Lost in Thought

Where to start?

2011-04-13T16:26:00.002-06:00

So now that I'm reviving the blog, it's time to make some posts! Up first? Technology!

Anyone that knows me can tell you that I'm a technology junky. In the past, I would grab as many pieces of new tech that I could possibly get my hands on. Now that I have a few more expenses in my life I had to dial that back a bit :-) That doesn't mean that I've given up gadgets completely, though!

As an Android developer, I get to see and be a part of some really cool technology coming out from Google. Last Fall, I received a Logitech Revue Google TV complements of Google and have used it every day since. I also have an HTC Incredible Android phone that I use more than I'd like to admit. So, having fallen in love with those Android devices, I set my sights on the Android powered Motorola Xoom tablet.

I had been following the technology for some time and was extatic when I heard that the Xoom was finally launching. Having absolutely no desire to add any more expense to my monthly cell phone bill, I waited to pick one up until the wifi only version launced a few weeks later. In fact, I was the first person to pick one up from my local Best Buy!

I have had my Xoom for a couple of weeks now, and I don't think it has left my side once yet. It has a great screen size that is very easy to use and the on-sceeen keyboard allows me to write blog posts very easily. In fact, these last two posts have been written from the tablet. I've been able to tether it up to my Android phone as well for an always-connected experience that the small form factor of a phone just can't match.

There are sevaral tablet apps on the Android and Amazon App Marketplaces with many more coming. As a bonus, most of the Android 'phone' apps also work pretty well on the tablet. Angry Birds looks great on it :-P

Looking under the hood doesn't leave you wondering whether or not this tech is going to be viable a year down the road. With a dual-core 1 GHz processor and 32 GB of internal storage space, this is a device that am going to enjoy using for a long time to come.

I wasn't sure at first if picking up a Xoom was going to be worth it or not, but I can honestly say that it has changed the way I work and play on a daily basis.

Blog Revival

2011-04-12T04:09:00.002-06:00

Anyone who has ever read any of my blogs knows that they're always sporadic at best and at worst they don't get posted on in years. *cough*

That being said, its time for a blog revival!

Several exciting things are going on in my life at the moment that I will be sharing with you all shortly! I also plan on making the scope of this blog a little wider such that I can post not only on religion, but also my personal life, hobbies, and occasionally work!

Here I come, blog world!

P.S. I went through two or three titles to put on the book in the picture above before settling on that one. Post your funny (or serious) titles in the comments =)

Support the Pope

2008-01-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

Cardinal Newman Society
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16, 2008

Cardinal Calls for Faithful to Rally
in Rome in Support of Pope Benedict

CNS Urges Americans to Support Pope with Prayers on Sunday

MANASSAS, VA – The Cardinal Newman Society, a national organization that works to strengthen and renew Catholic higher education, is urging American Catholics to pray Sunday in solidarity with Pope Benedict XVI following offensive protests that forced him to cancel an address at Rome’s La Sapienza University.

Cardinal Camillo Ruini, Vicar for the Diocese of Rome, has urged Catholics to rally in St. Peter’s Square during Sunday’s recitation of the Angelus as a powerful display of support for the Holy Father, whose visit to La Sapienza was canceled because of anti-Catholic protests and false accusations that the Pope is not supportive of scientific discovery.

“For American Catholics who cannot be in Rome, we urge special prayers on Sunday to demonstrate both our love for Pope Benedict and our steadfast confidence in the unity of faith and reason,” said CNS president Patrick J. Reilly. “We hope that pastors will join us by including special prayers in Sunday’s petitions and by teaching Catholics the truth about the Church’s centuries-old dedication to science and higher education.”

Pope Benedict will make a rare visit to the United States in April 2008 and has summoned all presidents of U.S. Catholic colleges to meet with him in Washington. For nearly 20 years the Vatican has been working to strengthen the Catholic identity of Catholic colleges, and the intensity of those efforts has increased in recent years. CNS has been supporting and promoting these Vatican initiatives in the United States for the past 15 years.

“In advance of the Holy Father’s historic visit to the United States in April, we can draw upon this unfortunate incident as a valuable teaching moment for the Church and the secular world, which would seek truth without recognizing the Father and Creator, the fount of all truth,” said Reilly.

The unity of faith and reason has been a lifetime interest of Pope Benedict XVI and his predecessor Pope John Paul II, both of whom had been university scholars with great appreciation for higher education. The noted philosopher Ralph McInerny has said, “It sometimes seems that the only voice insisting on the power of human reason is that of the Holy Father.”

Deo Gratias!

2008-01-13T15:07:00.001-07:00

The Pope this morning celebrated Mass in the Sistine chapel ad Deum, towards God.

It was announced over Vatican radio (live via EWTN) as a break in tradition as I watched live on the television. However, this is a great victory for the liturgy and a great moment of hope for the entire Church. Let us pray that the Pope will continue to win victories for Christ and His Church!

A short essay on semantics

2008-01-13T00:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a short entry on why semantics in Bible translations is extremely important. Take for example this short passage from the Gospel of St. Luke. [Emphasis mine]

St. Luke 22:31-32 (English - Confraternity Edition)
(31) And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. (32) But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith may not fail; and do thou, when once thou has turned again, strengthen thy brethren."

In this translation, it would appear that the Lord is telling Simon that Satan desired to have him, that is Peter. However, let us look at the Latin translation which more carefully adheres to the Greek:

St. Luke 22:31-32 (Latin - Vulgate)
(31) ait autem Dominus Simon Simon ecce Satanas expetivit vos ut cribraret sicut triticum (32) ego autem rogavi pro te ut non deficiat fides tua et tu aliquando conversus confirma fratres tuos

vos - plural you; "you all"
cribro - to sift; cribraret - to sift you plural; "to sift you all"
te/tu - singular "you"
tua - singular "you"
tuos - plural "your"

Now we see that Satan demanded "you all", that is to say all Christians, so that he may sift them all like wheat. However, our Lord prayed for Peter that he may have the faith to lead all Christians - that he may strengthen us.

That is to say Christ established Peter in the role to lead all Christians, without whom we are left to Satan, who will sift and destroy us. It is easy to see that this is true in our own times. One need not look further than the multitude of denominations and separations that occurred once people left Peter and the Church.

----------------------------------------

Further thoughts -

St. Matthew 16:13-18 (English - Confraternity Edition)
(13) ... "Who do men say the Son of Man is?" (14) But they said, "Some say, John hte Baptist; and others, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets." (15) He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" (16) Simon Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (17) Then Jesus answered and said, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to thee, but my Father in heaven. (18) And I say to thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

When Jesus asked the disciples who the people said He was, there were a number of responses. There were those in the general population who thought he was one prophet or another. But when Jesus asked his disciples who they thought He was, Peter answered alone and with authority, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." When Jesus answered him, he notes that no man could know that - that it was revealed to him by God the Father. He continues on and calls Simon "Peter" - the rock upon which He will build His Church.

What is in a name? In ancient times names had a lot of meaning and value. Take for example the name Jesus which translates into "God saves" in Hebrew. It is quite intriguing then that Christ would call one of his disciples Peter, which translates quite literally into "Rock."

We find "rock" many times throughout the Bible - most often referring to literal small stones - but other times we find "Rock" (capital "R") - most often referring to God himself. But we know that Peter/Rock is not God. Why, then, is Jesus calling Simon Rock? Christ himself is the Rock - the cornerstone of the one true Church. What he is telling Simon/Peter/Rock is that he will engage in a sort of spiritual marriage with Him. When Simon/Peter speaks, he speaks with the authority of Rock/God. It is with this authority that Christ establishes his Church. He, through Peter, will lead His flock.

This is what the Church has always taught - that Peter and those who succeed Peter (ie. the Popes), when speaking on matters of faith and morals, speaks with the authority of Jesus. It is through the above passages that it is made clear that without this constant voice of Christ leading the Church, that the followers would be sifted like wheat and separated by Satan.

Therefore let us pray for Christian unity - that Christ may lead His one Flock with His one Shepard.

2007-10-25T12:54:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I'm horrible at updating my blogs! Ah well, life generally keeps me busy so I don't have just a whole lot of time to come around to these things. At any rate, I figured you deserved an update!

Well first, the big news. Aprill and I will be moving back to Texas in December! My parents are going to help us buy a house, so we're really excited! Plus, we'll be really close to our family and friends. And hopefully we'll be there for a really long time. We're both sick of moving!

Which brings me to my next question. Is there anyone in the Arlington, Texas area that currently attends the extraordinary form of Mass? We're looking for a parish to call home there.

School is going well and it keeps me busy most of the time. Once we move back to Texas I'll be continuing my education through distance courses over the internet. It will be a bit different, but I have taken some online courses while I was here, so it shouldn't be too much of a change for me.

Overall, we're very excited and can't wait. We will definitely miss all of our friends that we made in Arizona, though.

Please keep us in your prayers, and we will certainly keep you all in ours!

PS Hopefully it won't be months until my next update =)

Summorum Pontificum Contact Database

2007-07-10T23:50:00.001-06:00

The motu proprio has been released! The next step is to start putting the Catholic faithful who want to assist at the extraordinary form of the Holy Mass in touch with Catholic priests who want to say the extraordinary form of the Holy Mass.

Link Here

A Quiz

2007-04-12T13:56:00.001-06:00

You are a 100% traditional Catholic!

Congratulations! You are more knowlegeable than most modern theologians! You have achieved mastery over the most important doctrines of the Catholic Faith! You should share your incredible understanding with others!

Do You Know Your Baltimore Catechism?
Make Your Own Quiz

Why is it...

2007-04-11T23:18:00.000-06:00

Why does it seem that in some "traditionalist" Catholic groups the Pope (and the rest of the Vatican for that matter) gets such a negative wrap? There is such distrust and disdain for anything that comes from the Vatican.

Granted, the Church has seen some rough water in modern times, but it's not the first time that's happened. Christ's Church always prevails. Period.

I, for one, firmly believe that with prayer and support our Church will see the light of day again even if it isn't exactly how we expect it to happen.

In short, Christ left us a Church for a reason! Pray for it, for its leaders, and for everyone in it.

Dominus vobiscum!

Picture courtesy of http://www.vatican.va/news_services/or/photo/primi_piani/index.html

Sunny Tuesday

2007-04-10T17:50:00.000-06:00

I was browsing through CafePress.com at the t-shirt section and found a couple of great ones. Enjoy :)

1962 Missal Sales Rise as Motu Proprio Expected Soon

2007-04-05T00:57:00.000-06:00

Rome, Apr. 4, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Italian media outlets are once again reporting that a papal document liberalizing the use of the Mass of St. Pius V could be released during the Easter season.

Reports of the imminent release of a motu proprio allowing all Catholic priests to use the Tridentine rite have been circulating in Rome for a full year. The rumors have intensified recently, however, and this week saw the Vatican Secretary of State confirm that the document is close to publication. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone told the French publication Le Figaro that the Pope is prepared to take action soon-- although he did not give a date.

In expectation of the motu proprio, Catholic bookstores in Rome have begun selling copies of the 1962 Missal. Expecting brisk sales, publishing houses in Italy are reprinting the old Missal.

http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=77479

Chant Cast

2007-04-04T16:44:00.000-06:00

If any of you are techies like me, you'll definitely like this podcast I found today: Chant Cast.

"What to learn the Latin Chants for the Mass? In this podcast I'm going to teach the Latin Mass parts, some beautiful Latin hymns and provide the sheet music for them. I might not have the best voice, but I'll do what I can!"

Here is the link to subscribe:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/Chantcast

and here is the link for more information:
http://www.ipadre.net/chant.html

Enjoy!

Lack of Updates

2007-03-27T19:03:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. My parents came into town for a week and then I got the flu and now Aprill has the flu, so we've been quite out of it! I'll try to post something meaningful soon :)

Homework Time

2007-03-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

No real update today - I'm busy working with homework in the background. I found out that Aprill is getting transferred to another department at work and will be making 4 more bucks an hour which is really great for her! The only downside is that the schedules are set in stone and she has to work on Sundays =( I'm really bummed out that we won't be able to attend Mass together on Sundays =( We can go to a vigil Mass or early on Sunday mornings, but it won't be a Tridendtine Mass and just won't be the same... Hopefully something will work out...

Okay... back to homework I go!

The Proper attitude when fasting

2007-02-24T15:58:00.001-07:00

St. John Chrysostom, in this excerpt from Homily III of his "Homilies on the Statues," summed it up well:

7. ...We have this fast too as an ally, and as an assistant in this good intercession. Therefore, as when the winter is over and the summer is appearing, the sailor draws his vessel to the deep; and the soldier burnishes his arms, and makes ready his steed for the battle; and the husbandman sharpens his sickle; and the traveller boldly undertakes a long journey, and the wrestler strips and bares himself for the contest. So too, when the fast makes its appearance, like a kind of spiritual summer, let us as soldiers burnish our weapons; and as husbandmen let us sharpen our sickle; and as sailors let us order our thoughts against the waves of extravagant desires; and as travellers let us set out on the journey towards heaven; and as wrestlers let us strip for the contest. For the believer is at once a husbandman, and a sailor, and a soldier, a wrestler, and a traveller. Hence St. Paul saith, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers. Put on therefore the whole armour of God." Hast thou observed the wrestler? Hast thou observed the soldier? If thou art a wrestler, it is necessary for thee to engage in the conflict naked. If a soldier, it behoves thee to stand in the battle line armed at all points. How then are both these things possible, to be naked, and yet not naked; to be clothed, and yet not clothed! How? I will tell thee. Divest thyself of worldly business, and thou hast become a wrestler. Put on the spiritual armour, and thou hast become a soldier. Strip thyself of worldly cares, for the season is one of wrestling. Clothe thyself with the spiritual armour, for we have a heavy warfare to wage with demons. Therefore also it is needful we should be naked, so as to offer nothing that the devil may take hold of, while he is wrestling with us; and to be fully armed at all points, so as on no side to receive a deadly blow. Cultivate thy soul. Cut away the thorns. Sow the word of godliness. Propagate and nurse with much care the fair plants of divine wisdom, and thou hast become a husbandman. And Paul will say to thee, "The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. He too himself practised this art. Therefore writing to the Corinthians, he said, "I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase." Sharpen thy sickle, which thou hast blunted through gluttony--sharpen it by fasting. Lay hold of the pathway which leads towards heaven; rugged and narrow as it is, lay hold of it, and journey on. And how mayest thou be able to do these things? By subduing thy body, and bringing it into subjection. For when the way grows narrow, the corpulence that comes of gluttony is a great hindrance. Keep down the waves of inordinate desires. Repel the tempest of evil thoughts. Preserve the bark; display much skill, and thou hast become a pilot. But we shall have the fast for a groundwork and instructor in all these things.

8. I speak not, indeed, of such a fast as most persons keep, but of real fasting; not merely an abstinence from meats; but from sins too. For the nature of a fast is such, that it does not suffice to deliver those who practice it, unless it be done according to a suitable law. "For the wrestler," it is said, "is not crowned unless he strive lawfully." To the end then, that when we have gone through the labour of fasting, we forfeit not the crown of fasting, we should understand how, and after what manner, it is necessary to conduct this business; since that Pharisee also fasted, but afterwards when down empty, and destitute of the fruit of fasting. The Publican fasted not; and yet he was accepted in preference to him who had fasted; in order that thou mayest learn that fasting is unprofitable, except all other duties follow with it. The Ninevites fasted, and won the favour of God. The Jews fasted too, and profited nothing, nay they departed with blame. Since then the danger in fasting is so great to those who do not know how they ought to fast, we should learn the laws of this exercise, in order that we may not "run uncertainly," nor "beat the air," nor while we are fighting contend with a shadow. Fasting is a medicine; but a medicine, though it be never so profitable, becomes frequently useless owing to the unskillfulness of him who employs it. For it is necessary to know, moreover, the time when it should be applied, and the requisite quantity of it; and the temperament of body that admits it; and the nature of the country, and the season of the year; and the corresponding diet; as well as varous other particulars; any of which, if one overlooks, he will mar all the rest that have been named. Now if, when the body needs healing, such exactness is required on our part, much more ought we, when our care is about the soul, and we seek to heal the distempers of the mind, to look, and to search into every particular with the utmost accuracy.

11. I have said these things, not that we may disparage fasting, but that we may honour fasting; for the honour of fasting consists not in abstinence from food, but in withdrawing from sinful practices; since he who limits his fasting only to an abstinence from meats, is one who especially disparages it. Dost thou fast? Give me proof of it by thy works! Is it said by what kind of works? If thou seest a poor man, take pity on him! If thou seest an enemy, be reconciled to him! If thou seest a friend gaining honour, envy him not! If thou seest a handsome woman, pass her by! For let not the mouth only fast, but also the eye, and ear, and the feet, and the hands, and all the members of our bodies. Let the hands fast, by being pure from rapine and avarice. Let the feet fast, but ceasing from running to the unlawful spectacles. Let the eyes fast, being taught never to fix themselves rudely upon handsome countenances, or to busy themselves with strange beauties. For looking is the food of the eyes, but if this be such as is unlawful or forbidden, it mars the fast; and upsets the whole safety of the soul; but if it be lawful and safe, it adorns fasting. For it would be among things the most absurd to abstain from lawful food because of the fast, but with the eyes to touch even what is forbidden. Dost thou not eat flesh? Feed not upon lasciviousness by means of the eyes. Let the ear fast also. The fasting of the ear consists in refusing to receive evil speakings and calumnies. "Thou shalt not receive a false report," it says.

(Source: http://www.fisheaters.com/fasting.html)

A good read

2007-02-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine posted this link on his blog. I found it a very good read and recommend you read it. Read it here.

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving

2007-02-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

The three traditional pillars of Lenten observance are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The key to renewed appropriation of these practices is to see their link to baptismal renewal.

Prayer: More time given to prayer during Lent should draw us closer to the Lord. We might pray especially for the grace to live out our baptismal promises more fully. We might pray for the elect who will be baptized at Easter and support their conversion journey by our prayer. We might pray for all those who will celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation with us during Lent that they will be truly renewed in their baptismal commitment.

Fasting: Fasting is one of the most ancient practices linked to Lent. In fact, the paschal fast predates Lent as we know it. The early Church fasted intensely for two days before the celebration of the Easter Vigil. This fast was later extended and became a 40-day period of fasting leading up to Easter. Vatican II called us to renew the observance of the ancient paschal fast: "...let the paschal fast be kept sacred. Let it be celebrated everywhere on Good Friday and, where possible, prolonged throughout Holy Saturday, so that the joys of the Sunday of the Resurrection may be attained with uplifted and clear mind" (Liturgy, # 110).

Fasting is more than a means of developing self-control. It is often an aid to prayer, as the pangs of hunger remind us of our hunger for God. The first reading on the Friday after Ash Wednesday points out another important dimension of fasting. The prophet Isaiah insists that fasting without changing our behavior is not pleasing to God. "This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own" (Is 58:6-7).

Fasting should be linked to our concern for those who are forced to fast by their poverty, those who suffer from the injustices of our economic and political structures, those who are in need for any reason. Thus fasting, too, is linked to living out our baptismal promises. By our Baptism, we are charged with the responsibility of showing Christ's love to the world, especially to those in need. Fasting can help us realize the suffering that so many people in our world experience every day, and it should lead us to greater efforts to alleviate that suffering.

Abstaining from meat traditionally also linked us to the poor, who could seldom afford meat for their meals. It can do the same today if we remember the purpose of abstinence and embrace it as a spiritual link to those whose diets are sparse and simple. That should be the goal we set for ourselves—a sparse and simple meal. Avoiding meat while eating lobster misses the whole point!

Almsgiving: It should be obvious at this point that almsgiving, the third traditional pillar, is linked to our baptismal commitment in the same way. It is a sign of our care for those in need and an expression of our gratitude for all that God has given to us. Works of charity and the promotion of justice are integral elements of the Christian way of life we began when we were baptized.

Source: http://www.americancatholic.org/newsletters/CU/ac0302.asp#F4

Lent

2007-02-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

So I've been thinking of what to give up for the Lenten season this year... Having such an appreciation for and connection with the ancient traditions of the Church, I will be giving up all food/drink during the daytime hours and having one meal after sunset.

Giving Up:

Food/drink during sunlight hours, except Sundays. (Water if needed - this is the desert...)
Meat on all days except Sunday (diet permitting)

Doing:

Rosary/Divine Mercy Chaplet once a day (at least)
Spiritual reading every day
No swearing (should this be under "giving up"? =P)
Grace before meals
Brown Scapular - started wearing already, but why not further the practice?

This is going to be difficult, but I think it will help me really grow spiritually.

What are you giving up/doing for Lent?

Religion and Technology

2007-02-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my Professional Skills class at school where I was just lectured on critical thinking. Most of the lecture consisted of covering the "great thinkers" of the world which he named as Socrates, Descartes, Newton, and Einstein. I love reading about these thinkers and in the past have studied them in depth. But what I do not appreciate is when a teacher steps in front of me in a non-religious and non-philosophical related class and proceeds to tell me that these "great thinkers" of the world are great because they all disproved God.

*blinks*

"I want to know God's thoughts; the rest are details." -Albert Einstein

"Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done." -Isaac Newton

It seems to me that this sort of anti-religion/anti-establishment mindset permeates everything relating to technology. Now don't get me wrong, I respect other's opinions to believe whatever they wish to. However, I do not feel that it is right that I should be subject to this methodology in an environment that is supposed to lead to higher education and free thinking.

Does anyone else face the challenges of being religious in the technology world? How do you deal with being such a small minority among so many?

*sad*

It's Official

2007-01-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

According to the SelectSmart.com Belief System Selector, my #1 belief match is ROMAN CATHOLIC.
What do you believe? Visit SelectSmart.com/RELIGION

Interestingly enough, I also scored a 100% for Eastern Orthodox. Apparently I'm breathing with "both lungs". *smiles at those who caught it*

The Lamb's Supper

2007-01-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

The Lamb's Supper: Mass as Heaven on Earth

I received this book as a birthday gift and just recently finished it. I recommend that you go read it! I love Scott Hann's writings.

From the front flap:
"The Lamb's Supper reveals a long lost secret of the Church: The early Christians' key to understanding the mysteries of the Mass was the New Testaments' Book of Revelation. With its bizarre imagery, its' mystic visions of Heaven, and its' end-of-time prophesies, Revelation mirrors the sacrifice and celebration of the Eucharist. Beautifully written in clear, direct language, this new book by best selling Catholic author Scott Hann will help readers see the Mass with new eyes, pray the liturgy with a renewed heart, and enter into the Mass more fully, enthusiastically, intelligently, and more powerfully than ever before."

NO Latin

2007-01-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Aprill and I attended a NO Mass in Latin today. Unfortunately, we both felt that it lacked a particularly spiritual sense. This is not to say that it was not valid, etc., only that we did not find it a home for us.

Instead of critiquing the Mass I only want to offer up our plans of what we're going to do now. =) We are considering finding another parish that is close to us which offers the Mass (Tridentine or Novus Ordo) in Latin.

We will continue to pray about this and will keep you updated!

I would like to say something positive about the parish that we attended today. We both *loved* the Perpetual Adoration chapel they have there. They have a small library of pamphlets/books, plenty of chairs, several rosaries, and was overall very nice. If nothing else, we'll probably be returning to that parish just for Adoration! =)

Tridentine, Novus Ordo, and Latin

2007-01-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been awhile since I've posted here. I actually forgot that I created this page! Well, with the transition of moving and then going to Texas for the holidays, it was quite easy to do. *smile*

As some of you know, since I've been in Arizona, I've been attending a Tridentine Mass along with some friends of mine. For those of you who don't know what that means, I encourage you to check out: This Page In a nutshell, the Tridentine Mass is the liturgy that was followed until the 1960's when Vatican II created the Novus Ordo liturgy (in Latin, for the record).

I have really enjoyed attending Mass in this style. The reverence, chant, and incense. To attend the Tridentine liturgy is to attend in body, mind, and soul.

This week, however, I am doing something different. I am going to attend a Novus Ordo Mass in its original Latin language. I have heard many things (good and bad) about the Novus Ordo, even in its' native language. I am hoping that the good things I have heard will be true and the bad things won't be. ;-)

I have grown up with the NO, so I know how to pray it. Having attended the Tridentine Mass, I found myself the rest of the week trying to better prepare myself for the next time I went. Trying to find deeper ways to invest myself in it and how to pray it more deeply and reverently. But again, since it is new to me, I still find trouble doing such no matter how much I like the Mass.

That is why I am going to attend a NO this weekend. I think that Latin being the universal language of the Universal Church that it is an essential part of the liturgy, but I hope that because it is in a form more to what I am used to that it will be easier to put myself into a state of spiritual contemplation, worship, and reverence.

I'll post later and let you know how it goes! ;-)

Religion and Society

2006-11-08T02:58:00.000-07:00

From my observations, Christianity is seen in society today often as a supplement. Somewhat of a crutch that is available for those who 'need' it, but easily enough pushed aside for the mainstream. But I offer a different approach. I say that modern society is based on Christianity.

I begin this reasoning by saying that society is built on the family. In a family there is a bond between all members, that in ideal circumstances, promotes the greater good for all of them. Food, shelter, and clothing is provided for all members as well as love and console for one another. Society in turn acts so that the great family, all humans, can have all the aforementioned necessities. To be civilized is to work together, one family with another, to come to provide what each other needs.

Furthermore, the family is based on Christianity. There is husband and one wife - representative of Christ and his bride the Church. Mother and Father who work together to provide for its children. The Father who offers himself physically to provide for the family, and the mother who offers protection and guidance. Because of these links, I believe that modern society is based on Christian beliefs.

But what does this relationship mean? Christianity is about society and living together just as much as it is about personal salvation. Faith, in turn, is not a private matter. It is a communal matter! We serve God in life as a family. The Gospel is full of this message but it has somewhat become lost in our times. What can we do about it though? In America we have the privilege of voting for our leaders. I personally do not advocate one party or another because I believe that both have faults and a political party does not determine beliefs.

I leave you with no other insight other than this: We are responsible for each others actions in this life. Help preserve the sanctity of human life that we may all come to understand the glory of God, in whose image we are created.