For those of you who can't get enough of all that hubbub over the 'Miraculous Grilled Cheese Sandwich'
A grilled cheese sandwich made with your own image.
Please note: I got this thing through another website that sent me directly to that link. I can not vouch for the rest of the site's content, as I have not browsed the rest of the site.
Advent, being a time of penance, calls us to be ever ready for the coming of the Lord. In today's second reading, we heard, "Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light." Jesus admonishes us in the Gospel, "Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."
How does one stay on gaurd against sin, if he is in habitual sin, how does he throw off the work of darkness so that he can put on the armor of light? It is by staying awake, staying prayerful at all times. One of the effects of constant prayer is that it keeps us focused on the present moment. When we are focused on the present, we find that we are not seduced by the promises of future pleasures brought about by sin. Keeping our minds and our hearts on the present through perpetual prayer should be our goal this season. In light of the year of the Eucharist, we must remember that Christ's presence is constantly here on Earth, not only through the Holy Spirit, but also through the sacrament of the Eucharist. Each hour of the day is consecrated to him through the Holy Mass. In times of strong temptation, let us call upon Christ's holy presence to strengthen us against sin that we may become great saints.
Is there a good, orthodox Catholic college that you might recommend to somebody who wants to major in music? Where is it?
I hate cell phones.
I shall elaborate later.
That is all.
Yesterday, I got into an argument with a girl who occassionally sings in my church choir. I hardly sing with my church choir anymore because I can't bring myself to waste my pretty voice on the crap that they use during the liturgy.
I go to this church by the way, just so I don't back down from my policy of never being afraid to name names. Just to tell you how bad things are. On saturdays, they have a "contemporary" choir, where they sing Marty Haughen music and songs which have been sung long before I was born. Really contemporary hippy music, you know? I kid you not, every saturday, they sing "Rain Down". Talk about "Sing The Same Old Song To The Lord!" I enjoy singing Victor's lyrics when they do. I sing them loud and proud.:
Rain down, rain down, rain down your fire and brimstone
Rain down, rain down, rain down your judgement on us!
So, we start talking about music, and she mentions how we sing the Agnus Dei and Sanctus in latin during Advent and Lent. I tell her it's nice that we do that, but I then say, "Well, why don't we just do Latin year 'round instead of treating it like it's some sort of punishment we inflict on ourselves during the penitential months? Why aren't the Gloria, the Sanctus, the Agnus Dei in latin all year round?" She makes some comment about the congregation being too dumb to understand what they were singing, and that we should treat the congregation as if they were completely stupid. When it comes to music, I agree with this philosophy only up to a certain point, and that's when you're teaching music to complete novices. But in that case, they're not stupid, just ignorant, and easily educated. The choir should go over parts repeatedly if they're not getting it right, the choir should know what they're singing. However, it is not the choir director's job to explain what it is we're singing. I'm sorry, but if you're in the part of the mass where you're singing "Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi..." where you normally sing "Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world..." It shouldn't be too hard to figure out what you're singing!
So, I suggest, why not just have the translation next to what they're singing, and she scoffs going "Oh yeah! Like they'll READ IT!" and I say, "You know, even if they don't, I don't see the need to sacrifice the liturgy for the stupidity of an entire congregation."
Oh, then she tried to say how Vatican II changed everything to Vernacular. I had to give her a pride obliterating verbal bitch slap for saying saying something that dumb. Seriously, don't quote Vatican II unless you've read it. I haven't read it, but I do know for a fact that the mass is in Latin, so that's what I tell her. "The mass is in LATIN by default! Vatican II never changed that!"
"Well...I read some thing from some pope which changed that."
I start thinking, Umm...yeah, okay. No you didn't. But you're obviously too dumb for me to continue wasting my breath on you.
Anyway, Vatican II never called for a complete change to vernacular. Let's look at an oft quoted excerpt in St. Blog's that appears in the Vatican II document Sacrosanctum Concilium:
Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites. (SSC 36.1)
Think and read people. Read and think!
Fr. Rob Johansen comments about an article on Terri Schiavo. God bless that good man and his hard in telling everybody about this poor woman.
My barber talks about this case, although, he speaks about it from a very ignorant viewpoint. While it is obvious that Terri is not dying my barber thinks she is, and therefore the husband should be given the right to 'let her die'.
I feel very selfish saying this, but I'm worried about the future quality of my haircuts if I try to inform him about what her husband is trying to do (You know what I'm talking about. Never upset your barber and whatnot). What if we get into an argument? But I don't like it when people make ignorant comments about things they know nothing about. So, my question to you readers is how would you talk to a guy like that. What's the best and most succinct way of telling this man how things really are in the Schiavo case?
Right now, I'm at a Catholic conference at the Newman Center at the University of Tulsa. Their Catholic center is huge! They have an elevator here. But that's not the best part. The chaplain, I believe his name is Fr. Stewart, wears a cassock! And there are nuns from the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist here. They look so joyful! They make me think of my postulant friend Janet who joined the Sisters of St. Cecilia in May. I will write her as soon as I get back. The sisters promised to pray for my vocation. I'm very pleased. Hopefully, I'll get to serve mass, or be a lector. I'm having a great time, so I have to get off this computer and go back to the retreat. I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be on this thing. So, I'll update later. Pray for me!
I'm sorry I have not updated. College has kept me very busy. But, I need your prayers because I've lost my music theory book, and I'm pretty sure I do not have the funds to buy a new one. Please pray to St. Anthony that I find my book by praying this prayer, which happens to be my very favorite one when praying to St. Anthony.:
"Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints"
O Holy Saint Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Encouraged by this thought, we implore you to obtain for Robert the finding of his Music Theory book. O gentle and loving Saint Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper our petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms; and the gratitude of our hearts will ever be yours. Amen
*UPDATE*
I didn't find it. I decided it was stolen and bought a new one. I am now walking without a leg, and typing without an arm.
