Catholic Blogger fired for reading Catholic Blogs at Work

Just when I thought it was getting safe to read some good Catholic content on my lunch hour. Many companies permit limited personal access to the internet on company computers, provided it is not something like porn, or other offensive material.

Curt Jester brings us a sad story of a Catholic blogger fired not for writing to his blog, but for reading Catholic blogs. It seems that religion - specifically the Catholic religion - may be a bit offensive to some.

Well, I was wondering how I would find more time for just non-internet reading. Now I know. I'll pack St. Augustine's Confessions, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Catholic World Report, and the new Compendium.

Wait.....if someone sees those things on my desk, they may get offended.

Quick - hide!

Exaltation of the Cross

From Volume IV of the Collected Works of Edit Stein on the Exaltation of the Cross (Copyright ICS Publications)

III.4 EXALTATION OF THE CROSS September 14, 1941
In his Holy Rule, St. Benedict ordained that the fasts for religious begin with the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. The long-extended Easter joy and the solemn feasts of summer culminating in the crowning of the Queen of Heaven could possibly cause the image of the Crucified to fade in us or to recede, as it remained hidden during the first centuries of Christianity. But when its time came, the cross appeared gleaming in the heavens, prompting the search for the buried and forgotten wood of humiliation that was to be recognized as the sign of salvation, the emblem of faith and the mark of the faithful. Every year, when the church again raises it before us, we are to recall the challenge of the Lord: Anyone who would follow me must take up his [or her] cross...! To take up one's cross means to go the way of penance and renunciation. For us religious, to follow the Savior means to allow ourselves to be fastened to the cross by the three nails of the holy vows. The Exaltation of the Cross and the renewal of vows belong together.

The Savior has preceded us on the way of poverty. All the goods in heaven and on earth belonged to him. They presented no danger to him; he could use them and yet keep his heart completely free of them. But he knew that it is scarcely possible for people to have possessions without succumbing to them and being enslaved by them. Therefore, he gave up everything and showed more by his example than by his counsel that only one who possesses nothing possesses everything. His birth in a stable, his flight to Egypt, already indicated that the Son of Man was to have no place to lay his head. Whoever follows him must know that we have no lasting dwelling here. The more deeply we feel this, the more zealous we are in striving for the future, and we rejoice at the thought that our citizenship is in heaven. Today it is good to reflect on the fact that poverty also includes the readiness to leave our beloved monastery itself. We have pledged ourselves to enclosure and do so anew when we renew our vows. But God did not pledge to leave us within the walls of the enclosure forever. He need not do so because he has other walls to protect us. This is similar to what he does in the sacraments. For us they are the prescribed means to grace, and we cannot receive them eagerly enough. But God is not bound to them. At the moment when some external force were to cut us off from receiving the sacraments, he could compensate us, superabundantly, in some other way; and he will do so all the more certainly and generously the more faithfully we have adhered to the sacraments previously. So it is also our holy duty to be as conscientious as possible in observing the precept of enclosure, to lead without hindrance a life hidden with Christ in God. If we are faithful and are then driven out into the street, the Lord will send his angels to encamp themselves around us, and their invisible pinions will enclose our souls more securely than the highest and strongest walls. We do not need to wish for this to happen. We may ask that the experience be spared us, but only with the solemn and honestly intended addition: Not mine, but your will be done! The vow of holy poverty is to be renewed without reservation.

Continue reading Edit Stein...

Benedict XVI: Solemn Sacred Music an Important Means of Participation in Worship

The Vatican website still does not have the English version of Pope Benedict's speech given at Alte Kapelle, but Zenit does. German and Italian are now available directly at the Vatican. Unfortunately, there are still no decent pictures of this organ online, which really puzzles me with as spectacular as this one is.

From Zenit:

Code: ZE06091307

Date: 2006-09-13

Papal Address at Basilica in Regensburg

"Solemn Sacred Music an Important Means of Participation in Worship"

REGENSBURG, Germany, SEPT. 13, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is a Vatican translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Old Chapel ("Alte Kapelle"), of which his brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, was director. During the visit, the Pope blessed the new organ.

* * *

This venerable house of God, the Basilica of "Our Lady of the Old Chapel," has been splendidly refurbished and today receives a new organ, which will now be blessed and solemnly dedicated to its proper aim: the glorification of God and the strengthening of faith.

An important contribution to the renewal of sacred music in the 19th century was made by a canon of this collegiate church, Carl Joseph Proske. Gregorian chant and classic choral polyphony were integrated into the liturgy. The attention given to liturgical sacred music in the "Old Chapel" was so significant that it reached far beyond the confines of the region, making Regensburg a center for the reform of sacred music, and its influence has continued to the present time.

In the constitution on sacred liturgy of the Second Vatican Council ("Sacrosanctum Concilium"), it is emphasized that the "combination of sacred music and words … forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy" (No. 112). This means that music and song are more than an embellishment of worship; they are themselves part of the liturgical action.

Solemn sacred music, with choir, organ, orchestra and the singing of the people, is not an addition of sorts that frames the liturgy and makes it more pleasing, but an important means of active participation in worship. The organ has always been considered, and rightly so, the king of musical instruments, because it takes up all the sounds of creation and gives resonance to the fullness of human sentiments. By transcending the merely human sphere, as all music of quality does, it evokes the divine.

The organ's great range of timbre, from "piano" through to a thundering "fortissimo," makes it an instrument superior to all others. It is capable of echoing and expressing all the experiences of human life. The manifold possibilities of the organ in some way remind us of the immensity and the magnificence of God.

Psalm 150 speaks of trumpets and flutes, of harps and zithers, cymbals and drums; all these musical instruments are called to contribute to the praise of the triune God. In an organ, the many pipes and voices must form a unity. If here or there something becomes blocked, if one pipe is out of tune, this may at first be perceptible only to a trained ear. But if more pipes are out of tune, dissonance ensues and the result is unbearable.

Also, the pipes of this organ are exposed to variations of temperature and subject to wear. Now, this is an image of our community. Just as in an organ an expert hand must constantly bring disharmony back to consonance, so we in the Church, in the variety of our gifts and charisms, always need to find anew, through our communion in faith, harmony in the praise of God and in fraternal love. The more we allow ourselves, through the liturgy, to be transformed in Christ, the more we will be capable of transforming the world, radiating Christ's goodness, his mercy and his love for others.

The great composers, each in his own way, ultimately sought to glorify God by their music. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote above the title of many of his musical compositions the letters S.D.G., "Soli Deo Gloria" -- to God alone be glory. Anton Bruckner also prefaced his compositions with the words: "Dem lieben Gott gewidmet" -- dedicated to the good God. May all those who enter this splendid basilica, experiencing the magnificence of its architecture and its liturgy, enriched by solemn song and the harmony of this new organ, be brought to the joy of faith.

[Translation issued by the Holy See; adapted]

© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

St. Teresa of Avila - a Quote from the Way of Perfection

A quote from St. Teresa of Avila, Way of Perfection - Chapter 28

And now let us imagine that we have within us a palace of priceless worth, built entirely of gold and precious stones -- a palace, in short, fit for so great a Lord. Imagine that it is partly your doing that this palace should be what it is -- and this is really true, for there is no building so beautiful as a soul that is pure and full of virtues, and, the greater these virtues are, the more brilliantly do the stones shine. Imagine that within the palace dwells this great King, Who has vouchsafed to become your Father and Who is seated upon a throne of supreme price -- namely, your heart.

Pipes to admire: Pope Blesses Organ at Alte Kapelle in Regensburg

Watch it tonite (see bottom for schedule). Awesome!!

I turned on my TV hoping to catch another papal event and got a real treat. He was talking about sacred music while the camera panned to the newly installed organ at Alte Kapelle in Regensburg. You have to see these pipes and how they are masterfully crafted into the "Old Chapel". Wow!

I caught only the tail end of the speech, which I can't wait to read later today (was not available yet). Keep an eye on this Vatican.va webpage where all of the speeches and homilies are kept in Italian, German, and English. English seems to be the one lagging - as usual. As the day goes on, those black words should turn to brown, live links.

I'll bring you that link in a subsequent post AND photos of this organ. There aren't any online as of this morning upon a cursory check. But I have no doubts the web will be full of photos as the day goes on. This organ is spectacular!!!

For photos of the Church, visit a website called Structurae where six photos (minus the organ) are shown. In observance of the copyright notice at the bottom of each of these photos, I will not be putting any on this blog, but you can click to get there.

I was able to find a photo album of Alte Kapelle at webshots. Some of the photos are blurry, but it gives you an idea.

If you are able, watch this on rebroadcast tonight:

EWTN rebroadcast:

10:00pm Eastern
7:00pm Pacific

Photos won't do the scenery justice so do try to watch it tonite, or tape it. I've got choir practice tonite, but will bring you photos tomorrow morning.

A Priest and his Pet Dogs at Mass - Common Sense from a Canon Lawyer

Ed Peters of In Light of the Law picked up on the story of Fr. Louis Scurti who brings his two dogs with him every where, including Mass. It's in a post on his blog entitled, "canine canons". Now, as I pointed out in the original post, this has nothing to do with dogs who assist the physically impaired. It has nothing to do with blessings as St. Francis did. Rather, it is simply about bringing two bigs dogs into church for Mass.

I had to ponder this a little more since I posted yesterday. Why did this disturb me so much? Well, in less than 5 minutes of meditative prayer, I finally figured it out.....

Worship is something in which we should strive to give our total being to God, and God alone. In an era of cellphones, "Blackberries", and multi-tasking lives, our already distracted selves are more easily distracted than ever. Mass is one opportunity for quiet.....IF our pastors and priests minimize or eliminate anything which could divert our attention from Him to themselves, or to anything/anyone else during the Mass.

Fr. Scurti goes on to explain why he brings them to Mass:

If there's a spiritual core to his dogs' presence during the liturgy, it's about making people feel included and at home in the church, he said.

How the people feel is not relevant. That is the whole problem today. That is why so many people don't come on a regular basis in the first place: They have a mistaken idea that "I only need to bother with Mass when it makes 'me' feel good". Nevermind going and giving God his due every week regardless of how we feel. Priests should be challenging us in this regard, not feeding our desires to be constantly entertained and "made to feel welcome". Teach us to come for God's sake, not ours. There's only one word for that kind of worship which puts God first and 'self' second: True!

Dogs in a Church during Mass do not lift our minds to God, but to His creatures. I love dogs and have had two of them. I have 2 aquariums. The animals I've had in my possession are indeed a blessing and a joy. I am always grateful to God for their presence. But, there is a place and time to enjoy them: Mass is not one of them.

BTW - in case you are interested, that is "Jaws" - a 1-inch White Cloud Mountain Minnow in my 20 gallon long. He's soon going to be 4 years old, and is one of 3 remaining from an original school of six.

Sandro Magister: Benedict XVI on True Franciscan Spirit

Another excellent print & read article by Sandro Magister of Italy:

Benedict XVI Has Become a Franciscan
A true Franciscan. Against all the environmentalist, pacifist, and syncretistic distortions. Rebuilding the Church was the task Jesus assigned to the saint of Assisi. The pope has made him his own, and is re-proposing him as a model for today

Go read Magister (Benedict-Franciscan)

Audio: Fr. Paul Weinberger - How to respect our Eucharistic Lord

Over at Semper Fi Catholic Radio - an online source for the audio homilies of Fr. Paul Weinberger of St. William the Confessor Church in Greenville (photo page), TX - more of his archives are slowly being added.

There is a real jewel in the under the heading 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2005. From the description box:

This homily treats on the responsibility of those who distribute Holy Communion as well as those who receive the Eucharist.(Pro abortion politicians, reception in the hand) At one point Fr. Paul walks away from the mic to give a visual, which may be hard to hear. Please be patient.

This is a 43 minute audio, which includes the gospel reading at the beginning. I like how he asks people to turn off their cell phones, then waits.

This homily is very "Perronesque" for those who know the Grotto Pastor's straightforwardness. Several times Fr. Paul reminds people that he is just "doing his job" by instructing them as his pastor. He starts out with the story of a man who was killed, apparently after going to Confession.....or not?

There is one thing with Semper Fi Catholic Radio: Look at the time of the audio and make sure you have that time available uninterrupted. This is a new online station and they are working through issues, but currently there is no way to pause the audio for more than a few minutes (it stops - taking you back to the beginning). There is also no way to slide your way through the audio back to the approximate point you left off. But, it is well worth listening to when you have the time. I just let it run while I was computing!

His instruction on how to properly receive Holy Communion is excellent, and he deals with the little discussed issue of particles in the hand. You can get to Semper Fi Catholic Radio any time to hear more homilies by clicking on this icon in my sidebar.

Nine-year old boy guides family back to church.

H/T to "Moneybags" at A Catholic Life for this nice story of a young boy who inspired his family to start going to church. I won't spoil to much here, but give this short-read a few minutes of your time - it is truly inspiring. It underscores the importance anyone in the family can have, in particular young people, on the faith of others.

Valley Center Boy Meets Pope


"Moneybags" is a regular visitor of Te Deum Laudamus! He is discerning the priesthood, so please pray for him, and all of those participating in another blog he started called, Holy Vocations. If you have your speakers turned on, you will get a treat with the sacred music at this site. It is co-authored by a group of young men and women, also exploring religious life. Moneybags has two other blogs, as well - one dedicated to the Holy Rosary, and another on the Dignity of Human Life.

Don't let his nickname fool you - he simply names himself after the Monopoly Game character. It's these kind of young people which give me much hope for the future of our Church. They may face challenges with the current state of affairs in many dioceses and religious institutions. God grant them the courage to persevere as they follow Christ to their respective callings, taking up their crosses and being a beacon of light to all they encounter.

9-11-01 and a prayer...

To the departed whom we now remember,

may peace and bliss

be granted in life eternal.

May they find grace and mercy

before the Lord of heaven and earth.

May their souls rejoice in the ineffable good

which God has laid up

for those who fear Him,

and may their memory be a blessing

unto those who treasure it.
Amen.

TV Priest brings his dogs to Mass!?!???

How can this be? I clicked on the TV, which is often set to EWTN the few times I watch it. I have been enjoying the broadcasts of events in Germany with Pope Benedict.

This time, when I clicked it on, I see Fr. Louis Scurti who runs a small university chapel in New Jersey, giving a homily during Mass. Something seemed off in general about the setting and just as I was about to turn it off, this big black dog comes hobbling out from near the altar in the Sanctuary and begins to come out towards the people.

I don't think this was EWTN, but CTND (Catholic Television Network Detroit), which imho, has too much secular focus. They share the same channel on comcast and I don't have a box to get EWTN on the other station where they are not shared.

How can this be that a priest would bring dogs to Mass - a televised Mass yet????

I did a quick google on "Fr. Louis Scurti and Dog" and this article turned up on it. It certainly confirms that these are not dogs for the physically impaired, but the priest's pets and he brings them all the time to Holy Mass!!!

Monday, May 16, 2005

By SUZANNE TRAVERS
HERALD NEWS

HALEDON - The priest, dressed in a flowing red robe, says Mass. He reads from the Gospel, gives a homily, prays for the sick, blesses bread and wine.

He could be at any Roman Catholic church in the country, except for the dogs near the altar. A black, bow-legged mutt sprawls out for a nap, and a white wolfish type paws gently at a parishioner as the priest talks of Pentecost and Babylon.


Is this God's house or a doghouse? Jesus Christ Prince of Peace Chapel is both. The Rev. Louis Scurti brings his two dogs everywhere, and that includes Sunday Mass. The dogs make people feel at home, Scurti says. Churchgoers add that the dogs give them a sense of calm and peace.

continue reading Scurti and the dogs at the New Jersey Herald...

Who is the bishop of that diocese? Does he not see this??? Does he have any control over a university chaplain?

Good heavens, when Mass goes to the dogs!

And, I'm an animal lover, but this is totally inappropriate.

Voice of the un-Faithful? Lay Org Promoting Dissent

From the National Catholic Register:

Voice of the un-Faithful? Lay organization under renewed fire for promoting dissent
By Tom McFeely
9/8/2006
National Catholic Register (www.ncregister.com/)

BOSTON, Mass. (National Catholic Register) – Questions are again being raised about the fidelity of the Massachusetts-based organization Voice of the Faithful. The organization, which has repeatedly featured high-profile church dissenters at its conferences, referred to several dissenting individuals and opinions in the Aug. 24 issue of its Internet newsletter, “In the Vineyard.”

Continue reading un-faithful via Catholic Online...

Pope Benedict in Germany - EWTN Coverage

I've currently got the Celebration of Vespers on EWTN and it is a beautiful service. EWTN is running it again at 5:30PM EST. It is awesome, with sacred polyphony & symphony. They are doing it up with class.

Here is the complete schedule of what is remaining to be seen on TV, including the Mass he celebrated this morning which was broadcast at 3:30am. It is being rebroadcast at 2:30PM today!

I believe all times are Eastern Standard Time

MASS AND ANGELUS AT NEW FAIRGROUNDS IN MUNICH (3 HOURS) LIVE
Arrival of the Pope for special service and ride in "papamobile" over the open-air ground at the New Fairgrounds in Munich to the altar island.
Sunday September 10, 2006 3:30 AM
Sunday September 10, 2006 2:30 PM ENCORE

VESPERS WITH YOUNG FAMILIES, CATECHISTS AND CHILDREN FROM THE MUNICH CATHEDRAL (60:00) LIVE
Sunday September 10, 2006 11:30 AM
Sunday September 10, 2006 10 PM ENCORE


MASS AT CHAPEL SQUARE (2 ½ HOURS) LIVE
Arrival at Chapel Square ~ prayers in the "Gnadenkapelle" [Chapel of the Miraculous Image] and Holy Mass.
Monday September 11, 2006 4 AM
Monday September 11, 2006 2 PM ENCORE


VISIT TO ALTOTTING, VESPERS WITH SEMINARIANS AND VISIT TO ST. OSWALD PARISH ( 2 HOURS) LIVE
Vespers held by the Holy Father with members of the order and seminiarins in the Basilica. Arrival in Marktl, visit to the parish church of St. Oswald.
Monday September 11, 2006 11 AM
Monday September 11, 2006 9 PM ENCORE

MASS AT ISLINGER FIELD (3 HOURS) LIVE
Holy Father's arrival at Islinger Field and Holy Mass.
Tuesday September 12, 2006 3:30 AM
Tuesday September 12, 2 006 2 PM ENCORE

MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF ACADEMIA (60:00) LIVE
Meeting with representatives of the academic world in the University of Regensburg.
Tuesday September 12, 2006 11 AM
Tuesday September 12, 2 006 5:30 PM ENCORE

CELEBRATION OF VESPERS AND ECUMENICAL GATHERING (60:00) LIVE
Tuesday September 12, 2006 12:30 PM
Tuesday September 12, 2 006 9 PM ENCORE


BLESSING OF ORGAN AT ALTE KAPELLE (60:00) LIVE
Wednesday September 13, 2006 5 AM
Wednesday September 13, 2006 10 PM ENCORE

ARRIVAL AND PRAYERS AT THE SHRINE OF ST. CORBINIAN (60:00) LIVE
Holy Father's arrival, ride through downtown Friesing in "papamobile". Visit to the shrine of St. Corbinian in the Freising Mariendowm Cathedral.
Thursday September 14, 2006 4 AM
Thursday September 14, 2 006 10:30 PM ENCORE

Pope Benedict: The Light House

A nice article appeared in the Der Spiegel (Germany) about the Pope and Catholicism in that country.Gerald Augustinus gives us his own English translation of the article. I know there are people in other countries reading this blog and if you are a native of Germany or know the language well, you may want the original article in German.

It starts out like this...

Benedetto the Light House

Pope Benedict XVI is visiting his country and hundreds of thousands between München and Regensburg will cheer him on. This would have been deemed impossible for quite some time. Is Catholicism in Germany about to experience a renaissance ?

It's kind of hard to see, but click on the gold text above to continue reading in English or German. I hope to add underlines to make it more visible. If someone knows how, email me.

It's Coming: Adult Catechism with Fr. Perrone!

Fr. Perrone, a very pastoral priest, teaches a class on Virtues in "The Virtuous Woman" held, this past spring(click title for the talk itself!) He offered many classes personally last year, including a Latin-Lite.

Well, it's that time of year again! Fr. Perrone will soon be teaching his adult catechism class starting in October (date, day and time, TBD). What is certain is that it will be held at Assumption Grotto. If it is a small class, it is likely to be held in the rectory basement. If it is larger class, it will be in the school "lounge" where all seminars are held.

Who is this class for:

• Catholics wanting a deeper understanding of the Catechism.


• Baptized Catholics who have not been confirmed, and wish to do so.


• Lapsed Catholics looking to increase their faith through understanding


• Non-Catholics exploring the Catholic faith


• Parishioners and non-parishioners.

Ages: While it is typically referred to as "Adult Catechism", there were entire families in the class last year. When we got into some morality issues that were a little too "advanced" for them, their parents simply guided them to the hall temporarily. Of adults there, ages ranged from 18 to senior. Last year, we had about 25 people in the class and it was a mix of that list above. Several non-Catholics opted to join the faith at the end of the class which concluded just before Easter-time.

In speaking to Fr. Perrone, the text he is planning to use this year, is the new Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This book was just released in English early this year, and it comes directly from the Holy See, through the USCCB.

The indepth catechism class is done in a methodical and catechetical format using Q & A. It is a great opportunity to have your questions about the Catholic faith answered by a priest for the duration of the course since it is taught fully by the pastor himself! Like his sermons, Fr. Perrone gives us a look at the Catholic faith in its entirety, with Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and he often peppers-in teachings of the Church Fathers.

Cost: None, except the cost of the text, which will be minimal.

I grew up with the kind of CCD that some of us now refer to as "my butterfly and me catechism". I learned how to finger paint, make posters & banners, and sing kum-ba-yah real well. When I joined Assumption Grotto in June 2005 at the age of 43, I learned very quickly that my childhood catechesis was built on a foundation of sand. There was no substance. In Fr. Perrone's catechism class, which met weekly from fall to spring, my faith strengthened as understanding replaced ignorance stemming from that "namby-pamby" catechism. I was able to see just how much I didn't know, and cleared up some misconceptions. It was exciting to go each week as I learned more.

If you know you are interested, calling the rectory now to add your name to a growing list will enable the parish to get a rough count ahead of time. Since it has not been officially announced through the parish bulletin yet, there is also time to think it over. If you have the Compendium that is fine, otherwise, Cathy - who manages our Giftshop - can put in a rough order ahead of time based on interest. I may try to sit in on at least some of the classes again this year.

Click here for the rectory contact information.

You can always contact me (see my profile) for other questions, as well. If I don't have an answer, I can try to get one for you. Keep in mind that if you call or email, details regarding the start date, day of the week, and time remain to be worked out. I will make another post when this information becomes available.