St Telemachus Blog

Finally! Way past due

2009-11-18T19:55:00.000-08:00

We are finally getting a decent translation of the Mass in to English without too much politicization. Forty years we have suffered with this banal translation marked with an agenda. I only wish it was going into effect a lot sooner.

http://www.zenit.org/article-27575?l=english

Sanctus Lesson

2009-11-18T19:41:00.000-08:00

Here is a great lesson on the Sanctus.

"Change" is what we got

2009-01-23T22:40:00.001-08:00

Change for the worse, for sure. Change is not always good. The people that wanted change got it. President Obama will now allow funding to facilitate abortions all over the world. Pray for all the souls that will be involved in this evil. Below are links to some articles on the issue.

US bishops write president-elect; fundamental priority: defend right to life

House Republicans ask Obama to disavow ‘FOCA agenda’

Life News around the inauguration

2009-01-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

Here are some great new stories about abortion and the new president.

Bishop: FOCA Would Translate into Hatred for Unborn

Catholics Remember Roe v. Wade, Look to defeat FOCA

Jurist Predicts "Terrible Conflict" Will Endanger U.S. Catholics’ Religious Freedom

Bishops Call on Obama Not to Abandon Bush Pro-life Policies

U.S. Bishops to President-elect: Fundamental Priority, Defend Life

Confusion on Priesthoods still around

2009-01-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

News article - APOSTOLIC VISITATION DEEMS US SEMINARIES GENERALLY HEALTHY, NOTES NUMEROUS PROBLEMS notes that there is still "an “insufficient grasp” of Catholic teaching and the distinction between the common priesthood of the faithful and the hierarchal priesthood is blurred. Some religious institutes speak primarily of “ministry” rather than the priesthood in a “mistaken attempt” not to offend opponents of Catholic teaching on women’s ordination." This, I think, is a big problem where it is a problem. This really needs to be corrected, too bad that it will take until to bishops from the "60's" retire or die.

Inventor regrets birth control pill

2009-01-12T17:12:00.000-08:00

Siting the separation of the procreative and unitive aspect of the marital act, one of the scientists regrets taking part in the creation of the evil pill. He realizes it has caused the population shortage around the world.

Birth Control Pill Inventor Laments Demographic "Catastrophe"

Not governed by stars

2009-01-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

This is a great explanation by the Holy Father about the stars on this Feast of Epiphany.

Pontiff Says People Aren't Governed by the Stars, Reiterates Galileo's Thought on Cosmos

Abortion is a Man's issue too!

2008-11-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

For some reason, abortion is considered a women's issue. It really goes to show you that rhetoric, the way language is used, the way an argument is framed, can really mess up what people believe. Maybe people tend to be lazy and don't really want to think about the reality of things. In all actuality it is mainly a children's issue, they are one that get's the worst of it. The wrong thinking begins with the purpose of the marital act. The purpose is rooted in natural law. The nature of the act is procreation of children and the uniting of the couple. When this natural law is not adhered to, you get wrong beliefs which end up with people making bad decisions, which in this case ends up in the death of a child. So, since it takes two to make one, both will be emotionally affected. The man does get hurt also. The Catholic Answers Radio program covered this issue on 11/14/2008, you can listen from the website or from this direct mp3 link (you'll have to right click and hit Save as).

Voting Article

2008-10-28T22:29:00.001-07:00

Check out this article on Voting and Fear

Voting correctly is imperative

2008-10-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some very good links to information to help you inform your mind on the upcoming election.

Please consider praying an Election novena

Bishop warns about voting.

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=880

http://www.randallterry.com/

Elections, Voting and Morality

http://jimmyakin.org/2008/09/elections-votin.html

Archbishop Chaput’s Pro-life Remarks

http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=91792

A Politician’s Promise: No Right to Life! No Freedom!

Bishops: Catholics Have Moral Obligation to Reverse Roe

Pastoral Letter of Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton

Go Bishops, Go! Finally standing up for life

Bishop Shows-up at Election Forum, Defends Church’s Abortion Stance

Voting Pro-Abortion Called Cooperating in Evil

Archbishop of San Antonio: Is Abortion Solely a Catholic Issue?

Music and Spirituality | Fr. Basil Cole, O.P.

2008-10-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

The Ignatius Insight just published an article from Fr. Basil Cole Music and Spirituality | Fr. Basil Cole, O.P. | Ignatius Insight | Ignatius Insight that is very insightful and very much needed in this Society Gone Madd! I've read his book Music and Morals which really helped me, he is just awesome. Now he connects Music and Spirituality to the tune of St Thomas Aquinas - my favorite saint. Part of spirituality is using your mind, but people today seem to believe whatever they feel is ok. When music (or any of the arts, I believe) causes feeling a certain way for a prolonged period of time it is bound to have it's effects. Please consider reading the article (which I think can be applied to all forms of the arts), it may change your life, like his book Music and Morals did mine.

Communism is alive

2008-08-13T22:52:00.000-07:00

In the vision of Fatima, Mary told the children we need to pray or the errors of communism would spread, and it has. The Democrats want to control our lives because they know better. Some examples are in this article. We need to pray the rosary and pray it often.

Clarification by Bishop on Catholic Voting

2008-08-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Catholic Culture : Catholic World News Feature Stories hopefully will clear up or at least inspire some of the faithful to form their consciences and vote according to church teaching. We need the bishops to all come out very forcefully so that the faithful at least hear them. Our country, our lives, and our future rely on it. Consult Voters Guide for Serious Catholics to form your conscience.

The Truth will really set you free

2008-08-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

The article Recycling the Myths of Abortion History on First Things shows how people lie or at least believe the lies, unknowingly or not, come to very wrong conclusions. Knowing the truth is imperative to analyzing and coming to the right conclusions. The re-writing of history in most of our colleges is a very big problem. It's not only history that gets re-written, even the current days news gets skewed and the ideology of the day takes precedence over reporting what actually has happened. We need to get back to telling the objective truth on everything that happens and that will take people that are willing to abandon their opinion and just report the facts.

New Insight on what happened in the sixties

2008-07-31T21:30:00.000-07:00

Catholic World News (CWN) reported on a recently discovered letter sent to bishops to prepare them for Humanae Vitae. It really sheds light into some of the possibilities of what happened. It seems like many of the bishops didn't heed the letter or priests ignored the bishops pleas. Maybe we are passed what happened since the sixties and so eloquently put in psalm 95:10 - "Forty years I endured that generation. They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not know my ways . . ."

40 years later - finally a decent English translation for Mass

2008-07-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

Maybe we can finally pray the way we believe, Lex orandi, lex credendi. Ever since the Mass was hurriedly translated we've had to deal with banality. Hopefully we can have liturgy that uplifts us to God instead of bringing Him down to ours. Some of the changes are in this Catholic World News : Vatican approves new English translation for Mass article. I hope there are many more good ones, especially the Gloria, the translation we have now id pretty bad and is barely recognizable next to the Latin, which we should be using anyway since Vatican II says that we should be able to sing or say the prayers in Latin. Ever since I actually read Sacrosanctum Concilium I wondered where I can assist at the Mass called for in the document, maybe we will finally get a little closer.

Pope Warns Youth Against Self-Absorption

2008-07-22T22:56:00.000-07:00

We all need to heed Pope Benedict XI - Pope Warns Youth Against Self-Absorption - NYTimes.com & Pope Calls for a ‘New Age’ in Final Australia Mass - NYTimes.com. He gave some encouraging and strengthening words in his final address to hundreds of thousands of young Catholics. He urged to youth to change this age and become liberated from shallowness, apathy, and self absorption.

Filipino archbishop bars pro-abort politicians from Communion

2008-07-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

This Catholic World News : Filipino archbishop bars pro-abort pols from Communion article is very good news. If only the US Bishops could enforce it in this country. The Eucharist should be protected and loved.

Pope weighing changes in Novus Ordo

2008-07-05T21:58:00.000-07:00

If this article - Catholic World News : Pope weighing changes in Novus Ordo? - is true, we are seeing signs of the renewal needed for the church. After 40 years in the desert after Vatican II we may be entering the promised land! Once something has gone way off track, it usually is very hard to get it back on track. Let us pray that the Holy Father does what is required.

We need more Bishops like this

2008-06-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

This article from Catholic World News : Archbishop Burke named to top Vatican canonical post is good news and if all Bishops took the clear stand that he does on such important matters, the Church wouldn't be in as much trouble as it is. Hopefully this trend will continue and our 40 years in the dessert are going to be filled with milk and honey.

Communion kneeling, on the tongue: new Vatican norm?

2008-06-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

I hope this Catholic World News : Communion kneeling, on the tongue: new Vatican norm? article begins a return of what should never have been in the first place. These were first done in disobedience and once it got out of hand then allowed in error. It will be a long hard way back to this but it will be worth it in the end.

Pope Benedict On Entering Lent

2008-02-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

The Pope's comments On Entering Lent are very profound. The part I found very instructive when he said "It means to enter into a time of particular commitment in the spiritual combat that opposes us to the evil present in the world, in each one of us and around us. It means to look evil in the face and dispose oneself to fight against its effects, above all against its causes, right up to its ultimate cause, Satan. It means not unloading the problem of evil onto others, onto society, onto God, but recognizing one's own responsibility and consciously taking it upon oneself."

Female Objectification Not All Fault of Men

2008-02-08T21:17:00.000-08:00

I finally found an article that confirms something I have thought for a while. Zenit's article Female Objectification Not All Fault of Men is an excellent article on how women have presented themselves as objects after the misguided so-called 60's feminist revolution. Before the sixties women were treated very wonderful and put on a pedestal above men, but after the sixties they lowered themselves and became more animal like, more basic like men are. I have always thought that part of the reason women thought they needed to rebel is that even though men cherished women they didn't convey that fact to women and that led them to a faulty conclusion.

Abortion-Survivor Finds a Home

2008-02-08T21:12:00.000-08:00

Zenit has an excellent article about a baby that survived and abortion. Abortion-Survivor Finds a Home

Lent a Time to Fast From Words and Images

2008-02-07T20:32:00.000-08:00

I think Pope Benedict made an excellent suggestion on what alot of us need to do in this day and age of bombardment of words and images. Read Zenit's News article Lent a Time to Fast From Words and Images

Purpose of Lent

2008-02-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

Well, I will begin this early Ash Wednesday (I heard it was not going to be this early until 160 years from now - I haven't verified this yet but I believe it's possible) with an explanation of one of the traditions of Lent - giving something up for the 40 days of Lent. Most people tend to give up something like candy, smoking, or liquor for the 40 days of Lent. Which is an excellent excercise in self-denial. Some people even decide to save the money they don't spend on whatever they gave up and donate it to the poor. That is good but, I would like to challenge you to what I believe could be a little better spiritually. I think there is a higher purpose for this practice. What I always try to do is pick something spiritual or something you want to change but with the intention to continue the practice after Lent is over. If you have trouble praying daily, begin to pray everyday and after the forty days the habit will be developed and it should be easier to continue the practice even after Lent. If you annoy your wife or mother by leaving your clothes in the wrong place or all over the place, make it a point to pick them up and put them in the right place for lent with the intention to continue the practice after Lent is over.

I think you get the point now, Lent is about changing our own life. Not just for Lent but for the rest of your life.

Another Look at Communion in the Hand

2008-02-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

I hope this is another sign that what I have called the 40 years in the desert we are coming out of after Vatican II is ending and we are entering a time of renewing our Catholic Faith. I believe that the lack of belief in the truth of the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ is at least partially because of allowing Communion in the hand. The secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments thinks it is time ti reconsider the practice. It is great to see a prominent Bishop calling for a look at this practice. It seems to be a no brainer that it would be a normal reaction after being able to touch something all holy, it would lead you to eventually think it is just something common and would diminish reverence for it.

Links to the news stories -

Catholic News Service
Catholic Online

Faith and Family Flix

2008-02-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

Are you sick of the bad movies that have come out of Hollywood the past forty years? I have found a great alternative to Netflix and it operates very similarly. It has alot of wholesome content to choose from. Faith and Family Flix has alot of family friendly content. Are you sick of your children watching the bad tv shows that are on TV? Faith and Family Flix has alot of great content for children. It has documentary videos and saints videos. I read that they are currently screening the films in their catalog so that they'll be free of profanity, graphic violence, sex and nudity.

Just like Netflix, no late fees, affordable monthly fees. They have plans to rent 1 DVD to 6 DVD's at a time at a cost from $9.99 to $39.99 with no monthly limit. faithandfamilyflix.com

Media Overstepping the Mark

2008-02-01T09:15:00.000-08:00

Zenit News Agency has a great article Benedict XVI: Media Overstepping the Mark about the sad state of the media today. It has big responsibilities and can do alot of good but they try to dictate policies instead of just reporting what has happened. They spread lies to control people instead of telling the truth of what is actually happening.

Good Catholic Writers Need

2008-01-30T19:44:00.000-08:00

Here's an interview about Rich Culture Nourishes Catholic Writers. I think Gregory Roper, author of The Writer's Workshop: Imitating Your Way to Better Writing(ISI Books), makes some great suggestions on what is needed to help our kids to learn to write well.

More Lies about Contraception

2008-01-29T19:31:00.000-08:00

Here is some playing with statistics for you! I guess they have to lie to try to justify something so wrong and bad for you. All they care about is the physical and not the spiritual and I wouldn't even believe their statistics on the physical part. They claim Oral Contraceptives Cut Ovarian Cancer Risk. For starters you can't say that so many of something didn't happen, there is no way to prove it but people just aren't schooled enough to know when they are being lied to. The spiritual effects of using artificial contraception and far reaching and hard to overcome. It is not acceptable to do something wrong so that good can come of it, no matter what.

Zenit also has a good article Lancet "Irresponsible" in Calling for More Contraceptives on this also.

Music and Morals

2008-01-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

I am a musician and this book Music and Morals by Basil Cole, OP really changed my perspective on the effect that music has on our lives. It answers or at least may prompt you ask the following questions: Does music have a subtle but definite influence over our attitudes and behavior? Is there a way of judging between “good” and “bad” music? It was a major factor in changing my life. With the state of entertainment today this book is highly recommended reading.

Playing with Statistics

2008-01-27T18:50:00.000-08:00

Here is some playing with statistics for you! I guess they have to lie to try to justify something so wrong and bad for you. All they care about is the physical and not the spiritual and I wouldn't even believe their statistics on the physical part. They claim Oral Contraceptives Cut Ovarian Cancer Risk. For starters you can't say that so many of something didn't happen, there is no way to prove it but people just aren't schooled enough to know when they are being lied to. The spiritual effects of using artificial contraception and far reaching and hard to overcome. Catholic teaching says it is not acceptable to do something wrong so that good can come of it, no matter what. The Ccatechism has a great explaination of this in paragraph 1755-1761 and in the preceding starting at paragraph 1749

Better Translation of the Missal News

2008-01-26T21:51:00.000-08:00

I hope the new translation of the missal used at Mass will be in use real soon. The last forty years of banal language will soon be over. Language to elevate our souls to God will soon be here. Zenit has an article about this - Approval of English Missal Closer

Some more great information is in a talk by Cardinal Arinze on Language in Liturgy, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Ordinary Time

2008-01-22T19:36:00.000-08:00

We started ordinary time and it is really going to be a short one before Lent this year. Ash Wednesday comes on Feb 6th, in this year of 2008. That makes Easter come on March 23rd. This gives us a short amount of time to spiritually transition from the Joy of the Christmas season that just ended to the penitential season of Lent.

Be Wary of The Golden Compass

2008-01-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of things you don't need to be scared about - but this is something you should be at least very wary (cautious, suspicious, distrustful, guarded, careful) about if not downright scared. The author is unapologetic about the purpose of the film.

Links to good articles about how bad the movie is to see:
The Golden Compass Brings Nietzsche to Narnia

His Dark Materials
Sympathy for the devil: thoughts on 'The Golden Compass

Christmas

2007-12-29T18:12:00.000-08:00

Hope the celebration of advent is producing a fruitful Christmas season. Now that it is the Christmas season we have to try to stay in the spirit even though society wants Christmas to be over. Our family tries to stay in the spirit by still playing music and movies of the season. Since during advent we lit a candle each week in anticipation of Christmas, we continue to light a candle before dinner, but it is a white candle for the Christmas season. We also use the reading from the Liturgy of the Hours instead of the advent candle prayer. Praying the Liturgy of the Hours and the daily readings for Mass is the best way to stay focused on this season of Christmas.

The Meaning of Advent

2007-12-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

The word "Advent" means "coming". During this season we prepare for Christ's coming in three ways. We celebrate His coming at Bethlehem, we await His coming again at the end of the world, and we thank Him for coming to us through the sacraments. The readings for the first Sunday of Advent urge us to "stay awake" and "be prepared" because we do not know the day or hour the Lord is coming.

I used to always want to know how these traditions came about or got started, but the more I researched, the more different stories I heard. So I guess as with most traditions, they tend to change slightly over time. It is also possible that since each person is different, each person will view the purpose and meaning a little different. So if we have the basic idea of preparation for the coming of the Lord and sincerely pray that he comes into our hearts and change our lives we can make the world a better place.

I have an Advent Wreath Prayer on my Saint Telemachus web site.

For Further spititual reading: Catechism of the Catholic Church 1042-1050

The term "lay ministers"

2007-12-02T21:04:00.000-08:00

In our church recently, as I'm sure has happened in other churches also, we had the commissioning of lay ministers in the church. I have always had a problem calling the lay people that help out "ministers". Most bishops were also concerned about this during their 1987 Synod of Bishops as they said in the post-synodal Apostolic Exortation "Christifideles Laici". They said in paragraph 23: "a person is not a minister simply in performing the task, but through sacramental ordination." Later in the same paragraph it says: "a critical judgment was voiced about a too-indiscriminate use of the word "ministry", the confusion and the equating of the common priesthood and the ministerial priesthood, the lack of a observance of ecclesiastical laws and norms, the arbitrary interpretation of the concept of "supply", the tendency towards a "clericalization" of the lay faithful and the risk of creating, in reality, and a ecclesial structure of parallel service to that found on the sacrament of orders."

I've always looked at it like this, the priest's role is to fix/nourish the lay faithful so we can go fix the world. Our role does seem to be as such as stated in paragraph 15 of Christifideles Laici: “The "world" thus becomes the place and the means for the lay faithful to fulfill their Christian vocation, because the world itself is destined to glorify God the Father in Christ.” This means that we need to participate and make society better. They seem to think it means to sit in the church and do ministry. Calling laypeople ministers confuses the distinction between the ordained and non-ordained. As Vatican II said the difference is in essence and not degree.

Paragraph 10 of Vatican II document Lumen Gentium states: "Though they differ from one another in essence and not only in degree, the common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial or hierarchical priesthood are nonetheless interrelated: each of them in its own special way is a participation in the one priesthood of Christ.(2*) The ministerial priest, by the sacred power he enjoys, teaches and rules the priestly people; acting in the person of Christ, he makes present the Eucharistic sacrifice, and offers it to God in the name of all the people. But the faithful, in virtue of their royal priesthood, join in the offering of the Eucharist.(3*) They likewise exercise that priesthood in receiving the sacraments, in prayer and thanksgiving, in the witness of a holy life, and by self-denial and active charity."

This seems to mean to make it pretty clear that the priest's role is acting in the person of Christ in the sanctuary, and teaching and ruling his priestly people. By our royal priesthood, our role is the offering of the Eucharist in the pew, prayer, thanksgiving, holiness, self-denial, and charity. We need to receive Jesus in the Eucharist during Mass so we can go and be sent out to the world to make it a better place. If people are doing what they call "ministry" in the mass, it seems that it may be harder for them to “receive” something when they're the ones that are “doing”. Thus it seems harder that they will be able to change the world. I also believe it could be one factor in the priest shortage in some dioceses. Young people see that the lay faithful are able to do the priest's work, so why would they need to become priests?

Another excellent document on this subject is, ON CERTAIN QUESTIONS REGARDINGTHE COLLABORATION OF THE NON-ORDAINEDFAITHFUL IN THE SACRED MINISTRY OF PRIEST . Article 8 section 2 is particularly helpful on the subject of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion: "Extraordinary ministers may distribute Holy Communion at eucharistic celebrations only when there are no ordained ministers present or when those ordained ministers present at a liturgical celebration are truly unable to distribute Holy Communion.(99) They may also exercise this function at eucharistic celebrations where there are particularly large numbers of the faithful and which would be excessively prolonged because of an insufficient number of ordained ministers to distribute Holy Communion." Then this article ends with this pretty forceful language: "To avoid creating confusion, certain practices are to be avoided and eliminated where such have emerged in particular Churches:
— extraordinary ministers receiving Holy Communion apart from the other faithful as though concelebrants;
— the habitual use of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion at Mass thus arbitrarily extending the concept of "a great number of the faithful"." As I see it, this should have ended the use of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion on every Sunday.

I believe all this begins with the unintentional minimizing of the liturgy. I'm sure they're trying to do their best in trying to get people to do charitable works. Our bulletin today had something that is a common thread that I have noticed in this wrong view that they have the liturgy. It starts out with "The "liturgy" – literally, common work of the people - is of primary importance in the life of the Catholic Church." Yes, the Catechism of the Catholic Church does basically say this in paragraph 1069: "The word "liturgy" originally meant a "public work" or service in the name of/on behalf of the people." The words “originally meant” tell me that this was used in regular society, which the church is not. But, as with most confusions or misunderstandings, this is taken out of context, and the paragraph actually says the opposite of what they claim. The next sentence in paragraph 1069 confirms this: "In Christian tradition it [liturgy] means the participation of the people of God in "the work of God". Through the liturgy Christ, our Redeemer and high priest, continues the work of our redemption in, with, and through his church." So the church appropriated the word liturgy and gave it a new and different meaning than the way was used in common society, which is the way they are using it. The way they use it makes it seem that we are doing the liturgy. In paragraph 1070 of the catechism, their view is contradicted where it says: “The liturgy then is rightly seen as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ." Now I am not saying, and the catechism isn't saying, or am I saying that the catechism is saying, that it's all Jesus and we don't have to do anything. On the contrary, it is all Jesus, but we have to enter into it and participate in it. Not as lay ministers, but as the bride awaiting the bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Advent is here

2007-12-02T18:45:00.000-08:00

We have started the Advent Season and We need to take care not to make it into Christmas as the rest of society does. As Christians we are in the world but not of the world, so we need to not let the society force us to abandon our faith. Christmas starts on Christmas Day and ends on The Baptism of the Lord. Our family loosly came up with a tradition, mainly by my behest, to put up the lights and tree around Gaudete Sunday since it is a feast of rejoiceful anticipation of Christmas. We also try to keep Christmas music and movies at a minimum during Advent.

To be able to fully celebrate any feast we need the time to prepare. We need that time of getting ready. When a couple gets married they have a time where they need to prepare themselves for the biggest moment of their lives that is coming. So too, we need a time to prepare for the celebration of one of the biggest, best events that ever happened in the world. The incarnation of our Lord and Savior.

Go see the movie Bella

2007-11-29T19:13:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen the movie Bella, it comes highly recommended. Here you can hear Michael Medved's review or download it here. It has received many rewards. We need more movies like this. So please support this great movie so Hollywood gets the message that we want good movies and not the trash they have been releasing.

Women are God's greatest creation

2007-11-27T19:38:00.000-08:00

Women do the most wonderful work and don't get enough praise for it so when I saw this cool video that lets us know what great work women do.

Something good from the writer's strike

2007-11-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

Something good has come from the writer strike, and just read that a sequel to the da Vinci code movie has been postponed. Maybe it will be good for other things too since if no one writes the bad things that come out of Hollywood they won't get produced. We need to have more Catholic's that follow the church's teaching making some good movies.