and my eyes tear up at the thought. I realize that this is a part of life, one of those life adjustments that everyone goes through, but my first thought as my dad, my brothers, and my husband and I stood by Mama's body right after she passed was "Christmas is going to suck."
I need to remember to take a little Christmas tree to her grave this weekend. I should take Daddy with me.
It will be a sad and strange Christmas.
God, I miss her so badly right now.
Not A Bad Weekend At All
Notre Dame's season ended with somewhat of a whimper and not a bang as I thought it might, but they still got into the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans against LSU. Go Irish!
TJ and I were at home on Sunday afternoon. He was channel surfing and suddenly said "Babe! Dallas is on!" Imagine my shock--99% of all Dallas games get blocked here in Phoenix because of the stupid Bidwells and their sucky Cardinals. Hate the Cardinals. It was the last three and a half minutes of the game... but holy cow, what a three and a half minutes! Tuned in to see Dallas get the go ahead touchdown (20-13); stayed riveted and almost cried when the Giants scored; cheered when Romo threw that beautiful 42 yard pass... and jumped excitedly when Gramatica nailed that gorgeous field goal. Football at its best.
The Giants' red jerseys are just plain stupid. Scrap 'em please.
I LOVE FOOTBALL! I plan on going to Dallas for a game next year--oh yeah, baby, I'm a fan.
~~
Happy First Sunday of Advent!
Notre Dame's season ended with somewhat of a whimper and not a bang as I thought it might, but they still got into the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans against LSU. Go Irish!
TJ and I were at home on Sunday afternoon. He was channel surfing and suddenly said "Babe! Dallas is on!" Imagine my shock--99% of all Dallas games get blocked here in Phoenix because of the stupid Bidwells and their sucky Cardinals. Hate the Cardinals. It was the last three and a half minutes of the game... but holy cow, what a three and a half minutes! Tuned in to see Dallas get the go ahead touchdown (20-13); stayed riveted and almost cried when the Giants scored; cheered when Romo threw that beautiful 42 yard pass... and jumped excitedly when Gramatica nailed that gorgeous field goal. Football at its best.
The Giants' red jerseys are just plain stupid. Scrap 'em please.
I LOVE FOOTBALL! I plan on going to Dallas for a game next year--oh yeah, baby, I'm a fan.
~~
Happy First Sunday of Advent!
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Reporting In
On this quiet and long Thanksgiving weekend, I have a moment to write about my bittersweet trip to California for the memorial service.
After 5 hours of driving on November 4, I got to my sister's house outside of Redlands. She came by with one of the folks from the Del Rosa Hotshots who had worked with Lotzi, and they had just come in from one of the funerals. Sis needed to make a pitstop, and then they were off again--to drop D off back at Del Rosa, and Sis off to what I learned where contentious planning meetings for the funerals and the memorial. Sis said she'd be in at about 8 or 9, which was normal for this time period.
My brother-in-law and nephew were out hunting, and Sis had been on a dead run as soon as the news broke on the Forest without much to eat in nearly two weeks, so she practically begged for a real dinner. This I did with pleasure, and the pleasure was mine especially when she drooled when she said, "Oooooh, chicken..." I had made Mama's baked chicken, along with steamed summer squash/zucchini/red bell peppers, all of which she inhaled. "I finally have an appetite," she said apologetically. "God, thank you for making dinner, it's perfect."
Instead of going to bed early, as we should have done, she and I stayed up to talk until after eleven. As I'm not sure as to what I should reveal in terms of what she told me when the other captain found Lotzi and the boys and the whole situation (especially with the ongoing investigation); suffice it to say that I know more detail than most. What I will say is that I correctly surmised that they didn't have a snowball's chance in hell, and that probably, *probably*, Lotzi didn't do anything extraordinarily wrong. And that is just from the discussion she and I had, nothing official.
It was the first time Sis and I had talked without disruption in years, and it was a good thing. She needed to purge her sorrows and all the drama of the previous two weeks. She had just gone to her second funeral as I said earlier; she had the memorial on the 5th, the third funeral on the 6th and the last on the 7th (Gus's services were private, and Sis did not go to that one). "We're done," she said, in terms of everyone's emotions. Everyone was fried, everyone was tapped, patience was running out, nerves were frayed, and everyone was just in the "one day at a time" mode. I was told about a lot of things--good and bad--that I don't think I can put on a public blog. Let's just say that like with every horrible tragedy, some people rose to the occasion, and others only half-stood. It's human nature.
We trudged off to bed at 11:30 or so to get up at 4:30am.
It was dark and it was sleepy and Sis and I went to Starbucks. Caffeine for the win. Then off to what was Norton AFB which is now partially commandeered as the Berdue Supervisors' Office, as well as the Forest air base, moved from Ryan in Hemet. There were a lot of faces I didn't recognize, some I did. Miss D from yesterday gave me a hug. Kenny did also. Marlene about fainted--I said to her "the world hasn't ended." Good old Howard. I saw some faces I did recognize but it had been so long, and I hadn't worked with them so closely, that I don't think they placed me. Just as well, it wasn't a reunion, after all.
I drove Howard's vehicle to Glen Helen with his wonderful son so that they could be together, and I was there saluting right with them. It was touching and sad. I saw many grateful faces and some ravaged faces.
In looking for Howard I went across the stage area, and looked around. Nope, not in the general seating area. I looked once, twice... TALL ONE!! He is in the Honor Guard. I let out a little squeak and tucked myself under his arm. "Is this who I think it is?!" I grinned. "I am if you're still the Tall Shit!" He laughed, and smiled into my eyes, "As long as you're still Short Shit!" I laughed. I went to move on, and let them rehearse, when I looked up--"Budlee!" An "oh my God," two hugs and a kiss later... It was nice to see two people I cared about still. I just wish the timing wasn't so horrible. I have Budlee's number and I need to call.
It was a beautiful ceremony, marred only by the heat, strong sun, and the incessant Santa Ana winds. The Governator was there with Maria, and made a nice speech, as did Mary Bono, and various other politicians. The one that annoyed me was Dianne Feinstein, who was stumping... wasn't the place for that.
The best speeches, of course, were the ones made by those who really knew them: Mike Dietrich, the Forest fire management officer, and Norm Walker, who is the San Jacinto Ranger District's fire management officer, now called Division Chief to jive with the cities. The text of their speeches can be found here.
Probably the most touching moment was watching Dan Gosnell, who runs the Honor Guard, present Norm with a folded flag in memory of the crew. I could see Dan and Norm wringing hands, not letting go, neither one of them trusting their emotions; embracing and parting. Norm clasped that flag, and continued to as he sat again onstage, as if to never let it go, his devastation clearly on his face.
Once over, the rest of the day was uneventful--we went home, my nephew and brother-in-law came home, we ate dinner and slept.
The next morning, Sis looked better than the day before. "It's the first time I've slept through the night since they were killed." The memorial provided closure, at least some measure of it, and I know the sleep helped her bear up for the final two funerals.
I was on the road home by 10:00 am, my mind sifting through my time in wildland firefighting as I drove that long, boring way back to Phoenix on I-10. It is an inherently dangerous profession, and we can all take solace that all of them died doing what they loved.
On this quiet and long Thanksgiving weekend, I have a moment to write about my bittersweet trip to California for the memorial service.
After 5 hours of driving on November 4, I got to my sister's house outside of Redlands. She came by with one of the folks from the Del Rosa Hotshots who had worked with Lotzi, and they had just come in from one of the funerals. Sis needed to make a pitstop, and then they were off again--to drop D off back at Del Rosa, and Sis off to what I learned where contentious planning meetings for the funerals and the memorial. Sis said she'd be in at about 8 or 9, which was normal for this time period.
My brother-in-law and nephew were out hunting, and Sis had been on a dead run as soon as the news broke on the Forest without much to eat in nearly two weeks, so she practically begged for a real dinner. This I did with pleasure, and the pleasure was mine especially when she drooled when she said, "Oooooh, chicken..." I had made Mama's baked chicken, along with steamed summer squash/zucchini/red bell peppers, all of which she inhaled. "I finally have an appetite," she said apologetically. "God, thank you for making dinner, it's perfect."
Instead of going to bed early, as we should have done, she and I stayed up to talk until after eleven. As I'm not sure as to what I should reveal in terms of what she told me when the other captain found Lotzi and the boys and the whole situation (especially with the ongoing investigation); suffice it to say that I know more detail than most. What I will say is that I correctly surmised that they didn't have a snowball's chance in hell, and that probably, *probably*, Lotzi didn't do anything extraordinarily wrong. And that is just from the discussion she and I had, nothing official.
It was the first time Sis and I had talked without disruption in years, and it was a good thing. She needed to purge her sorrows and all the drama of the previous two weeks. She had just gone to her second funeral as I said earlier; she had the memorial on the 5th, the third funeral on the 6th and the last on the 7th (Gus's services were private, and Sis did not go to that one). "We're done," she said, in terms of everyone's emotions. Everyone was fried, everyone was tapped, patience was running out, nerves were frayed, and everyone was just in the "one day at a time" mode. I was told about a lot of things--good and bad--that I don't think I can put on a public blog. Let's just say that like with every horrible tragedy, some people rose to the occasion, and others only half-stood. It's human nature.
We trudged off to bed at 11:30 or so to get up at 4:30am.
It was dark and it was sleepy and Sis and I went to Starbucks. Caffeine for the win. Then off to what was Norton AFB which is now partially commandeered as the Berdue Supervisors' Office, as well as the Forest air base, moved from Ryan in Hemet. There were a lot of faces I didn't recognize, some I did. Miss D from yesterday gave me a hug. Kenny did also. Marlene about fainted--I said to her "the world hasn't ended." Good old Howard. I saw some faces I did recognize but it had been so long, and I hadn't worked with them so closely, that I don't think they placed me. Just as well, it wasn't a reunion, after all.
I drove Howard's vehicle to Glen Helen with his wonderful son so that they could be together, and I was there saluting right with them. It was touching and sad. I saw many grateful faces and some ravaged faces.
In looking for Howard I went across the stage area, and looked around. Nope, not in the general seating area. I looked once, twice... TALL ONE!! He is in the Honor Guard. I let out a little squeak and tucked myself under his arm. "Is this who I think it is?!" I grinned. "I am if you're still the Tall Shit!" He laughed, and smiled into my eyes, "As long as you're still Short Shit!" I laughed. I went to move on, and let them rehearse, when I looked up--"Budlee!" An "oh my God," two hugs and a kiss later... It was nice to see two people I cared about still. I just wish the timing wasn't so horrible. I have Budlee's number and I need to call.
It was a beautiful ceremony, marred only by the heat, strong sun, and the incessant Santa Ana winds. The Governator was there with Maria, and made a nice speech, as did Mary Bono, and various other politicians. The one that annoyed me was Dianne Feinstein, who was stumping... wasn't the place for that.
The best speeches, of course, were the ones made by those who really knew them: Mike Dietrich, the Forest fire management officer, and Norm Walker, who is the San Jacinto Ranger District's fire management officer, now called Division Chief to jive with the cities. The text of their speeches can be found here.
Probably the most touching moment was watching Dan Gosnell, who runs the Honor Guard, present Norm with a folded flag in memory of the crew. I could see Dan and Norm wringing hands, not letting go, neither one of them trusting their emotions; embracing and parting. Norm clasped that flag, and continued to as he sat again onstage, as if to never let it go, his devastation clearly on his face.
Once over, the rest of the day was uneventful--we went home, my nephew and brother-in-law came home, we ate dinner and slept.
~~
The next morning, Sis looked better than the day before. "It's the first time I've slept through the night since they were killed." The memorial provided closure, at least some measure of it, and I know the sleep helped her bear up for the final two funerals.
I was on the road home by 10:00 am, my mind sifting through my time in wildland firefighting as I drove that long, boring way back to Phoenix on I-10. It is an inherently dangerous profession, and we can all take solace that all of them died doing what they loved.
Friday, November 03, 2006
I'm Off to California Tomorrow...
I am attending Sunday's memorial service.
I am attending Sunday's memorial service.
Just when I think I have cried all the tears I have, I cry some more--articles, memorial sites, pictures of the burnover site, anecdotes of the funeral processions for each of the firefighters. Here is a wonderful memorial site that made me weep again. Here is *the* board for wildland firefighters--(and I know who you are now, Lobotomy, you wonderful person, you)--and when you scroll down you will find some great links. Here is the San Bernardino Sun, who has had great coverage of the fire and great pics. What wonderful people.
I know I will cry and cry and cry some more on Sunday.
ALWAYS REMEMBER THE ALANDALE FIVE:
Lotzi, Daniel, Jason, Jess, and Pablo
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
And Then There Were None
Pablo passed away yesterday evening. How devastating.
I'm seriously considering going to Sunday's memorial.
". . .As a person of faith, of resurrection faith, I see death as a friend, not a foe; and the experience of death is, I am convinced, a transition from life to life, from grace to glory."
--Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, 9/9/1996
My Jesus, have mercy on the Souls of Mark, Jess, Jason, Daniel and Pablo.
Pablo passed away yesterday evening. How devastating.
I'm seriously considering going to Sunday's memorial.
". . .As a person of faith, of resurrection faith, I see death as a friend, not a foe; and the experience of death is, I am convinced, a transition from life to life, from grace to glory."
--Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, 9/9/1996
My Jesus, have mercy on the Souls of Mark, Jess, Jason, Daniel and Pablo.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Five Names, Five Decades of the Sorrowful Mysteries.
Official San Bernardino NF Release
The reward for the arsonist is up to $500,000.00. I hope it goes higher.
I hope they find this murderer. Not very Franciscan in my attitude, but there it is: the truth. This horrible person has not only been deliberately setting fires all season, destroying nature and property, but now has to answer for four deaths and the grievous injury to the fifth.
Mark Loutzenheiser, Jess McLean, Jason McKay, Daniel Hoover-Najera, Pablo Cerda. I'm dedicating a decade each to these beloved people.
O my Jesus... lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.
Official San Bernardino NF Release
The reward for the arsonist is up to $500,000.00. I hope it goes higher.
I hope they find this murderer. Not very Franciscan in my attitude, but there it is: the truth. This horrible person has not only been deliberately setting fires all season, destroying nature and property, but now has to answer for four deaths and the grievous injury to the fifth.
Mark Loutzenheiser, Jess McLean, Jason McKay, Daniel Hoover-Najera, Pablo Cerda. I'm dedicating a decade each to these beloved people.
O my Jesus... lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Prayers and Mourning in the Fire Family
Today was not a crummy day--wasn't really too bad, just annoying--and I fled the office early. I came home, let the cat out, watered the yard, and then headed upstairs to check my email. I logged into my Yahoo account... and you know how they have the little headlines? My heart stopped when I read the little link about four firefighters killed in Cabazon.
Normally it doesn't, but today it did; call it intuition. I stopped there and called my sister, who is a chief officer on the San Bernardino National Forest, where I used to be a firefighter. I had a bad, bad feeling.
Sis: "(chief officer title)"
Me: "You have a sec?"
Sis: "Who's this?"
Me: "Your sister. Are you OK?"
Sis: **bursts into tears**
Through her tears--and my overwhelming relief that she was OK--she told me about the horrifying events. She was on her day off, and she learned it from the news. She immediately Called another chief officer that I knew well, who told her that four of the five engine crew were killed, and the fourth has burns over 95% of his body.
The sketchy details are that the engine crew had been doing evacuation and structure protection, and the winds apparently gusted and blew the wind just so. It is Santa Ana season, the most treacherous and dangerous winds out there. Poppet Flats is in a narrow little valley, the home on somewhat on a knob and therefore more exposed to wind shifts, and whammo....
My relief that my sister was safe was hollow. Everytime I hear of entrapment and/or death, I selfishly pray that it's never someone I know. Fire deaths are horrible enough; it potentially being someone I used to work with makes it intolerable.
Today was intolerable.
The hardest thing to take was the loss of engine captain Mark Loutzenheiser, a very experienced wildland firefighter. When Sis said, "We lost Lotzi!" I cried, "No! Not Lotzi!" And No! to the loss to the whole wildland family, especially on the Berdue, especially on the San Jacinto Ranger District. It just doesn't seem possible.
As I write this, his name was quietly released, and just beginning to be splattered across the media. Sis has known Lotzi for 20 years; he was on the VG Shots when I was on DR. He'd come across the Forest for the Front Country's Sunday night softball games with some of the other VG folks. So I knew Lotzi, my sister knew Lotzi, and it was a very hard conversation at 3:00PM or so. I called her later this evening, and we talked a little more... I don't think it's hit yet, but it will.
As only firefighters can, I wept for the loss of Mark and for his three other crew, and prayed for the fifth crewmember, who at this time is still fighting for his life.
Pray for them and the firefighting community, who is devastated.
Please help, and donate to the Wildland Firefighter Fund: http://www.wffoundation.org/ to help defray the costs of the funerals and assist the familes.
~~
I have spent time in a burn ward--I have the scars from a fire to prove it. I do not wish it upon my worst enemy. However, burn wards are also a place where some very rare people do very special work. Pray for them too, to carry out the work of mercy that they do.
~~
People are already looking for someone to blame. In one place it is posted: "I think IT'S TIME FOR EVERYONE TO LAWYER UP. Firefighters, management, USFS, CDF, CITIES and TOWN agencies on the fire. Do not speak to anyone involved in ANY investigation without your lawyer present." This posted this evening already on a wildland message board.
Dear God...
~~
I have been in a burnover incident. If my captain had made his decision five seconds later, we would have been caught with the Sycamore crew back in 1995. As it was, we had blown through a closing wall of fire before we made it safely to the safety zone.
Thank God, thank God, nobody was hurt that day. Those excruciating minutes that passed when there was no response from Buzz or Steve with the crew, and knowing there was a helitack crew in there too that wasn't responding, was an infinity I will never forget.
It is like yesterday: I see the safety zone in a big, fuel-free turnout, overlooking a wash, watching with the rest of the district initial attack engine crews a wall of fire engulfing everything in that high desert community we responded to. The division chief calling on the radio, my captain with breaking voice calling, others calling with no response, the growing silent dread. Tears beginning to brim as minutes passed, silent prayers.
Then: "We're OK," from Buzz, who had the three crew with him in an impromptu safety zone. The deafening, incredulous silence and then the choruses of "thank God, thank God;" but where was Steve? And the helitack crew? Finally, it was discovered that he too was all right: Stevie had crammed the whole helitack crew into the engine, and sweated as the fire ran over them.
Poor Conrad not being able to talk for an entire five minutes; everyone weeping and laughing with relief, and when the scorched truck with its melted light bar emerged from the carnage, we all cheered, with Steve saying a little shakily on the radio, "I think we need a new paint job...."
As far as I know, the melted light bar is still at Sycamore, a reminder of how close we all were.
[How close was I, other than my actual near-miss? If I hadn't switched stations that year with "D," I would have been on that day. I would have been with Buzz in the safety zone, instead of at the turnout with everyone else.]
It was nerve-shattering. It spooked at least one seasonal firefighter into quitting, and an engineer seriously considered abandoning his career. The district and the Forest went into a period of shock... what if?
We too had been pulled off the fire, as all the Berdue folks were today. But where we only had to wrestle with our eventual mortality, the families and friends of poor Lotzi and the guys, and the entire Forest Service family, have to deal with the worst that can ever happen.
~~
All I have been able to say all night is "the poor darlings," reliving my close call, and the separate incident that landed me in the burn ward, only imagining what they went through, tears brimming.
~~
Lord, be with them in this time of sorrow.
Today was not a crummy day--wasn't really too bad, just annoying--and I fled the office early. I came home, let the cat out, watered the yard, and then headed upstairs to check my email. I logged into my Yahoo account... and you know how they have the little headlines? My heart stopped when I read the little link about four firefighters killed in Cabazon.
Normally it doesn't, but today it did; call it intuition. I stopped there and called my sister, who is a chief officer on the San Bernardino National Forest, where I used to be a firefighter. I had a bad, bad feeling.
Sis: "(chief officer title)"
Me: "You have a sec?"
Sis: "Who's this?"
Me: "Your sister. Are you OK?"
Sis: **bursts into tears**
Through her tears--and my overwhelming relief that she was OK--she told me about the horrifying events. She was on her day off, and she learned it from the news. She immediately Called another chief officer that I knew well, who told her that four of the five engine crew were killed, and the fourth has burns over 95% of his body.
The sketchy details are that the engine crew had been doing evacuation and structure protection, and the winds apparently gusted and blew the wind just so. It is Santa Ana season, the most treacherous and dangerous winds out there. Poppet Flats is in a narrow little valley, the home on somewhat on a knob and therefore more exposed to wind shifts, and whammo....
My relief that my sister was safe was hollow. Everytime I hear of entrapment and/or death, I selfishly pray that it's never someone I know. Fire deaths are horrible enough; it potentially being someone I used to work with makes it intolerable.
Today was intolerable.
The hardest thing to take was the loss of engine captain Mark Loutzenheiser, a very experienced wildland firefighter. When Sis said, "We lost Lotzi!" I cried, "No! Not Lotzi!" And No! to the loss to the whole wildland family, especially on the Berdue, especially on the San Jacinto Ranger District. It just doesn't seem possible.
As I write this, his name was quietly released, and just beginning to be splattered across the media. Sis has known Lotzi for 20 years; he was on the VG Shots when I was on DR. He'd come across the Forest for the Front Country's Sunday night softball games with some of the other VG folks. So I knew Lotzi, my sister knew Lotzi, and it was a very hard conversation at 3:00PM or so. I called her later this evening, and we talked a little more... I don't think it's hit yet, but it will.
As only firefighters can, I wept for the loss of Mark and for his three other crew, and prayed for the fifth crewmember, who at this time is still fighting for his life.
Pray for them and the firefighting community, who is devastated.
Please help, and donate to the Wildland Firefighter Fund: http://www.wffoundation.org/ to help defray the costs of the funerals and assist the familes.
~~
I have spent time in a burn ward--I have the scars from a fire to prove it. I do not wish it upon my worst enemy. However, burn wards are also a place where some very rare people do very special work. Pray for them too, to carry out the work of mercy that they do.
~~
People are already looking for someone to blame. In one place it is posted: "I think IT'S TIME FOR EVERYONE TO LAWYER UP. Firefighters, management, USFS, CDF, CITIES and TOWN agencies on the fire. Do not speak to anyone involved in ANY investigation without your lawyer present." This posted this evening already on a wildland message board.
Dear God...
~~
I have been in a burnover incident. If my captain had made his decision five seconds later, we would have been caught with the Sycamore crew back in 1995. As it was, we had blown through a closing wall of fire before we made it safely to the safety zone.
Thank God, thank God, nobody was hurt that day. Those excruciating minutes that passed when there was no response from Buzz or Steve with the crew, and knowing there was a helitack crew in there too that wasn't responding, was an infinity I will never forget.
It is like yesterday: I see the safety zone in a big, fuel-free turnout, overlooking a wash, watching with the rest of the district initial attack engine crews a wall of fire engulfing everything in that high desert community we responded to. The division chief calling on the radio, my captain with breaking voice calling, others calling with no response, the growing silent dread. Tears beginning to brim as minutes passed, silent prayers.
Then: "We're OK," from Buzz, who had the three crew with him in an impromptu safety zone. The deafening, incredulous silence and then the choruses of "thank God, thank God;" but where was Steve? And the helitack crew? Finally, it was discovered that he too was all right: Stevie had crammed the whole helitack crew into the engine, and sweated as the fire ran over them.
Poor Conrad not being able to talk for an entire five minutes; everyone weeping and laughing with relief, and when the scorched truck with its melted light bar emerged from the carnage, we all cheered, with Steve saying a little shakily on the radio, "I think we need a new paint job...."
As far as I know, the melted light bar is still at Sycamore, a reminder of how close we all were.
[How close was I, other than my actual near-miss? If I hadn't switched stations that year with "D," I would have been on that day. I would have been with Buzz in the safety zone, instead of at the turnout with everyone else.]
It was nerve-shattering. It spooked at least one seasonal firefighter into quitting, and an engineer seriously considered abandoning his career. The district and the Forest went into a period of shock... what if?
We too had been pulled off the fire, as all the Berdue folks were today. But where we only had to wrestle with our eventual mortality, the families and friends of poor Lotzi and the guys, and the entire Forest Service family, have to deal with the worst that can ever happen.
~~
All I have been able to say all night is "the poor darlings," reliving my close call, and the separate incident that landed me in the burn ward, only imagining what they went through, tears brimming.
~~
Lord, be with them in this time of sorrow.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
PAX ET BONUM!!!
Happy Feast of St Francis!!
It has been so busy... led the Transitus on Sunday, what an awesome thing... went to Mass today at St Mary's and it was over an hour before we even got to Communion. Typical Fr Vince... oh well.
...just trying to get an entry in before heading off to do catechism with the sixth graders. So busy... but happy... and talked to my mentor, which was a great thing. Yay!
So I will leave you with the following:
Our Most Holy Father, Creator, Redeemer, comforter and Saviour,
Who art in Heaven: In the angels and saints, Enlightening them to love, because You Lord are Light Inflaming them to love, because You Lord are Love Dwelling in them and filling them with happiness, because You Lord are the Supreme Good, the Eternal Good, from whom comes all good without Whom there is no good.
Hallowed be Your Name: May our knowledge of You become ever clearer, that we may know the breadth of Your blessings, the steadfastness of Your promises, the height of Your Majesty and depth of Your judgements.
Your Kingdom Come: So that You may reign in us by Your Grace and enable us to come to Your Kingdom, where we shall see You clearly, love You perfectly, be blessed in your company and enjoy You forever.
Your Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven: That we may love you with our whole heart by always thinking of You; with our whole soul by always desiring You, with our whole mind by directing all our intentions to You and by seeking Your Glory in everything; and with our whole strength by spending all our energies and affections of soul and body in the service of Your love alone. And may we love our neighbours as ourselves, encouraging them all to love You as best as we can, rejoicing in the good fortunes of others just as if it were our own and by sympathising with the misfortunes of others, while giving offence to no one.
Give us this day our daily Bread: Your own Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to remind us of the love he showed for us and to help us understand and appreciate it and everything that he did and said and suffered.
And forgive us our trespasses: In Your infinite mercy, and through the power of the Passion of Your Beloved Son, together with the merits and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all Your Chosen ones
As we forgive those who trespass against us: And what ever we do not forgive perfectly, do You O Lord, enable us to forgive to the full so that we may truly love our enemies and fervently pray for them before You, returning no one evil for evil and striving to help everyone in You.
And lead us not into temptation, hidden or obvious, sudden or persistent,
But deliver us from evil, past, present and to come.
Amen.
HAPPY FEAST DAY!!
Happy Feast of St Francis!!
It has been so busy... led the Transitus on Sunday, what an awesome thing... went to Mass today at St Mary's and it was over an hour before we even got to Communion. Typical Fr Vince... oh well.
...just trying to get an entry in before heading off to do catechism with the sixth graders. So busy... but happy... and talked to my mentor, which was a great thing. Yay!
So I will leave you with the following:
Our Most Holy Father, Creator, Redeemer, comforter and Saviour,
Who art in Heaven: In the angels and saints, Enlightening them to love, because You Lord are Light Inflaming them to love, because You Lord are Love Dwelling in them and filling them with happiness, because You Lord are the Supreme Good, the Eternal Good, from whom comes all good without Whom there is no good.
Hallowed be Your Name: May our knowledge of You become ever clearer, that we may know the breadth of Your blessings, the steadfastness of Your promises, the height of Your Majesty and depth of Your judgements.
Your Kingdom Come: So that You may reign in us by Your Grace and enable us to come to Your Kingdom, where we shall see You clearly, love You perfectly, be blessed in your company and enjoy You forever.
Your Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven: That we may love you with our whole heart by always thinking of You; with our whole soul by always desiring You, with our whole mind by directing all our intentions to You and by seeking Your Glory in everything; and with our whole strength by spending all our energies and affections of soul and body in the service of Your love alone. And may we love our neighbours as ourselves, encouraging them all to love You as best as we can, rejoicing in the good fortunes of others just as if it were our own and by sympathising with the misfortunes of others, while giving offence to no one.
Give us this day our daily Bread: Your own Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to remind us of the love he showed for us and to help us understand and appreciate it and everything that he did and said and suffered.
And forgive us our trespasses: In Your infinite mercy, and through the power of the Passion of Your Beloved Son, together with the merits and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all Your Chosen ones
As we forgive those who trespass against us: And what ever we do not forgive perfectly, do You O Lord, enable us to forgive to the full so that we may truly love our enemies and fervently pray for them before You, returning no one evil for evil and striving to help everyone in You.
And lead us not into temptation, hidden or obvious, sudden or persistent,
But deliver us from evil, past, present and to come.
Amen.
HAPPY FEAST DAY!!
Friday, September 01, 2006
Last Time I Checked, Theft is Theft
I think I have mentioned before that I play World of Warcraft. I've been playing for the last 18 months or so. TJ got me hooked. So I have a lil undead warlock--I've been through a few guilds, as everyone has--and I play and I've made some cyber-friends, one of which we met when we went through NC. These are carefully built relationships.
I am part of a developing end-game guild that had the highest of intentions. We have a de-facto guildmaster, an expatriate Scots-Canadian, who came from one of the BIG end game guilds. It was considered quite the coup, and high expectations were made by everyone. There is also a "council"... but I won't go into that.
There has been a group of what I call s__tdisturbers. They have been fomenting ill intents for awhile now. Well, this past week, part of the "council" not only left the guild, but have left the server. This in itself has been no big deal, right? Happens all the time. They also pulled a bunch of people with them. Again, it happens.
Problem is, one of them had the guild "bank toon," a character a player has that is used solely to store profession materials, valuable item drops, and other things saved for the guild as a whole. Not only did that person take the toon with them, they took the items with them, items that belonged to the guild as a whole--a couple of month's worth of raiding days into Molten Core kind of materials and drops, raids that last a minimum of three hours and are difficult to fill spots for. Hard-won things. All gone. Not even on the server anymore.
To add insult to injury, the person "returned" items such as wool bandages, which anyone can make. The guild is left with nothing.
Yes, it's just a game. I have a problem, though, with thievery of any kind, be it virtual or real. Those items did not just belong to these five to eight people, it belonged to the guild of over 200. So my faith is shaken in these people I had considered cyber-friends. There is still the core of infuriated and depressed guildies, everyone's in shock, and there's a lot of name calling and finger pointing. Sad.
I am thinking of taking a sabbatical. My friends Donkeysaurus, Thanakar, Darkraevyn, and Rathdeathch will scream to high heaven, but the desire to play has now worn off. On top of it, the expansion pack is coming out in November--just in time for Christmas! eep!--and I just can't justify spending $50 for 10 levels, flying mounts or no.
So if you are a World of Warcraft player on the Eldre'Thalas realm, and hear about a guild that got their entire guild bank ripped off, I swear it's true. And if you know Sindarella, Plural, Jezzabelle or any of their friends on the Eldre'Thalas server or the one they scarpered off to, give 'em hell. Spread the word.
These people... holy cow! If they do this in a game, what are they like in real life?
What do you call something worse than a ninja-looter?
I think I have mentioned before that I play World of Warcraft. I've been playing for the last 18 months or so. TJ got me hooked. So I have a lil undead warlock--I've been through a few guilds, as everyone has--and I play and I've made some cyber-friends, one of which we met when we went through NC. These are carefully built relationships.
I am part of a developing end-game guild that had the highest of intentions. We have a de-facto guildmaster, an expatriate Scots-Canadian, who came from one of the BIG end game guilds. It was considered quite the coup, and high expectations were made by everyone. There is also a "council"... but I won't go into that.
There has been a group of what I call s__tdisturbers. They have been fomenting ill intents for awhile now. Well, this past week, part of the "council" not only left the guild, but have left the server. This in itself has been no big deal, right? Happens all the time. They also pulled a bunch of people with them. Again, it happens.
Problem is, one of them had the guild "bank toon," a character a player has that is used solely to store profession materials, valuable item drops, and other things saved for the guild as a whole. Not only did that person take the toon with them, they took the items with them, items that belonged to the guild as a whole--a couple of month's worth of raiding days into Molten Core kind of materials and drops, raids that last a minimum of three hours and are difficult to fill spots for. Hard-won things. All gone. Not even on the server anymore.
To add insult to injury, the person "returned" items such as wool bandages, which anyone can make. The guild is left with nothing.
Yes, it's just a game. I have a problem, though, with thievery of any kind, be it virtual or real. Those items did not just belong to these five to eight people, it belonged to the guild of over 200. So my faith is shaken in these people I had considered cyber-friends. There is still the core of infuriated and depressed guildies, everyone's in shock, and there's a lot of name calling and finger pointing. Sad.
I am thinking of taking a sabbatical. My friends Donkeysaurus, Thanakar, Darkraevyn, and Rathdeathch will scream to high heaven, but the desire to play has now worn off. On top of it, the expansion pack is coming out in November--just in time for Christmas! eep!--and I just can't justify spending $50 for 10 levels, flying mounts or no.
~~
So if you are a World of Warcraft player on the Eldre'Thalas realm, and hear about a guild that got their entire guild bank ripped off, I swear it's true. And if you know Sindarella, Plural, Jezzabelle or any of their friends on the Eldre'Thalas server or the one they scarpered off to, give 'em hell. Spread the word.
These people... holy cow! If they do this in a game, what are they like in real life?
What do you call something worse than a ninja-looter?
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
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.
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.
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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