That question answered here.
Fashion, modesty, decency and menswear for women.
After my post yesterday, I'll be exploring the topic further.
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First, from the current Catechism of the Catholic Church:
First, from the current Catechism of the Catholic Church:
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2521. Purity requires modesty, an integral part of temperance. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity.
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2522. Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love. It encourages patience and moderation in loving relationships; it requires that the conditions for the definitive giving and commitment of man and woman to one another be fulfilled. Modesty is decency. It inspires ones choice of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet.
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2523. There is a modesty of the feelings as well as of the body.... Modesty inspires a way of life which makes it possible to resist the allurements of fashion and the pressures of prevailing ideologies.
2523. There is a modesty of the feelings as well as of the body.... Modesty inspires a way of life which makes it possible to resist the allurements of fashion and the pressures of prevailing ideologies.
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The catechism says nothing about menswear on women - or is it implied?.
I'm beginning to think it may be implied. Compare the CCC citations with a document on the subject of modesty and menswear styles for women, composed by Cardinal Siri in 1960 - the same year Sr. Lucy of Fatima stated the secret was to be opened and read, since it would be better understood at that time. And do recall that the '60's were a time of radical change, and not just in women's fashions.
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"...Clothes to be modest need not only to cover the body but also not to cling too closely to the body. Now it is true that much feminine clothing today clings closer than do some trousers, but trousers can be made to cling closer, in fact generally they do, so the tight fit of such clothing gives us not less grounds for concern than does exposure of the body. So the immodesty of men's trousers on women is an aspect of the problem which is not to be left out of an over-all judgment upon them, even if it is not to be artificially exaggerated either.
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However, it is a different aspect of women's wearing of men's trousers which seems to us the gravest. The wearing of men's dress by women affects firstly the woman herself, by changing the feminine psychology proper to women; secondly it affects the woman as wife of her husband, by tending to vitiate relationships between the sexes; thirdly it affects the woman as mother of her children by harming her dignity in her children's eyes. Each of these points is to be carefully considered in turn:
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Modesty inspires a way of life which makes it possible to resist the allurements of fashion and the pressures of prevailing ideologies. - CCC 2523
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A. MALE DRESS CHANGES THE PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMAN. In truth, the motive impelling women to wear men's dress is always that of imitating, nay, of competing with, the man who is considered stronger, less tied down, more independent. This motivation shows clearly that male dress is the visible aid to bringing about a mental attitude of being "like a man." Secondly, ever since men have been men, the clothing a person wears, demands, imposes and modifies that person's gestures, attitudes and behavior, such that from merely being worn outside, clothing comes to impose a particular frame of mind inside.
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Then let us add that woman wearing man's dress always more or less indicates her reacting to her femininity as though it is inferiority when in fact it is only diversity. The perversion of her psychology is clear to be seen.
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These reasons, summing up many more, are enough to warn us how wrongly women are made to think by the wearing of men's dress." - Giuseppe Cardinal Siri, Archbishop of Genoa, 12 June 1960
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Like I said in an earlier post, I don't really care about this issue - although I don't mind seeing women in Ralph Lauren (photo)... Anyway, I doubt many contemporary women could ever be convinced to go back to house dresses. It seems to me, it is too late, just like the Fatima secret and consecration of Russia - the horse left the stable, the train already left the station. However, I find the Cardinal's warning, as well as the timing of his "notification" to be terribly significant. I can't delve into it at the moment, but I hope to post a thing or two in the days to come.
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Cardinl Siri was a leading candidate for the papacy in the conclaves which elected John XXIII as well as Paul VI, and I believe those which elected John Paul I and II. Some Sedevacantists believe Siri was indeed elected but shoved aside in favor of John XXIII, I have no interest in that sort of intrigue - way too Ron Howard for me. Suffice it to say, Siri was a very prominent churchman, and his teaching deserving of great esteem and worthy of serious consideration. Likewise, I don't think I should be making fun of people who reject certain contemporary fashions any longer either. My apologies.
A Y-Chromoso-minute
Angela and Cathy wanted me to do this day-book thing Larry invented. (I know!) Normally I wouldn't do a meme or anything like this, but since they asked, I will do it, just because I'm so darn nice. Larry, I'm not trying to steal votes from you, because your Y-chromosomal post was very funny and can't be topped.
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For Today: Thursday, April 30, 2009
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Outside My Window... Cloudy. Really cloudy and misty - I believe it is a light drizzle.
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I am thinking about... hmmmmmm….. Janet Reno.
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I am thankful for… Foxes, and rabbits, and gophers and pigs and dogs and kitties.
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From the kitchen... Nothing - I get nothing - I'm single. Actually I never eat before 3PM - it's a desert fathers thing. Speaking of - my dad would love this - whenever I called him, he told me in detail what he was doing, what he ate, what he was thinking, just like this meme datebook thing here. "Yeah hon, I just ate some fried chicken and made a little gravy for some mashed potatoes - those instant ones ya know - and I just had a little salad like your mom used to make with some french dressing - not the spicy type, and some milk, I was just gonna do dishes when you called."
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I am wearing... Larry said, "jeans, sweatshirt, socks, boxer briefs…" Me too! (I also have a t-shirt and a scapular on underneath.)
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I am creating... A lot of trouble. Lots and lots. But not deliberately - really - I say things and write things and paint things, and for some reason people get all pissed off. I'm also painting a picture of Mrs. Rabitowitz before I kill her.
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I am reading... Pope Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth - again. Actually that is my new project that will never end. Otherwise - well - now days, for the last few years actually - I rarely read anything cover to cover - I think I have ADD. I have a dozen or more books at my feet that I pick up and read here and there - but I don't want to list them all for fear of intimidating my readers by my scholarship. (Keep laughing Cath!) Do you know I have never read anything by Ann rice? I started one novel and threw it out. I think the stuff she and Stephen King write are stupid - their crap may work occasionally for a film, but otherwise... Anyway - I don't like their stuff.
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I am hoping... That I can get it together before I die.
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Around the house... Larry said, "pfft! I’m a guy! Since when does a guy notice anything around the house?" True. Like I said, I'm single - so I just ignore the mess and change clothes when they wear out.
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I am thinking about.... Still Janet Reno. But then I began to wonder about... never mind.
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A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I'll probably call Janet and see if she wants to do something. Otherwise - I don't have any plans - it's that ADD thing - I'd move on to something else as soon as I made them.
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That's about it I guess. I know - it is not as good as Larry's - but that's alright.
Swine flu case in Minnesota.
Swine flu has been reported in a small town called Cold Spring. I don't know where that is exactly - I'm from the Eastside of St. Paul - we never knew where anything was. I've lived in Minneapolis for years, but I still can't give clear directions to motorists on how to get someplace in town.
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Anyway, the just-confirmed case of Swine flu in Minnesota involves a student in elementary school.
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If I was still employed, I would so call in sick for the rest of the week.
Art Shoppe Starts!!!
When: Thursday, April 30th 4p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday, May 1st 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 2nd 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Where: Ivory Ridge Country Club
32 East Clubview Lane Lehi,UT 84043
White Castle special promo: Pulled Pork
During the Swine flu pandemic.
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Talk about bad timing. White Castle is promoting a pulled pork sandwich, just as Swine flu panic sweeps the headlines. What is worse, they show a person dressed as a hog performing a Flashdance parody; instead of water dumped onto the pig, pulled pork is dumped, and hurled onto the audience - like vomit. Great advertising campaign, huh?
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Now you can understand why the pork industry does not want it called, Swine flu.
Bishop Tobin speaks out on the dangers of same sex 'marriage'.
The Bishop warns against Catholic apathy to the issue.
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Personally, I believe the apathy stems from a laissez-faire attitude of "live and let live", "don't judge", "there but for the grace of God", and ultimately the dictatorship of relativism. I'm convinced this is a direct consequence of the contraceptive mentality which facilitated the irresponsibile exploitation of sexual relations for the sake of pleasure alone; leading to all types of promiscuous behavior and sex without consequences, including the acceptance of homosexual acts as having parity with heterosexual intercourse - since both are impotent when contraception is used by heterosexuals.
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Personally, I believe the apathy stems from a laissez-faire attitude of "live and let live", "don't judge", "there but for the grace of God", and ultimately the dictatorship of relativism. I'm convinced this is a direct consequence of the contraceptive mentality which facilitated the irresponsibile exploitation of sexual relations for the sake of pleasure alone; leading to all types of promiscuous behavior and sex without consequences, including the acceptance of homosexual acts as having parity with heterosexual intercourse - since both are impotent when contraception is used by heterosexuals.
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Bishop Tobin:
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“Abysmal” Catholic apathy must be overcome to oppose those who are “fiercely determined” to impose homosexual “marriage,” Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island Thomas J. Tobin has warned. Reasserting Catholic teaching on sexual morality, he also said that same-sex “marriage” will endanger religious freedom.
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“Abysmal” Catholic apathy must be overcome to oppose those who are “fiercely determined” to impose homosexual “marriage,” Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island Thomas J. Tobin has warned. Reasserting Catholic teaching on sexual morality, he also said that same-sex “marriage” will endanger religious freedom.
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“The supporters of gay marriage in Rhode Island are well-organized and well-funded. They’re fiercely determined to impose their politically correct agenda on all the citizens of the state – human history, culture and moral principles not-withstanding. Anyone who opposes them is quickly labeled a bigot,” the bishop observed.
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However, he said the typical Rhode Island Catholic’s response was indifferent and cited not wanting to judge people. Tobin also said that Catholics give rationalizations about the decline of Catholic influence.
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Bishop Tobin explained that “homosexual activity is unnatural and gravely immoral. It’s offensive to Almighty God. It can never be condoned, under any circumstances. Gay marriage, or civil unions, would mean that our state is in the business of ratifying, approving such immoral activity.”
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The movement for same-sex “marriage,” he added, “seeks to radically redefine the most fundamental institution of the human race, the building block of every society and culture. From the beginning, marriage has been defined as the stable union of man and woman, designed by God to continue the human race through the procreation of children.
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“Homosexual relationships are not marriage – never have been, never will be.”
“Homosexual relationships are not marriage – never have been, never will be.”
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“Proponents of gay marriage say that the Church won’t be forced to witness such marriages. Don’t believe it,” he said, warning that the Church may be required to admit homosexual couples as sponsors for baptism, to rent its facilities for homosexual wedding receptions, or to hire employees despite their immoral lifestyles.
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“For simply maintaining its teachings in these and many other possible scenarios, the Church will be accused of bigotry and unlawful discrimination. The threat to our religious freedom is real, and imminent,” he said. - Source
.“For simply maintaining its teachings in these and many other possible scenarios, the Church will be accused of bigotry and unlawful discrimination. The threat to our religious freedom is real, and imminent,” he said. - Source
Photo: Iowa.
I love California
I like California.
I love California.
I like to see squirrels there.
I like to see mice there.
I love to catch lizards.
I like to go in a hot tub in California.
I like to go to Disneyland there.
I love California.
***I think he had a good time during spring break. Don't you?
I forgot what I was doing...
When they say Don't I know you?
say no.
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When they invite you to the party
remember what parties are like
before answering.
Someone telling you in a loud voice
they once wrote a poem.
Greasy sausage balls on a paper plate.
Then reply.
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If they say We should get together
say why?
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It's not that you don't love them anymore.
You're trying to remember something
too important to forget.
Trees. The monastery bell at twilight.
Tell them you have a new project.
It will never be finished.
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When someone recognizes you in a grocery store
nod briefly and become a cabbage.
When someone you haven't seen in ten years
appears at the door,
don't start singing him all your new songs.
You will never catch up.
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Walk around feeling like a leaf.
Know you could tumble at any second.
Then decide what to do with your time.
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The Art of Disappearing by Naomi Shihab Nye
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(Thanks for reminding me... I've been forgetting a lot lately.)
say no.
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When they invite you to the party
remember what parties are like
before answering.
Someone telling you in a loud voice
they once wrote a poem.
Greasy sausage balls on a paper plate.
Then reply.
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If they say We should get together
say why?
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It's not that you don't love them anymore.
You're trying to remember something
too important to forget.
Trees. The monastery bell at twilight.
Tell them you have a new project.
It will never be finished.
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When someone recognizes you in a grocery store
nod briefly and become a cabbage.
When someone you haven't seen in ten years
appears at the door,
don't start singing him all your new songs.
You will never catch up.
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Walk around feeling like a leaf.
Know you could tumble at any second.
Then decide what to do with your time.
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The Art of Disappearing by Naomi Shihab Nye
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(Thanks for reminding me... I've been forgetting a lot lately.)
Speaking of kilts...
What does a man wear under one?.
I think it is a myth that men wear nothing under their kilts. Researching ancient underwear for my St. Sebastian painting, I know ancient people wore underclothes; so I'm sure Scotsmen did too. Contrary to contemporary fantasy.
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But what about cassocks - what do men wear under their cassocks? In the United States, pants of course. Researching this post I came across one from Fr. Longenecker on the subject, and a female commenter wrote, "I have never wondered what a priest wears under his cassock." Good for her - that is because it is a guy thing. Guys wonder what another guy wears under a tunic, kilt, dress, skirt, cassock - what have you. First reason being, they can't imagine wearing stuff like that, and because they wouldn't want to be all exposed if something happened. Well maybe most guys wouldn't give it a thought - but if you ever had to wear something like that, then maybe you would. Obviously Father did.
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Although I always thought wearing trousers beneath a cassock or a habit must get to be rather warm in the summer, not to mention it seems like over-dressing. I know a motorcycle priest who wears jeans under his cassock - that makes sense. In the monastery, we just wore our underwear beneath the habit - no pants - in winter, we wore long underwear. We changed into work clothes (jeans) when we had to be outside for manual labor, although the monks remaining inside usually stayed in their habits. A Carmelite I knew thought it was distasteful not to wear pants under the habit/cassock - he told me in Italy the friars wore nothing. I don't know how he knew that.
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Many years ago the monks (Trappists) usually wore long undergarments, like pants and leggings, as well as underwear, and they slept in all of these clothes, including their habits. During the day, as they busied themselves in manual labor, they hitched up their tunics to their belt or a loop on the tunic, maintaining modesty since they were still all covered up, free to perform the task at hand. I suppose some groups of monks may yet wear leggings or pants beneath the habit, but I don't know for sure.
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Anyway - it's kind of an interesting topic for a blog post, don't you think?
Feast of St. Peter Martyr
In the traditional calendar this day belongs to St. Peter of Verona, my namessake and patron, and I continue to honor him on this day. After the reform of the Roman calendar, St. Catherine of Siena was given prominence. Pity..
Art: Fra Bartolomeo: Portrait of Girolamo Savonarola in the guise of Saint Peter the Martyr Firenze, Museo di S. Marco.
Women wearing pants.
Men dressing women.
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Since most fashion designers seem to be male, one can get the idea that men dictate what women should wear. This may be true on some level, but wearing pants has clearly become a woman's choice and often times a preferential option. (Thanks to women like Coco Chanel.) Fundamentalist Christians and Mormons, as well as some traditionally minded Catholics, consider women wearing pants to be wrong, some claiming it an abomination to the Lord, citing Biblical texts, especially Deuteronomy 22:5, and other passages elsewhere. "A woman shall not wear an article of clothing proper to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's dress..." - Deuteronomy 22:5
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Anyway. It is very difficult to use this text as an objection for the way men and women dress today - except in the case of drag queens perhaps - but I'm not going there. In ancient times both men and women wore tunics. Proper dress for a woman was a veil or some sort of head covering, and maybe a little pomegranate juice on her lips, with a little oil/wax and lapis powder mixture for eye shadow, along with a soft charcoal eyeliner. Seriously, I think - not sure though - proper dress for a woman was just more modest than for a man - yet they both wore 'dresses'. (Men in tunics or kilts were actually the only ones to wear short skirts.)
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Much later - this is for Catholics - nuns and monks wore exactly the same habits - only the monks did not wear veils. That said, Eastern Orthodox priests sometimes do wear a veil - I know! Of course, Canon Law instructed women to cover their heads in church, but it is no longer binding - although, once again, some say it is. When it was binding, women wore anything from a piece of Kleenex to a scarf, to a mantilla, or more often in WASP country, a hat. Of course, Hassidic Jewish women must have their head covered as well, and many wear stylish wigs to do so. I digress.
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Catholic Fundamentalism?
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So, do some men dictate what a woman should wear? I knew a young lady whose fiancee asked her to start wearing a chapel veil to church, I only found this out because I saw her shopping for one. Teasing her about it she said to me, "I know, but he wants me to try it." After getting married, they are pretty traddy - although I am sure she still wears pants and jeans - not to Mass of course. Some trad guys permit their wives to wear pants in certain circumstances. Some trad women just do so - if they want to. I honestly can't believe this is still an issue with people - but it is.
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What piqued my attention to this topic was the following comment I found on another blog discussing the difficulties some people may experience getting used to the TLM (Extraordinary Form of Mass). Responding to the writer expressing such difficulties, a commenter answered:
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"I love that she" (the writer with the problem) "has put so much time into this. And, her reaction is perfectly normal.
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My wife and I years ago had that reaction at first, but we also couldn’t stomach going to the novus ordo so we kept going. And now we cannot fathom life without it.
My wife and I years ago had that reaction at first, but we also couldn’t stomach going to the novus ordo so we kept going. And now we cannot fathom life without it.
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And these reactions won’t stop here.
And these reactions won’t stop here.
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Once she’s going regularly, she’ll have people suggest she covers her head for Mass and she may reject it. And there will be people suggest she wears a dress or skirt and not pants and she’ll possibly reject that as well. But, slowly, she’ll come to see the beauty behind both practices and lovingly accept them and urge new ladies just like her to do the same.
Once she’s going regularly, she’ll have people suggest she covers her head for Mass and she may reject it. And there will be people suggest she wears a dress or skirt and not pants and she’ll possibly reject that as well. But, slowly, she’ll come to see the beauty behind both practices and lovingly accept them and urge new ladies just like her to do the same.
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Then, years down the road, if she marries, the traditional ladies will urge her to not work as mothers shouldn’t outside the home, to reject contraception, etc." (Further on, in another comment, the writer suggests women who attend the Ordinary Form of Mass practice contraception, "Yet most who attend Mass outside a TLM are contracepting. No need to debate it—facts are facts.")
Then, years down the road, if she marries, the traditional ladies will urge her to not work as mothers shouldn’t outside the home, to reject contraception, etc." (Further on, in another comment, the writer suggests women who attend the Ordinary Form of Mass practice contraception, "Yet most who attend Mass outside a TLM are contracepting. No need to debate it—facts are facts.")
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He continues, "She may struggle with that as well but the TLM and all the graces it provides will help her through that if she has struggles." - Source
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Another commenter - I think I know who she is - responded to this husband's remarks saying: "Working outside the home? Sorry, but in this economy, your mileage may vary. If it’s simply a question of adopting a simpler lifestyle maybe, but I know plenty of traditional couples where the wife works some hours outside the home. It’s not a “career choice” so that they can spend lavishly, it’s by necessity. It all depends on what your attitudes are toward marriage, children and work. Obviously what kind of work matters too. And women wearing pants? Give me a break! There are practical as well as aesthetic reasons for people’s dress choices. As long as modesty prevails who cares? We aren’t Amish or old church Quakers."
.(Actually, Quakers are quite liberal and most have no problem with these issues.)
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Last week I posted a video from a 1950's television show, Mr. and Mrs. North. In that episode, Mrs. North was signing up for modeling classes - just to improve her posture, hair, make-up, and fashion sense. As she was signing the paperwork Mrs. North was asked, "Will your husband permit you to do this?" I laughed because few people would ever ask a woman of today such a thing, except maybe in a church basement, while she and the other women were serving coffee and donuts to the men. (Which is why I titled that particular post, "Brick by brick" - LOL.)
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All of that said - I see nothing wrong with women wearing pants - anywhere - ever. As I said earlier, I cannot even believe it is an issue in this day and age.
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Art: An early example of women wearing pants. Women wearing pants really came into its own in the 20th century, especially during WWII when it became more practical for them to do so.
Pinks Hot Dogs
Who doesn't love a delicious, made to order Hot Dog? Yes, please! My perfect hot dog needs to all beef dog, nestled inside a fresh squishy bun, lathered with ketchup and loaded with red, juicy tomatoes. Heaven!
That being said....
Has anyone ever seen the PBS Hot Dog Documentary? We'll, Pinks Hot Dogs located on La Brea in Santa Monica is one of the hot dog stands they mention. On our way down to San Diego we decide to make a stop!
Made to Order: The Chicago, The Mayor, Mushroom and Swiss and Just Plain
Tasty!
Worried about your health?
"I'll give you something to be worried about." .Listening, reading, watching the news reports, you would think the pandemic is peaking as we speak. Gosh - get a grip. (Get it - grip?)
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After all the dire predictions on the economy, do you ever stop and think someone just might want a general panic?
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I found the following on Western Confucian:
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"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed, and hence clamorous to be led to safety, by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." - H.L. Mencken
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I agree with Joshua's statement, "I'm worried not about swine flu, mind you, but about those who are stoking fears about it." - The Practical Politics of Swine Flu
Hidden saints.
Simple souls.
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I watched Rossellini's The Little Flowers of St. Francis once again last night, partly because I am so edified by the simplicity of Br. Juniper. I needed to watch something holy after seeing Fr. Groeschl on Sunday Night Live. Fr. Groeschl, for all of his education and accomplishment is a simple soul, a true Franciscan. Remember, simple souls are not dumb - St. Therese was a simple soul, and she is a Doctor of the Church.
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This is the one I approve, the lowly and afflicted who heed my Word.
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That verse is from a psalm, although I can't recall which one. I read it in the Liturgy of the Hours one day at adoration, when I happened to look up and noticed two old ladies. It seemed to me I saw them everywhere the Blessed Sacrament was exposed or the rosary was being recited. They looked rather poor and crippled, even a bit eccentric. I knew they were Third Order Franciscans, and they always had their head covered in church - no veils - just odd little hats. They were Grey Gardens types, but very sweet, meek and humble. I understood these ladies were the types the Lord approves. I also understood why the Franciscans attracted such odd people - it goes back to Francis himself. He was little and odd too, simple and poor, lowly and afflicted, as was Juniper, and John the simple, and Benedict Joseph, and those two old ladies. Misfits.
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Not a perfect fit.
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At my parish there is another old lady - one of many actually. She comes to church, minding her own business and prays. She is friends with the others, but she seems to be a bit more on her own. She is a simple soul too. She smokes, I can smell it. Once she told me how much she misses her husband who died a few years ago - we had been talking about a guy who was suffering because his mom died that week. Otherwise she doesn't talk much. I don't know what to say about her, but I know she is a very simple soul. she never complains about church stuff, liturgy, priests. She doesn't talk about holy things, she doesn't seem to know what the latest news is out of the Vatican, but she is faithful. She knows right from wrong. I think that is just fine.
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The simple lay-brother.
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Finally, I thought of an old friend, a monk from New Melleray. He was a lay brother named George who worked in the kitchen of the Guesthouse. He had been a medic somewhere, although I'm not sure if he was in the Army, but I know he worked for the Hawthorne Dominicans. He spoke very highly of them, especially Mother Rose, while I 'm not certain if he knew M. Alphonsa, I seem to recall he told me he met her.
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Br. George was a very kind, generous man, and always had a warm smile for everyone. Once, while on one of my many retreats before entering the monastery, I was helping Br. George clean the dinning room. I can't recall exactly what we were discussing, but he left for a moment and came back and put a $20 dollar bill in my hand. "Here, you may need this."
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I protested, but he explained to me he received a Social Security check every month and had no other use for it. I was much too proud to admit that I had no money whatsoever, and the $20 surely was needed. I thanked him and said, "God reward you." I cringe at that because it was a pious expression I adopted from the Carmelites, which I used when I wanted to appear spiritual to other people. It wasn't necessarily a conscious case of pretentiousness - more a wanna-be-spiritual thing on my part. It's a beginners thing.
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Anyway, George stopped sweeping, smiled and sort of looked up to heaven, a tear or two glistening in his eyes, and said, "Oh! He already has. He already has." And he continued sweeping the floor.
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I'll never forget that.
Our Trip to Legoland
We had a great trip to Legoland! We had been looking forward to it all week. It was a very fun, even though the weather was overcast and cold (it even sprinkled on us once!)
White House, Obama's Inauguration
Statue of Liberty
New York City
My two complaints about Legoland were: #1 Legoland was not open long enough. Only 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. We couldn't get through even half park in one day. 2nd: The rides were just o.k., they were more like a amusement park then a theme park. I wanted to see more Lego inspired rides.Sensuality and Catholic spirituality
The principles of lust...
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There is a tendency amongst some Catholics to exult in what they term the "sensuality of Roman Catholicism". Indeed, the senses are encompassed in Catholic spirituality and worship, nevertheless, scripture and the witness of the saints teaches that our sensuality needs to be mortified, lest our sensual appetites wreak havoc and war against the spirit; once weakened, the spirit becomes bloated by self-indulgence and worldly concerns, leaving us once again enslaved to our passions. As Christians, we may not use our freedom to return to the slavery of the flesh.
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Chapter 8 of Paul's letter to the Romans teaches these truths clearly. The teaching of St. John of the Cross expounds upon the necessity of self-denial throughout his work, The Ascent of Mt. Carmel. Though written for contemplatives seeking perfection, his doctrine can be accommodated by the ordinary Christian when guided by a good spiritual director. The saint devotes entire passages to demonstrating the harm incurred through sensuality as well as the need to mortify the appetites which arouse it.
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I am not qualified to explain the doctrine of John of the Cross, nor do I want to spend much time on this subject of sensuality. Although I would like to say that I believe some Catholics deceive themselves, believing they are devout and spiritual, seeking God and living the Gospel, while indulging their sensual appetites in vanities. For instance, a few people may find more satisfaction in the smells and bells and elaborate vestments of a Latin Mass than they do in the worship of God. Others may rejoice and pay more attention to the splendid architecture of churches and finely crafted and ornamented statues than to the saint represented, or the Real Presence within the sanctuary. Still others become inordinately enamored by the physical gifts, grace and beauty they see in their self or another, which left unchecked, can lead directly to sensuality.
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Sense and sensibility.
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Now don't get me wrong, such joys are legitimate, some more or less according to one's state in life, nevertheless, all Christians need to practice a certain detachment in their use or enjoyment of sensible goods, and direct one's will to God alone. Christ gave us the sacraments precisely because we are sensible creatures. In fact sensibility is a more precise term than sensuality; I believe sensibility is compatible with virtue, while sensuality degenerates to self-gratification and self-indulgence. Of course, everything created is a grace which should direct our affections to God as our last end. However, what some practice or propose really focuses the affections upon the creature rather than the Creator.
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I should stop here to explain that I'm actually writing this as a reaction to a post I read on another person's blog, praising the inherent sensuality of Catholicism. It happens to be a very deceptive post.
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The author shares his views on another writer saying, "Boisvert’s saints are “tactile and sensual,” and their bodies, real or imagined, play a significant part in his religious and erotic life. “My saints are the men of my dreams,” he writes. “They are the companions of my imaginary voyages and my quest for spiritual fulfillment.”
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His Boisvert seems to understand the saints thus, "Saints are sensual beings, and the forms of piety that they elicit can be equally sensual and sometimes even sexual, in form and content. Anyone who has had the opportunity to observe the veneration of saints’ statues in intensely Catholic cultures – such as Latin ones, for example – is struck almost immediately by the care and attention heaped upon them. They are clothed and bathed, covered with flowers or dripping in bright red droplets of blood, gaudy and almost comical in their painted features, and lit by a reflective glow of a thousand votive candles." - Sanctity and Male Desire, A Gay Reading of the Saints
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Man, this stuff just twists a whole lot of doctrine and morality around. It is simply bogus spirituality. First of all, devotion to the saints, especially in Latin countries can sometimes be corrupted by superstition or practices long condemned by the Church - this has always been the case, which is why the Church regulates popular piety and devotion. Yes the saints were sensual beings, and most who were not martyrs practiced great self-denial and mortification, sacrificing themselves for Christ and the Gospel. For example, St. Francis of Assisi rolled himself in thorny rose bushes to quell a sudden temptation to sensuality. Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta lived in poverty and continual self denial in her service to the poorest of the poor. I believe the intent of such erroneous "doctrine" as I found on that blog is to generate an illusion of a Catholic homosexual spirituality, wherein homosexual acts are considered good and not sinful. That borders on idolatry. Sorry guys.
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Finally, the poor man finished his post with quotes from Anne Rice on sensuality and loving.
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Be on guard against such foolish teachings - just as I once warned about misinterpretations of JPII's Theology of the Body - the devil prowls like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
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If you want to read John of the Cross on this subject, start at Book III, Chapter 16 of the Ascent of Mt. Carmel. Better yet - if you have questions about what I wrote here - ask your confessor. This stuff isn't easy to interpret sometimes, and I do not mean this post to be an exhaustive study by any means.
Audrey Tautou - Coco avant Chanel
Coco Before Chanel - looks like a great film. Audrey Tautou is perfect.
H/T to Paris Daily Photo.
Our Lady of Good Counsel of Genazzano
Today happens to be Our Lady's feast day. (The feast is celebrated outside Genazzano on 26 April.).
The history of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Good Counsel is available on several websites, so I will not go into much detail here.
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In 1467, on the 25 of April, during celebrations for the feast of San Marco in Genazzano, Italy, a cloud was seen covering a 5th century church dedicated to Our Lady. Shortly after the cloud lifted, the townsfolk, summoned by the church bells, discovered a delicate fresco of Our Lady and the Child Jesus, it was painted upon a very thin piece of unsupported plaster, and floated in a small niche of the church. Later it was revealed the image had been transported by angels from Scutari, Albania, because the region was coming under Islamic control.
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Today the image still survives, after 500 years, undamaged by earthquakes and war, and it is said a fine thread can be passed on all sides, demonstrating the image remains miraculously suspended.
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I believe this prodigy as I do the miraculous translation of the Holy House of Loreto.
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Links:
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The new Mexico City Policy?
The Secretary of State was just in Mexico City...
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"Not to sound paranoid, but there are a few odd things about this virus that are emerging. The most alarming is that it appears to have genetic material from avian flu, human flu, and swine flu. Since flu viruses do not exchange genetic material during their reproductive cycle, how could this be a natural phenomenon?" - Source
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What? Mrs. Clinton always blames stuff on right-wing conspirators and extremists.
.Disclaimer - I do not think a potential pandemic is funny, I do not think people dying is funny, I do not believe Mrs. Clinton is responsible. I do seriously wonder if the virus may have been bio-engineered however.
Another patron saint for immigrants and border crossers.
Blessed Ceferino Jimenez Malla, Spanish Gypsy, layman and martyr, popularly known as El Pele, he was also a Third Order Franciscan.
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In 1936 during the Spanish Civil War, Pele was detained for defending a priest who was being dragged through the streets of Barbastro and for carrying a rosary in his pocket. He refused to throw away his rosary in exchange for his life and thus embraced martyrdom. On August 8, 1936 he was shot while holding his rosary in his hands and shouting, “Long Live Christ the King.” - Source
Weblog humor.
Get off the wagon once in a while..
Sometimes it is hard to tell if a writer is being funny-sarcastic or snarky-sarcastic, or both - although they mean no harm either way. Ya know what I mean?
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No, I thought you didn't - which is why you get mad at me. And that may explain why I have been writing about serious topics lately, and at the same time trying so hard not to offend anyone. But! It is just too much stress to keep up with all of that. People! Listen up - we have got to toughen up and not be such delicate Camille's about the stuff we write.
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For instance, when I write about sanctimonious, holier than thou, crosier up the **** trads - I'm writing about a specific category of trads - not all trads are like that - I hope.
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When I write about militant homosexual activists with a world domination complex, I'm not writing about all gays - not all gays are that nuts.
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I know, I know. I can get all sensitive and hurt too; misunderstanding another person's humorous comment or blog post - especially if I'm depressed about something... like my stats. (Although I do try to turn insults and mockery into fertilizer for humility.)
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But if we are online, shooting our mouths off with our unsolicited opinions and observations, and deep dark secrets no one should mention except to a confessor, then we gotta buck up.
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So let's lighten up, the Swine-flu pandemic is coming.
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(I think that is a conspiracy theory to be revealed! C'mon - two strains of pig flu, a dash of avian-flu, and mix well with human flu... someone manufactured that. You heard it here first!)
St. Toribio Romo Gonzalez
Patron of border crossers.
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On my way to mail some letters the other day, I noticed a 'pilgrim' with a nap sack, looking very disheveled, sitting on a park bench, overlooking the wetland across from the post office. I mailed my stuff and drove on to the store. Suddenly I realized that this man was most likely homeless, so I immediately turned around, drove back to give him some money. He noticed me as I got out of the car, and seemed to tighten up a bit, as if afraid. "How could he be fearful of me?" I said to myself as I approached him.
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I greeted him and asked, "Are you homeless?" Noticing that he looked Mexican, I knew that to be the case by how big his knapsack was.
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"No. No." He answered, smiling nervously.
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"Are you sure? I'd like to help you out if you would let me." Reaching for my wallet, "I can give you some money for food at least."
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"No! No, no, no! I'm okay." He insisted.
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I apologised and wished him well as I backed away, feeling foolish that I had embarrassed him - I should have just given him my cash. As I drove off, I realized he was most likely an illegal immigrant and was fearful that I was an agent, or that I would turn him in. I felt really stupid.
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If he only knew I just wanted to help him.
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Thankfully one saint does seem to help such people, and his name is St. Turibio Romo Gonzalez, a Mexican Martyr. He is known to come to the aid of the immigrants and border crossers.
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Tom and Lucy Giveaway!
The Loot:
Gorgeous earrings from Marie Carmel
Tasty Treats from Fahrenheit 350
Gift Certificate to Hand Picked Daisy
My sister's sweet shop is Fahrenheit 350, she has delicious treats and is going to be selling them at the Art Shoppe ~ so make sure and come stop by the Shoppe and pick some up!
The Secretary of State and Margaret Sanger...
"Charity believes all things, hopes all things..." - 1 Corinthians 13
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I really do try to give people a break. Case in point, Hillary Clinton's visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe - there is no accounting for God's grace, and perhaps the woman will be converted someday because of that encounter, but for now she remains an obdurate devotee of Margaret Sanger.
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One certainly has to admire the integrity of Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) as he questioned the Secretary of State during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Wednesday. If Hillary really did not know the history, character, and agenda of Margaret Sanger, whom she claims to admire so much, she certainly did after Rep. Smith's questioning.
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I really do try to give people a break. Case in point, Hillary Clinton's visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe - there is no accounting for God's grace, and perhaps the woman will be converted someday because of that encounter, but for now she remains an obdurate devotee of Margaret Sanger.
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One certainly has to admire the integrity of Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) as he questioned the Secretary of State during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Wednesday. If Hillary really did not know the history, character, and agenda of Margaret Sanger, whom she claims to admire so much, she certainly did after Rep. Smith's questioning.
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Confronting evil.
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Rep. Smith began his comments by criticizing Secretary Clinton’s reception of the Margaret Sanger Award from Planned Parenthood in Houston in March. Secretary Clinton said she was in “awe” of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger and claimed her “life and leadership” was “one of the most transformational in the entire history of the human race.”
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Secretary Clinton also said that Sanger’s work was “not done.” Rep. Smith said Sanger’s work was indeed “transformational,” but “not for the better if one happens to be poor, disenfranchised, weak, disabled, a person of color, an unborn child, or among the many so-called undesirables Sanger would exclude and exterminate from the human race.”
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“Sanger’s prolific writings drip with contempt for those she considers to be unfit to live,” Rep. Smith said.
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Noting that he had read many of Sanger’s articles and books, Rep. Smith characterized Sanger as an “unapologetic eugenicist and racist” who said “the most merciful thing a family does for one of its infant members is to kill it” and also characterized eugenics as the “most adequate and thorough avenue” to solve “racial, political and social problems.”
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He quoted Sanger’s book “Pivot of Civilization” in which she decried charitable work as “not merely superficial and near-sighted” but also as concealing “a stupid cruelty” that leads to “the perpetuation of defectives, delinquents and dependents.”
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Rep. Smith said it was “extraordinarily difficult” to understand how a Secretary of State could be in “awe” of Sanger, saying she had openly professed views “antithetical to protecting human rights.” - Source
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I find it completely impossible to understand.
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Rep. Smith began his comments by criticizing Secretary Clinton’s reception of the Margaret Sanger Award from Planned Parenthood in Houston in March. Secretary Clinton said she was in “awe” of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger and claimed her “life and leadership” was “one of the most transformational in the entire history of the human race.”
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Secretary Clinton also said that Sanger’s work was “not done.” Rep. Smith said Sanger’s work was indeed “transformational,” but “not for the better if one happens to be poor, disenfranchised, weak, disabled, a person of color, an unborn child, or among the many so-called undesirables Sanger would exclude and exterminate from the human race.”
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“Sanger’s prolific writings drip with contempt for those she considers to be unfit to live,” Rep. Smith said.
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Noting that he had read many of Sanger’s articles and books, Rep. Smith characterized Sanger as an “unapologetic eugenicist and racist” who said “the most merciful thing a family does for one of its infant members is to kill it” and also characterized eugenics as the “most adequate and thorough avenue” to solve “racial, political and social problems.”
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He quoted Sanger’s book “Pivot of Civilization” in which she decried charitable work as “not merely superficial and near-sighted” but also as concealing “a stupid cruelty” that leads to “the perpetuation of defectives, delinquents and dependents.”
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Rep. Smith said it was “extraordinarily difficult” to understand how a Secretary of State could be in “awe” of Sanger, saying she had openly professed views “antithetical to protecting human rights.” - Source
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I find it completely impossible to understand.
Hate crime legislation and gays.
The activists.
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I have been deliberately trying to not write about gay issues so as not to offend some of my readers who disagree with me on Roman Catholic Church teaching on the subject. But I have to tell you, I go to Pewsitters for a lot of my stories, and that website is filled with news articles concerning gay culture, gay militants and their very real agenda. The stories are all about gay marriage, hate crime legislation, and so on. It is getting completely ridiculous. Talk about attention grabbing narcissists - it looks as if gay activists are hogging the media, and people are falling for their poor me act.
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A day or two ago, on another post mentioning Perez Hilton, I received a few comments regarding the "it's all about me" syndrome many gay men, and lesbians indulge in. "Just Jack" on Will and Grace exemplified the problem brilliantly, as did Rosie O'Donnell's real-life crash and burn on The View. As Barbara Walters described it in her book, "Rosie wasn't content with riding along - she had to drive the bus." When she didn't get her way, she raged and threw tantrums. That type of adolescent behavior isn't simply narcissism, it is also a tactic of control and manipulation.
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Protesting gay militants continually cry victim in an attempt to play the discrimination (just like race) card. I'm convinced that comparing the gay rights struggle with the civil rights struggle of the 20th century is simply way over the top sensationalism. It is complete exaggeration and hype. (Gays have the same protection of the law ordinary American citizens enjoy - they just can't get married - because marriage is between a man and a woman.) I believe that proposed hate crime legislation, which is most likely inevitable, is fundamentally an effort to silence Christian moral teaching in that regard.
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Hate Crimes Act of 2009
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The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Act of 2009, currently before the House Judiciary Committee, is expected to come up for a vote before the House of Representatives later this spring. This proposed law gives federal officials greater authority to engage in hate crime investigations at the local and state level. It also removes the current prerequisite that the victim be engaging in a federally protected activity like voting or going to school. In other words, it opens the door for federal law enforcement officials (whether it be agents from the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and so on) to crack down on undesirable behavior wherever it occurs. - Source - the entire article is very informative.
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As a culture, it seems to me the homosexual movement mirrors many of the traits often associated with the same-sex-attracted personality. For instance, arrested development - remaining emotionally adolescent, alternating with adult behavior when needed. As Van Den Aardweg notes, "...an especially common view of self (for the homosexual) is that of the wronged, rejected, 'poor me'. Homosexuals are therefore easily insulted; they 'collect injustice', as psychiatrist Berger has so well put it, and are liable to see themselves as victims. This explains the overt self-dramatization of the militants, who adroitly exploit their neurosis to gain public support. Attached to self-pity, they are inner (or manifest) complainers, often chronic complainers. Self pity and protest are not far apart. A certain inner (or overt) rebelliousness and hostility to others who do them wrong and to 'society' and a determinate cynicism, are typical of many homosexuals." - The Battle For Normality
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There you go.
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Photo: Folsom St. Fair, San Francisco. The smiling slave is totally naked - the civil rights schtick for these guys appears to be a joke.
Imagine...
Change..
I couldn't get to sleep last night. Why? I haven't been feeling well and so I slept yesterday afternoon for too long - and then I remained wide awake after I went to bed.
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I was thinking about too many things, some of which I will share here. I was asking myself rhetorical questions, such as; "What if Obama suddenly reversed himself on abortion and became pro-life - would he be a good president then?" (IMO: NO!)
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But if Obama rejected abortion, choice, embryonic stem-cell research, and proclaimed himself pro-life, would pro-life Catholics and others who cannot say one good thing about him, accept and respect his presidency? Would he be a good guy then?
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If the United States reversed Roe v. Wade and made abortion illegal, would we be a moral nation then? Would everything be okay? Would be all-American-apple-pie-high-kicks-and-twirls-born -on-the-4th-of-July again?
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Essentially I am asking, "Is abortion the only thing wrong in our country?"
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And no - I'm not going there as regards the ever present issues of poverty and education, war and peace, or beauty pageants and same sex marriage stuff.
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But would everything be copacetic just because abortion went away?
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I don't think so hon..
What about contraception? Younger people may not know this, but even my parents and grandparents thought the pill was the greatest thing since sliced bread. The pill was freedom. Moms wanted their daughters to use it. (My mom wanted my sister (who was married) to use it because she had a bad heart, but my CINO sister refused and had 7 kids.)
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Another thing younger people may not know is that in the olden days, unwed motherhood was shameful - indeed, a teen who got herself pregnant - and that is what was thought - got herself - was considered to have been punished with a kid. No one was happy about it. If the parents had means, the girl was sent away to have the baby and then placed it for adoption. If the parents were working class, maybe the girl was sent to places such as the Home of the Good Shepherd Sisters. If they were really poor, she dropped out of school and most likely put the kid up for adoption; or as was often the case with minorties, they kept it - end of story. Unless of course there happened to be an old strega in the neighborhood who knew how to get rid of it - abortion was around - it just wasn't legal, much less admitted.
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I'm not going to drag this out, but I'm convinced that the intrinsic evil, the root sin here, is the contraceptive mentality - it was around long before Roe v. Wade. The moral crisis, the loss of faith, started long before that as well. And do not forget, at one time divorce was illegal as well.
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Anyway. The same quiz works for the Church. Ask yourself something like this:
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If Vatican II never happened, would the Church be just fine?
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The answers are similar. Many problems, obviously, were present before the Council - in fact, one reason the Council was called is that something exactly like it was needed. True, some things were not handled well afterwards, but neither were they always handled well before.
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Then I fell asleep.
Darcy
And yes, my husband will not humor me or lower himself and watch any of Jane Austin's films. So sad, if he only knew how far it could get him in the end!
It's a set up...
I was impressed by another writer's observation regarding the Perez Hilton hissy-fit, which got a lot of gay people screaming bigot, simply because Miss California actually had an opinion about same-sex marriage.
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"It sure is - they" (gay-activists) "want to trigger a reaction, and then beat you over the head with it. Because it is, you know, all about them - and in today's culture, there's absolutely nothing worse than being ignored." - Source
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That is it! Mitchell nailed it.
Tea with Mussolini... er, Obama.
Just a little bit of history repeating? .
"America is going from what used to be the major capitalistic country in the world of free market – a crusader – into what Mussolini would have called fascism: the merger of state and corporate powers. So it is not socialism as people believe, it is socialism’s egalitarianism. It’s not communism where the state controls monopolies – it’s fascism, plain and simple. The merger of corporate and government powers. State-controlled capitalism is called fascism, and fascism has come to America in broad daylight. But they’re feeding them it in little bits and pieces. First AIG was too big to fail. Mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were too big to fail. Banks too big to fail and auto companies. And now we give money to the people that make the auto parts. And now there’s talk about the technology companies, wanting their piece of the action. The merger of state and government is called fascism. Take it from Mussolini; he knew a thing or two about it. - Gerald Celente
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At any rate, I'm pretty sure many people who voted for Obama are going to be as disappointed with him as Lady Hester was with Mussolini.
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Thanks to Western Confucian for the quote.
Weird people in the Obama Administration.
"Who hired them?".
I thought Janet Napolitano was kinda nuts in fingering abortion opponents and returning veterans as right wing extremists, now it appears she blames Canada for 9/11? I know - Blame Canada - works in comedy, but...
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In an interview broadcast Monday on the CBC, Ms. Napolitano attempted to justify her call for stricter border security on the premise that "suspected or known terrorists" have entered the U. S. across the Canadian border, including the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack.
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All the 9/11 terrorists, of course, entered the United States directly from overseas. The notion that some arrived via Canada is a myth that briefly popped up in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and was then quickly debunked.
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Informed of her error, Ms. Napolitano blustered: "I can't talk to that. I can talk about the future. And here's the future. The future is we have borders." - Source
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Maybe Sarah Palin wouldn't have been so bad after all.
The President and Miss California.
What they have in common.
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Both of them are against same sex marriage. Both of them believe that marriage should be between a man and woman. Both of them explained it was part of their Christian beliefs.
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I'm against it too, although I'd be against same sex marriage even if I wasn't Christian.
Archbishop Robert Zollitsch
Maybe the Rhine ought to be damned.*
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I think Germany just may need an exorcism. Hitler had to have unleashed minions of demons through his dabbling with the occult, seeking world domination, culminating in the extermination of millions of Europeans. After visiting the country, which is lovely, I nevertheless began to wonder if Germany was haunted... (Austria might be as well.)
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The most recent evidence something is wrong in Germany is indicated by the statements of Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, Archbishop of Freiburg and Chairman of the German Catholic Bishop Conference:
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"According to the chairman of the Catholic bishops' conference of Germany, the death of Jesus Christ was not a redemptive act of God to liberate human beings from the bondage of sin and open the gates of heaven. The Archbishop of Freiburg, Robert Zollitsch, known for his liberal views, publicly denied the fundamental Christian dogma of the sacrificial nature of Christ's death in a recent interview with a German television station.
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Zollitsch said that Christ "did not die for the sins of the people as if God had provided a sacrificial offering, like a scapegoat."
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Instead, Jesus had offered only "solidarity" with the poor and suffering. Zollitsch said "that is this great perspective, this tremendous solidarity."
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The interviewer asked, "You would now no longer describe it in such a way that God gave his own son, because we humans were so sinful? You would no longer describe it like this?"
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Monsignor Zollitsch responded, "No." - Source
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That's pretty screwed up.
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*It's a metaphor: To stop its flow into the Tiber.
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Photo: From an article, "Germans like their devils." About yard ornaments.
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