There's your choice . . .

Police say they began their investigation in August 2010 after a botched procedure at Brigham's Elkton clinic. Authorities say an 18-year-old woman who was 21 weeks pregnant had her uterus ruptured and her bowel injured, and rather than call 911, Brigham and his colleague Dr. Nicola Riley drove the woman to a nearby hospital, where both were uncooperative and Brigham refused to give his name.

A search of the Elkton clinic after the botched abortion revealed a freezer with 35 late-term fetuses inside, including one believed to have been aborted at 36 weeks.

Because it was all about the money. 

They did not even have the decency to give a proper burial to viable children.

Bastards.

I am so easily amused . . .

I Am a Selfish Catholic

Because I love my faith and hold it to the The One True Faith.

But I will be lazy this morning and point y'all in the direction of my friend, The Crescat, and her far-better-written-post-than-anything-I-can write-unless-of-course-she-and-I-were-drinking-at-The-Thirsty-Beaver:

To my dear friend religion is just another personal choice, like who to date or whether to have coffee or tea for breakfast. It doesn’t matter what religion you choose to follow if it works for you. But that is not what Catholicism is. It is not just another choice on the buffet of beliefs. He thinks my stubborn persistence that Catholicism is the True Faith founded by Christ to be nothing more than a desire to be right.

However, it is Catholicism that is right, not I. You can not apply the same rightness to all religions if you truly believe and acknowledge the rightness of Catholicism. Does that make any sense? How could I possibly grant equal legitimacy to other religions under the guise of personal choice without making my own faith appear less legitimate? By suggesting religion is nothing more than a lifestyle choice reduces Catholicism to just one of the many spiritual options.

To quote the late Ken Kesey (yeah, I know his past, shut up):  You're either on the bus or off the bus.

Year(s) in Review - a Reminder of What Is At Stake in the 2012 Elections

The brilliant Stilton Jarlsberg suggested we wish each other a Happy No Year . . . for 2012 will be the year to say NO to another four years of the Obama administration.

Lost In My Mind

This song is beautiful.

DING!

It's my new way of cheering myself up and an inside joke with my kids . . .

DING!

The Resolution of Innocence

“We shouldn't be surprised that innocence frightens us. We fear innocence because we fear being humble instruments of God. So we will not serve. Why? Because we fear the loss of our freedom. But didn't the God-man tell us, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free"? Yet we fear the truth because we don't want to give up our slavery to sin.”

Yesterday was the Feast of the Holy Innocents, those children killed by the order of King Herod, to whom it was foretold that a child - the Christ - would become King of the Jews. To eliminate what he saw as his rival for the throne, Herod ordered that all Jewish boys of a tender age would be slain. Joseph was warned of this and fled into Egypt, thereby saving the Christ Child's life.

I spent yesterday with children - mine and two other friends, at Dollywood. To them, it was a fun vacation day. To me, it was something more. I was spending the day watching my children, silently giving thanks to the Lord for their presence. At one point in my life, such a gift would not – was not – within my comprehension.

I have been thinking about the Incarnation – really, Christmas is not the celebration of His Birth as we know birth to be in human terms, but a continuation of the mystery of the Incarnation, begun when the Virgin Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit. That Christ was present even then cannot be disputed – at Mary’s visit to her kin, Elizabeth, the child John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth’s womb for joy at the presence of his Savior. And indeed, Jesus cannot be “born” as He always was and will always be – instead, fully divine, He takes on flesh and becomes fully human, and Christmas is the culmination of that process. Our God so loves us that He assumes our lowly forms and walks among us.

My reading led me to the quoted passage above. Taken from a Christmas homily in 2009, it speaks to the loss of innocence, an innocence of absolute trust in God and the ability to face His truth without fear, and how Christ came – in His Incarnation – to restore us to that innocence.

If I am one thing, I can be overly cynical at times. All too often, I can dismiss someone as being “naïve” or “simple”. They just don’t understand “the rules”; they don’t see the world as I do, self-assured and “tougher” than they are. At such times, I must remember to stop and ask myself, am I playing Herod? Am I “killing” innocence rather than check my cynicism and my pride and simply trust in the Truth that is Christ?

I recently wrote a letter to a friend, telling them of my fears at what may be conduct on their part leading to mortal sin. I do not think I was being judgmental, but what I did do was describe to them conduct that would lead me to withhold my gift of friendship and amity – no, I would not stop loving them but while love is unconditional, that is not the same as being without consequences.

Sometimes, in my practice of law, a client might ask, “When should I not allow [the other parent] to take the child for a visit?” when there is a fear of harm. I would ask them, “Well, would you let the child go if the other parent arrived at your doorstep falling down drunk?” “Of course not!” they would exclaim. Then I would “lessen” the egregious nature of the other parent’s behavior so that they could see there is a time when consequences to someone’s behavior are not appropriate . . . and a point where they become so, and so action such as not allowing visitation may be in order.

So too is it for us in our relationships with others. “Turning the other cheek” does not mean becoming a punching bag. Surely, I would not expect any Christian to disparage a woman – especially one with minor children – for leaving a husband who is an abusive alcoholic. She may still love him; even in her anger, perhaps subconsciously, she may still retain a love for the fact that they conceived children together. But that does not mean her love must be sacrificed to his decision to act in a certain way. And so certain physical manifestations of her love – the conjugal act, maintaining a household together – are foregone to ensure her and her children’s safety – or, if you will, their innocence.

“After the fall, Adam and Eve lost their innocence. So they were ashamed of themselves and fearful of God. They were alienated from each other and alienated from God Himself. They blamed each other and insisted that the ‘devil made them do it’. They were not to blame; they were not accountable; they would not accept responsibility for their disobedience. And so they and all of us after them unleashed a maelstrom of evil that continues and intensifies. Nations suffered and continue to suffer; nations bled and continue to bleed; nations died and continue to die in their sins.”

“But God refuses to abandon us. He renewed His covenant with His people again and again. The covenant with Noah, with Abraham and Moses would be renewed in different ways. But the covenant would be the same: an agreement, plain and simple. With God as one of the parties, the covenant became an unbreakable agreement between God and man. It reads simply, "Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people..." (Jer. 7:23). Innocence is restored through obedience: Worship the one God; keep holy the Sabbath; do not kill or commit adultery or steal; do not lie. Reasonable enough terms. But terms so easily ignored.”

“So in the fullness of time, God sent His only begotten Son into the world. Jesus Christ came into the world to restore man to innocence, and to restore the divine intimacy lost by sin. And He tells us throughout the Gospel to ‘be not afraid.’"

“The truth is, the child Jesus, in His person, is the perfect covenant between God and man and He shows us the way. And so the ‘Word was made flesh and dwelt among us’. Man has received a transfusion of innocence.”

As we approach the New Year, we should remember that we are still in the Christmas season and, to use the metaphor above, are still receiving that transfusion of innocence. This is why the New Year is a time of making resolutions – hopefully, we do a self-examination to determine where our innocence has been lost or may be threatened, by ourselves or by others. It is easy to say God comes first; it is hard to place Him there, especially if it means having to face someone we love and modify our manifestation of that love, perhaps from being in an on-going relationship with them to simply praying for their soul. But we cannot abandon God to human sentimentality because in doing so, we corrupt our innocence with God.

At one time my innocence was lost. I spent my life in a dissolute manner and God was more than pushed into second place, He was abandoned by me. But He never abandoned me. In time, through His grace, my innocence was restored . . . and, with time, led me to a chilly day in the Smokey mountains, enjoying the winter sun with children borne of a loving marriage. My daughter conquered her fears of riding any roller coaster that went upside down yesterday, while I affirmed by conquest over a fear of setting aside cynicism and embracing the innocence of trust in Christ Jesus.

In my letter to my friend, I set out a detailed history of a time in my life when I lived without that innocence, in hopes of explaining to them why my fears for them were such as they are and begging my friend’s forgiveness if I mistakenly maligned their character by letting them know of my concern. In doing so, I considered the possibility that they may tell me to go screw myself in their indignation at what they could perceive as a lack of trust in them – or, really, a lack of “unconditional” love. So be it. My love – philos, agape, and eros – for any person is precious if grounded in the innocence of Christ. It must be protected and I am failing to do so if I provide someone with the benefits they enjoy or expect from it if their behavior mocks that innocence.

Christ was incarnated, Christ suffered, Christ died, and Christ rose again all to reconcile sinners to God. I cannot sacrifice that gift to someone’s feeling, self-esteem, or weakness. This is not to say I expect perfection from a person, but I expect them to “walk the walk” and seek my assistance, if needed . . . and help me to do so as well should my innocence become corrupted.

King Herod is dead. Long live the King of Kings!

Why my New Year Eves are spent at home or at the home of friends . . .

Well, there is a possibility that The Crescat might come for the holiday.  Maybe we'll find that snake-handling church having a midnight service . . .

Wouldn't some Britney Spears have worked better . . .?

Luann is one of the comics I read online, and I guess the cartoonist is running "retro" strips from years past to allow for a vacation.

Nine Inch Nails?!  Really?  Either the cartoonist has a hidden dark side or just hard the lyric "You bring me closer to God" and thought the rest of the song was wholesome for a family strip.

Yeah, turn off that hearing aid, Gramps - NSFW ahead . . .

Update!

Over on Facebook, I snidely remakred that fif the long-running and venerated comic strip Mary Worth could work in a goatse joke, my year would be complete.  Then I saw today's strip . . .

HOLY SHIT, LOOK AT THEIR HANDS IN THE LAST PANEL!!!!

Liturgy Ain't Performance Art

One thing that drives me crazy is when liturgies just have too much.  I have often said, at my funeral, if the presiding priest sings the Eucharistic prayers, I am coming out of my box.

Case in point:  the English choir at my old church.  Of the four times a parishioner can sing - processional, collection, Communion, recessional - the choir mistress would only have parishioners do so during the processional and recessional, most of the time.  The other two times was for her to put on a show.  And they did - for awhile, I heard so many "spirituals" that I remarked to my husband one Sunday, "Oh, look - we're getting 'Song of the South' again!"  The Sunday she brought in drums, both the sacristan and I looked at each other with raised eyebrows. 

And when the choir finished its performance, the congregation usually applauded . . . all except me, my husband, and the sacristan.  Sorry, I was raised differently as to how to behave at Mass.

Neat Story from a Friend

As some may know, I am a friend to Miss Norma, the woman who is in the history books as "Roe" in the seminal US Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade.  Praise God, she is now a leading voice in the pro-life movement!

I wanted to share with you something she told me today, about her late father and his loving and generous nature. 

When Norma became pregnant with the child that caused her to be chosen as the plainitff in that case (and no, the child was never aborted, but given up for adoption and reunited with her mother in later years), her father told her not to worry and said, "Honey, we have another cup of water and bone for the soup . . ." if she were to keep the baby. 

What a great saying!  And what a great father!  Today, I am praying for the soul of Norma McCorvey's father.

Hoc Est Corpus Meum

Hoc Est Corpus Meum, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

Fr. Chris Michelson, pastor of St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the celebration of Christmas Eve Mass.

Pity their firefighting helmets hide their haloes . . .

From YouTube:

Kyle is an 11 yr old honorary member of the Barnegat Fire Company, he is losing his battle with cancer and was sent home to be with his family and friends until the Lord calls him home. As one of his last wishes for Ocean Of Love he wanted to see a parade of Fire Trucks pass by his house. So Ocean of Love and The Barnegat Fire Company and MANY other companies banded together to make that happen. We had an overwhelming response when we called for assist. We ended up having over 35 companies and nearly 100 trucks. For so many people to take time out of their busy lives this time a year really shows what the meaning of Christmas is all about. It was a surprise for Kyle and to get to be apart of something so amazing really touched my heart. Please keep Kyle and his family in your prayers! God Bless Kyle!! Courage for Kyle!

The Shadows . . . Can Still Be Dispelled . . .

GREATEST scene of any Christmas movie.  Dare you to watch this and not laugh in joy!

Merry Christmas

Christmas 1960 with me, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

I just want to take this time to wish all readers of this blog a very Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

Christmas is about rejoicing in the greatest gift of all, the Incarnaton. As I was wrapping presents for my children this morning, it occurred to me that after thanking God for His Son, I should also be thankful that I find myself in a comfortable home wrapping gifts for children that I bore with a good husband. Really, after that, what need to I have for anything else?

The picture above is Christmas 1960. I am there, albeit in utero. Mom would have been about five months along. I wonder if she was having similar thoughts that Christmas, with one child toddling about and another on the way.

So Merry Christmas to all!

Real Status - Updated

And I really hate people who bitch about what others do on Facebook . . .

This morning I am channeling the soul of Andy Rooney by feeling a tad curmudgeonly bout things I notice on Facebook AND deciding to write about them here. They range from idiosyncrasies that I find mildly amusing to behavior which, in its most flagrant form, would cause me to "unfriend" a person. When I was diagnosed with my bi-polar tendencies, the doctor said that the prescribed medication would "hone" the executive function of my brain, or, as he put it: "People might perceive you to be an asshole, Steph." So be it.
Let us begin:

1. Bad spelling and poor grammar. Now, I know the beauty of Facebook is that it is spontaneous! Friendly! Just between me and my 321 close friends! And I recognize when someone will purposely write something folksy using literary license, such as, "I lahks me some pie!" That is appropriate and a literary device used by people such as Mark Twain, George Orwell, and Hubert Selby, Jr. And I know that mobile devices with their blasted auto-correct functionality - not to mention typing on a touch screen - can cause one's commentary to slip. But if you are putting your best face to the world, albeit digitally, strive to be literate. As I commented earlier, I would have thought that the song "Loser" by Beck would teach a generation how to spell that word correctly. If you write, "He is such a looser," I must inquire as to whether the subject is an archer or has simply eaten too much.
2. Infantilism in language. Sadly, this happens all too often with members of my own gender. Someone could post as their status, "My God, I just found out I have an inoperable brain tumor that will kill me within six months!" and, in response, someone will comment, "Hang in there - wuv u!"  Weally?
3. Drunk Facebooking. This happens when someone decides to unwind with Facebook and a cocktail. Or two. Or several. At the same time, they may be listening to music and think, "Man, I never knew how deep and meaningful the song "Mandy" is . . . man, I gotta post this on Facebook!" Or, "God, I love the Packers, my life is devoid of any meaning or worth without them!" Thereafter, this person will post some 50 links, pictures, and videos, all dedicated to the object of their admiration, and all within the next five minutes. Subsequently, you come onto Facebook, only to see your entire wall - and more of it below - spammed by their postings. And causing you to overlook a single status from a friend saying, "I want to kill myself tonight. I need someone to talk to."
4. OMG, IF YUR REALLY FREAKIN OUT AND YOU CANT BREATH OMG YU NEED TO STOP FREAKIN OUT BECUZ YOUR GONNA EXPLODE . . . then you wouldn't have the time to type it out on Facebook, now would you? Oh, and , TYPING IN CAPS IS STILL CONSIDERED SCREAMING!
5. Think before you repost. According to the site Transplant Living, the average cost of a heart transplant in 2008 was $787,000. Some three years later, I could predict it is nearer to $900,000. I think it is highly improbable that a medical facility would move a patient up on the list of those waiting for a donor heart and perform all the medical work gratis because a picture of the patient - who looked quite POST-op in the picture - was shared 100 times. Also, no, simply because you're my Facebook friend, I do not consider you family. Thinking that just makes me question whether you have an issue with boundaries.
6. Passive-aggressive irony. "OMG, some people should just tell me what they think of me instead of talking behind my back to all our friends, and they know who they are, I hate those people who won't tell you to your face!"
7. Lurkers. Some of my friends have the saddest profiles of old statuses and the occasional lonely voice in the wilderness writing on their wall, "Hey, how are you doing?" Does it mean that they are not active on Facebook? Perhaps. But I notice in conversation with these people, they bring up subjects that you have recently discussed on Facebook, which leads me to believe they use Facebook to lurk. Think of them as sort of a digital Peeping Tom. Here is a tip that I know other friends do: adopt a fictitious persona. It is okay to hide your identity. Frankly, I enjoy the alter egos of some of my friends, especially when it allows them to suspend some inhibitions they have in real life.

Please feel free to add your own here.

Because at Christmas we should be laughing

They're not even trying to hide it

Jay Gray, the NBC News reporter covering the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal in State College, Pennsylvania, was arrested on drunk driving charges after he attended a drunken football-watching party at Sandusky's lawyer's house, reports say.

Once upon a time, there was an independent press who took pride in being impartial and no one's bitch.  It was called the "Fourth Estate" because while the three estates referred to Parliament in England 00's, Thomas Carlyle, the Victorian writer, said "Burke said there were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters' Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all."  The press were akin to the slave who would stand behind a Roman conqueror and whisper in his ear during his triumphal parade, "Remember that one day you will die."  The press worked to expose the Truth.

And now . . . hell, he was pouring the good stuff.

Because it's not nice to make fun of the mentally infIrm . . .

In interview with Newsweek/Daily Beast, Vice President Biden asserted that “the Taliban per se is not our enemy.”

Well, he is right."Per se" means "in itself."  So, yes, the Taliban is not our enemy per se.

It's all the shit they do that make them that. 

See, even a blind pig finds an acorn once in awhile, so stop making fun of Joe.

Get down to the root of the problem . . .

I heard about an incident involving my children's former school.  On the night of the annual Christmas program, the children who were waiting for the end of the program and the big Nativity scene were assembled in the Sacristy of the church.  Since the program was taking place in the church, Christ had been removed from the Tabernacle and was in the Sacristy, in the safe where the cahlices are kept, with a Perpetual Light burning in front of Him.

You know kids - it was the last day of school before the Christmas (!) holiday, and spirits were high.  So high, in fact, that some horseplay knocked over the Perpetual Light's stand and oil was split upon a chasible that was hanging nearby.  Oops.

Was there an adult with them?  Yes, a school employee.  Now, if I was still at the school, here would be my concern:  did she not realize Who was present there in the Sacristy?  And, even if she did, wat kind of religious training are the children receiving such that they don't realize the same?

I am not trying to beat down my kids' former school, but I think Those In Charge should really stop and consider those two questions.  I make the sacrifice to pay tuition so my children can receive an education in a Catholic school - not a private school, but a religious one of a particular faith.  I take responsibility for ensuring their Cathlic upbringing, and while I realize that catechization begins in the home, I am also entrusting that to their school. 

I would expect the employees of the school to be practicing  Catholics (I have never seen this particular employee at any school Mass and so far as I know, the school does not require its employees to show proof of their registration at a Catholic parish, which I think should be a requirement) in  a Catholic school.  I would expect an employee to recognize why there is a light burning before the safe in the Sacristry and instruct the children to sit down and be reverent - and yes, my dear, you have to do it several times rather than once and go sit outside in the church to watch the program, because they are children and, by their very nature, immature.  I do not mean that perjoratively, but it is a fact of life.

Maybe it is time for some re-education of the adults . . .

For the Win, ESPN!!!

Outstanding!!!

GET A BRA, BARNEY!

Excuse me, you bloated pig - I do not care if your arm is in a sling, you're on the fuckin' floor of Congress, WEAR SOMETHING APPROPRIATE.  No one wants to see your moobs bouncing on the TV screen.

Sick Bokeh

LA_12, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

I got togetherwith other photogs from the Knoxville Area Photographers group to play with large apertures and capture some of the special bokeh of Christmas lights. We had a joke going on about capturing "sick bokeh", which I still say makes a great name for a punk rock band.

See more pictures from the meetup here.

Because it's all about the image . . .

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is rebranding itself to try to lose the negative "baggage" associated with the larger terror organization's identity, according to a senior Arab diplomat who says the Yemeni-based group is trying to attract more foreign fighters to its cause.

"After (Usama) bin Laden's death and the Arab Spring, the name (al Qaeda) seems to have negative connotations and baggage," said the diplomat, who would discuss the changes only on condition of anonymity


Evidently, a little PR can go a long way.  I await eagerly to see what they come up with.  A snappy slogan?  A bouncy little jingle ("Have you heard the latest news?/We're here 24/7 to kill the Jews . . .")?  Or maybe they will get Tom Ford to redesign a fresh-n-fierce burka for the ladies.

In any event, I think I have found them a loveable, zany mascot:

Oh ha ha ha ha!!  Those crazy, zany jihadists!  Until . . .

"[U]ntil, Allah willing, we reach the White House . . ."

Someone who brought more cheer to people at Christmas than Santa Claus

Paging the ACLU, paging . . . oh, never mind . . .

At one point, the Rev. Luis Leon of St. John's Episcopal Church spoke of the expectations placed on Obama when he came to office -- how people expected a "messiah" who could cure all of the nation's ills.

Now we know it's not so easy, Leon said.

"This is not a political diatribe by the way," he added. "It's simply stating the obvious."

I know Catholic priests are very careful NOT to endorse a political candidate from the pulpit as it raises the issue of separation of church and state, and the call to take away the tax-exempt status of the Church if it is going to get into politicking.

How is this different?

And, while I am picking on religious organizations, boo to the Catholic Channel's Busted Halo Show for this loaded question on its Facebook page:

Newt Gingrich, a Catholic, is currently leading the Republican primary race. But do the morals and virtues he's been talking about lately on a national scale coincide with his own personal ethics and decisions?

How about directing the question towards someone like Nancy Pelosi who uses her status as a Catholic to further her agenda?

Or is liberal religion okay, but conseravtive is bad?

But then again, I notice The Busted Halo has been using pablum quotes from Jessica Simpson and Oprah Winfrey for its "Daily Jolt" feature.  Those are some heavy thinkers . . . and the Saints had nothing to say . . . damn, I expect better from the Paulists than tripe like that.

Bookends

Bookends, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

Snapped with my iPhone this evening, whilst watching anime.

The dog on the right is a 5-month-old puppy . . .

Black Butler

One of the advantages of being the mother to a teen and a pre-adolescent, is that they introduce me to cool things . . . like the anime, Black Butler.  If you see it on Netflix, watch it.  Set in Victorian England, a young nobleman, Lord Ciel Phantomhive - 12 years old and a genius - is served by Sebastian, his demonic butler, with whom he has an unbreakable contract.  It is great Japanese "WTF?!" entertainment.

Out, out, damned . . .

BigGovernment.com publisher Andrew Breitbart has announced he is resigning from the advisory board of GOProud, a group of gay conservatives, after its leaders reportedly "outed" the chief pollster to Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry.

"I have a zero tolerance attitude toward the intentional infliction of vocational and family harm by divulging the details of an individual's sexual orientation as a weapon of political destruction," Breitbart wrote on his website. "As an 'advisory board member' I was not consulted on this extreme and punitive act. Clearly, there are more productive means to debate controversial ideas and settle conflicts.

"Therefore, I cannot in good conscience stand with GOProud. I still stand by gay conservatives who boldly and in the face of much criticism from many fronts fight for limited government, lower taxes, a strong national defense as well as the other core conservative principles," Breitbart said.

Bravo, Mr. Breitbart!  I have never understood the need for those in the gay community who engage in this sort of behavior on the basis of "principle."

Should a person ever be "outed?" Perhaps in very limited cases.  Here is an example:  let's say you work for a priate organization that does not allow gay people.  Putting aside any argument as to why you would work for such a company, let us also say you are in a management position and the fact - not rumor, not innuendo - becomes known to you that a member is gay and lied on their application to become a member.  It is one thing to inform upper management quietly and allow the person the opportunity to resign; it is another to announce it at a public meeting.  The person was made aware of the requirement and lied on an application - that is what at play here.  That is less of an outing as it is enforcing a policy, which can still be done so as to ensure the dignity of the person.

Absent such circumstances - no.  If I don't want people in my business, I'm not sticking my nose in theirs.  And if I am privy to such a fact - again, not  a rumor or assumption - that person can rest assured it stays with me.  If you think you need to "out" someone to meet the needs of your personal agenda . . . go screw yourself.

Not quite ready to cover the Olympics . . .

Last Friday I was given the opportunity to shoot "The Nutcracker on Ice" for my instructor at UT.  Now, I hate ballet.  I hate figure skating.  But . . . I thought the assembled cast of skaters did a fine job of presenting this holiday classic.  My understanding is that most are students at the rink where it was held and the kids . . . well, the kids will always come out the stars because they are so gosh-darned cute.

But back to me . . . I nabbed a spot on the ice.  The instructor kindly provided me with a small board upon which to perch my fat arse, which meant the bottom portion of my legs and my feet rested on frozen water.  I lost feeling after 20 minutes.  But . . . it was worth it, as I have never shot anything like this before.  It was a challenge - skaters moving fast between areas of light and dark, and sometimes the better shot was when your flash was recycling.  I really need a bracket to bring my flash up.  Hell, I need a better flash.

So here are my amateur results . . . ladies and gentlemen, The Nutcracker on Ice!

More pictures can be seen here.

BTW, best comment on this:  when my dear friend, Buzz Bannister, heard I photographed "The Nutcracker on Ice", he said, "I was hoping to see a picture of my ex-wife's attorney laid out in the morgue!"

Tebow Time!

Seen on Facebook this morning:

"I think someone needs to tell Tim Tebow that World Hunger and Cancer are ahead by 13 points and there's only 3 minutes left!"

Go, Timmy!

Go Tell It On the Mountain . . .

Yesterday, the youth group of my parish, St. Albert the Great in Knoxville, TN, carpooled up to a small mountian community in northeastern Tennessee, not far from the border with Kentucky.  This was Appalachia, where previously coal mining and logging kept local people employed, fed, and clothed.  Both industries have slowed down considerably, and the median income barely passes the poverty level.  Sadly, this has become an area where meth has a grasp on the people here.  For many of the children, Christmas means a time of disappointment - there are no fancy Xboxes under the tree or video games, if there is even a tree.  But not all kids will be without a gift, thanks to the generosity of my parish.

With help from Catholic Charities of Eastern Tennessee, people were able to sign up at a local thrift store to be part of a Christmas party.  Each family received a gift box of food for the holiday meal, but most importantly, the children of those families got a large gift bag of presents.

But, come on, it's no fun giving them out unless you've got a party going!  So it fell to our Youth Group, our high school kids, to put one on.  And they did!  We made sure there were snacks and drinks.  We had face-painting and hot cocoa.  And we had Santa!  I had to laugh, Joey - one of our most eclectic kids - at Halloween was our Chainsaw Maniac.  But he was adamant - he wanted to be Santa Claus, so with a costume and some stuffing, so he did . . . and was amazingly tender and gracious with all the kids that came up to talk to him and receive their gifts.

I was talking to the local rep for Catholic Charities, Ed.  The party was held in a local thrift store that really had seen better days.  Not a lot of stuff but, as Ed explained to me, "This is their WalMart.  This is here families come to shop for their basics.  This is all they have."  Sobering, to say the least.  Hidden behind a display case was some used and new toys - that will allow parents to "shop" for their children to make this Christmas brighter.

Wat is more important is that our kids got the chance to put Christ's teaching in action.  And also to see how fortunate they are with their own circumstances.  My daughter jumped in the van with her Knoxville Catholic HS buddies, so I drove up two other kids - despite an hour up and an hour back, more or less, my time was enhanced by conversation with two polite and mature teens. 

Go tell it on the mountain - Christ is at work in the world.

See more pictures here.

Our Lady of Appalachia

Our Lady of Appalachia, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

Taken December 11, 2011 in Jellico, Tennessee.

That BVM . . . always keep an eye out for her, she pops up everywhere!

A Few Quick Thoughts on My Weekend

It started with an email and a phone call that showed me that God's hand is in our lives always.  A friend's MRI is fine and clear.  And if we ask for reconciliation, He brings it.

Then on Friday night, I sat - slowly freezing - on ice while "The Nutcracker" happened before me, on ice skates.  I was given the opportunity to shoot the production and I was amazed at how beautifully the skaters - many of whom were children - performed.

Then Saturday saw me at a Boys and Girls Club in Knoxville helping with the 3rd annual Help-Portrait.  Fantastic experience!  Volunteers bringing their skills to provide professional photo portraits for needy people.  Look what happened here - people with little in life of the material sort were given dignity in having their portrait done, while the volunteers were allowed to do good.  Win-win.  If you can, consider joining the effort next year.

And again today.  I accompanied the Youth Group of my parish to bring up gifts and host a Christmas party for kids in rural Appalachia.  For these children of the mountains, the presents we brought may be the only ones they get for Christmas.  As I sit here, I still have the reindeer that one of our teens painted and I am going through my pictures, looking at shots of saints.

Today is the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday.  "Gaudete" is Latin for "rejoice."  Today's readings included this, from St. Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians:

Rejoice always.  Pray without ceasing.  In all circumstances give thanks.

Yes.

Morning After Marketing

I give credit to Obama's administration for doing this right.

Obama said that as he understood it, Sebelius was wary of a 10-year-old or 11-year-old going into a drugstore and buying a medication — one on the shelves next to "the bubble gum and batteries" — that could be harmful if not used properly.

Stores, though, were never likely to put the [morning-after pill] near chewing gum or batteries. It was going to go on shelves by condoms, spermicides and pregnancy tests.

The rhetorical emphasis on the potential for 11- and 12-year-old girls to use the pill also rankled advocates.

There are no age restrictions on other over-the-counter drugs that could potentially have serious side-effects in young children.

These "advocates" just don't get it.  It is not about this being placed next to bubble gum - that is an oversimplification.

But we are seeing fourth graders and fifth graders engaing in sex.  Yes, that young.  When a child of that age gets a cold, they do not go and buy OTC medications for themselves.  They complain - be it to a parent or a school nurse - and the adult determines what will be administered, be it an OTC remedy or chicken soup.

But a child that age is unlikely to go say, "Mommy, I had sex last night . . ."  And especially when the situation may involve a young girl with an older male.  If available, they would go and buy the morning-after pill.  They have already made a poor choice by engaging in sex.  They are children.  Can anyone imagine a scared 11-year-old - perhaps urged by a stupid 16-year-old or an uncaing 25-year-old male or a pimp in human sex trafficking - swallowing multiple doses "just to be sure?"  Yes, I can.  It is frightening enough to think of a child this age engaging in sexual relations - the tragedy does not need to be compounded.

I'll start drafting the paperwork for the restraining order . . .

I remember when a friend of mine re-entered the dating scene after a divorce.  He went out with several women and then announced to me that based upon his experience, he had narrowed down his criteria for what he was looking for in a woman.  When I asked him what it was, he said, "Not crazy."

Evidently, it covers both sexes.   This presuambly is en email sent to a woman after a date - and the only date - with "Mike."

Hi Lauren,

I’m disappointed in you. I’m disappointed that I haven’t gotten a response to my voicemail and text messages.

FYI, I suggest that you keep in mind that emails sound more impersonal, harsher, and are easier to misinterpret than in-person or phone communication. After all, people can't see someone's body language or tone of voice in an email. I'm not trying to be harsh, patronizing, or insulting in this email. I'm honest and direct by nature, and I'm going to be that way in this email. By the way, I did a google search, so that’s how I came across your email.

I assume that you no longer want to go out with me. (If you do want to go out with me, then you should let me know.) I suggest that you make a sincere apology to me for giving me mixed signals. I feel led on by you.

Things that happened during our date include, but are not limited to, the following:

-You played with your hair a lot. A woman playing with her hair is a common sign of flirtation. You can even do a google search on it. When a woman plays with her hair, she is preening. I've never had a date where a woman played with her hair as much as you did. In addition, it didn't look like you were playing with your hair out of nervousness.

-We had lots of eye contact during our date. On a per-minute basis, I've never had as much eye contact during a date as I did with you.

-You said, "It was nice to meet you." at the end of our date. A woman could say this statement as a way to show that she isn't interested in seeing a man again or she could mean what she said--that it was nice to meet you. The statement, by itself, is inconclusive.

-We had a nice conversation over dinner. I don't think I'm being delusional in saying this statement.

In my opinion, leading someone on (i.e., giving mixed signals) is impolite and immature. It’s bad to do that.

Normally, I would not be asking for information if a woman and I don't go out again after a first date. However, in our case, I'm curious because I think our date went well and that there is a lot of potential for a serious relationship. Of course, it's difficult to predict what would happen, but I think there is a lot of potential for a serious relationship developing between us one day (or least there was before your non-response to my voicemail and text messages).

I think we should go out on a second date. In my opinion, our first date was good enough to lead to a second date.

Why am I writing you? Well, hopefully, we will go out again. Even if we don't, I gain utility from expressing my thoughts to you. In addition, even if you don't want to go out again, I would like to get feedback as to why you wouldn't want to go again. Normally, I wouldn't ask a woman for this type of feedback after a first date, but this is an exception given I think we have a lot of potential.

If you don't want to go again, then apparently you didn't think our first date was good enough to lead to a second date. Dating or a relationship is not a Hollywood movie. It’s good to keep that in mind. In general, I thought the date went well and was expecting that we would go out on a second date.

If you're not interested in going out again, then I would have preferred if you hadn't given those mixed signals. I feel led on. We have a number of things in common. I’ll name a few things: First, we’ve both very intelligent. Second, we both like classical music so much that we go to classical music performances by ourselves. In fact, the number one interest that I would want to have in common with a woman with whom I’m in a relationship is a liking of classical music. I wouldn’t be seriously involved with a woman if she didn’t like classical music. You said that you're planning to go the NY Philharmonic more often in the future. As I said, I go to the NY Philharmonic often. You're very busy. It would be very convenient for you to date me because we have the same interests. We already go to classical music performances by ourselves. If we go to classical music performances together, it wouldn't take any significant additional time on your part. According to the internet, you’re 33 or 32, so, at least from my point of view, we’re a good match in terms of age. I could name more things that we have in common, but I’ll stop here. I don’t understand why you apparently don’t want to go out with me again. We have numerous things in common. I assume that you find me physically attractive. If you didn’t find me physically attractive, then it would have been irrational for you to go out with me in the first place. After all, our first date was not a blind date. You already knew what I looked like before our date. Perhaps, you’re unimpressed that I manage my family’s investments and my own investments. Perhaps, you don’t think I have a “real” job. Well, I’ve done very well as an investment manager. I’ve made my parents several millions of dollars. That’s real money. That’s not monopoly money. In my opinion, if I make real money, it’s a real job. Donald Trump’s children work for his company. Do they have “real” jobs? I think so. George Soros’s sons help manage their family investments. Do they have “real” jobs? I think so. In addition, I’m both a right-brain and left-brain man, given that I’m both an investment manager and a philosopher/writer. That’s a unique characteristic; most people aren’t like that. I’ve never been as disappointed and sad about having difficulty about getting a second date as I am with you. I've gone out with a lot of women in my life. (FYI, I'm not a serial dater. Sometimes, I've only gone out with a woman for one date.) People don’t grow on trees. I hope you appreciate the potential we have.

Am I sensitive person? Sure, I am. I think it's better to be sensitive than to be insensitive. There are too many impolite, insensitive people in the world.

I suggest that we continue to go out and see what happens. Needless to say, I find you less appealing now (given that you haven’t returned my messages) than I did at our first date. However, I would be willing to go out with you again. I’m open minded and flexible and am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I wish you would give me the benefit of the doubt too. If you don't want to go out again, in my opinion, you would be making a big mistake, perhaps one of the biggest mistakes in your life. If you don’t want to go out again, then you should have called to tell me so. Even sending a text message would have been better than nothing. In my opinion, not responding to my messages is impolite, immature, passive aggressive, and cowardly. I spent time, effort, and money meeting you for dinner. Getting back to me in response to my messages would have been a reasonable thing for you to do. In addition, you arrived about 30 minutes late for our date. I’m sure you wouldn’t like it if a man showed up thirty minutes late for a first date with you.

If you're concerned that you will hurt my feelings by providing specific information about why you don't want to go with me again, well, my feeling are already hurt. I'm sad and disappointed about this situation. If you give information, at least I can understand the situation better. I might even learn something that is beneficial.

If you don't want to go out again, that I request that you call me and make a sincere apology for leading me on (i.e., giving me mixed signals). In my opinion, you shouldn't act that way toward a man and then not go out with him again. It’s bad to play with your hair so much and make so much eye contact if you’re not interested in going out with me again. I have tried to write this email well, but it's not perfect. Again, I'm not trying to be harsh, insulting, patronizing, etc. I'm disappointed, sad, etc. I would like to talk to you on the phone. I hope you will call me back at xxx-xxx-xxxx> (if it’s inconvenient for you to talk on the phone when you read this email, you can let me know via email that you are willing to talk on the phone and I’ll call you). If you get my voicemail, you can a leave a message and I can call you back. Even if you don't want to go out again, I would appreciate it if you give me the courtesy of calling me and talking to me. Yes, you might say things that hurt me, but my feelings are already hurt. Sending me an email response (instead of talking on the phone) would better than no response at all, but I think it would be better to talk on the phone. Email communication has too much potential for misinterpretation, etc.

Best, Mike

It's POLL TIME:  which picture best fits your mental image of "Mike?"

Perhaps the miracle is that he even noticed it at all . . .

Hanukah is a commemoration of a miracle.  After defeating Antiochus who had persecuted the Jews, Judah Maccabee ordered the temple in jerusalem to be rededicated.  Jewish law madated that a light always burn before the Torah, and the Jews had only enough oil to keep the light going for a day - and instead, it burned for eight days, allowing fresh oil to be prepared. 

And old joke once told to me by an Orthodox Jew is that whenever anyone asks, "When is Hanukah this year?" a proper wagster would wink and answer, "The same time every year - the 25th of Kislev!"  It is - exept since the Jewish calendar is based on the phases of the moon, it is not fixed as our modern Gregorian calendar, and so Hanukah "moves" each year.

This year is will begin at sundown on December 20th . . . except in OT.  No, not over time - Obama time.

Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden convened a Hanukkah celebration at the White House Thursday in an early celebration of the Jewish Festival of Lights.

Hanukkah begins at sunset on Dec. 20. Obama joked that everyone needs to be "careful that your kids don't start thinking Hanukkah lasts 20 nights instead of eight."

Oh ha, ha, ha . . . nothing like checking off "perform token gesture to Jews" from your to do list early, especially when it might interfere with your Hawaiian vacation.  It wasn't a token gesture?  Unlike the actual Hanukah, where the candles are lit consecutively, one each night, until all eight (plus the extra shammes candle) are lit, Obama handily lit all of them at once, made his joke, and . . . that was it.  What, no latkes?  I guess Obama thought his Catskill shtick was "Jewish" enough.

The offiical White House transcript (as of December 9, 2011 at 6:19 am EST - I put that because as criticism rises, they may well scrub the references to laughter):

THE PRESIDENT: Well, good evening, everybody. Welcome to the White House. Thank you all for joining us tonight to celebrate Hanukkah -- even if we're doing it a little bit early. (Laughter.)

I want to start by recognizing a few folks who are here. The ambassador to the United States from Israel, Michael Oren, is in the house. (Applause.)

We are honored to be joined by one of the justices of the Supreme Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is here. (Applause.) We are thrilled to see her. She's one of my favorites, I got to -- (laughter.) I've got a soft spot for Justice Ginsburg.

And we’ve got more than a few members of Congress here and members of my administration in the house, including our new Director of Jewish Outreach, Jarrod Bernstein is here. Where's Jarrod? (Applause.) Hey, Jarrod.

I also want to thank the West Point Jewish Chapel Cadet Choir –- (applause) -- the Voice of Tradition -– for their wonderful performance, but more importantly, for their extraordinary service to our country.

And I want to thank all the rabbis and lay leaders who have come far and wide to be here with us today.

Now, as I said, we’re jumping the gun just a little bit. The way I see it, we’re just extending the holiday spirit. We're stretching it out. (Laughter.) But we do have to be careful that your kids don’t start thinking Hanukkah lasts 20 nights instead of eight. (Laughter.) That will cause some problems.

This Hanukkah season we remember a story so powerful that we all know it by heart -- even us Gentiles. It’s a story of right over might, of faith over doubt. Of a band of believers who rose up and freed their people and discovered that the oil left in their desecrated temple –- which should have lasted only one night –- ended up lasting eight.

It’s a timeless story. And for 2,000 years, it has given hope to Jews everywhere who are struggling. And today, it reminds us that miracles come in all shapes and sizes. Because to most people, the miracle of Hanukkah would have looked like nothing more than a simple flame, but the believers in the temple knew it was something else. They knew it was something special.

This year, we have to recognize the miracles in our own lives. Let’s honor the sacrifices our ancestors made so that we might be here today. Let’s think about those who are spending this holiday far away from home -– including members of our military who guard our freedom around the world. Let’s extend a hand to those who are in need, and allow the value of tikkun olam to guide our work this holiday season.

This is also a time to be grateful for our friendships, both with each other and between our nations. And that includes, of course, our unshakeable support and commitment to the security of the nation of Israel. (Applause.)

So while it is not yet Hanukkah, let’s give thanks for our blessings, for being together to celebrate this wonderful holiday season. And we never need an excuse for a good party. (Laughter.) So we are going to see all of you in a second downstairs --

MRS. OBAMA: Aren't we in the Blue Room?

THE PRESIDENT: Or wherever we are. (Laughter.) I think we're downstairs. We are downstairs in the Map Room. So as I look around, I see a whole bunch of good friends. We can't wait to give you a hug and a kiss and wish you a happy holiday. The guys with whiskers, I won't give you a kiss. (Laughter.)

Thank you very much, everybody. (Applause.)

They all had a bloody good time . . .

Because, to paraphrase Whoopi Goldberg, it's not abuse abuse.

I did a double take when I saw this headine this morning in the LA Times:

Iraq festival is bloody but not in a bad way

No, actually, it is "in a bad way." 

The balding head of Hamid Hussein had been sliced open with a sword. Bright scarlet blood flowed down his sunburned face, trickling down and staining the white robes worn by his 5-year-old son, Hussein.

It was a momentous day for father and son. They were observing Ashura, the annual religious holiday when Shiite Muslims display penance and mourning with self-inflicted wounds to commemorate the 7th century martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the prophet Muhammad.

The article goes on to explain that it's a "good" blood-letting because it was marked by a lack  of violence as has been seen in the past.  The Times begrudgingly credits the presence of US forecs, although notes:

"It's better that the Americans are leaving, because we can run our own affairs now," Hussein, 32, a stocky, white-robed resident of Baghdad's Kadhimiya neighborhood, said this week as he wiped streaks of blood from his eyes.

Their own affairs?

The men, and some young boys, had sliced their heads or flayed themselves with chains to open wounds and draw blood.

There used to be a time when we called such thing child abuse. Now the Times would have us embrace it as another happy facet of multi-culturalism.  You know, like child brides and femal genital mutilation. 

At one time, I had a client who excused their conduct of getting drunk in front of their minor childen by saying, "Well, they're just little adults."  It is a mentality like this that promulgates what I could call societal child abuse - we treat children as "little adults," slipping more sly sexual innuendo into PG-ated movies and charging a first grader with sexual harassment when he kicked the groin of his opponent in a school yard fight (while those aforementioned PG movies consistently use the groin shot as a sight gag).  It causes parents to think they need to be their kids "friends" while abdicating their role of educating and leading. 

Ashura - just another golden holiday memory for little boys:

Techno Pope

I LOVE MY GERMAN SHEPHERD!

Mmmmm . . . stuffed zucchini for dinner . . .

An Islamic cleric living in Europe reportedly has warned Muslim women not to get too close to bananas, cucumbers or other produce -- to avoid having “sexual thoughts.”

[I]f women wanted to eat these foods, a third party -- preferably a male related to them, such as their father or husband -- should cut the items into small pieces before serving

Ah!  Brings me back to those second-trimester pregancy days . . .

Shut up, you know what I mean.  "Please, sweetie, let me get some sleep!"

Let's go back even further!

A lot of Catholics like to use t-shirts like the one above to say, "Our Church - founded by Christ Himself!"  Why 33 AD?  Because tradition holds that Jesus was crucified at around that age, which meant that He established the Church at Pentecost shortly thereafter, and hence 33 AD.

But is that really when we all began?

In listening to Father's homily this morning at the Mass for the Feat of the Immaculate Conception, he mentioned that the story of our salvation really started . . . with Mary's conception.  I thought about that.  Before you can have a Resurrection, you have to have a Crucifixion.  Before you can have a Crucifixion, you have to have an Incarnation.  Before you can have an Incarnation, you have to have a vessel ready . . .

So maybe we should be standing proud and saying, "The Catholic Church - established 15 BC!"

(And it occurs to me - we acknowledge that the Catholic priesthood was initated at the Last Supper.  But the priesthood of . . . what?  While we call Pentecost the birthday of the Chuch, it seems illogical to have the priesthood precede the start of the Church.  If pressed to answer, who was the fist Catholic or Christian? - how can you not answer, "Mary!"

Hail. Holy Queen

Chapel of Our Lady at St. Patrick's Cathedral, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

May you have a blessed day, this Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Look for Mary - she is going to be around today and you never know when you might come face-to-face with her. Mama is cool like that.

How high the mighty have fallen . . .

. . . or was Gustavo Arellano even really up there among "the big boys?" 

Now, now, appearing once on Stephen Colbert is pretty good, even though that was five eyars ago and no one at Comedy Central seemed to think the "Ask a Mexican" shtick was funny enough to have as a regular feature in one of their many shows.  And he is an adjunct professor at Cal State Fullertn teaching "Barrio Studies" - if you want to see the master prose and investigative journalism he is teaching his students, you can read that here.

But Gustavo will undoubtedly crow about now being the target of The Catholic League as evidence of his grandeur.

Arellano is perpetually exercised about allegations of priestly sexual abuse, but it is not the issue that interests him, just the offenders: he has never published a piece on the sexual abuse of minors by the clergy of any other religion. Nor has he written about the epidemic of sexual abuse in the public schools. Though Planned Parenthood learns of cases of statutory rape all the time, he has never written about this either.

More telling, Arellano has never written an article about human trafficking. Nor has he ever written a column about Backpage.com. Where am I going? Backpage.com is the Village Voice Media’s online classified advertising service that is very popular with those in the business of human trafficking: it’s where they get their leads. That is why 53 leading anti-trafficking experts and organizations have demanded that Village Voice Media immediately put an end to this magnet. Indeed, 51 Attorneys General have condemned Village Voice Media for its role in facilitating this barbarism.

Wait, let me guess what Gustavo will say to this!

"FUNNY"

See, you have to get that right - capital letters and italics - to emulate la moda d'Arelllano.  But here is his dilemma: does he ignore a group that he has trivialized before or give them more shrift because now they have attacked him and really, egos just cannot be attacked by anyone, can they?

And . . . what about human sex trafficking?  Gustavo has always prided himself on his skill in investigative journalism.  Here's a story right under his nose . . . and it seems to have slipped by.

Heckuva job, Gus!

Cleaning House Under My Roof

I think one of the more profound changes that have been made to the English version of the Roman Missal is the change from the first person plural to the first person singular - that is, we no longer start the Creed with "we believe in one God," but now, "I believe in one God."

My personal opinion is that this is a great help to Catholics.  For many years, it has been "we, we, WE" which I know was an attempt to remedy "me, me, ME."  We are the Body of Christ and we are all in this together, folks . . .

However, as with ideologies like socialism, human nature got in the way.  For many people, I think it is a natural - and often unconscious - inclination to slack off because someone else is doing all of the hard work.  If I fail on my part, no biggie, the rest of the Body of Christ will make up for it.  In fact, I think you have seen people even think, hey, I'm that person who they need to minister to, and take on the status of someone who should be the beneficiary of the Church's social justice . . . without any contribution on their part.  I have felt that all the attention that the Church focused on the "disenfranchised" - the Poor, the Undocumented, the Alien, the Homosexuals (and I am capitalizing the first letter for a reason) - they have done a disservice to the dignity of the individual.  In a sense, the Church has created a welfare state within itself.  Certain people are excused from their own responsibility to their membership in the Body of Christ, arising out of a well-meaning but displaced caritas.

I know in my old parish in Southern California in all too often a large family, say ten people, would crowd into a pew for Mass.  First, let me say I think it is wonderful that they are there - it is a great thing to see three, sometimes, four, generations gathered to celebrate the Eucharist.  But come time for the Collection and their collective contribution would be . . . $1.  A buck.  I used to be a money counter and on a Sunday afternoon have opened many a collection envelope that it cost the church to print and mail to find . . . two quarters.  That is a loss to the church.  How much would it cost to give, say, $1.50 instead of $1?  $1 instead of fifty cents?  Multiplied by the number of people doing it, it can add up to a significant increase in the income of a parish that runs perpetually in the red.

But I have hope now, because of the change in the language.  I think it is time for folks to realize that their identity as Catholics starts with themselves, and becomes a part of the whole Church.  We are catholic, which means universal, not homogeneous.

Consider this:  when you are flying on an airplane with a child, in the unlikely event of a loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop.  Whose do you put on first, your own or the child's.  For people who have flown, you know the answer is that you put on your own first - not because you are more deserving of the oxygen than the child, but because if you are trying to first place a mask on perhaps a resisting child, and you pass out, you are not going to be much help to the child in an emergency situation.  You cannot help other people until you can help yourself.  It doesn't do anyone much good to be a unusable part of the Body of Christ.

One of the changes that resonates most with me is this - before receiving the Eucharist, we recite:

Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.

 

What's under that roof?

I was at a diocesan event this past summer and got into conversation with one gentleman as we were both transplants to Eastern Tennessee.  He was telling me how he was happy to leave his parish in his former state because of the "gross injustice" towards his family:  the priest there, he said, was "obviously gay" and this gentleman thought it was "unfair" that his sister could not receive Communion because she had married outside the Church to a non-Catholic.  I asked if the priest had denied her Communion,  He said no, but his sister went by the Church's teaching and how is it she cannot receive, but a gay priest can distribute, Holy Communion.

I don't think he liked my answer.  I told him it was quite fair, because his sister's state remains her  responsibility as a presumably practicing Catholic regardless of who is distributing Communion.  Let's say the priest is gay.  Who knows if he acts on his orientation?  None of us know whether the man consecrating the bread and wine before us is a saint or a sinner - and, most likely, a combination of both, as we all are.  In this case, the gentleman did not like that I did not share his sense of fairness - or the lack thereof - and that I pointed out his sister's impediment to the Sacrament was hers that she made and hers to remove.

Saints and others help us to become good Catholics - only we actually make ourselves that.