Keep the Χριστός in X-Mas!

 

Readings for Midnight Mass for Christmas in the Catholic Church December 24 2020

 The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) - Mass During the Night

Lectionary: 14

Reading 1

Is 9:1-6

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom

a light has shone.

You have brought them abundant joy

and great rejoicing,

as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,

as people make merry when dividing spoils.

For the yoke that burdened them,

the pole on their shoulder,

and the rod of their taskmaster

you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.

For every boot that tramped in battle,

every cloak rolled in blood,

will be burned as fuel for flames.

For a child is born to us, a son is given us;

upon his shoulder dominion rests.

They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,

Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.

His dominion is vast

and forever peaceful,

from David’s throne, and over his kingdom,

which he confirms and sustains

by judgment and justice,

both now and forever.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 96: 1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13.

R. (Lk 2:11)  Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.

Sing to the LORD a new song;

   sing to the LORD, all you lands.

Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

R. Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.

Announce his salvation, day after day.

    Tell his glory among the nations;

    among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R. Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;

   let the sea and what fills it resound;

   let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!

Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.

R. Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.

They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;

   for he comes to rule the earth.

He shall rule the world with justice

   and the peoples with his constancy.

R. Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.

Reading 2

Ti 2:11-14

Beloved:

The grace of God has appeared, saving all

and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires

and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,

as we await the blessed hope,

the appearance of the glory of our great God

and savior Jesus Christ,

who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness

and to cleanse for himself a people as his own,

eager to do what is good.

Alleluia

Lk 2:10-11

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I proclaim to you good news of great joy:

today a Savior is born for us,

Christ the Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 2:1-14

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus

that the whole world should be enrolled.

This was the first enrollment,

when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.

And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth

to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,

because he was of the house and family of David,

to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

While they were there,

the time came for her to have her child,

and she gave birth to her firstborn son.

She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,

because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields

and keeping the night watch over their flock.

The angel of the Lord appeared to them

and the glory of the Lord shone around them,

and they were struck with great fear.

The angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid;

for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy

that will be for all the people.

For today in the city of David

a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.

And this will be a sign for you:

you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes

and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,

praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Christ says to love your neighbor, including your enemy! [meme]

 

Thursday in the Fourth Week of Advent - Mass in the Morning - December 24 2020 Catholic

Thursday in the Fourth Week of Advent - Mass in the Morning - December 24 2020

Lectionary: 200

Reading 1

2 SM 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16 

When King David was settled in his palace,

and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,

he said to Nathan the prophet,

“Here I am living in a house of cedar,

while the ark of God dwells in a tent!” 

Nathan answered the king,

“Go, do whatever you have in mind,

for the LORD is with you.” 

But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:

“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:

Should you build me a house to dwell in?

“‘It was I who took you from the pasture

and from the care of the flock

to be commander of my people Israel. 

I have been with you wherever you went,

and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. 

And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. 

I will fix a place for my people Israel;

I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place

without further disturbance.

Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,

since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.

I will give you rest from all your enemies. 

The LORD also reveals to you

that he will establish a house for you. 

And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,

I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,

and I will make his Kingdom firm.

I will be a father to him,

and he shall be a son to me.

Your house and your Kingdom shall endure forever before me;

your throne shall stand firm forever.’”

Responsorial Psalm

PS 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 AND 29

R. (2)  For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;

through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.

For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;

in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to David my servant:

Forever will I confirm your posterity

and establish your throne for all generations.”

R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,

my God, the rock, my savior.’

Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,

and my covenant with him stands firm.”

R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

 

Alleluia  

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

O Radiant Dawn,

splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:

come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 1:67-79

Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

for he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hand of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

The Kind of Music we need during Christmas and the Rest of the Year in the Catholic Church

I was reading through Catholic news and came across a new album release by The London Oratory Schola, a Catholic boys choir which originated in Rome, but this particular branch is in the UK. The singers range in age from 8 to 18 and are comprised of 20 to 30 members.

The music is breathtaking. Absolutely transcendent.

I don't know why but Catholic churches in many areas seem to have adopted a belief that whether it's music or liturgy or art or whatever other area of worship, it must be simplified to appeal to the broadest audience. When it comes to music, there seems to be a belief that if the worst singer cannot sing the music, then it must be rejected. I'm not sure what you would even call this belief system, but it has obviously taken hold.

There are a couple of developments which have occurred. One is the simplification of music in liturgies. Rather than polyphony or plainchant, we are given folk music with very simple rhythms. The other trend is to replace tried and true music from many generations ago with music from the 70s. As one commentator put it, some people like to say it is more "modern", when in fact, at this point it is 40 or 50 years old. How is that modern?

Plus, it's not a debate about whether people want modern or old-fashioned music. It's a debate between contemporary, fad music vs. timeless music.

How is it that a century or more ago, parishioners could enjoy complex music written by Palestrina, Mozart, and others, while now we are treated to "Eagle's Wings"? It's like going from a doctorate down to kindergarten.

Something else I have noticed is a kind of democratization of the music in church. Often there are some very good singers, but sometimes random people are chosen to sing. They may be able to sing a hymn in the pew, but they have issues doing a good job during Mass as the lead cantor. One of my pet peeves is cantors who do not have precise timing. It's like to them being a second off is not a big deal. It's very distracting.

There is also the concept, as mentioned already, that unless every person can "participate" in the singing of the song, then it's probably too complex and should not be played. This would make sense if it were a music lesson in primary school. But this is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. A favorite saying in my catechism group came from a friend of mine and says "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi", which translates to the law of prayer is the law of belief and means that the way we pray and worship informs our beliefs.

For example, if the music is folksy and sounds like a nursery rhyme, then we are less likely to take our faith seriously. It will seem childish and like just a little bit of fun. When any difficulty comes into our lives, we will not have a serious faith to rely on. In our minds, church is for the good times, a sort of community hall where we get together to sing carols. On the other hand, if the music is deep and complex, and has stood the test of time, it is more likely that our faith will have similar characteristics.

To continue with this analysis, I feel if the music is simple and approachable, that's how we'll see God. Whereas as Christians, we know our faith centers around mysteries which are truths whose depths can never be fully realized. The music ought to convey a sense of wonder and awe, rather than something frivolous and simple. We risk not realizing the depth and richness of the Catholic faith and see it rather as no different than going out with friends to karaoke.

There will be many objections to what I am saying. Some will say we simply don't have the budget to hire professional singers. To this I would say professional singers are not required, but often churches do hire professional singers anyway, but to sing "modern" music. Music is very important and should not be left to amateurs with little musical training. On top of that, I would say there are definitely good simple music as well. Traditional music is much better than 70s guitar music. Plus there is always the option of omitting music for weekday Masses anyway. Finally, I have heard really bad, yet complex music. It's bad because it's just far too modern and is anything but timeless. The same effort should have been put into producing great traditional music.

Other people will object by saying Mass is meant to be welcoming to everyone and is, in fact, for the "masses". I couldn't agree more. But people in general have the wrong idea about participation or assistance at Mass. In fact, I just came across a Catholic Answers forum post where someone was wonder the meaning of the term "assist" when it comes to Mass. People have the idea that to assist at Mass means you are "doing something", such as carrying the gifts, singing, taking up collection, reading, etc. This has nothing to with assisting at Mass. We participate or "assist" at Mass in four ways: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication.

However, because of the misinterpretation of "assisting" or "participating" at Mass, people have come to believe that we need as many laypeople being busy during the Holy Sacrifice as possible, which includes their participation in music. This is a false belief and has real negative implications. As I wrote yesterday, believing as many people as possible need to be "doing something" has led to strange things happening, such as Extraordinary Ministers of Communion being used when completely unnecessary.

Part of the problem, I think, comes from a form of pride and a lack of understanding of the Catholic understanding of beauty. Pride comes into play when people are not willing to take their proper place, but feel entitled to take a higher or more important role. It is also a refusal to believe that a person is more talented in a particular area than oneself. St. Paul says we are all part of the Body of Christ as Christians, but that each part has a different role. Humility does not entail denying our gifts, but thanking God for them. People who are excellent singers, musicians, painters, sculptors, etc. should not shy away and hide their talents. Also, those around them should not allow that to happen either.

In the past there was always the ideal of creating things of beauty when it came to music, art, and other areas within the Church. It was not about promoting equality or some misinterpretation of "participation", but it was about beauty. In the Catholic understanding, some things are beautiful and worthy of admiration and other things are not beautiful or even ugly and worthy to be avoided. We do not believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder as such, although there can be variance in taste.

You don't need a magnificent cathedral in order to do things the right way. Many tiny churches are reverent and holy and are much more suited to Catholic worship than other much larger places.

Anyway, having said all of that, please check out Sacred treasures of Christmas by Schola cantorum here.

Ouch: this meme about leaving Mass early just escalated quickly!

 

Readings for Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent December 23, 2020 Catholic Church

Readings for Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Lectionary: 199

Reading 1

MAL 3:1-4, 23-24

Thus says the Lord GOD:

Lo, I am sending my messenger

to prepare the way before me;

And suddenly there will come to the temple

the LORD whom you seek,

And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.

Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.

But who will endure the day of his coming?

And who can stand when he appears?

For he is like the refiner’s fire,

or like the fuller’s lye.

He will sit refining and purifying silver,

and he will purify the sons of Levi,

Refining them like gold or like silver

that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.

Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem

will please the LORD,

as in the days of old, as in years gone by.

Lo, I will send you

Elijah, the prophet,

Before the day of the LORD comes,

the great and terrible day,

To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,

and the hearts of the children to their fathers,

Lest I come and strike

the land with doom.

 

Responsorial Psalm

PS 25:4-5AB, 8-9, 10 AND 14

R. (see Luke 21:28)  Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;

teach me your paths,

Guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my savior.

R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

Good and upright is the LORD;

thus he shows sinners the way.

He guides the humble to justice,

he teaches the humble his way.

R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy

toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,

and his covenant, for their instruction.

R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

 

Alleluia  

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:

come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 1:57-66

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child

she gave birth to a son. 

Her neighbors and relatives heard

that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,

and they rejoiced with her. 

When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,

they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,

but his mother said in reply,

“No. He will be called John.” 

But they answered her,

“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” 

So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. 

He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”

and all were amazed.

Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,

and he spoke blessing God.

Then fear came upon all their neighbors,

and all these matters were discussed

throughout the hill country of Judea.

All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,

“What, then, will this child be?"

For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.

Pope Francis Recognizes Judge as Martyr who was Killed by the Mafia

I think this is good news. Everyone knows the mafia or mob is bad. But somehow in our society they are glorified. They are shown as "tough guys", stylish, and even as having certain values. In actual fact, they are evil people from an evil organization.

There is a guy Michael Franceze who has a Youtube channel and I have watched some of his videos. He is pretty entertaining. He recounts stories from his mob life. Although he says he has renounced that life and is now a professing Christian, I still think there is something of a glorification to what he does. I don't even think it's intentional necessarily.

Basically in his videos, he will tell these stories of the mob life. In it, he gets into details about the life, but I feel he plays it up. He talks about how tough he was, how he was so good at handling various situations and "taking care of business". While he adds a disclaimer at the end that he renounces the life and that he doesn't recommend it, I feel there is some level of pride in his stories and how he recounts them.

I'm not here to judge him, but I think there is something of a double standard when it comes to stories of the mob. We should have a very straightforward approach to these things. People who use violence and intimidation to get ahead and using evil means and it cannot be supported in any way.

Therefore, I am glad Pope Francis has declared this man to be a martyr for the faith, a man who stood up to the mob and gave the ultimate sacrifice.

"In an age of hope men looked up at the night sky and saw 'the heavens.' In an age of hopelessness they call it simply 'space.'" - Peter Kreeft

 

Very interesting video about the Armenian Catholic Church

This video was produced in 2011 and talks about the history of the Armenian Church. Although not all Armenian Christian Churches have done so, the Armenian Catholic Chuch has reunited with the Bishop of Rome. The ACC has about 350,000 members. Check out this interesting vid:

Communion Shenanigans in the Catholic Church During Covid

There are a lot of very strange things occurring in Catholic churches due to Covid. Things which are rather inexplicable and sometimes somewhat frustrating. As with everything, we must use these as opportunities to grow in holiness. At the same time, I do wonder where some of these strange ideas are coming from.

As a little background information, on Sunday, I attempted to go to Mass at the church where I have been making an effort to attend daily. When I arrived, the lady informs me that all the places are reserved and nothing can be changed. I had attempted to reserve a seat on Wednesday, thinking it was the first possible day, but I was told you could register before this now.

It has happened before that I did not register for Mass on time. In those cases, I would show up early to the church and see if anyone else had cancelled and if so I would simply replace them.

So this past Sunday, they seem to have implemented a brand new rule - you cannot replace someone else who will not be attending. It's very strange and makes little sense. As an example, another lady in the same boat as me who attends daily Mass, told the lady that her daughter was registered but that her daughter would not be showing up that day. She asked if she could take her daughter's place. The answer was no.

It's important to realize that in the past (i.e. the previous week), this was a common practice. If someone did not or would not be showing up, another person could take their place. This only makes sense. What other difference does it make? The registration's only purpose is to ensure there are not too many people in the church at the same time. I get that churches must strictly adhere to the maximum number of people. I mean it's not like it's a Costco!

So this person would allow no one in, not even to replace someone who would definitely not be attending. So I went to another church with someone else. This church, of course, had its own set of rules. Every church seems different with regards to Covid rules which is odd in itself.

We arrive at this more "modern" church which has a distinctly "modern" style of music, by which I mean of course from the 70s. Also, they do not have kneelers. They don't even have pews, but rather soft individual chairs.

So I and the person I am with sit up front, as close to the altar as possible. Once the consecration has taken place, the priest comes to the middle to give out Holy Eucharist. They have decided to allow everyone from the right side section go up to receive communion first. Once they are all done, it will be our turn on the left side. Again, I am the first person of that section. The last person of the right side receives communion. An usher tells me to wait a second after she squirts some hand sanitizer on my hands. To my surprise, just as I'm about to present myself to receive the Body and Blood of Our Lord, the priest just walks away. Huh? What is going on here? Yes, the priest just leaves. And in his place is an older lady with her own chalice ready to give out communion. You've got to be kidding me! Where is the priest going?

As I am the first person in line, and not knowing what else to do, I receive communion from this EMHC. This is one of the strangest arrangements I have seen to date. You'd think being as close to the priest as possible would mean he would give you communion. Also strange is that he went from one line to another. Why would he do this? What purpose does it serve? It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

But a bigger question is why are there EMHCs in these circumstances anyway? Churches are at a fraction of their usual capacity. Where I am, churches can have a maximum of 100 people total in the structure. In previous times, these same churches may have gotten 500 or 1000 parishioners. So 500 people can be handled with 2 people distributing communion, but with 100 people you still need 2 people? How does this make sense.

Obviously it only makes sense if the EMHCs are being improperly used.

In the official Catholic Church document titled Redemptionis sacramentum, there are clear instructions as to when EMHCs can be properly employed. (Redemptionis sacramentum (Latin for "Sacrament of Redemption") is the title of an instruction on the proper way to celebrate Mass in the Roman Rite and, with the necessary adjustments, in other Latin liturgical rites. Source: Wikipedia)

In sections 157 to 158, it states:

If there is usually present a sufficient number of sacred ministers for the distribution of Holy Communion, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion may not be appointed. Indeed, in such circumstances, those who may have already been appointed to this ministry should not exercise it. The practice of those Priests is reprobated who, even though present at the celebration, abstain from distributing Communion and hand this function over to laypersons. 

Indeed, the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion may administer Communion only when the Priest and Deacon are lacking, when the Priest is prevented by weakness or advanced age or some other genuine reason, or when the number of faithful coming to Communion is so great that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged.[259] This, however, is to be understood in such a way that a brief prolongation, considering the circumstances and culture of the place, is not at all a sufficient reason.

As can clearly be seen from this instruction, having a group of laypeople give out communion regardless of the circumstances is prohibited. Extraordinary ministers (as the name implies) must only be used in extraordinary circumstances such as those listed above. These people have become all too common. Another important part is that even if such people are at a Mass, if there is sufficient capacity for the priest or deacon to distribute communion, they should, and the EMHC should stand down.

Obviously a physically capable, relatively young priest should not have any issue distributing communion to under 100 people, especially since he does that on a regular basis to begin with.

The priest is acting in persona Christi and his hands are consecrated and ultimately should be the only hands actually touching communion. We have seen many abuses caused by communion in the hand. Covid was just another excuse to ban the practice of communion on the tongue.

This isn't quite as bad though as an incident which I witnessed at a small church in a small community. The priest, having consecrated the host, passed on the chalice to a layperson who distributed all of the communion as the priest simply watched. There were no more than a couple of dozen people in this church. He was not physically incapacitated since he had been previously walking quite a bit during his homily, I guess to give a more "friendly" feel to his sermon. Yet, he chose to sit by on the sidelines and let someone without holy orders do his role for him. Quite disappointing.

As I have spoken about often, churches have countless procedures in place allegedly to prevent the spread of Covid-19. To an outsider looking in, they would assume these Christians are far more concerned about a relatively non-lethal and overall low-risk illness than they are about their eternal salvation or the miracle taking place before them at every Mass.

I think it's important for priests to emphasize the importance and supernatural reality of the Eucharist instead of doing the things mentioned in this article.

Wow, just wow. What a meme about Never buying flowers from a monk.... you gotta see this.

 

Readings for Tuesday, December 22, 2020 in the Catholic Church

Readings for Tuesday, December 22, 2020 in the Catholic Church

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Reading 1

1 SM 1:24-28

In those days,

Hannah brought Samuel with her,

along with a three-year-old bull,

an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,

and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh. 

After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,

Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:

“Pardon, my lord!

As you live, my lord,

I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD. 

I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. 

Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;

as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”

She left Samuel there.

Responsorial Psalm

1 SAMUEL 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8ABCD

R. (see 1a) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“My heart exults in the LORD,

my horn is exalted in my God.

I have swallowed up my enemies;

I rejoice in my victory.”

R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The bows of the mighty are broken,

while the tottering gird on strength.

The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,

while the hungry batten on spoil.

The barren wife bears seven sons,

while the mother of many languishes.”

R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The LORD puts to death and gives life;

he casts down to the nether world;

he raises up again.

The LORD makes poor and makes rich,

he humbles, he also exalts.”

R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“He raises the needy from the dust;

from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,

To seat them with nobles

and make a glorious throne their heritage.”

R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

Alleluia 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:

come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 1:46-56

Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

for he has looked upon his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

and has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months

and then returned to her home.

Readings for Monday, December 21, 2020 in the Catholic Church

Readings for Monday, December 21, 2020 in the Catholic Church

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Reading 1

SG (Song of Songs) 2:8-14

Hark! my lover–here he comes

springing across the mountains,

leaping across the hills.

My lover is like a gazelle

or a young stag.

Here he stands behind our wall,

gazing through the windows,

peering through the lattices.

My lover speaks; he says to me,

“Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one,

and come!

“For see, the winter is past,

the rains are over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth,

the time of pruning the vines has come,

and the song of the dove is heard in our land.

The fig tree puts forth its figs,

and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.

Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,

and come!

“O my dove in the clefts of the rock,

in the secret recesses of the cliff,

Let me see you,

let me hear your voice, 

For your voice is sweet,

and you are lovely.”

or

Zep 3:14-18a

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!

Sing joyfully, O Israel!

Be glad and exult with all your heart,

O daughter Jerusalem!

The LORD has removed the judgment against you,

he has turned away your enemies;

The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,

you have no further misfortune to fear.

On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:

Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!

The LORD, your God, is in your midst,

a mighty savior;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

and renew you in his love,

He will sing joyfully because of you,

as one sings at festivals.

 

Responsorial Psalm

PS 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21

R. (1a; 3a)  Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.

Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;

with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.

Sing to him a new song;

pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.

R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.

But the plan of the LORD stands forever; 

the design of his heart, through all generations.

Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.

R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.

Our soul waits for the LORD,

who is our help and our shield,

For in him our hearts rejoice;

in his holy name we trust. 

R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.

Alleluia  

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:

come to save us, Lord our God!

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 1:39-45

Mary set out in those days

and traveled to the hill country in haste

to a town of Judah,

where she entered the house of Zechariah

and greeted Elizabeth. 

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,

the infant leaped in her womb,

and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,

cried out in a loud voice and said,

“Most blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 

And how does this happen to me,

that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,

the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 

Blessed are you who believed

that what was spoken to you by the Lord

would be fulfilled.”

Death Cult: How Assisted Suicide is becoming more and more widespread in Canada

June 2016 was the first time in Canadian history that some people could choose to receive medical help in ending their lives. The conditions to qualify were very specific:

• Could not be based on mental illness - could only be physical illness
• Was not available to minors
• Could not be based on long-term disability or curable condition
• Available only to Canadian residents
• There was a waiting period
• The patient gave consent after being given all other available options, such as palliative care
• 10-day waiting period

This right to die is not found in our constitution. Like so many other such laws, it was invented out of thin air by the Supreme Court. They "discovered" it within laws pertaining to the right to life, how ironic. The court "graciously" gave the government a year to find a way to make it the law. Not really sure how that works. Nothing was done in that timeframe so they were given an additional 4 months. Eventually the court just decided it was a right. Eventually the government officially passed a law stated such.

That was just 3.5 years ago. Now, there is a new proposal on the table called Bill C7 which will vastly expand those who qualify to be killed by a doctor.

Some of the new things being proposed include the following:

Someone who previously gave consent does not now need to give consent immediately before the procedure takes place. Previously a person would have to be of sound mind to accept being killed. But now it can be based on a previous decision. The bill does not specify if there is an expiry date on a previous request. It has been determined that up to 8% of people who previously give consent subsequently revoke that consent.

The new bill seeks to remove the 10-day waiting period. Theoretically this means a patient could be euthanized on the same day that they request it. How does anyone think this is a good idea? The premise behind the original 10-day waiting period was that our moods and attitudes can change within the span of 10 days. Anyone can relate to being very upset or angry at a situation and it seeming dire in their minds, only to change their attitude 10 days later. Alas they want to remove this.

Another extremely important safeguard that is being proposed for removal is the requirement of 2 witnesses to testify as to the person's wishes. They want to reduce it to 1. Even two isn't very many in my opinion. Just imagine an unscrupulous person who would prefer the patient to die. Just that one person can act as a witness. At least with 2 witnesses, there is something of a safeguard there.

Another provision that is being threatened is the one which states the patient must be dying. They want to remove this. Non-dying patients would be allowed to avail of assistance in dying in they simply wanted to die for a particular reason.

These are just a few of the things this bill is looking to change. As Andrew Coyne points out, people who said things would devolve to this point 3 or 4 years ago would have been criticized for using slippery slope thinking and for being alarmist. Well, now this is becoming a reality.

Of course, it won't stop at any of these measures. It will just keep getting worse and worse. There are many issues with all of this. We are telling elderly and disabled people that their lives are meaningless if they experience any pain or hardships. As a society we are telling them they might as well kill themselves. Such a pathetic society we have become. This is a violation of the 4th and 5th commandments. We should not kill our elders nor the disabled.

I feel as though many older people will be pressured into ending their lives prematurely. They will be told it's the right thing to do. They will see all their friends and family following that path. Bill Gates once rhetorically asked whether it's better to save the life of one older person or to hire 10 teachers. We will be asking our elders to make such decisions. The right to die quickly becomes the duty to die. We start to evaluate human worth based on what a person can produce or what they bring to the table, rather than seeing them as invaluable and loved by God. They ought to be seen as worthy of life and our love.

I saw a disturbing video not long ago of a man dancing with his wife near a hospital bed. He had decided to be killed and he wanted to dance with her. She had posted the video. The sad part is she seemed proud of the whole thing. Like, isn't it sweet that we danced right before he had someone kill him? I read the comments and they were almost unanimously in favour of what was happening. They all gushed about how sweet it was, how loving and affectionate, etc. It was none of those things. In this man's time of suffering and need, he was given over to be executed. This is not a good society.

The Catholic Church allows people to make use of palliative care and pain-reduction drugs, even if as an unintended consequence the person dies because of the use of these drugs. But the Church will never allow a person to voluntarily choose to kill himself. It is a grave offense against God Almighty to do such a thing. He gave you your life and you have no right to take it.

Part of the reason for the proliferation of this phenomenon of assisted suicide is our horrible socialist healthcare system. Reports come out frequently showing the extremely long wait times people are forced to endure to receive medical treatment. Hospitals are low-quality and everything takes forever to get done. People from other countries may be surprised to know that in Canada, especially where I am from, entering into the Emergency section of the hospital and having to wait 10 hours to talk to someone is commonplace. If a person requires medical care, procedures can take dozens of weeks and sometimes over 2 years to receive. It's the equivalent of bread lines for healthcare.

There is an all-out promotion of assisted dying from the medical community in Canada. They see it as a method of cost-reduction. In a socialist system, consumers of a product or service are seen as a problem, not as customers that must be catered to. So many doctors and health-care administrators are really pushing assisted suicide as a great option. In Newfoundland, where I am from, one particular doctor actually wrote a newspaper article bemoaning the fact that due to strong family connections and taboos against assisted suicide, uptake was low in the province. He felt this was a problem. What a horribly twisted way of thinking.

The only solution to all of this is an all-out ban on medically-assisted suicide. I refuse to call it the euphemism of "Medical Assistance in Dying". It's not dying, it's murder. But things are getting more and more Orwellian.

We must not only oppose expansion of assisted suicide laws, we must seek a complete repeal of them. It is a gravely immoral injustice that is a blight to our country.

Sources: https://www.christianlegalfellowship.org/blog/2020/2/26/billc7analysis

Wearing a Catholic Brown Scapular

 

Talking at Mass & Other Pet Peeves

I know I've talked about this in other posts, I just think it bears repeating. All too often people are doing things which are inappropriate at church and in particular at Mass. It signifies a deeper problem in my opinion. Let's talk about that.

One of my biggest pet peeves is the Chatty Cathys at Mass. It's simply inappropriate. The minute you walk into a church, you should be silent. In the cathedral where I normally attend the Holy Sacrifice, it is pretty open. People will often stand around the perimeter and be chatting to others. Sometimes they will speak more quietly, other times they will not. They may just speak at a normal volume.

I have been guilty of this myself, especially during Covid times. What normally happens is that I walk in and there is a person at the table taking down names and phone numbers. The person starts talking to me. I feel like I am just in an ordinary situation. However, I soon realize I am in a church and that I should be quiet. Many people, however, do not have this reaction.

Even worse than the chit-chatters are those who actually talk DURING Mass itself. Perhaps it is during a time when no one else is talking. Fr. Ripperger has talked about this. Basically we have gotten so used to all prayers and worship being done out loud that when there is any silence, people have no idea what to do, so they instinctively start talking.

I agree with this assessment. People act as if they are watching some kind of performance on stage, and so if there is a break between "scenes", it seems natural to just start talking to the person next to you. The problem is it is very distracting to people who wish to pray or at least be in a reverent state of silence.

I have heard people even talking WHILE the priest is speaking. I wonder if these people have any idea what is even going on. We are present at the re-presentation of the Sacrifice of Jesus, present to us in an unbloody manner so that we may partake of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord. You're not at a bingo hall or shopping centre. Now is not the time to discuss what you need to get at the grocery store once Mass is over.

People may think I am being overly negative. What if people have something important they are talking about? That's possible of course. However, most "important" things which would merit in-Mass speaking could be discussed in a short period of time. Plus, the frequency of such things ought to be extremely rare. I don't even mind if every now and then someone says a word or two to the person next to them, fine. But I have been in the presence of a couple of people who talk, full volume, for minutes on end. Occasionally I have been unfortunate enough to sit near a couple of people who continuously talk throughout the entirety of the liturgy. Completely unbelievable and unacceptable.

Along with talking while at Mass, another pet peeve of mine is disruptive people who are not in unison with everyone else. I have started to attend daily rosary at my church. There is a lady there who recites her prayers must more quickly than everyone else. Everyone seems to have a general speed, while she bolts through prayers like she is in some kind of competition.

Not only that, one day the usual person who leads the rosary was not present so she took over. She was saying the Apostle's Creed so quickly she fumbled over her words and said it wrong. What is the point of this? What is she trying to prove?

I believe both talking in Mass and speeding through prayers without thinking about them indicate something bigger. To me, it seems the people doing things like this are not giving their time at church the proper attention. They seem to be operating on the surface without attempting to go to a deeper spiritual level. They do not really seem mindful of other people and they are acting as a distraction.

Having said all of this, I guess I have to look at it from a positive perspective, and quite honestly this is the hardest part. Maybe I must use these people and their annoying behaviors as ways of increasing in patience. There was a saint I heard about recently who said that very thing. One person said they would be holy only for the actions and behaviors of others. The saint responded that rather than these distractions and annoyances preventing one from becoming holy, they were the means by which the person could become holy.

However hard it might be, I must find out how to do this and think this way. Perhaps it is something for which I must pray.

Thanks to everyone who is reading this for letting me rant. Have a great day.

Catholics and Mary: Meme