Seeing God in All Things - Good and Bad

I was reading a meditation for the day by Benedict Baur O.S.B on seeing God in the things of life that are welcome and those that are not.

As we pass through life, in everything we meet on the way, in everything the day may bring, welcome or unwelcome, we see Him, His continual presence, His holy will, His wisdom, His goodness, His love, and His providence.  In all our labors, trials, sufferings, and temptations, we see God before us and the working of His love in us.  Thus we rest in God's good pleasure, in His wisdom, His goodness, and His eternal love for us.  Therefore we are not disturbed by the injustice and injuries done to us by other men.  Neither are we too concerned about our health, our existence, or our earthly goods; for we have found peace in God.

It is easy to see God's presence in the good and the beautiful but not so easy I think in time of trial.  Even though I try to be accepting of God's good pleasure in trials and sufferings it is often more of a challenge to see His actual presence then.  How often have I told some story about something good that happened in my life and how clearly I was able to see the hand of Providence at work.  But how difficult it can be to see God's love and wisdom when we encounter some trial.  I expect this is true for most people and something to work toward overcoming in order to find true happiness and peace. 

Seeing God in All Things - Good and Bad

I was reading a meditation for the day by Benedict Baur O.S.B on seeing God in the things of life that are welcome and those that are not.

As we pass through life, in everything we meet on the way, in everything the day may bring, welcome or unwelcome, we see Him, His continual presence, His holy will, His wisdom, His goodness, His love, and His providence.  In all our labors, trials, sufferings, and temptations, we see God before us and the working of His love in us.  Thus we rest in God's good pleasure, in His wisdom, His goodness, and His eternal love for us.  Therefore we are not disturbed by the injustice and injuries done to us by other men.  Neither are we too concerned about our health, our existence, or our earthly goods; for we have found peace in God.

It is easy to see God's presence in the good and the beautiful but not so easy I think in time of trial.  Even though I try to be accepting of God's good pleasure in trials and sufferings it is often more of a challenge to see His actual presence then.  How often have I told some story about something good that happened in my life and how clearly I was able to see the hand of Providence at work.  But how difficult it can be to see God's love and wisdom when we encounter some trial.  I expect this is true for most people and something to work toward overcoming in order to find true happiness and peace. 

Celebrating and Worshiping Ourselves in Liturgical Music

If you are a supporter of the reform of the Sacred Liturgy proposed by Pope Benedict XVI then I suggest you visit the website of the Adoramus Bulletin which is a great source of information.  The next time Fr. Feel Goode, the liturgy or contemporary music director tell you that their selection of music at Mass is what the spirit of Vatican II called for; arm yourself with the actual documents of the Church on liturgical matters.  Along with official documents you will also find a number of well written essays like the one below by Fr. Paul Scalia.  If you have ever cringed upon hearing that awful hymn, Come to the Table, you will appreciate Fr. Scalia's writing.  A lunatic is someone who repeats the same actions and expects a different outcome.  As long as we allow banality to continue in the liturgy we cannot be surprised at the loss of Faith amongst the majority of Catholics.

Imagine the following scene: You arrive at Mass on Sunday, eager to thank God for His goodness to you. You slide into the pew early, kneel in prayer, and direct your praise and worship to your Lord and God. You stand as the song leader introduces the opening hymn: "Table of Plenty". Suddenly your praise comes to a screeching halt, not because of your own prayers, but because of what you are singing. In fact you are no longer praising God at all, but singing to the others:

Come to the feast of heaven and earth!
Come to the table of plenty!
God will provide for all that we need,
here at the table of plenty.

Now it gets worse: you begin to sing His lines:

O, come and sit at my table
where saints and sinners are friends.
I wait to welcome the lost and lonely
to share the cup of my love.

And so at the very beginning of Mass, your conversation with God is derailed and transformed into a participation in the congregation's introspection.

To appreciate the damage done by such hymns, we must first call to mind two essential aspects of the Mass: presence and dialogue. First of all, what distinguishes the Mass from all other forms of worship is the re-presentation of Christ's sacrifice. The Mass does not merely recall or reenact Christ's redemptive act but in fact makes present the mystery of faith, the passion, death and resurrection of Christ (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1366).

Second, the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and indeed throughout the Mass makes possible a real dialogue between God and man; it creates an active conversation. The remembrance of someone does not lead to dialogue with that person; only to reminiscing. The presence of Christ in the Mass, however, inspires us to speak to Him as only the beloved can speak to the Lover. Thus the Mass is a dialogue between Christ and the Church, between God and man, in which God speaks His lines and we speak ours. He speaks to us through the readings and (we hope) the homily, while we respond to Him through the prayers of the priest, our personal prayers, and the hymns.

Accordingly, active participation at Mass requires the faithful to acknowledge the presence of Christ and enter the dialogue, taking the words of the Bride as their own. They embody the Bride, and their Mass parts -- the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei ­ express her desire for union with the Bridegroom. Other texts used at Mass should reflect and deepen this sentiment. The dialogue reaches its culmination at the Consecration, when the Bridegroom speaks His definitive words of love and thus becomes really present to His Bride in the Eucharist.

Given the lyrics of much contemporary liturgical music, however, we must ask what has become of this dialogue and our ability to enter it. Many hymns have us sing only about ourselves and to ourselves, even going so far as to usurp God's part. Such words fail to convey the true meaning of the Mass as a dialogue between Christ and the Church. The offending lyrics come in two varieties: in the first, we sing to one another and about one another, but do not include God in the conversation; and in the second, we sing God's parts.

The rest of the article can be read at the Adoremus Bulletin site.

Celebrating and Worshiping Ourselves in Liturgical Music

If you are a supporter of the reform of the Sacred Liturgy proposed by Pope Benedict XVI then I suggest you visit the website of the Adoramus Bulletin which is a great source of information.  The next time Fr. Feel Goode, the liturgy or contemporary music director tell you that their selection of music at Mass is what the spirit of Vatican II called for; arm yourself with the actual documents of the Church on liturgical matters.  Along with official documents you will also find a number of well written essays like the one below by Fr. Paul Scalia.  If you have ever cringed upon hearing that awful hymn, Come to the Table, you will appreciate Fr. Scalia's writing.  A lunatic is someone who repeats the same actions and expects a different outcome.  As long as we allow banality to continue in the liturgy we cannot be surprised at the loss of Faith amongst the majority of Catholics.

Imagine the following scene: You arrive at Mass on Sunday, eager to thank God for His goodness to you. You slide into the pew early, kneel in prayer, and direct your praise and worship to your Lord and God. You stand as the song leader introduces the opening hymn: "Table of Plenty". Suddenly your praise comes to a screeching halt, not because of your own prayers, but because of what you are singing. In fact you are no longer praising God at all, but singing to the others:

Come to the feast of heaven and earth!
Come to the table of plenty!
God will provide for all that we need,
here at the table of plenty.

Now it gets worse: you begin to sing His lines:

O, come and sit at my table
where saints and sinners are friends.
I wait to welcome the lost and lonely
to share the cup of my love.

And so at the very beginning of Mass, your conversation with God is derailed and transformed into a participation in the congregation's introspection.

To appreciate the damage done by such hymns, we must first call to mind two essential aspects of the Mass: presence and dialogue. First of all, what distinguishes the Mass from all other forms of worship is the re-presentation of Christ's sacrifice. The Mass does not merely recall or reenact Christ's redemptive act but in fact makes present the mystery of faith, the passion, death and resurrection of Christ (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1366).

Second, the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and indeed throughout the Mass makes possible a real dialogue between God and man; it creates an active conversation. The remembrance of someone does not lead to dialogue with that person; only to reminiscing. The presence of Christ in the Mass, however, inspires us to speak to Him as only the beloved can speak to the Lover. Thus the Mass is a dialogue between Christ and the Church, between God and man, in which God speaks His lines and we speak ours. He speaks to us through the readings and (we hope) the homily, while we respond to Him through the prayers of the priest, our personal prayers, and the hymns.

Accordingly, active participation at Mass requires the faithful to acknowledge the presence of Christ and enter the dialogue, taking the words of the Bride as their own. They embody the Bride, and their Mass parts -- the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei ­ express her desire for union with the Bridegroom. Other texts used at Mass should reflect and deepen this sentiment. The dialogue reaches its culmination at the Consecration, when the Bridegroom speaks His definitive words of love and thus becomes really present to His Bride in the Eucharist.

Given the lyrics of much contemporary liturgical music, however, we must ask what has become of this dialogue and our ability to enter it. Many hymns have us sing only about ourselves and to ourselves, even going so far as to usurp God's part. Such words fail to convey the true meaning of the Mass as a dialogue between Christ and the Church. The offending lyrics come in two varieties: in the first, we sing to one another and about one another, but do not include God in the conversation; and in the second, we sing God's parts.

The rest of the article can be read at the Adoremus Bulletin site.

Pope Calls for "Offering Up" Prayers and Penances for Reparation

In his Letter to the Catholics in Ireland from March 19th, Pope Benedict called on Catholics to offer up prayers and penances, and Eucharistic Adoration to "make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm".  While that letter was addressed to Irish Catholics, his call for prayer and penance is certainly commendable for all Catholics, here is a portion of his letter,

I now invite all of you to devote your Friday penances,[a good reminder that we are still required to perform acts of penance on Friday even though the traditional practice of abstaining from meat is no longer an obligation] for a period of one year, between now and Easter 2011, to this intention.  I ask you to offer up your fasting, your prayer, your reading of Scripture and your works of mercy in order to obtain the grace of healing and renewal for the Church in Ireland.  [Or other country] I encourage you to discover anew the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to avail yourselves more frequently of the transforming power of its grace.

Particular attention should also be given to Eucharistic adoration, and in every diocese there should be churches or chapels specifically devoted to this purpose.  I ask parishes, seminaries, religious houses, and monasteries to organize periods of Euchraristic adoration, so that all have an opportunity to take part.  Through intense prayer before the Real Presence of the Lord, you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm, at the same time imploring the grace of renewed strength and a deeper sense of mission on the part of all bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful.

The full letter is available at the Vatican website.

Pope Calls for "Offering Up" Prayers and Penances for Reparation

In his Letter to the Catholics in Ireland from March 19th, Pope Benedict called on Catholics to offer up prayers and penances, and Eucharistic Adoration to "make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm".  While that letter was addressed to Irish Catholics, his call for prayer and penance is certainly commendable for all Catholics, here is a portion of his letter,

I now invite all of you to devote your Friday penances,[a good reminder that we are still required to perform acts of penance on Friday even though the traditional practice of abstaining from meat is no longer an obligation] for a period of one year, between now and Easter 2011, to this intention.  I ask you to offer up your fasting, your prayer, your reading of Scripture and your works of mercy in order to obtain the grace of healing and renewal for the Church in Ireland.  [Or other country] I encourage you to discover anew the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to avail yourselves more frequently of the transforming power of its grace.

Particular attention should also be given to Eucharistic adoration, and in every diocese there should be churches or chapels specifically devoted to this purpose.  I ask parishes, seminaries, religious houses, and monasteries to organize periods of Euchraristic adoration, so that all have an opportunity to take part.  Through intense prayer before the Real Presence of the Lord, you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm, at the same time imploring the grace of renewed strength and a deeper sense of mission on the part of all bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful.

The full letter is available at the Vatican website.

Bob Newhart Psychological Advice

Have you heard enough psychobabble analysis to the problems of modern life?  Well Bob Newhart has the answer to dealing with your fears and phobias, proving that Catholics have the best sense of humor.  H/T to Creative Minority Report. 

Bob Newhart Psychological Advice

Have you heard enough psychobabble analysis to the problems of modern life?  Well Bob Newhart has the answer to dealing with your fears and phobias, proving that Catholics have the best sense of humor.  H/T to Creative Minority Report. 

Sr. Keehan Steps Down from Holy Family Hospital Foundation Board

H/T to Fr. Z for posting this article and it is good to see the successful efforts of fellow knights with regards to Sister Keehn but from the comments by the Chairman of the Foundation perhaps he needs to go next.  For more information about the Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem which is a major work of the Order of Malta click here. 

Sister Keehan Off Prestigious Hospital Board over Obamacare Fallout

By John-Henry Westen

WASHINGTON, DC, June 4, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Sister Carol Keehan, President of the US Catholic Health Association, has been pressured off the prestigious Holy Family Hospital Foundation board over her support for the federal health care bill. Sr. Keehan, in opposition to the United States bishops, was a key supporter of the abortion-expanding bill – so much so that she was given one of the 21 ceremonial pens President Obama used to sign the measure into law.

The hospital is a work of a Catholic Order known as the Knights of Malta.

One of the members who holds the position of Hospitaller, a leading office in the ancient Order, wrote a letter of concern to the presidents of all the Order of Malta associations in the United States noting that Sister Keehan remained on the board of the Holy Family Hospital Foundation even though she supported the health care bill, which opens taxpayer funding of abortion, and even though she acted in contradiction to U.S. bishops.

In response to the complaint, Sister Keehan resigned from the board with a letter of her own in which she expressed great displeasure with the criticism directed at her, characterizing it as “abusive.”

However, the “abusive” criticisms in the letter of complaint were mostly a compilation of quotes from the Vatican’s Archbishop Raymond Burke who, like other bishops in the US such as Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann, expressed shock at Sister Keehan’s defiance of their pro-life opposition to Obamacare.

“Who could imagine that consecrated religious would openly, and in defiance of the bishops as successors of the apostles, publicly endorse legislation containing provisions which violated the natural moral law in its most fundamental tenets – the safeguarding and promoting of innocent and defenseless life, and fail to safeguard the demands of the free exercise of conscience for health care workers?," wrote Burke.

“The spiritual harm done to the individual religious who are disobedient and also the grave scandal caused to the faithful and people in general are of incalculable dimensions.” [How is that "abusive"? Sorry… I needed to throw that switch and try to think like a liberal.]

Although LifeSiteNews viewed Keehan’s letter of resignation decrying "abusive" treatment, Fred Caesar, Special Assistant to the CHA President, Keehan denied the situation. "Sr. Carol Keehan was not ‘pressured off the Holy Family Hospital Foundation Board’ in any way,” Ceasar responded to LifeSiteNews. “You can verify that fact with the Chairman,” he added, refusing further comment.

In fact, Chairman James Murray’s letter to the Hospitaller, also seen by LSN, said specifically that “Sister Carol has tendered her resignation from the Board as a result of your letter.”

The Chairman expressed displeasure with the situation saying that the Hospitaller had, by causing Keehan to resign, harmed the work of the foundation and the hospital as well as the women who use it.

In the end, suggested a Knight who wished to remain unnamed, “Carol Keehan was basically forced out under pressure by Knights and Dames of Malta.” It was, he said “part of an ongoing effort to keep the Order of Malta true to its pro-life foundations.”

Sr. Keehan Steps Down from Holy Family Hospital Foundation Board

H/T to Fr. Z for posting this article and it is good to see the successful efforts of fellow knights with regards to Sister Keehn but from the comments by the Chairman of the Foundation perhaps he needs to go next.  For more information about the Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem which is a major work of the Order of Malta click here. 

Sister Keehan Off Prestigious Hospital Board over Obamacare Fallout

By John-Henry Westen

WASHINGTON, DC, June 4, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Sister Carol Keehan, President of the US Catholic Health Association, has been pressured off the prestigious Holy Family Hospital Foundation board over her support for the federal health care bill. Sr. Keehan, in opposition to the United States bishops, was a key supporter of the abortion-expanding bill – so much so that she was given one of the 21 ceremonial pens President Obama used to sign the measure into law.

The hospital is a work of a Catholic Order known as the Knights of Malta.

One of the members who holds the position of Hospitaller, a leading office in the ancient Order, wrote a letter of concern to the presidents of all the Order of Malta associations in the United States noting that Sister Keehan remained on the board of the Holy Family Hospital Foundation even though she supported the health care bill, which opens taxpayer funding of abortion, and even though she acted in contradiction to U.S. bishops.

In response to the complaint, Sister Keehan resigned from the board with a letter of her own in which she expressed great displeasure with the criticism directed at her, characterizing it as “abusive.”

However, the “abusive” criticisms in the letter of complaint were mostly a compilation of quotes from the Vatican’s Archbishop Raymond Burke who, like other bishops in the US such as Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann, expressed shock at Sister Keehan’s defiance of their pro-life opposition to Obamacare.

“Who could imagine that consecrated religious would openly, and in defiance of the bishops as successors of the apostles, publicly endorse legislation containing provisions which violated the natural moral law in its most fundamental tenets – the safeguarding and promoting of innocent and defenseless life, and fail to safeguard the demands of the free exercise of conscience for health care workers?," wrote Burke.

“The spiritual harm done to the individual religious who are disobedient and also the grave scandal caused to the faithful and people in general are of incalculable dimensions.” [How is that "abusive"? Sorry… I needed to throw that switch and try to think like a liberal.]

Although LifeSiteNews viewed Keehan’s letter of resignation decrying "abusive" treatment, Fred Caesar, Special Assistant to the CHA President, Keehan denied the situation. "Sr. Carol Keehan was not ‘pressured off the Holy Family Hospital Foundation Board’ in any way,” Ceasar responded to LifeSiteNews. “You can verify that fact with the Chairman,” he added, refusing further comment.

In fact, Chairman James Murray’s letter to the Hospitaller, also seen by LSN, said specifically that “Sister Carol has tendered her resignation from the Board as a result of your letter.”

The Chairman expressed displeasure with the situation saying that the Hospitaller had, by causing Keehan to resign, harmed the work of the foundation and the hospital as well as the women who use it.

In the end, suggested a Knight who wished to remain unnamed, “Carol Keehan was basically forced out under pressure by Knights and Dames of Malta.” It was, he said “part of an ongoing effort to keep the Order of Malta true to its pro-life foundations.”