Crazy Catholics

Have you ever tried to explain your faith to someone who was not even Christian? I did, yesterday, to a friend of mine. I tried to explain the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. She listened politely, but as I was talking I became aware of how incredibly CRAZY the whole thing sounded.

We believe God himself becomes flesh again? We believe that His actual body is right there, before us? We adore what appears to all others to be just a piece of bread? I sounded like a lunatic.

She didn't act like she was taken aback or anything. She was perfectly attentive as she listened to my string of lunatic claims. The bread becomes True Flesh. The wine becomes the actual Blood of God. The Mass is actually Heaven, visited upon earth for a moment.

On the surface it really does sounds nuts. And yet, I firmly believe all of it. There is such a rich wealth of information in the Bible and in our faith and our traditions. It is information that shows us, without a shadow of a doubt, that this is absolute truth. But someone who is not Christian or Catholic, someone who has never opened much less read a Bible has no idea the information contained within. They are content to ignore it (at best), or to rely on some stereotypical belief they once heard of what it contains (at worst).

One of the best cases for belief stems from the Messianic prophecies themselves. These are things that were prophesied hundreds of years before Christ was ever born. And the chances of any human being able to intentionally recreate and fulfill those prophecies is next to nothing. The chance is infinitesimal. How could someone have made them cast lots for his clothes, for example?  How could anyone be sure they did not break his legs before being crucified, as many prisoners usually were? He was given vinegar to drink, and on and on and on, the biblical prophecies continued to be fulfilled.

I wished I could make her understand, but I knew that I was only making myself and other Christians sound like we ought to be committed to the asylum. And if we should be committed to an asylum, I only hope that I can do so in the name of Christ, and gladly take such punishment as long as I am left alone to believe and know the Truth.

Exorcism and the Church Militant

Have you heard of the book "Exorcism and the Church Militant" by Rev. Thomas Euteneuer? I hadn't until this weekend when I was browsing my parish gift shop and I ran across it. I thought the $20 price tag was too steep, so I didn't buy it and instead my husband looked for it online once we got home. We thought we would surely find it for less. Instead, we found out that it was not available at all online!

As it turns out, the book is out of print, is sold out, and Fr. Euteneuer has stepped down from his post as President of Human Life International. Although he was a very public figure who had even been on Hannity (and rightly said he would deny Hannity Communion based on his public pro-contraception stance), he canceled all his speaking engagements and returned to his home diocese at the call of his Bishop.

It all seems very mysterious, but once I learned all this I felt particularly compelled to get my hands on this book and read it. I went back to my parish gift shop at the first opportunity and bought their only 2 remaining copies.

The book is highly educational, entirely fascinating, and Fr. Euteneuer's frank and straightforward voice permeates the pages. It is easy to understand and has shed a lot of light on role of evil influences in the lives of man. I think it is an important work, and I truly hope and pray that the publisher will consider re-printing it. There are many, many souls who would benefit from understanding the things written about in this book. Have you read it yet? If so, what did you think?

Merry Christmas...

...or, "Felix Dies Nativitatis!" in Latin. I didn't know how to say that until 5 seconds ago. But it sounds very pretty to me.

Anyway, I hope that everyone is having a blessed and joyful Christmas Day, always remembering the true meaning of Christmas and the reason for all our celebration.

It is a time of hope and joy... my favorite time of the year. So Felix Dies Nativitatis!

Gregorian Chant

At church I lead a Schola Cantorum, which is in other words a school of chant. We do gregorian chant as well as sacred polyphony. We sing monthly at Vespers, and yesterday was our November Vespers. One of our singers' sister recorded this. It is O Sacrum Convivium by Remondi. Unfortunately our bass got stuck in traffic and missed singing this one, otherwise we would have been a little more complete.  All in all, I am decently pleased at the way it turned out, all things considered. It is a wonderful way to praise the Lord, and we are so blessed to have an opportunity to sing.

Here are the lyrics of the song, from Wikipedia.

Original Latin (punctuation from Liber Usualis):

O sacrum convivium!
in quo Christus sumitur:
recolitur memoria passionis ejus:
mens impletur gratia:
et futurae gloriae nobis pignus datur.
Alleluia.

Translation of original Latin:

O sacred banquet!
in which Christ is received,
the memory of his Passion is renewed,
the mind is filled with grace,
and a pledge of future glory to us is given.
Alleluia.

The End of the Rainbow is at the Shrine

The Catholics and Heretics blog has a new post up about the Shrine of the Most Holy Redeemer, and how the priest there was put on leave due to his rentals of what essentially amounts to gay pornography. Video rentals which he had mailed directly to the Shrine's address!

In the priest's place Bishop Pepe appointed the openly gay Michael La Rocca as administrator. I mean "openly gay" as in he lives with his boyfriend, so it is not as though he is someone who lives a chaste and holy life, in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Interesting choices, Bishop. Very interesting.

Heaven

I was talking to my husband Phillip about the Sacred Music Colloquim, and how I would love to go. "I would be in heaven," I said dreamily.

Phillip: Yes, you would be in heaven. (He was referring to the daily chanted Masses)
Ivy (age 3): I don't want you to go to heaven.
Me: Well, not yet.
Ivy: I want want to go to heaven.
Me (reassuringly): Well, we can go to heaven together.
Phillip (ominously): We can all go to heaven together.
Me (laughing): Here, Ivy, drink this Kool-aid.
Ivy: You know the Caf'lick Mass is Heaven?
Phillip: How did you know that?
Ivy: God told me dat, when I was sleeping.
Phillip: What else did he tell you?
Ivy: Dat my gawdian angel was coming. And then I woked up and hugged her. God sent her, because he is Chwist the Lawd.
Me: Whats your guardian angels name?
Ivy: She doesn't have a name, because she never got born.
Me: Well what name do you give her?
Ivy: Her first name is Scwumptious. Her second name is Footpwints.
Me: So her name is Scrumptious Footprints?
Ivy: Yes.

And from there she continued on with a slew of words and descriptions about St Michael, her angel, God, and who knows what else. We were surprised at her understanding about the Mass, and so thankful that God is working in her heart and mind, even at such a tender age!

And the Thunder Rolls...

Last night and this morning Las Vegas had thunderstorms rolling through. I was actually surprised that the thunder and lightening was still going on as morning approached. Usually it blows over long before morning. For most of the night my area didn't get any actual rain, but the light show was spectacular.

At about 6am, the rain started coming down hard. It was beautiful. I have always been a big fan of rain and thunderstorms. So I was too excited to go back to sleep. I just had to enjoy the weather as fully as I could because it doesn't come along very often.

I got up, wrapped myself up in a blanket, made myself a piping hot latte and sat down on the couch to pray my rosary while I watched the storm. This rosary is for the intention of... I prayed. Although the thunder was starting to rumble further and further in the distance, as soon as I finished my intention there was an enormous and deafening clap of thunder. Let me just say that I have had enough happen to me that I have stopped believing in coincidences.

As I sat there in the semi-dark, praying, I had one of those delicious moments when you can feel God's presence. I was filled with such an overwhelming love and joy. I thanked Him for the countless blessings in my life.

And I thanked him for the beautiful thunderstorm, which woke me up and brought me to that perfect moment of prayer and worship, to the ideal way to start my day.