...and to think, you pay his salary!

Kevin Jennings, an Assistant Deputy Secretary within the Obama administration, directs the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools. One of the many "czars" within the administration (He is informally called the "Safe School Czar."), Jennings is also a long-time homosexual activist who, in a book about his childhood, claims to hate God and those who believe in Him. Indeed, as he came to accept his homosexuality and the lifestyle that would accompany it, he said goodbye to God using these blasphemous words, "Screw you, Buddy!" Isn't that nice? I don't think we have to wonder whether Assistant Deputy Secretary Jennings celebrated International Blasphemy Day on September 30.

And to think that this man works in the U.S. Department of Education and is therefore paid by our taxpayer dollars. If you would like to read more about this obviously dedicated public servant -- assuming your stomach is strong enough -- click here.

European (and American?) Christian Apathy

Just a few moments ago I came across the comments of a young African Catholic who takes European Christians to task for their apathetic response to the constant barrage of attacks on Christianity that issue from the European "elite". Kizito Chinedu Nweke, a seminarian originally from Nigeria is currently studying at the Pontifical University Heiligenkreuz (Holy Cross) near Vienna, Austria. Here's what this young man has to say:

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"In Western Europe, there has been a storm of critique on Christianity for a long time, an Anti-Christian trend. To have faith is seen as a pitiful situation. To say it gently, the majority of Christians waits helplessly and inactively for the total destruction of already wounded Christianity. I am not worried that the Church would not survive difficult situations (Mt 16:18) or that Christ would abandon his Church (Mt 28:20). But I worry about the degree of carelessness and apathy that Christians in Europe show in this difficult situation.

Christians meet the increasing wave of Anti-Christianity with total passivity. Because of the media, daily newspapers, magazines, TV and radio, people are on a daily basis confronted with ideologies that only deep faith and clear discernment can withstand. The question is: How do Christians react to this? What did they do until now?

I read daily newspapers and I am bewildered because of the eagerness with which journalists and editors make arbitrary statements, leap to illogical conclusions and criticize the Church in a hostile way. The passivity with which Christians react on these assaults is alarming.

Why do you observe instead of argue, defend and proclaim the truth from a rational point of view? Why not react on negative developments, especially when they turn into a dangerous ideology?

Now it is time to wake up, everyone in their way and in their environment! Let’s write! Let’s speak loudly! We have to prepare ourselves, because as Christ has already warned us: “...for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light...” (Lk 16:8)

It is not enough to wait for a miracle! We could not impede this development by waiting for a wonder from God. Why should He perform a miracle, when he already gave us the ability to act through faith and common sense?

Prayer is undeniably the first step that we have to make, but it is not enough. We have to act. We owe that to our descendants. People leave the church because they receive wrong answers to their questions. And they get these wrong answers from the wrong people.

Average Europeans who read daily newspapers probably will tend to lose their faith than remain a believer. It is time to let Christ lead us. Let everyone around you notice that there is a Christian. Where are you? What do you see? What do you hear? What do you know? Speak aloud! Our silence is our pain."

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I think, perhaps, these sames words could have been addressed to American Catholics. As our young seminarian said, "It is time to let Christ lead us."

God's peace...

"Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ" - St. Jerome

Last Wednesday we celebrated St. Jerome's feast day (September 30) and I should have taken at least a moment to note the fact. Jerome was one of the great ones: early Church Father, Doctor of the Church, perhaps the greatest of Scriptural scholars (certainly the first great one), monk, and most famous for his translation of Sacred Scripture from the original Hebrew and Greek. I still have my four-volume Latin Vulgate and every once in while, when I need a dose of humility, I struggle through a chapter in a vain attempt to exercise what little Latin I learned way back when.

Like St. Augustine, St. Jerome had somewhat of a misspent youth and as a young man took full advantage of the pleasures the world placed in his path. But also like Augustine, Jerome renounced his former life and dedicated himself to serving God. Born in present-day Croatia, Jerome was well-traveled and spent time in Gaul, Rome, Greece, the Holy Land, and all points in between. He spent his last years living in a cave in Bethlehem.

Jerome was widely regarded as a rather unpleasant person and his faults were enumerated by several of his contemporaries, both friends and enemies. This arose from the fact that he didn't suffer fools, or heretics, gladly. Many had tasted his biting sarcasm and his quick condemnation of those who would do evil. And although he was usually justified in his comments, his manner of delivering them was strongly resented, mostly by his targets. I must admit though, that this failing of Jerome has never really troubled me. The Early Church profited well from some of its more feisty members like Jerome and Athanasius, to mention just two; and I suspect we could use a Jerome or two today. I think our current shepherd, Pope Benedict XVI, would agree. At one of his general audiences in 2007, Pope Benedict stated, "Jerome refuted with energy and liveliness the heretics who contested the tradition and faith of the Church." Yes, indeed, "energy and liveliness" are good things especially when they serve the truth. Give me another Jerome any day. Give me someone who recognizes evil and error and dares to call them what they are, rather than someone who denies their very existence. Sadly, today we have all too many of the latter.

St. Jerome is also the patron saint of librarians, something that strikes a chord in my family. My wife and both my daughters have worked in libraries, I spent many years on the board of trustees of a local library, one of my sons-in-law works as a professional librarian...and so we have a close affinity for Jerome, a true family connection.

Considering he wrote in the late 4th and early 5th centuries -- Jerome was born in 347 and died in 420 -- it is remarkable how many of his works have survived. If you would like to work your way through some of his writings, click here and take your pick.

I opened this post with one of Jerome's more famous lines: "Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ." I will close with a rather lengthy quote from that same general audience of Pope Benedict (November 7, 2007) in which the Holy Father addresses what Jerome can teach us, specifically about Scripture:

"What can we learn from St Jerome? It seems to me, this above all; to love the Word of God in Sacred Scripture. St Jerome said: "Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ". It is therefore important that every Christian live in contact and in personal dialogue with the Word of God given to us in Sacred Scripture. This dialogue with Scripture must always have two dimensions: on the one hand, it must be a truly personal dialogue because God speaks with each one of us through Sacred Scripture and it has a message for each one. We must not read Sacred Scripture as a word of the past but as the Word of God that is also addressed to us, and we must try to understand what it is that the Lord wants to tell us. However, to avoid falling into individualism, we must bear in mind that the Word of God has been given to us precisely in order to build communion and to join forces in the truth on our journey towards God. Thus, although it is always a personal Word, it is also a Word that builds community, that builds the Church. We must therefore read it in communion with the living Church. The privileged place for reading and listening to the Word of God is the liturgy, in which, celebrating the Word and making Christ's Body present in the Sacrament, we actualize the Word in our lives and make it present among us. We must never forget that the Word of God transcends time. Human opinions come and go. What is very modern today will be very antiquated tomorrow. On the other hand, the Word of God is the Word of eternal life, it bears within it eternity and is valid for ever. By carrying the Word of God within us, we therefore carry within us eternity, eternal life."

God's peace...

Deacon Joe's Homily for Respect Life Sunday

One of the deacons of our parish, Deacon Joe Mador, was unable to deliver the homily he prepared for today's Sunday Liturgy because it was decided instead to read the statement prepared by Cardinal Rigali for Respect Life Sunday. (Note: click here to read the cardinal's statement, posted earlier today on this blog.) But since I hate to see a good homily go to waste -- especially such a strong pro-life homily -- I asked Deacon Joe if I could post it on the blog. He agreed, so here it is...

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HOMILY FOR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2009

TODAY’S SCRIPTURAL READINGS FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIPS – BETWEEN MAN AND WOMAN AS HUSBAND AND WIFE, AND ON THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILDREN. THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE VITAL IF OUR WORLDWIDE COMMUNITIES ARE TO ENJOY TRUE PEACE AND PROSPERITY. BUT THOSE VERY RELATIONSHIPS ARE BEING THREATENED TODAY MORE THAN EVER. CHALLENGES TO THE VERY NATURE OF MARRIAGE ABOUND IN OUR COUNTRY. MY HOME STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS, AS WELL AS VERMONT, HAVE MADE SAME SEX MARRIAGES LEGAL. THERE ARE SURE TO BE MANY OTHER STATES THAT WILL FOLLOW SUIT. DESPITE THE MANY REFERENCES IN HOLY SCRIPTURE THAT SAY VERY CLEARLY THAT A MARRIAGE IS A BOND BETWEEN ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN, OUR LIBERAL LEANING AND INCREASINGLY SECULAR SOCIETIES ARE ATTEMPTING TO REDEFINE THAT MOST BASIC AND IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP. UNTIL FAIRLY RECENTLY, I NEVER DREAMED THAT ANYONE WOULD BE QUESTIONING HOW MARRIAGE SHOULD BE DEFINED. BUT TODAY, AT LEAST IN SOME CIRCLES, THE TREND SEEMS TO BE AWAY FROM TRADITIONAL VALUES, AND TO THIS CATHOLIC, THAT IS FRIGHTENING!

THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE IS ANOTHER TRADITIONAL VALUE THAT IS CONTINUOUSLY BEING ATTACKED IN AMERICAN SOCIETY. WITH NEARLY 50 MILLION LEGAL ABORTIONS SINCE 1973, IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS THAT ABORTION IN THIS COUNTRY IS NO SMALL PROBLEM. THINK ABOUT IT – THAT’S ON AVERAGE ABOUT 1.4 MILLION ABORTIONS A YEAR SINCE THE ROE VS WADE DECISION OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT IN 1973. THAT’S 3800 PER DAY OR ABOUT 3 ABORTIONS EVERY MINUTE, 24 HOURS A DAY, IN OUR COUNTRY. THAT MY FRIENDS IS A PROBLEM OF EARTH SHATTERING PROPORTIONS – WORSE THAN ANYTHING ATTRIBUTED TO HITLER OR STALIN OR TOJO.

WHAT DOES OUR CATHOLIC CHURCH SAY ABOUT SAME SEX MARRIAGES AND ABORTION? SHE HAS PROCLAIMED HER JUDGMENT LOUDLY AND CLEARLY THAT BOTH ARE UNACCEPTABLE FOR PRACTICING CATHOLICS. LET’S FOCUS FOR A MOMENT ON ABORTION. POPE JOHN PAUL II SAID THAT ABORTION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MORAL ISSUE OF OUR TIME. POPE BENEDICT XVI HAS SPOKEN OFTEN AND CLEARLY ON THE EVIL OF ABORTION. BUT – DO ALL PRACTICING CATHOLICS STRONGLY AGREE WITH THEM? IF WE COULD ACCURATELY SURVEY THE PEOPLE IN THE PEWS IN OUR CHURCHES, WOULD THEY BE IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH OUR RECENT POPES CONCERNING ABORTION? WHAT IF WE COULD DO A SIMILARLY ACCURATE SURVEY OF OUR RELIGIOUS SISTERS AND BROTHERS, OUR DEACONS, OUR PRIESTS AND OUR BISHOPS? WOULD THEY ALL COME DOWN STRONGLY ON THE SIDE OF OUR HOLY FATHERS AGAINST ABORTION, OR WOULD SOME OF THEM HAVE OTHER OPINIONS?

I GUESS THE REAL QUESTION HERE IS WHETHER OR NOT THE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH ARE EFFECTIVELY BEING EXPLAINED TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD, ESPECIALLY AS THEY RELATE TO ABORTION. AS CLERGY, ARE WE DOING ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FOLKS IN THE PEWS REALIZE THAT ABORTION IS MURDER – MURDER OF A DEFENSELESS CHILD – MURDER OF A HUMAN BEING WHO HAS NO VOICE, NO VOTE, AND NO POLITICAL INFLUENCE? AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT – DO SOME OF OUR AMERICAN CATHOLICS BELIEVE THAT ABORTION IS SOMEHOW MORALLY ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE THE SUPREME COURT HAS RULED THAT IT IS CONSTITUTIONAL? AS A CHURCH, ARE WE DOING ENOUGH TO EXPLAIN TO OUR PEOPLE THAT THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD ALWAYS TRUMP THE CONSTITUTION OF MAN? THOU SHALL NOT KILL!

AND WHAT ABOUT THOSE FOLKS IN THE PEWS? ARE THEY USING THEIR TREMENDOUS POLITICAL CLOUT TO REMIND PRO-CHOICE POLITICIANS THAT CATHOLICS STRONGLY OPPOSE ABORTION AND THAT THEIR PRO-LIFE OPPONENTS WILL RECEIVE OUR VOTES IN THE NEXT ELECTION? THAT WILL REQUIRE AN ABRUPT CHANGE IN OUR ATTITUDES AND VOTING PATTERNS IF WE ARE TO HAVE A REAL IMPACT IN OUR STATE CAPITALS AND IN WASHINGTON. AS VOTERS, ARE WE READY TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT LIFE ISSUES LIKE ABORTION ARE FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE THINGS THAT OUR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS TYPICALLY SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME ARGUING ABOUT, LIKE TAXES AND HEALTH CARE AND BUDGETS AND SPENDING. WITHOUT THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO LIFE, ALL OTHER ISSUES AND CONCERNS ARE IRRELEVANT.

LET’S GET EVEN CLOSER TO HOME - ARE PARENTS EXPLAINING TO THEIR CHILDREN AND TEEN AGED GRANDCHILDREN THAT ABORTION IS EVIL. YOU KNOW, ALL OF US CAN DO SOMETHING TO FIGHT THIS IMMORAL MONSTER. WE CAN WRITE, CALL AND SEND EMAILS TO OUR POLITICIANS. WE CAN VISIT THEIR OFFICES AND MAKE IT CLEAR WHERE WE STAND. AND EVEN IF SOMEBODY CAN’T DO ANY OF THOSE THINGS, THEY CAN PRAY EVERY DAY FOR AN END TO THIS SCOURGE ON OUR NATION. TO BRING IT DOWN TO THE HERE AND NOW, TOMORROW, FROM 2:30 TO 4:00 IN THE AFTERNOON, MANY OF OUR FELLOW PARISHIONERS WILL SHOW WHERE WE STAND ON ABORTION BY STANDING WITH SIGNS EXPRESSING OUR VIEWS ACROSS THE STREET FROM CITY HALL IN WILDWOOD ON ROUTE 301. PLEASE JOIN US AND STAND UP FOR WHAT’S RIGHT. PARISHES ALL OVER OUR DIOCESE WILL BE OUT IN FORCE TOMORROW, BUT WE WON’T HAVE ENOUGH OF A SHOWING UNLESS YOU ARE THERE.

A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WELL INTENDED EFFORT HAS BEEN COMMITTED IN RECENT YEARS TO OVERTURNING ROE V. WADE TO RETURN ABORTION TO ITS FORMER ILLEGAL STATUS, AND MAY THOSE EFFORTS CONTINUE. BUT ARE WE SPENDING ENOUGH TIME AND ENERGY IN OUR EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES. AS A CHURCH, DO WE DO A GOOD ENOUGH JOB EXPLAINING THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF ABORTION TO OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IN THEIR TEENS AND EARLY TWENTIES? DO WE PLACE ENOUGH EMPHASIS ON THE ADVANTAGES OF PRE-MARITAL ABSTINENCE? DO WE PUBLICIZE ADEQUATELY THE AVAILABILITY OF ORGANIZATIONS LIKE “BIRTHRIGHT” AND “A WOMAN’S CONCERN” TO GIVE TANGIBLE HELP TO WOMEN WHO ARE EXPERIENCING AN UNWANTED PREGNANCY? ARE WE DOING ALL THAT WE CAN TO MAKE THE PROCESS OF PLACING NEWBORN BABIES FOR ADOPTION AS EASY AS POSSIBLE?

AS THE DOCUMENTS OF VATICAN II SO CLEARLY STATED, “WE ARE THE CHURCH” – THE HIERARCHY AND THE LAITY WORKING TOGETHER. AS A CHURCH, ARE WE REALLY PRESENTING ABORTION TO THE CITIZENS OF OUR COUNTRY AS THE MOST IMPORTANT MORAL ISSUE OF OUR TIME?
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Thank you, Deacon Joe!

Pray for life! God's peace...

Wildwood, Florida: Choosing Life & Blessing Animals

It's been a busy afternoon. In celebration of Respect Life Sunday, the Knights of Columbus at our parish sponsored a Respect Life demonstration of support today on both sides of US Highway 301 right in front of the Wildwood, Florida city hall. We waved signs and greeted every car that passed by. Most of the people who drove by seemed very supportive, with lots of horns tooting and hands waving. Despite the temperature -- it was about 90 -- we had a pretty good turnout, and folks of all ages joined in to remind the community about life issues, particularly the plague of abortion. Our pastor was there, along with all five of the deacons who are in Florida this time of year. I've included a few photos below:

The young folks showed up...

...as did the very young

...and the not so young

...and here I am with two of my buddies, Evelyn & Marie

Back-benchers take a break from the heat

...and all supported by our pastor, Fr. Peter.

Today being the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, I had to leave the Respect Life gathering and rush back to the church to conduct the annual Blessing of the Animals. I expected maybe a dozen or so little critters, but to my surprise I blessed nearly 50 animals. Most were dogs, with a few cats and a bird thrown in. After the introductory rite I gave each pet an individual blessing, complete with a sprinkling of holy water and a medal that can be attached to each collar. The animals were as well behaved as their owners, so it was a very pleasant experience. And I was particularly happy to have escaped unbitten.

Just a few of the many parishioners who brought their pets for a blessing

A whippet gets sprinkled, blessed, and a pat on the head.

After the blessing, I returned to Highway 301 and re-joined our Respect Life demonstration. All in all a very satisfying and enjoyable afternoon. The Lord God made them all...and not just the animals.

Pray for life. God's peace...

Respect Life Sunday - October 4

Today, October 4, is Respect Life Sunday, a day for all Catholics to come together in prayer and action to witness to our respect for human life from the moment of conception until natural death. At our parish this weekend we read Justin Cardinal Rigali's statement in which he calls attention to those who are most vulnerable. It's a marvelous statement and worth duplicating here:

STATEMENT FOR RESPECT LIFE SUNDAY
Cardinal Justin F. Rigali
Chairman, USCCB Committee on Pro-life Activities
September 29, 2009

Respect Life Sunday, this year celebrated on October 4th is a day set aside for Catholics in the United States to reflect with gratitude on God’s priceless gift of human life. It is also an occasion to examine how well we, as a nation and individually, are living up to our obligation to protect the rights of those who, due to age, dependency, poverty or other circumstances, are at risk of their very lives.

In the current debate over health care reform, it has become evident that a number of Americans believe that the lives and health of only some people are worth safeguarding, while other classes of people are viewed as not deserving the same protection. Such an attitude is deplorable, all the more so in the context of health care. Sanctioning discrimination in the quality of care given to different groups of people has no place in medicine, and directly contravenes the ethical norms under which Catholic hospitals and health care providers operate.

Unborn children remain the persons whose lives are most at risk in America: Over one million children each year die in abortion facilities. The Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 rendered states powerless to halt this killing. Thankfully Congress and most states acted to prevent public funding of abortions (with narrowly defined exceptions). Yet despite the opposition of 67% of Americans to taxpayer-funded abortion, all current health care proposals being considered by Congress would allow or mandate abortion funding, either through premiums paid into government programs or out of federal revenues.

It bears repeating: Abortion – the direct, intentional killing of an unborn girl or boy – is not health care. Abortion robs an innocent child of his or her life, and robs mothers of their peace and happiness. For 25 years, the Project Rachel post-abortion ministry of the Catholic Church has helped women move beyond their grief and remorse after abortion, helping them find peace by accepting God’s forgiveness and by forgiving themselves and others involved in the abortion decision. Abortion funding can only increase the number of dead and grieving.

Unborn children are not the only human beings disfavored under current proposals. Many people insist that undocumented persons living and working in the United States should not be allowed in any new system to purchase health-care coverage, and that poor legal immigrants be denied coverage for the first five years they are in the United States. Do immigrants forfeit their humanity at the border? How can a just society deny basic health care to those living and working among us who need medical attention? It cannot and must not.

While most Americans agree that those who cannot afford health insurance should have access to health care, some commentators have gone so far as to suggest offsetting the cost of expanded coverage by curtailing the level of care now given to elderly Americans. Other pundits have suggested that treatment decisions should be based not on the needs of the elderly patient, but on the patient’s allegedly low “quality of life" or the cost-effectiveness of treatment calculated over the patient’s projected lifespan. Such calculations can ignore the inherent dignity of the person needing care, and undermine the therapeutic relationship between health professionals and their patients.

It should not be surprising that the neglect, and even the death, of some people are offered as a solution to rising health care costs. Population control advocates have long espoused aborting children in the developing world as a misguided means for reducing poverty.

Some environmentalists now claim that the most efficient way to curb global climate change is to make “family planning" more widely available in the developing world. They report that an average of 2.3 pounds per day of exhaled carbon dioxide can be eliminated from the atmosphere by eliminating one human being. As used by population control advocates, the innocuous term “family planning" includes abortifacient contraceptives, sterilization, and manual vacuum aspiration abortions.

Oregon, where health care for low-income patients is rationed by the state, has denied several patients the costly prescription drugs needed to prolong their lives, while reminding them that the assisted suicide option is conveniently offered under Oregon’s health plan.

Many scientists justify the manipulation and killing of embryonic human beings in stem cell research, based on unsubstantiated hopes of finding new cures. Yet the facts increasingly show this approach to pose risks to patients, and to women who may be exploited to provide eggs for the research.

Death is not a solution to life’s problems. Only those who are blind to the transcendent reality and meaning of human life could support killing human beings to mitigate economic, social or environmental problems.

The antidote to such myopia is to recover an appreciation for the sanctity and dignity of each unique human being. One could begin by spending a day with a young child. The average child is a wellspring of joy and giggles, capable of daring leaps of imagination, probing curiosity, and even reasoned (though sometimes self-centered) appeals for justice. Children delight in God’s creation and love their family unconditionally. God gave every human being these marvelous aptitudes, and children can help us recover and appreciate them anew.

Since the advent of widespread contraception and abortion, a cultural hostility to children has grown. They are often depicted as costly encumbrances who interfere with a carefree adult life. No fewer than six recent books are dedicated to defending the childless-by-choice lifestyle – for selfish reasons, or to counter "overpopulation," a thoroughly discredited myth. In fact, if married couples were to have more children, Medicare and Social Security would not be hurtling toward bankruptcy. Since 1955, because of fewer children and longer life spans, the number of workers has declined relative to the number of beneficiaries, from 8.6 to only 3.1 workers paying benefits to support each beneficiary. Without substantially more young people to enter the work force as young adults, in 25 years, there will be only 2.1 workers supporting each beneficiary. Eliminating our young does not solve problems even on pragmatic grounds. It adds to them.

Children, and those who are dependent on us due to disability or age, offer us the opportunity to grow in patience, kindness, and love. They teach us that life is a shared gift, not an encumbrance. At the end of life, we will be judged on love alone. Meanwhile, in the midst of so many challenges to life, we look to "Christ Jesus our hope" (1 Timothy 1:1), who offers to all the world a share in his victory over death.

___________________

Pray that our nation and the world will once again come to respect human life in all its stages.

Blessings...

People and Critters: Photos

Yesterday I spent a few hours reorganizing some of the thousands of digital photos I've taken since I got my first digital camera back in 2000. In the course of doing so, I came across a few photos that include as subjects people sharing the spotlight with an animal or bird. I thought a few of my faithful readers might enjoy viewing them. In most instances the stories behind the photos are just as interesting. (Clicking on a photo will take you to the copy I uploaded to flickr.com.) So here goes...

I took the above photo on a sidewalk in downtown Key West in January 2008. Talking with Diane while leaving a shop, I really wasn't paying attention to where I was walking and literally ran into this man with his large pet constrictor wrapped around his neck and shoulders. Even after being inadvertently assaulted the two of them very kindly permitted me take their picture. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but man and snake seem to share the same expression. Only in Key West!

I especially like this photo (above). While visiting family and friends on Cape Cod this past May, I decided to rise bright and early one morning and photograph some of the things you see only in the early morning hours. The above photo was taken across the street from the Chatham Light. As I got out of the car I noticed the gull perched atop the warning sign. The fellow in the picture, enjoying his morning coffee before heading off to work, spotted the bird at about the same time. As he raised his coffee cup in a mock salute, I snapped the picture. The gull ignored us both.

I took the above photo this past March while Diane and I were on a Western Caribbean cruise. During our visit to Panama, we took a side trip to Portobelo. Amidst the ruins of an old Spanish fort, our friend Joe (also a brother deacon) happened upon this interesting bird. I'm pretty sure Joe was so focused on the bird that he was unaware I was snapping away with a telephoto lens. I played around with depth of field but ended up preferring this photo to the others I took, with the bird slightly out of focus in the foreground and the emphasis on Joe's expression.

Since Deacon Joe seemed to attract birds wherever he went, I couldn't omit the above photo taken in Cartagena, Colombia. As we roamed the streets of the old quarter of the city, Joe was accosted by a man looking for a dollar or two in exchange for a photo-op with his colorful parrot. This photo is the result. Once again Joe's expression says it all.

As shown in the above photo, I also contributed to Cartagena's obviously booming underground industry of tourist-animal photography. As I stood in the parking lot of an old monastery atop a mountain overlooking the city, a man just handed me this three-toed sloth who immediately made himself comfortable. A cute little guy, he did, however, have a rather severe body odor problem. And if you look closely you will see some long, sharp claws at the end of those toes. I noticed them as well, and was a bit concerned, until I realized I could probably move quickly enough to avoid any attack. He was, after all, a sloth.

I took the above photo of a girl and her goat at the Sumter County Fair here in central Florida in March 2006. Although she didn't win a blue ribbon, this young lady was very excited about showing her animal at the fair.

Having been brought up a city boy, I'm always amazed when I see these young farm kids handling these huge animals. The above photo, also taken at the Sumter County Fair in March 2006, says it all. There's no question who's the boss.

God has certainly supplied us with some interesting creatures. Blessings...

Signs of the Times

Pope Benedict on Europe and the Future. Just in case anyone doubts that Europe is, in effect, de-Christianized, Pope Benedict XVI recently shared his thoughts on the subject with Catholic journalist, Sandro Magister. In the interview the Holy Father comments on Europe's past, present and future and on the importance of the Church's new role as a "creative minority." It's a wonderful interview and can be read in its entirety here.

The Dictatorship of Relativism. This is another subject on which the Holy Father frequently speaks. To understand better the effects of runaway relativism on our culture, read this article by Matthew Hanley in which he exposes the need to pile lie upon lie in a never-ending effort to build a facade to conceal the truth. Eventually, of course, it will all come tumbling down. Read his commentary here.

Pro-Life Sentiment Gains. Good news! According to a survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, the American people have actually become more pro-life since President Obama took office. Indeed, this movement toward the pro-life position is the largest shift since polling on the subject started in 1995. It would seem that the president's radical pro-abortion stance is causing people to take notice and examine the issue more closely. I expect, however, that the Democrat leadership in Congress will attribute this shift to growing racism among the American people. To read the full story on this development, click here.

Pope Benedict to Visit UK. For the first time ever, a pope will make an official state visit to England. Pope Benedict plans to make the trip next year. According to reports he will meet with the queen, perhaps even spend a night or two at Buckingham Palace, and also visit Birmingham, Oxford and Edinburgh. It is expected that the Holy Father will conduct the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman during the visit, most likely in Birmingham where Newman founded the Oratory. Click here for the full story.

Open Church Doors! Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, told his priests during a retreat to make churches available to the people for prayer and worship: "Do everything possible, and the impossible, to allow the faithful and persons seeking God -- whom God awaits -- to have access to Jesus in the Eucharist: Don't close the doors of your churches, please!" Read more on this here.

Keep Sunday as the Lord's Day. For his October prayer intention Pope Benedict has given us the following: "That Sunday may be lived as the day on which Christians gather to celebrate the risen Lord, participating in the Eucharist." How many of us fail to keep holy the Lord's Day? How many of us habitually attend Saturday Mass so we can sleep in on Sunday? How many actually turn our minds and hearts to the Lord on Sunday by participating in the Eucharist, the source and summit of the Christian life?

God's peace...

Afternoon Thoughts

Earlier this afternoon I took a short golf cart drive to the local Barnes & Noble where I picked up a guidebook to Charleston and South Carolina. Diane and I plan to visit Charleston in the near future where we'll meet up with some old friends who are driving down from the D. C. area. It's been so long since I've spent any time in Charleston I really can't recall many details about the city. And so the guidebook was needed. Now, with my glossy, expensive, full-color book in hand, I can play the perfect tourist, rattling off little-known historical tidbits and recommending restaurants and other places to visit. I'm already a bit of a pain when it comes to this sort of thing because of my photography addiction. Now I'll be even worse and will likely drive our friends (and Diane) to distraction.

[A brief aside: The drive home from the bookstore almost turned into a mild (very mild) disaster since I hadn't charged up the golf cart batteries in a while and I could hear the electric motor running ever more slowly during the last mile or so. I rolled into our garage with maybe enough juice for another 100 yards. The idea of pushing a golf cart home is unappealing. Keep this in mind when you buy your all-electric car.]

And speaking of my photography addiction, I just fed it by ordering a new lens for my Canon Digital Rebel Xsi. For just wandering around in strange cities like Charleston I decided I could replace my other lenses with a single zoom lens, a Tamron 18-270mm zoom, a nice broad range from wide angle to telephoto. Now I won't have to lug an extra lens around, or go through the periodic and irritating (to Diane, anyway) changing of the lens ritual. The lens is also equipped with vibration compensation so my aging shaking hands won't lead to blurry photos. My new toy should arrive next week, so I'm happy.

The President, however, is probably very unhappy today...as are First Lady Michelle, Mayor Daley, and Chicago promoter Oprah. On the other hand, Lula, soccer great, Pele, and the folks in Rio de Janeiro are ecstatic. Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (or simply "Lula" to his friends and enemies), apparently was better able to convince the IOC that Rio was more deserving than the other cities competing for the 2016 Summer Games. I expected Rio to win since no city in South America had ever hosted the Olympic games, winter or summer. It just seemed the IOC would be far more likely to choose Rio, if only for that reason. And so I didn't understand why President Obama flew to Denmark and made that personal pitch to win the committee over -- seemed like a no-win situation to me. But I guess folks like President Obama and Oprah actually believe that they are such important people, celebrities of the celebrities, that their sheer star power would win the day. And do you think, maybe, a few of the president's friends and supporters might have come out waaaay ahead financially if Chicago got the Olympics? As it turned out Chicago didn't even come in second. The only real winners in Chicago today are the taxpayers. As for me, I just consider today's events as a kind of entertainment, something else to keep me amused as I watch another batch of self-important folks make fools of themselves.

Brazil's President, Lula, (left) celebrates with soccer great, Pele (right)

Oh, and speaking of disappointed people, how about film director Roman Polanski and all his Hollywood friends? If the planets line up just right this man may actually be extradited to the US to face sentencing for statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl back in the 70s. Polanski took off before sentencing once he heard that he might have to serve some jail time for his crime. He's been living in Europe ever since. Now the Swiss have arrested him and all the beautiful people in Hollywood are simply aghast that this wonderful man is being persecuted for such an insignificant indiscretion, the sort of thing that could happen to anyone. Once again, I am entertained watching the self-important make fools of themselves. Click here to read an excellent column on this strange event ala Tinseltown.

Time to do more productive things. Blessings...

Early Morning Thoughts and Coincidences

I awoke early this morning, a little after 5 a.m. But that's not unusual. I tend to be an early riser. But lately I've been experiencing something unusual, at least for me. I can describe it only by saying I seem to be awakened by my thoughts. That's right, my tired, old brain seems to be kicking in while I'm still asleep and it's those first early morning thoughts that awaken me. For all I know this may be how everyone else in the world wakes up, but for me...well it's a bit weird. And I'm having a little trouble coping with the effects.

Previously, I would awake as if from a coma. I could barely put one foot in front of the other until I'd downed that first cup of morning coffee. The daily routine rarely changed. I'd throw on my bathrobe and try to exit the bedroom without waking Diane, stumble into the kitchen where I'd turn on the coffeemaker, make my way to the front door, walk out to the driveway and pick up the newspaper, then wander back to my big, overstuffed chair in the living room. There I would sit, newspaper in my lap, and await the miracle of fresh Seattle's Best French Roast. This entire process wasn't particularly challenging. It might have called on a percent or two of my few remaining brain cells.

But no longer. For the past year or so I've been waking up...well, awake!When those eyelids click open and I focus on the red digits of the alarm clock, I'm already in the middle of some usually pretty interesting thought.

At 5:14 this morning, for example, I awoke to find my brain already occupied with thoughts of our mainline Protestant friends and the crises plaguing so many of their churches. I assume these pre-conscious thoughts arose out of a conversation I had just a few days ago with a friend who was bemoaning the direction his church was taking. A member of a local ELCA Lutheran church, he was extremely upset over the church's recent decisions that seemed to support and encourage homosexuality. And he's no exception. Over the past year or so, I have had similar conversations with Episcopalians and Methodists on a variety of issues, both moral and theological. One Methodist jokingly said to me, "You guys, at least, seem to be holding your own against the onslaught. If it weren't for the pope, I'd probably become a Catholic." All I could think to say in response was, "It's only because we have a pope that we're able to hold our own." I probably should have stopped there and just let that thought germinate. But instead I launched into a monologue on the Church's teaching authority that caused his eyes to glaze over. I sometimes have a tendency to overkill.

Anyway, the coincidence occurred as a sipped my second cup of coffee, turned on the netbook, and inadvertently clicked on the wrong bookmark. Instead of checking the latest news out of the Middle East, I clicked on a link to "On the Square" a sort-of blog published by First Things. There, staring back at me, was an article by R. R. Reno on "The Agony of Mainline Protestantism". One can always count on Reno, who teaches theology at Creighton University, to write something interesting and thoughtful, and this article is no exception. I recommend it.

Can't wait to discover what I awake to tomorrow.

God's peace...

International Blasphemy Day

You may well have missed it, but apparently yesterday, September 30, was International Blasphemy Day. This was a surprise to me, since I was unaware that blasphemers had claimed or even needed their own special day. After all, they seem to carry out their blasphemous activities and utter their blasphemous words on virtually every other day of the year. And why now must they claim the feast day of St. Jerome to focus the global community's attention on blasphemy? The "celebration" included art exhibits, contests, and all sorts of other fun things. It's all very strange...and sad.

The organizers at the Center for Inquiry claim that "Blasphemy Day International is a campaign seeking to establish September 30th as a day to promote free speech and stand up in a show of solidarity for the freedom to challenge, criticize, and satirize religion without fear of murder, litigation, and reprisal."

Now, I may be wrong but, at least in this country, I encounter blasphemy in many different forms every day. One need only turn on the TV. And I don't know of any Christians running around killing blasphemers on the streets of New York, San Francisco, or Norman, Oklahoma.

Here's what Catholic League president Bill Donohue had to say about Blasphemy Day:

The Center for Inquiry is factually incorrect to say that “Free speech is the foundation on which other liberties rest.” Freedom of conscience is the first liberty, and it is inextricably linked to freedom of religion. Moreover, the whole concept of inalienable rights presupposes a belief in the Creator. In other words, atheists have the right to mock religion because our Christian Founding Fathers afforded them human rights.

They are all such phonies. The stated purpose of Blasphemy Day has nothing to do with any religion but Islam, yet there is not one scheduled event insulting Muslims. We can only guess why. So who have they chosen to mock? You guessed it—Christians.

Artist Dana Ellyn will wander to Washington, D.C. to show her masterpiece, “Jesus Does His Nails,” a portrait of Jesus polishing a nail jammed into his hand. In Los Angeles, there will be a film about a gay molesting priest and another about a boy who is so angry about being sent to bed that he asks God to kill his parents. Oh, yes, American Atheists will conduct “De-Baptisms” in New Jersey.

Nice to know that even the atheists know that Christians can be counted on to react to their antics like good Christians. Which is why there will be no violence.

Click here to read another article about this Blasphemy Day. Let's hope our Congress and President don't declare it a national holiday.

"But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin." - Mk 3:29

Pray for them all.

Pax

Persecution Watch Continues

Here's another story of the persecution and death of a Christian in Pakistan, a story actually published on the New York Times website!

Pakistan Rights Groups Seek Answers on

By Waqar GillaniI and Sabrina Tavernise

Published: September 16, 2009

LAHORE, Pakistan — A Christian man detained on blasphemy charges was found dead in his jail cell on Tuesday in eastern Pakistan. Human rights groups here said he appeared to have been killed, perhaps in collusion with the authorities.

The death of the Christian, Robert Fanish (or Danish), 20, is part of a rising trend of violence against minorities in Pakistan, a panel of Pakistani human rights groups said in a news conference on Wednesday. It follows the burning deaths of six Christians in July, and mob attacks against Christian houses and a church in March and June.

“This is a pattern,” said Asma Jahangir, the chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, a prominent watchdog group that is independent of the government.

Local police officials say Mr. Fanish committed suicide, a claim his family and human rights groups dismissed.

Christians are a tiny minority in Pakistan. They are barred from running for president.

Mr. Fanish was arrested on Saturday in the village of Jathikai and charged with blasphemy, a statute often used against minorities in Pakistan, human rights groups say. A Muslim family accused him of desecrating a Koran, but his local supporters said the family claimed that he had been admiring their daughter.

Whatever the case, he was taken to a jail in Sialkot, the district capital, and after two days of police questioning he was found dead in his cell, touching off Christian riots.

On Wednesday, the provincial government ordered an investigation into the death and are investigating whether to charge the jail staff with negligence.

The inspector general of prisons for Punjab Province, Kokab Nadeem Warriach, declined to say whether he believed that Mr. Fanish’s death was allowed or perpetrated by police guards. He said by telephone that three prison officials had been suspended, and that the investigation ordered by the provincial government would conclude this week.

The police said Mr. Fanish had hanged himself in his cell, using a strip of material ripped from his clothing. The Joint Action Committee for People’s Rights, an alliance of more than 30 human rights groups, said in a statement that it had talked to witnesses who saw marks of torture on his body.

The group said evidence in the case “raises strong suspicion of the involvement of the jail officials” in Mr. Fanish’s death.

Ms. Jahangir said local politicians often colluded with attackers, covering up their crimes, partly out of a deep-seated prejudice against minorities — Christians and Ahmadis, a minority sect in Islam — and out of a reflexive sympathy with other Muslims.

“These militants who attack minorities are protected by local politicians,” she said. “They protect them and keep their names out of police reports.”

That was what happened in the burning case in July, where the Muslim mob was whipped into a frenzy, apparently by the local leader of a mainstream political party.

Militants, Ms. Jahangir said, “are trying to enforce their will by attacking minorities.”

“They want to grab power,” she said. “They want to make people slaves.”

Waqar Gillani reported from Lahore, Pakistan, and Sabrina Tavernise from Islamabad, Pakistan.

To read more about this story, click here.

Jewish Holy Days

Jews throughout the world just celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the arrival of the New Year 5771, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Most Christians know very little about these days that are so special to our Jewish friends. And so I thought I would provide a link to a wonderful article, written by David Goldman and published on one of the blogs sponsored by First Things magazine. Click here to read it.

Religious Persecution on the Rise in Asia

As some of you may know, I like to keep an eye on the persecution of the Church in our world, and on occasion I try to bring some of these events to your attention. I don't do this out of any sense of outrage. After all, Jesus told us expect persecution and, to some extent, to welcome it. That being said, I don't highlight these incidents in an effort to convince you to seek martyrdom...not at all. No, I do this for two reasons. First, I simply want to keep you informed about what's happening to your Church elsewhere in the world, because the mainstream media certainly won't. If you're unaware of these assaults on the Body of Christ, it's unlikely that you will take any steps, including prayer, to alleviate them. Second, I believe you and I are strengthened in our own faith when we are exposed to the example of those who are persecuted today for their love of Jesus Christ. And we just may need to call on that strength sooner rather than later. Only God knows.

Women in Orissa, an Indian state, protest anti-Christian riots

As perhaps a sign of more widespread persecutions to come, the nations of Asia are becoming increasingly hostile to Christianity. Some formerly tolerant nations are turning a blind eye to anti-Christian violence perpetrated by religious fundamentalists. Others have or plan to enact laws prohibiting conversion. And in some -- particularly in communist nations like Vietnam, China and North Korea -- the government itself acts as the persecutor. Throughout Asia religious freedom seems to be suffering as governments cave in to the wishes of extremists or as ideology drives them to accept or actively participate in the persecution of religious groups, particularly Christian religious groups. Some examples of what's happening in Asia these days:

Hindu mob destroys a car outside a Christian church in India

Just a year ago in India, Hindu fundamentalists carried out a violent persecution of Christians that killed hundreds and created 100,000 or more refugees. And this happened in a nation that once took pride in its commitment to religious freedom. Unfortunately these persecutions have continued. Just recently a Catholic priest was murdered while on his way to celebrate Mass.

Christian couple in front of their home in Gojra (Pakistan) destroyed in anti-Christian violence on 8/2/09 (8 dead, 20 injured, scores homeless)

In Pakistan, just recently, an angry mob of over 3,000 Muslims went on a rampage through the Christian sector of a village where they burned eight Christians alive. Among those killed were four women and a young child. Over twenty others were seriously injured, fifty Christian homes were destroyed, and thousands were forced to flee for the lives to avoid being summarily executed by these extremists. The mob was incited by mullahs who wanted to rid the area of Christians. In other parts of Pakistan, the imposition of sharia law has led Christians and others to leave some provinces for fear of being arrested simply for practicing their faith.

In Egypt, Muslim police beat Christian

All of the Islamic nations of Asia make it difficult for those who would convert to Christianity and some have made conversion illegal, punishable in some instances by death. Two largely Hindu nations, India and Sri Lanka, are considering passing laws aimed at preventing conversions. Virtually all the countries of central Asia limit religious freedom to some extent.

Christian children pray at the destroyed church of St. Rum’s in Baghdad’s Karrada neighborhood; five churches were attacked in one day in pre-dawn bombings

As one might expect, in the communist nations of Asia religious persecution is government policy and is exercised in varying degrees of severity. The persecution of Christians over the past 60 years in communist China is well documented and, despite the nation's seeming acceptance of some free-market principles, it remains ideologically rigid when it comes to religion. In Vietnam, where many of the people still retain their Catholic faith, the Communist government has been exercising its muscle through recent persecutions that have included mass arrests, beatings, and destruction of Church property.

Vietnamese Catholics protest police beating of a priest

One of the sad elements of this trend toward increased religious persecution in Asia is the near silence with which it has been greeted by most Western nations. In their efforts to appear multicultural and politically correct Western governments seem to have forgotten that tolerance is a two-way street.

Unfortunately, we and our Western European relations no longer consider ourselves Christian nations, and certainly not Judeo-Christian nations. And so there is no real impetus to defend Christianity when it suffers persecution. Why defend what you don't believe in? What our politicians fail to realize is that those who would destroy Christianity aren't content to accomplish just that. They want to destroy both Christianity and the civilization that arose out of it...and that includes these same politicians. Foolish men!

President Obama bows to Saudi King Abdullah

President Bush with good buddy, King Abdullah

In his response to the rise of anti-Christian persecution, Pope Benedict pleads with Christians everywhere to pray, to pray not only for the persecuted, but for those who persecute. It is only through Christianity, through Christ's presence in the world, Christ's presence in us, that our world will be reconciled to the truth, that divisions among peoples and nations will be healed, and that the world will be transformed in Jesus Christ. Fortunately for the world, God is in control, even when it might seem He has left us to our own meager devices. And so we will pray; we will pray for the conversion of the world.

Come, Lord Jesus!!