&%$#@!

&%$#@!

I just spent nearly $60 in gasoline to fill my tank!

Oreo and I are buying this. He can drive, and I’ll ride in the basket.

Addio, Papa e Monsignor!

Credo III

This beautiful Profession of Faith was sung today in the Bronx, NYC, Peoria, AZ, and most certainly in many other parts of the world as liturgical reforms continue under Benedict the Reformer.

Patrem omnipotentem, factorem cæli et terræ.
visibilium omnium et invisibilium.
Et in unum Dominum Iesum Christum,
Filium Dei unigenitum
et ex Patre natum ante omnia sæcula:
Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum vero de Deo vero,
genitum, non factum, consubstantialem Patri:
per quem omnia facta sunt.
Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem,
descendit de cælis.

Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto
ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est.
Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato;
passus et sepultus est,
et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas,
et ascendit in cælum, sedet ad dexteram Patris.
Et iterum venturus est cum gloria, iudicare vivos et mortuos,
cuius regni non erit finis.

Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem:
qui ex Patre Filioque procedit.
Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur:
qui locutus est per prophetas.
Et unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam.
Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum.
Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum,
et vitam venturi sæculi.

Amen.

Shepherd among Shepherds

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Kissing out of honor, respect, and even forgiveness is a tradition that is incorporated into many Christian denominations. The kissing of icons, painted images of Jesus and the Saints, is the primary form of veneration in Orthodox Christianity. Veneration of the holy images is an ancient custom dating back to the fifth and sixth centuries, and is still practiced today in Orthodox Christian worship. Through veneration, Orthodox Christians show reverence for the people and the events depicted in the icon. Another kissing tradition in Christianity is known as the “kiss of peace.” The root of this tradition comes from Apostle Paul’s instruction for Christ’s followers to “greet each other with a holy kiss” however today during the “kiss of peace” members of a church will exchange a handshake, hug, or kiss on the cheek as a sign of mutual forgiveness. The most relevant topic regarding religious kisses is the kissing of feet. Feet washing, which precedes the kissing, is a sign of humbleness and is looked upon as an “act of lowly service, of loving service, and of self-giving service.” This caring act “reflects the grace of God’s never-ending, unconditional love and, as such, its observance is surely a means of grace with exceedingly strong sacramental characteristics.” Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and then commanded them to “wash one another’s feet” with love and humbleness as a service through which one can express “the love of God and the saving, cleansing grace of our savior Jesus Christ to each other.” After cleansing, a kiss would be bestowed on the feet as an act of servitude. By simulating the actions of a servant, Jesus portrayed that all men are equal.

Kissing the Ring of the Fisherman, or the Pescatorio in Italian, is a Roman Catholic tradition that has been passed down for centuries. Each newly ordained Pope is given a gold ring with his name in raised lettering and the image of St. Peter in a fishing boat. The Pope is believed to be the descendant the disciple Peter who was known as one of the “fishers of men” . Originally the ring was used to seal documents, historically called papal briefs. However, this custom ended in 1842 when the wax seal was replaced by a stamp. Today, followers of the Catholic faith pay respect to the reining Pope by kneeling before him and kissing his ring. – Wikipedia

PERSONAL NOTE: Every Sunday I have about a dozen people kiss the garnet ring on my right hand or bow and take my hand to their forehead. This remains a custom from many different countries of the world. We must remember that a priest’s hands are consecrated with Chrism at his ordination; he was the one alone to handle the Sacred Species. Unfortunately, this aspect of the sanctity of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ has been lost where the modernist practice of Communion in the hand has been introduced.

Conversion to His Truth

“Authority” and “obedience”. To be frank, these are not easy words to speak nowadays. Words like these represent a “stumbling stone” for many of our contemporaries, especially in a society which rightly places a high value on personal freedom. Yet, in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ – “the way and the truth and the life” – we come to see the fullest meaning, value, and indeed beauty, of those words. The Gospel teaches us that true freedom, the freedom of the children of God, is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love. Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves. True freedom blossoms when we turn away from the burden of sin, which clouds our perceptions and weakens our resolve, and find the source of our ultimate happiness in him who is infinite love, infinite freedom, infinite life. “In his will is our peace”.

Real freedom, then, is God’s gracious gift, the fruit of conversion to his truth, the truth which makes us free. And this freedom in truth brings in its wake a new and liberating way of seeing reality. When we put on “the mind of Christ”, new horizons open before us! In the light of faith, within the communion of the Church, we also find the inspiration and strength to become a leaven of the Gospel in the world. We become the light of the world, the salt of the earth, entrusted with the “apostolate” of making our own lives, and the world in which we live, conform ever more fully to God’s saving plan. — Taken from the Pope’s homily of April 20, 2009 | Fifth Sunday of Easter

From Babe’s House to God’s House

Truth

May you find the courage to proclaim Christ, “the same, yesterday, and today and for ever” and the unchanging truths which have their foundation in him. These are the truths that set us free! They are the truths which alone can guarantee respect for the inalienable dignity and rights of each man, woman and child in our world – including the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother’s womb. — Taken from the Holy Father’s homily at Yankee Stadium | April 20, 2008

Comfort and Console Us, O Lord

O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.

We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here-
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.

We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.

We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.

God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.
Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.

Cantate Domino Canticum Novum

Sing to the Lord a New Song