Making the rules unnecessary

28th Week OT (Wed)

Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP

SS. Domenico e Sisto, Roma

Our Lord is unrelenting in his condemnation of hypocrisy, particularly the hypocrisy of those who wield religious authority. He says to the Pharisees, “Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.” Not only does he accuse his opponents of being dead and rotting in the ground, but he also accuses them of leading their unwitting followers into uncleanliness, impurity. Thus the hypocrisy of each Pharisee is both a personal and a public failure. When spiritual leaders fall, those who follow them fall as well. Jesus concludes his indictment of the Pharisees and scribes with a pointed accusation, “You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.” Here lies the kernel of their hypocrisy: though they follow the Law to the letter, they do so only for the benefits that come with being seen doing so. They do not intend to see justice done nor do they love God; their only purpose is to lift themselves up and bask in the admiration of their followers. Therefore, Jesus says to them three times, “Woe to you. . .”

How do we avoid the temptations of hypocrisy? Paul writes to the Galatians, “If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law. . .If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.” Paul is not giving us permission to live lawless lives, wildly following every impulse, every appetite. He is challenging us to do something far more difficult than living the letter of the Law. Rather than scrupulously obeying every jot and tittle of the rules, we are called upon to fulfill the Law; that is, we are freed by Christ to live out the purpose of the Law, the underlying intent of the rules. For example, you can be meticulous in driving the posted speed limit and still believe that the other drivers deserve to be run off the road. You can come to Mass daily and still seek vengeance on your neighbor. You can quote canon law on the rules for fasting, follow those rules, and still remain a glutton in your heart. Despite a perfect driving record or a lifetime of perfect Mass attendance, you can still harbor hatred, anger, selfishness, and rivalry. Following the rules is no guarantee of a pure heart. But a pure heart makes the rules unnecessary.

Christ came to fulfill the Law. As his Body, the Church, we are vowed to preach his Word. So, we share the fruits of that Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we will lead in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.

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from an internet cafe on the via Nazionale. . .

The Angelicum's server was shut down on Wed. the 6th in order to replace it. 

Because this is Italy, this process will take an entire week.  Apparently, it never occurred to anyone that waiting until the week before classes start to overhaul the univ. server is not the best idea.

So, no posts until Wed. the 13th at the earliest.  I'll eat a pig raw if they have the work done by Wed. 

Oh. . .I forgot to mention:  it looks like I passed the French exam.  Several friars have congratulated me on passing. . .however, no one in the department has notified me yet.  Makes no difference in my timetable anyway.  I couldn't get the license exam material prepared in time to take the exams, so I'll be returning to the US on Dec 18 for Christmas break and then moving to a priory somewhere in the US.  I'll come back to Rome in Oct 2011 and take all the license exams and complete the doctoral seminar. 

Oh. . .I forgot to beg:  I haven't begged for books lately.  Now that I am back in Rome. . .the Wish List has been updated.  Check it out.

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Coffee Bowl Browsing

An omen?  Presidential seal falls off the podium during B.O.'s speech.   Heh. . .even the symbols of his office are running from him.

Couldn't agree more!  Be specific about warnings of terrorist threats or be quiet.

ROTC programs are needed at our nation's universities.  Universities extol their racial, cultural, ethnic diversity but that diversity rarely extends to ideology/politics.  U.S. campuses are nearly monolithically leftist, especially among the faculty. 

Catholics who complain that our bishops play politics with communion. . .play politics with communion.  This is beyond despicable.

40% of the Supreme Court cases this term are appeals from the notoriously liberal 9th Circuit.  So, what's the learning curve on the left coast?

Fr. Z. links to a. . .I don't know what to call it. . .a "musical" setting for the Gloria.  All I can say is:  NOT if I'm the presider! 

B.O. cut a secret deal with hospitals to drop the public option in his grab for domination of the health care system.  And here I thought Big Medicine was the problem! 

Franciscan friar botches basic theology:  no, pets do not go to heaven.  The fact that all of creation will be redeemed does not mean that all of creation will go to heaven.  There may be some sort of "doggy heaven," but it is not the Beatific Vision that God's human creatures will enjoy.  This sort of Oprah-ish theology sentimentalize serious spiritual issues.

Anna "Red Boots" Arco notes that the Proto-Nazi, Patriarchal, Dissent-suppressing Rottweiler of God, Pope Benedict XVI wants an empowered laity.   Hmmmm. . .sounds like he's trying to pull a fast one.   Can we really trust someone who wears red footwear?  Oh, wait. . .

Call me a modernist, revisionist heretic, but I just can't work up the energy to get worried about questions like this.   My student master used to ask me every time I complained about the craziness of our seminary professors, "Philip, is this the hill you wanna die on?"  No, not even close.

Lefty lawyer defends the Pope!  Obviously, someone bought him off. . .

He-Man does disco. . .I'll never be the same.

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Par lay voo fron-say?

Aight. . .the French exam is done! 

I got a paragraph from Merleau-Ponty's essay, "Cezanne's Doubt."  It was slightly less convoluted that the Descartes passage from June but still a challenge to translate in 30 minutes. 

I looked up a published English translation and my poor attempt at rendering the French. . .well, leaves something to be desired.

Many thanks for all the prayers and encouragement. 

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So, here's the deal. . .

Geez, I have really messed up this time!

Yesterday the philosophy dean tells me that the university secretary has been trying to reach me all morning.  When I turned in my thesis back in June, I failed to include a C.V. and a pic.  I also failed to turn in the 20 page paper on my oral exam topics.  This paper is due ten days before the oral/written exams for the license.  I didn't understand the implications of this failure at first.  Then it hit me:  the license exams are THIS WEEK!!!  Great. . .so I have a twenty page paper to write before Thursday's exams.  Oh, and the thesis defense is Saturday.

Just to add to my stress:  the French exam is today not Wednesday.  For some reason known only to God and His angels, I listed the exam for the 6th in my diary.  

These screw-ups happened for two reasons:  1). all this scheduling info is on the university website in English and Italian; however, the process for completing the requirements is available only in Italian. . .and it is incredibly confusing; 2). I have always had a very weird relationship with time; that is, I find it difficult to conceptualize step by step processes in a temporal fashion.  The only way I have ever managed this flaw is to write out a process in my own words.  

Is there such a thing as Temporal Dyslexia Syndrome?

Needless to say, I am panicked. 

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Coffee Bowl Browsing (is back!)

Ladies and Gents, I give you the secular wisdom of England's Brights. . .when you don't believe in God it is much, much easier to pretend to be one yourself.

More on those terrorists threats/warnings for Americans living in Europe.  I'm gonna ask Mama Becky for a .38 holster for Christmas. . .Santa will bring the .38.

. . .and a warning about Islamic ideology:  Islam is more than a religion; it's a political revolution.

Tea Party produces video that depicts the murder of children, grandmothers, teachers who disagree with their small gov't/fiscally conservative philosophy.  GOP and other groups affiliated with the T.P. largely silent.  Oh, wait. . .

Final exam or no final exam?  I've been teaching college students for almost 25 years.  Lots of lessons learned in that time.  Probably the most important lesson:  exams do not work.  In my courses at U.D., I give students five comprehensive essay questions one week before the scheduled exam period.  On exam day, I randomly assign each student a question.  Students report that they spend more time studying for this sort of exam precisely b/c they know what to study.  I absolutely hate GOTCHA exams!  Oh, and "hoop jumping" exams are worse. . .

And speaking of loathsome academic practices. . .students are given class credit for attending that Lefty rally in D.C.   Did Beck have to bribe people to attend his rally?

ACORN nemesis, James O'Keefe issues a statement on the CNN "prank" that has him roasting over conservative coals. 

No one walks into Mordor!

The truth about birthdays:  a somewhat cynical view.

The future. . .a slightly more distant one.

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Rome!

I managed to dodge any terrorists who were lying in wait btw Oxford and Rome!

There was a 20something Middle Eastern guy sitting across from me on the plane.  I didn't think much about it 'til I noticed Arabic script tatooed on his arms.  That made me just a little twingy.  Then I noticed that he was wearing a band new Ramones tee-shirt! 

My laptop had to be reconfigured for internet access at Blackfriars, so it is not configured for the Angelicum network. . .which means who knows how long it will be before regular posting begins again. 

Anyway. . .mille grazie for the prayers!

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Commies and unions and Marxists, oh my!

Finished packing and now waiting for Lauds. . .I ran across a lot of blog coverage of the Lefty rally in D.C. yesterday.  Here's a link for good pics of the participants, including socialists, communists, Black Panthers, slavery-reparationists, American flag desecrators, assorted anti-family groups, lots of union people, lots and lots of anti-Tea Party folks.  

N.B.  1). the trash they left behind for real workers to clean up and 2) the sheer inanity of the signs.  My fav:  "More Education Means Less Republicans!"  Um, that's fewer Republicans, Einstein.  

Check here for a comparison btw the cleanliness of the Beck Rally and the trash heaps left by the Left.   Very, very telling.

Heh. . .Gateway Pundit caught C-SPAN using a photo from Glenn Beck's rally in a story about the Lefty rally.  Good catch. 

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On to Rome! (Or maybe not. . .)

Great, just great. . .woke to find this blaring at me:

US to tell US citizens to be vigilant in Europe (AP)

So, to pack or not to pack?  That is the question!

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Tea Mug Browsing

The Senate couldn't pass a budget before it adjourned. . .but it found the time and the votes to pass another Nanny Law.

Is the current state of European society and politics the future of America?  I don't think so.  Europeans have a much more optimistic view of gov't than we do.  They see gov't power as something to be used for the common good.  Generally, Americans see gov't as a necessary evil. . .and act accordingly.

Does poverty cause terrorism?  No.  Extremist, irrational ideology causes terrorism.

Andrew Breitbart asks O'Keefe for an explanation of CNN "prank."  Yea, good idea.

Computer virus attacking Iran's industrial base contains Jewish/Biblical references?  Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch.

WOW!  Just. . .wow.  While the Tea Party is being vilified for its angry rhetoric and falsely accused of political violence, the eliminativists of the Eco-fascism movement are threatening to kill your kids if you don't Go Green.  "With No Pressure, the environmental movement has revealed the snarling, wicked, homicidal misanthropy beneath its cloak of gentle, bunny-hugging righteousness."   Um, isn't this sort of like members of a certain religion who murder those who refuse to convert?  Expect total silence from the MSM. 

Oh, the irony!  The soldiers defending the Union are coming more and more from the South.  The east and west coast are vastly underrepresented in today's all-volunteer military.  So, while the libs from the coasts are screaming about their rights and entitlements, its the Good Ole Boys and Gals (by and large) who are actually manning up and making sure those rights are protected.

Shame, shame. . .Dem senator Babs Boxer fails to pay the day laborers she hired to hold signs outside a debate with her GOP opponent. 

Fr. Robert Barron on "Dumbed Down Catholicism."  Dumbing down the faith is worse than outright lying about what the Church teaches.  Lies can be detected as such and rejected.  Dumbed down teaching allows falsehood to sneak in and soothe the anxious conscience.  Half-truths are just stealthier lies.

Three words you never expected to see in combination:  Geriatric. Segeway. Crusader. 

Me too!   "Sometimes I'll look down at my watch three times and still not remember what time it is."

The Corporate B.S. Generator. . .this also works for internal committees set up by religious orders and bishops' conferences.

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Going back to the playground (Repost)

A homily for the memorial of the Little Flower reposted from 2007:

Little Flower: Isa 66.10-14 and Matthew 18.1-4*

Fr. Philip N. Powell, OP

St. Albert the Great Priory, Irving, TX

First, we have the Kroger Child who starts screaming at the door, screams from the mangos and hot dog buns all the way through picnic supplies and dried pastas and on to organic juices, candy bars, and trashy gossip magazines at the register. Then we have the two little girls, five and seven, who sit quietly through the 7.30 Sunday Mass, run up to me immediately after, hug my legs, and thank me for being a priest. And then you have the hundreds of neo-natals in ICU’s across the country; the kids at Family Gateway and the Merilac Center w/o parents or homes; the fifty children on CBS’ latest “reality show,” living w/o adults in a “Lord of the Flies” scenario, complete with readily available tribal make-up and hundreds of cameras; we have the children in our lives, these here, those at home, in school, the ones we see only in pictures from our own kids. . .and then we have those who show us how to get into heaven. Jesus says to his disciples: “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Perhaps it is time we turned to the playground again.

You have to imagine the scene clearly. Jesus is praying quietly by himself. His disciples, the twelve and probably a few others, all grown men in their thirties and forties, approach Jesus expectantly. He opens his eyes, takes a deep breath, and waits for the question. And what cosmos-quaking question do these students of the Anointed Messiah ask their master? What is the nature of peace? Of mercy? How do we live abundantly in poverty? Hunger? No. They want to know who among them will be the greatest in heaven. Ah, it’s about ambition, about being the alpha-dog. You can almost feel the heat from Jesus’ embarrassment and perhaps just a degree or two of his anger. Jesus—no doubt thinking: how do I get through to these thick skulls I’ve chosen to be my apostles?—calls over a child and stands the child in the middle of the group. There’s a tense silence among the nipping canine-disciples, an expectant hush as they wait to hear what incredible nonsense Jesus will try to teach them this time; and Jesus says, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” I see dumbfounded stares, dropped jaws, disappointment, confusion, all flavored with a bit of frustration and anger. Children!?

Yes, children. Jesus sets a child among them and anoints the child as their exemplar. He puts two conditions on entering heaven in this passage: 1) we must turn and 2) we must become like children. Turning makes perfect sense b/c as adults we would have to make radical changes, turn-a-bouts, in order to arrive back at where we started—innocence, humility, a sense of wonder. Turning is conversion, flipping over, stopping and going in reverse, facing the other direction. What does it mean for us to become like children? No doubt Jesus is pointing out the desirable qualities of a first-century Jewish child. Respect, humility, willingness to serve, eagerness to learn, docility in obedience—all of the qualities we would associate with “good kids.” He is also lifting up in this child those qualities that we sometime leave behind as adults: imagination, wonder, a perfect sense of awe, that ability and willingness to look at the world and live wholeheartedly in joy, overflowing gladness and a complete lack of pretension.

Jesus is telling us that we must become a particular kind of child. We must become small, little; without worldly ambitions, without aggressive pretense or a need for secular approval. He is telling us that we must become who we truly are already: creatures of a Creator, children of the Father. We are to be students, apprentices of charity and grace, interns of eternity. As adults of the twenty-first century, we must become the children of the first. If we would be the greatest, we must be who we truly are: the least. To do this we must turn and turn and turn. Always turning back to our heavenly Father. What else can His favorites do?

*These readings are proper for the saint's memorial.

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Tea Mug Browsing

Burning out the vote in Houston

Pelosi predicts that she will still be Speaker five weeks from now.  I predict the sun will rise this morning. . .and tomorrow morning too.  Since a newly elected House will not be seated until Jan 2011, Pelosi's prediction is safe one.  After Jan 2011, not so much.

While touting his "stimulus" bill in IL at a Caterpillar factory, B.O. promised that the plant would be re-hiring workers rather than laying them off.  He was right!  Except that all the new hires are Chinese. . .ya know, in China.

Seminarians talk about their vocations in the post-scandal age.  The most courageous response comes from a Dominican student brother in the Western Province (USA):  "I find that it is difficult to not question the judgments of any priest or religious who has been ordained or professed longer than 10 years."  We can argue for years about what caused the scandal.  One thing is absolutely clear:  something went terribly, terribly wrong with faith formation in the religious life between VC2 and the 1990's.  

Ignorant of the facts. . .about religion.  No, not the just MSM but Christians as well.  You can take the quiz here.  I got 100%. . .but I do this stuff professionally.  :-)

Public trust in the MSM at an all time low.  And yet they keep spewing the same old leftist nonsense.

To:  B.O.  Re:  "climate change" legislation:  "The country you left swimming in debt will not suffer another dime of its money to be confiscated for the benefit of global-warming carnival hustlers.  The great bid to frighten Americans into handing over control of their lives to a junk-science religious cult has failed."  Amen and amen.

Because, as we all know, going on strike is the surest and fastest way to create money out of thin air and magically balance national budgets.  Only in the socialist LaLa Land of Europe does NOT working produce wealth.  Time to re-think unions.

Heh.  Bill O'Reilly (not a big fan, btw) spanks Bill Maher on the air.  Maher has had a number of on-air spankings lately.  Apparently, he's only brilliant on his own show where no brooks no opposition.

I'm just saying. . .The newly elected leader of the U.K.'s Labour Party is an atheist, a Marxist, and has yet to marry the mother of his children.  There is no requirement that politicians be theists of any sort.  Nor should there be such a requirement.  

Conservative citizen-journalist who busted the ACORN criminal racket is himself busted for trying to punk CNN.  Maybe the adulation he received after his masterful undercover work with ACORN went to his head.  Regardless, if the reports are accurate, this stunt is just embarrassing and needs to be unambiguously denounced by his fellow conservatives.

Ace of Spades casts his ever skeptical eye on the O'Keeffe/CNN episode.  Wait and watch, folks.

Don't be the fat kid. . .when the Zombies come.  This reminds me of the tee-shirt that reads:  "When a bear is chasing us, I don't have to outrun the bear.  I just have to outrun you."

Free chicken strips!  Who doesn't like free chicken. . .oh, nevermind.

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On poetry and consolation

Many thanks for the recent activity on Ye Ole Wish List.  Thank You notes will go out immediately if return addresses are available from the invoices.

It will be nice to return to Rome and find a couple of volumes of good poetry waiting for me. . .

. . .something to console me after I'm told again, regarding the French exam, "It was not a success."

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Muslims call for the defense of free speech. . .

On Sept 28, 2010 the American Muslim posted the following statement on the necessity of free speech rights in a liberal democracy.  Go to the link to read the rather impressive list of signatories to this statement.  

A DEFENSE OF FREE SPEECH BY AMERICAN AND CANADIAN MUSLIMS

We, the undersigned, unconditionally condemn any intimidation or threats of violence directed against any individual or group exercising the rights of freedom of religion and speech; even when that speech may be perceived as hurtful or reprehensible.

We are concerned and saddened by the recent wave of vitriolic anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic sentiment that is being expressed across our nation.  [Evidence?  The MSM is twisting itself into pretzels protecting the identity of alleged terrorists.  FBI Hate Crime stats indicate that reported anti-Muslim violence has dropped from 13% of all violence motivated by religious bias in 2004 to 7.5% in 2008.  Violence against Jews remains relatively steady btw 65-69% in the same period.  "Sentiment" is entirely subjective and not quantifiable.]

We are even more concerned and saddened by threats that have been made against individual writers, cartoonists, and others by a minority of Muslims. We see these as a greater offense against Islam than any cartoon, Qur’an burning, or other speech could ever be deemed.

We affirm the right of free speech for Molly Norris, Matt Stone, Trey Parker, and all others including ourselves.

As Muslims, we must set an example of justice, patience, tolerance, respect, and forgiveness.

The Qur’an enjoins Muslims to:

* bear witness to Islam through our good example (2:143);

* restrain anger and pardon people (3:133-134 and 24:22);

* remain patient in adversity (3186);

* stand firmly for justice (4:135);

* not let the hatred of others swerve us from justice (5:8);

* respect the sanctity of life (5:32);

* turn away from those who mock Islam (6:68 and 28:55);

* hold to forgiveness, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant (7:199);

* restrain ourselves from rash responses (16:125-128);

* pass by worthless talk with dignity (25:72); and

* repel evil with what is better (41:34).

[Mainstream Muslim groups need to launch a comprehensive campaign to educate Americans on the basic moral principles of Islam.  Though all decent, free-thinking individuals can agree with the above listing of moral precepts, there is plenty of evidence that Islam is intolerant and violent by design.  If this is not the case, mainstream Muslims are obligated to publicly combat this misconception and rebuke elements in their faith who are distorting the truth.  The Church has been consistent in condemning Christian violence, e.g. the murder of abortion doctors.  Do we see the same sort of condemnations coming from the Muslim world?]

Islam calls for vigorous condemnation of both hateful speech and hateful acts, but always within the boundaries of the law. It is of the utmost importance that we react, not out of reflexive emotion, but with dignity and intelligence, in accordance with both our religious precepts and the laws of our country.  [Bravo!]

We uphold the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Both protect freedom of religion and speech, because both protections are fundamental to defending minorities from the whims of the majority. [A fundamental human right routinely denied to religious minorities in predominately Muslim countries--all the more reason for these basic rights to be vigorously enforced in western democracies.]

We therefore call on all Muslims in the United States, Canada and abroad to refrain from violence. We should see the challenges we face today as an opportunity to sideline the voices of hate—not reward them with further attention—by engaging our communities in constructive dialogue about the true principles of Islam, and the true principles of democracy, both of which stress the importance of freedom of religion and tolerance.

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Tea Mug Browsing

More uselessness from the U.N. . .envoy to extraterrestrials appointed.  Maybe the aliens will do us all a favor and beam the U.N. into the vacuum of space.

Apparently, the little green buggers have been busy deactivating our nuclear arsenal.

Tax-dodging multi-millionaire Dem Senator, John Kerry, helps the Left to dig itself in a little deeper:  "We have an electorate that doesn’t always pay that much attention to what’s going on so people are influenced by a simple slogan rather than the facts or the truth or what’s happening.”   Um, sorry there, um, Milord Kerry, but we are paying attention. . .that's why your party and its twin in the establishment GOP are circling the political bowl.

Show Us the Money, ermmm, the Text! When confronted with the nonsense of the Spirit of Vatican Two crowd, politely and persistently ask them, "Please, kind sir, show me the text."  I did this in my seminary days with both the documents of VC2 and the Code of Canon Law.  My popularity among the profs was not measurable by any known scale.

TIME propagandizes for the impossible. . .the sheer ignorance of this article is breathtaking.  I was prepared to be angered by the anti-Catholic bias; however, how could anyone get angry at a four year old who doesn't understand algebra?

Interesting question:  how does FoxNews cover the GOP primaries when so many of the potential candidates are under contract to the company?

The Revolution will be. . .internetized?

Coffee Party Convention!  Mmmmmmm. . .coffee.  Well, I would've attended but, ya know, my beard needed trimming and, and, and, ummm. . .I didn't have any clean socks. 

Fr. Jordan Aumann, OP:  On the warning signs of the presence of a diabolical spirit

On terrorists and toilet paper

Anger management is often a problem best tackled in a sitting position.

Groan. . .bad choral pun.

Let me see your war face!!!  Um, I didn't say "let me see your face at war with itself."

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