Really?

This month the cover of Crisis Magazine is "If Abortion Were Outlawed Tomorrow... Would We Be Ready". The story (not available online), "The Law of Unintended Consequences - A Cautionary Look at Overturning Roe v. Wade", is by Elizabeth Thecla Mauro.

Surprisingly, the author claims if Roe v. Wade were overturned, there would be a schism in the Catholic Church!!!! I find this scenario extremely hard to believe.

A Communist nation may not be able to transition to free-market and free democratic processes in an instant without a transitional phase - but I don't think outlawing abortion in this country would have such major economic represcussions - or spritual reprecussions in the Catholic Church as the author fears. I was so flabberghasted to read the article and the reasoning (or lack thereof) I can barely comment intelligently.

Sudden Death

We live on a country road - the house is set far back from the road. But there are a number of commercial farms on our route, and major grainery trucks travel the road at high speeds. Our mailbox is right next to the 55 MPH sign.

Today we lost a pup (he was about 9 months old). He ran out into the road (usually he's on leash outside of his pen - but not today) and was hit by one of these eighteen wheelers. One son was within several yards and witnessed it up close. The rest of the kids who were all in yard only saw the aftermath - but it was not pretty.

We gathered the children inside. While Mrs. Curley comforted them, I had the unenviable job of collecting poor Randy's remains. After boxing him and rinsing the road. I put the box in our wagon and the children came out for the burial. We dug hole deep enough so the coyotes won't come around and then gathered round the wagon. As we pulled the wagon towards the burial spot, we sang a few hymns. After lowering the box into the grave, I said something like the following:

"We thank the good Lord for all the blessings He has given us. But we realize and say with Job, 'The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord." And then we said Our Lord's Prayer and covered the grave.

Before and after we discussed again with the children how dogs do not have immortal souls (thus we are not praying for Randy's soul to be released from purgatory). We have affection for our pets, and will miss Randy, but we just need to thank God for the blessings He has given us. We need to take care of these gifts and enjoy them while we have them, but not so much mourn their loss. With the older children we reminded them (in calmer moments) that it is a lesson that life is fragile; we or those we love can be gone tomorrow. This should have a bearing on the way we live our life everyday. (And hopefully all got a reminder of the danger of our road.)

I usually go to the 9:00 AM Mass in the morning. Usually one or two of the boys accompany me. I have a feeling that all will be traveling with me tomorrow.

From the small holding in Bethune ...

Oremus pro invicem!

Are we better off than we were 26 years ago?

I have been in controversy over at Hallowed Ground. Jeff posted a portion of an article by Christopher Ferrara from The Remnant. The portion excerpted has some truth to it, but the final paragraph of the excerpt (and much of the tone of the overall article if read in entirety) I find to be untrue.

Here is the key to Mr. Feerara's belief regarding John Paul II's pontificate:

"Whoever wishes to love the Pope as he ought to be loved must be willing to say now, in charity and in truth, that John Paul II was a ruler whose words often said one thing while his actions said another, and that the contradictions which marked his reign have produced enormous confusion in the Church that must be undone by his successor."

I am not in this camp.

I don't believe John Paul was a bad pope. I believe he was a great pope. Unfortunately, great is measured over many, many years. I believe that both the 2nd Vatican Council and John Paul's pontificate are intimately linked and both are for the GOOD of the Church. Traditionalists correctly understand this - but some may not understand how Vatican II was needed and is still needed by the Church.

The 2nd Vatican Council's pastoral reforms (of which JPII as bishop has much to do with) have been hijacked and rejected over the years. Things are getting better in this regard - but slowly, too slowly. There is still time to implement Vatican II or finally reject it. Rejecting it will be rejecting the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. Similarly the we can reject the proposals of John Paul II - but at our own peril.

A student of history will realize that personal holiness has always been the key to reform of the Church - from even worse times than these. We can grouse and complain - but our time is better spent on our knees. This does not mean we close our eyes to sacrilege, lies, etc. But we must realize that God can fix problems we can't - and thus we need to bombard Heaven with our pleas.

Oremus pro invicem!

Communion on the Tongue & Government

The Return Curve has an interesting commentary on receiving Communion on the tongue today - here. It has been my recent experience that the seminaries have not been teaching young priests how to distribute Holy Communion on the tongue. When I receive from a young priest, it always seems to be an adventure. One young priest I know simply tries to toss the Blessed Sacrament into the communicant's mouth.

Another good post from The Return Curve just below the first on government, today and in the middle ages. It is of particular interest to me right now because I just finished editing our newest release which touches on this subject by Rev. Bede Jarrett ("Relation of Church and State in the Middle Ages" - see Requiem Press). In it, St. Augustine is quoted saying: "The desire to be master of your fellow man is intolerable pride, for men are by nature equal." and "Hence, good men are known rather as shepards of the flock than as kings of men". (City of God).

The conclusion of early Christian thought seems to be (according to Bede Jarrett) that "Had he (man) not sinned, he might still have needed government to develop is bene esse (well being); he needs it now however to secure even his esse (being)."

From the small holding in Bethune...

Oremus pro invicem!

A Wonderful Lady

This past weekend in Harrisburg, PA - I had the brief opportunity to meet Dr. Alice Von Hildebrand. She was speaking at the conference and was selling some books. I bought her book "The Privilege of Being a Woman" for my daughter and had it signed.

Coincidentally I picked up April issue of Crisis Magazine. The first letter to the editor is about an aritcle they ran on "Eight Habits of Highly Effective Bishops". (My bishop - Bishop Robert Baker, was cited twice in the article). In this first letter to the editor, Dr. Alice Von Hildebrand writes, "... would it not be desirable ... that a bishiop reintroduce asceticism in seminaries: fasting, abstinence, hair shirts, and discipline?"

I second the suggestion heartily.

Mrs. Curley asked me tonight, "Isn't there anyone big enough to stop the starvation and dehydration of Mae Magouirk ?" (courtesty of Fr. Rob Johansen).

Apparently not. While there are people that had the power to stop the starvation of Terri Schiavo and now Mae Magouirk - none of these people, presidents and governors, are big enough to do it.

This weekend

I was in Harrisburg, PA this weekend for a homeschool conference/curriculum fair - trying to sell some books. Gave away lots of catalogs and sold a few books. The highlights of the trip however were getting to visit with my daughter; (She is a sophomore at Christendom College and she accompanied me on my bookselling trip, as did my oldest son.) and staying overnight with my sister's family. The have 3 girls and boy. [My sister is the author of "Your Labor of Love" - Tan Books; her husband teaches Theology at a Catholic High School. Both are Christendom College graduates.]

It is heartening to see a chapel with some 20%+ of the student body attending a daily Mass (Friday) - especially considering there was a 2nd Mass that day AND that classes had been cancelled for the day because of Pope John Paul's funeral. Although the college has been told they are not allowed to use the Communion Rail in the chapel, almost all of the students kneel for Holy Communion. They are doing something right at this school.

Have been away from the 'office' for several days, so I may be scarce for a few days.

From the small holding in Bethune...

Oremus pro invicem!

News!

We have a few new books (for sale) up on the website. Please buy some, my family is hungry!

Two true stories today to lighten the mood:

1. Went to Mass on the Feast of the Annunication. Our priest had a book with him during the homily. (I don't know the name.) Here is how he started: "This book about saints and feasts has some very interesting information in it. Of course we are celebrating the Annunciation today, but usually it is on March 25th. This book says that besides the Annuciation taking place on March 25th, Christ died on March 25th; John the Baptist was beheaded on March 25th; and Adam and Eve were created on March 25th." He pauses, and then looks up: "Now how the hell do they know that?"

2. A few years ago during my Saturday morning errands, I used to always stop at a thrift shop to see if they had any records (you know, phonographs?). One son in particular used to always come with me. Well one year he was determined to buy a purple dress he had seen in this thrift shop for Mrs. Curley's birthday. (It was only $1.50). Well he got it. Turns out Mrs. Curley wore it once, but in reality it was a size or two too small. My son, occasionally asks if it "fits yet". Well this year for Mrs. Curley's birthday, this son made her a couple of scarves/bandannas for her to wear in the garden. He told her, "I was going to make you a purple one to match your purple dress; but I figured I would wait until you lost some weight and could fit into it again." I couldn't stay in the room.....................

From the small holding in Bethune ...

Oremus pro invicem!

This man is a saint in Heaven! John Paul II

Last moments of John Paul II described
Rome, Apr. 03 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican press office released the following official statement by papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro Valls regarding the sequence of events preceding and following Pope John Paul's death on Saturday:
"At 8 p.m. the celebration of Mass for Divine Mercy Sunday began in the Holy Father's room, presided by Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz with the participation of Cardinal Marian Jaworski, of Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko and of Msgr. Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki.
"During the course of the Mass, the Viaticum was administered to the Holy Father and, once again, the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.
"The Holy Father's final hours were marked by the uninterrupted prayer of all those who were assisting him in his pious death, and by the choral participation in prayer of the thousands of faithful who, for many hours, had been gathered in St. Peter's Square.
"Present at the moment of the death of John Paul II were: his two personal secretaries Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz and Msgr. Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki, Cardinal Marian Jaworski, Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko, Fr. Tadeusz Styczen, the three nuns, Handmaidens of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who assist in the Holy Father's apartment, guided by the Superior Sr. Tobiana Sobodka, and the Pope's personal physician Dr. Renato Buzzonetti, with the two doctors on call, Dr. Alessandro Barelli and Dr. Ciro D'Allo, and the two nurses on call.
"Immediately afterwards Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano arrived, as did the camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo, Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, substitute of the Secretariat of State, and Archbishop Paolo Sardi, vice-camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church.
"Thereafter, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, dean of the College of Cardinals, and Cardinal Jozef Tomko also arrived."
The first announcement of the Pope's death came from Navarro-Valls who, minutes after the Holy Father expired, sent an email to journalists informing them of the event. A formal announcement from Archbishop Sandri to the tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square. "Our Holy Father, John Paul, has returned to the house of the Father," he said. "We all feel like orphans this evening."
As the end of his life approached, the Holy Father reportedly dictated a message for the Catholic faithful to his secretary: "I am happy and you should be happy too. Do not weep. Let us pray together with joy."
Father Jarek Cielecki, director of a Vatican TV station, gave more of the details of the Holy Father's last moments: "The Holy Father died looking towards the window as he prayed, and that shows that in some way he was conscious," Cielecki said. "A short while before dying, the Pope raised his right hand in a clear, although simply hinted at, gesture of blessing, as if he became aware of the crowd of faithful present in St Peter's Square, who in those moments were following the reciting of the Rosary," he added. "Just after the prayer ended, the Pope made a huge effort and pronounced the word 'Amen'. A moment later, he died."

Papa! Papa! Papa! - Rest in Peace

"This evening or this night, Christ opens the door to the pope," Angelo Comastri, the pope's vicar general for Vatican City, told a crowd at St. Peter's Square.

From Fox News earlier:

"Navarro-Valls said the pope followed the Way of the Cross prayer re-enacting Christ's final hours as he has done every Friday since he was a priest. He asked that the 14 stages be read to him — biblical texts which describe Christ's path to the cross, his crucifixion and when his body is taken down, wrapped in a linen shroud and buried in his tomb, the spokesman said. Thpope made the sign of the cross as the passages were read, he said." (Emphasis added)

We prayed at Mass yesterday and this morning for John Paul the Great - that is, Pope Saint John Paul the Great. Now, just as he has done these past years with his suffering, he will pray for us at the foot of the throne of God. He may not be formally canonized for some years, but just as in the early days of Christianity when holiness was celebrated by popular acclamation, so it will be with John Paul, (as is with Mother Teresa).

This is a day of great joy! While we mourn the loss of a great Pope, we thank God for his years and rejoice for another advocate in Heaven!

John Paul made many initiatives. He traveled the world to bring the Gospel in person. (Perhaps because he knew the bishops were not?). It will be years before his pontificate will be fully digested. He writings were prolific. He has written for those at every intellectual level. His writings touch on every subject which is important to mankind and salvation.

Woe to us who are not grateful and responsive to the words of this vicar of Christ.

INCLINA, Domine, aurem tuam ad preces nostras, quibus misericordiam tuam supplices deprecamur, ut animam famuli tui Joannes Paulus, quam de hoc saeculo migrare iussisti, in pacis ac lucis regione constituas et Sanctorum tuorum iubeas esse consortem. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

INCLINE Thine ear, O Lord, unto our prayers, wherein we humbly pray Thee to show Thy mercy upon the soul of Thy servant John Paul, whom Thou hast commanded to pass out of this world, that Thou wouldst place him in the region of peace and light, and bid him be a partaker with Thy Saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

From the small holding in Bethune...

Oremus pro invicem!

From the latest bulletin from the Vatican:

The spokesman said that the Holy Father was mindful of the young people who had gathered beneath the windows of the papal apartments in St. Peter's Square throughout the night as well as all the youth he had met throughout the world during his pontificate. Navarro-Valls said, "In fact, he seemed to be referring to them when, in his words, and repeated several times, he seemed to have said the following sentence: 'I have looked for you. Now you have come to me. And I thank you.'

Saturday Morning

While our Holy Father still clings to life - I offer these thoughts of his from a document, Familiaris Consortio, which has had a great impact on our family and our family life:

“The family has vital and organic links with society, since it is its foundation and nourishes it continually through its role of service to life: it is from the family that citizens come to birth and it is within the family that they find the first school of the social virtues that are the animating principle of the existence and development of society itself. ….… Thus, far from being closed in on itself, the family is by nature and vocation open to other families and to society, and undertakes its social role.”

Sometimes, in this society we live in, we are tempted to shut all doors and live in our own world. John Paul counsels us to spread the Gospel as a family among families

Papa we love you!

Oremus pro invicem!

John Paul II in Boston, October 1979

Here is what I heard when John Paul came to Boston Common in 1979.

"Tonight, I want to repeat what I keep telling youth: you are the future of the world, and "the day of tomorrow belongs to you". I want to remind you of the encounters that Jesus himself had with the youth of his day. The Gospels preserve for us a striking account of a conversation Jesus had with a young man. We read there that the young man put to Christ one of the fundamental questions that youth everywhere ask: "What must I do. . .?" (Mk 10:17), and he received a precise and penetrating answer. "Then, Jesus looked at him with love and told him. . . Come and follow me" (Mk 10:21). But see what happens: the young man, who had shown such interest in the fundamental question "went away sad, for he had many possessions" (Mk 10:22). Yes, he went away, and - as can be deduced from the context - he refused to accept the call of Christ.

This deeply penetrating event, in its concise eloquence, expresses a great lesson in a few words: it touches upon substantial problems and basic questions that have in no way lost their relevance. Everywhere young people are asking important questions - questions on the meaning of life, on the right way to live, on the true scale of values: "What must I do. . .?" "What must I do to share in everlasting life?" This questioning bears witness to your thoughts, your consciences, your hearts and wills. This questioning tells the world that you, young people, carry within yourselves a special openness with regard to what is good and what is true. This openness is, in a sense, a "revelation" of the human spirit. And in this openness to truth, to goodness and to beauty, each one of you can find yourself; indeed, in this openness you can all experience in some measure what the young man in the Gospel experienced: "Jesus looked at him with love" (Mk 10:21).

To each one of you I say therefore: heed the call of Christ when you hear him saying to you: "Follow me!" Walk in my path! Stand by my side! Remain in my love! There is a choice to be made: a choice for Christ and his way of life, and his commandment of love.

The message of love that Christ brought is always important, always relevant. It is not difficult to see how today's world, despite its beauty and grandeur, despite the conquests of science and technology, despite the. refined and abundant material goods that it offers, is yearning for more truth, for more love, for more joy. And all of this is found in Christ and in his way of life.

Do I then make a mistake when I tell you, Catholic youth. that it is part of your task in the world and the Church to reveal the true meaning of life where hatred, neglect or selfishness threaten to take over the world? Faced with problems and disappointments, many people will try to escape from their responsibility: escape in selfishness, escape in sexual pleasure, escape in drugs, escape in violence, escape in indifference and cynical attitudes. But today, I propose to you the option of love, which is the opposite of escape. If you really accept that love from Christ, it will lead you to God. Perhaps in the priesthood or religious life; perhaps in some special service to your brothers and sisters: especially to the needy, the poor, the lonely, the abandoned, those whose rights have been trampled upon, or those whose basic needs have not been provided for. Whatever you make of your life, let it be something that reflects the love of Christ. The whole People of God will be all the richer because of the diversity of your commitments. In whatever you do, remember that Christ is calling you, in one way or another, to the service of love: the love of God and of your neighbor.

And now coming back to the story of the young man in the Gospels, we see that he heard the call - "Follow me" - but that he "went away sad. for he had many possessions ".

The sadness of the young man makes us reflect. We could be tempted to think that many possessions, many of the goods of this world, can bring happiness. We see instead in the case of the young man in the Gospel that his many possessions had become an obstacle to accepting the call of Jesus to follow him. He was not ready to say yes to Jesus, and no to self, to say yes to love and no to escape.

Real love is demanding. I would fail in my mission if I did not clearly tell you so. For it was Jesus - our Jesus himself - who said: "You are my friends if you do what I command you" (Jn 15:14). Love demands effort and a personal commitment to the will of God. It means discipline and sacrifice, but it also means joy and human fulfillment.

Dear young people: do not be afraid of honest effort and honest work; do not be afraid of the truth. With Christ's help, and through prayer, you can answer his call, resisting temptations and fads, and every form of mass manipulation. Open your hearts to the Christ of the Gospels - to his love and his truth and his joy. Do not go away sad!

And, as a last word to all of you who listen to me tonight, I would say this: the reason for my mission, for my journey, through the United States is to tell you, to tell everyone - young and old alike - to say to everyone in the name of Christ: "Come and follow me! "

Follow Christ! You who are married: share your love and your burdens with each other; respect the human dignity of your spouse; accept joyfully the life that God gives through you; make your marriage stable and secure for your children's sake.
Follow Christ! You who are single or who are preparing for marriage. Follow Christ! You who are young or old. Follow Christ! You who are sick or aging; who are suffering or in pain. You who feel the need for healing, the need for love, the need for a friend - follow Christ!

To all of you I extend - in the name of Christ - the call, the invitation, the plea: "Come and follow Me". This is why I have come to America, and why I have come to Boston tonight: to call you to Christ - to call all of you arid each of you to live in his love, today and forever. Amen! "

Papa!

From Fox News: "Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls tearily said that the pope had requested to remain in his apartment after being "informed of the gravity of his situation," and that the request was being honored."

Dear Lord, we pray and beseech Thee to grant the grace to Pope John Paul to prepare well for his meeting with You in these last hours. He has truly been Your servant; and in Your example at the Last Supper when You washed the feet of Your apostles, John Paul has served Your Church with his suffering, with his prayers, with everything he has. We thank Thee for giving this Holy Father to Your Church. Have mercy on us - for we are sinners!

Oremus pro invicem!

The Holy Father ...

Fox news is reporting here that John Paul's condition is worsening - although Reuters doesn't have the story and there seems to be conflicting reports.

Let us pray for the Holy Father ....

Our Father ...

Terri Schiavo - Rest in Peace

At Mass this morning I prayed for Terri Schiavo in the commemoration of the living - unaware that she had passed by this time. Let us pray that her life and her death will bring awareness to the euthanasia which is practiced in the country daily and will cause many to reconsider the value of suffering, which has been sanctified by Christ's passion.

God can bring goodness out of evil. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Christ is Risen!

Two Lives

Every morning when I turn on the computer, the first thing I check is how Terri Schiavo is doing and how the 'powers that be' have found a new way to make sure this woman dies - no appeals heard. (I also notice that the Supreme Court is not releasing information on the vote.) It is amazing that she has held on this long. There is a will to live in Terri Schiavo. She is making sure we notice!

And in the background our Holy Father is fading. While it still may be years or only weeks, his illnesses seem to be finally taking their toll. I have feared his death as one fears their own father's death. He has been a spiritual father to me. As my own father taught me in practical ways how to love a wife and children, how to fix almost anything, how to have faith, how to teach children and countless other things;John Paul's writings have helped me understand the human person, marriage, economics, prayer, family life, and many other things which effect my daily life. John Paul has helped me understand the things my Dad taught me to do. As when my own father died some 6 years ago - I will realize in a special way (that only comes when you stop and reflect) again the gift God has given me (and the whole world) in John Paul - as he gave me in my own father. I will lament that I have not been as a good a steward of the gift as I should have been. I will pray for mercy and pray that I will appreciate God's gifts more in the future.

From the small holding in Bethune ...

Oremus pro invicem!

My Latest on CatholicExchange.com

I have an article on www.CatholicExchange.com this morning: here. It is similar to a something I posted here on Bethune Catholic back in January. But if you missed, here is your opportunity.

The winter issue of Catholic Men's Quarterly has a big ad for one of Requiem Press' books - "Witnesses to the Holy Mass and other sermons". Check out CMQ when you get the chance. They have some good stuff. In fact there is a travel review of Charleston, SC and they did visit at least two of our favortie spots: Stella Maris on Sullivan's Island (Traditional Latin Mass every Sunday and on First Fridays) and Mary of the Annuniciation Church downtown - very old, very beautiful. But the review missed going to The Citadel - my alma mater. Of course now that it is co-ed, maybe a writer from CMQ was not welcome. I don't know if my bumper stickers: "Save the Males" or "The Old Corps" would be welcome on campus anymore either for that matter. But the chaplain at The Citadel is a very good priest and friend.

I have been told that The Catholic Answer magazine (OSV) has a short review of "Witnesses" - although I haven't seen it. If anyone suscribes to The Catholic Answer, and is willing to email the review (I believe it is only a few sentences) I would greatly appreciate it. In fact I might even send the first person to do it, a copy of the book.

I am also going to try to post a couple of chicken-plucking pictures in the next few days - if time permits.

From the small holding in Bethune ...

Oremus pro invicem!

New Releases

We (Requiem Press) are releasing at least 2 new titles within the next 10 days . The first is traces the developing relationship between Church and State during the Middle Ages, and should be available on 4 April. The cover (see it on the website: www.RequiemPress.com) was done by Nicholas Mason, a student at Christendom College - and it is good.

The second is a snapshot in time: the first impressions of a missionary priest in Zambia in mid-1960's.

Both of these are booklets. We hope to have a couple more out by the end of April.

Please continue to pray for the success of our fledgling endeavor.

Oremus pro invicem!

If you haven't noticed, I have added a few more links on the sidebar in the past week or so. The newest is Hallowed Ground formerly of El Camino Real. We really look forward to reading this new offering. The Culbreath's, like the Curley's have recently moved to the country.

The Curley's have found that life is busier as we run our own business, take care of chickens and dogs, plant big gardens, and still homeschool, and try to keep house. We are carefully trying to decide on the next animal. We were going to get goats - especially for the milk, but now we are rethinking this (milking 2X per day, on schedule - may be too much to ask of us right now). Possibly we should get some low maintenance - high yield animals (rabbits?) until we fully adjust to the new life.

I may have mentioned when our daughter was home for a short visit from Christendom College a couple weekends ago, that she commented just before leaving that she had been busier and more tired after 3 days at home than she ever had been at college. Remembering my college days, that is quite a feat. (She did not come home for Easter - this was our first year not all together.)

From the small holding in Bethune...

Oremus pro invicem!