And now the rest of the story

ROME, February 23, 2012 – For one week, a new man has been at the head of the Legionaries of Christ. He is young, only 36 years old. He is German, from Bavaria. He belongs to the noble lineage of the van Zuydtwyck. He has a brother who is a religious, and a sister who is a consecrated virgin. His parents testified for him in St. Peter's Square, in the pope's presence, on the eve of the closing of the Year for Priests, on June 10, 2010.
His name is Sylvester Heereman. He is the new vicar general of the Legion, in the role that previously belonged to Father Luis Garza Medina, the most powerful of the close collaborators and then successors of the infamous founder Marcial Maciel.
The appointment came unexpectedly, on February 16, with a statement from Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, the pontifical delegate to whom Benedict XVI has given full powers in order to avert the downfall of the Legion and of the associated lay movement Regnum Christi, with its hundreds of consecrated men and women.
Together with Fr. Heereman, Cardinal De Paolis has promoted to the top of the Legion another priest who was also outside of Maciel's circle, Father Deomar De Guedes Vaz, 51, a Brazilian.
When, during the last years of the founder's life, his incontrovertible offenses came to light, both of them were among those most determined to distance themselves. And when the Holy See put the entire Legion under investigation, they were among those most open in responding to the questioning of the apostolic visitors.
At the summit of the Legion, De Guedes has taken the place of another of Maciel's cronies, Father Francisco Mateos Gil, a Spaniard.
Mateos was for years the "nuncio" of the director general of the congregation, for schools and universities. The nuncios in the Legion imitated the role that the pope's ambassadors exercise all over the world. But in fact, with much more extensive powers. They were the director's spies, but even more so of vicar general Garza, whose commands they communicated. Now there are no more nuncios. Cardinal De Paolis has also dismantled this network of power and intelligence.
Following these changes, the leadership of the Legion is now as follows:
Director general:
Álvaro Corcuera Martínez del Rio
Vicar general:
Sylvester Heereman
General councilors
Deomar De Guedes Vaz
Michael Ryan
Joseph Burtka
Adjunct councilors:
Juan Jose Arrieta
Jesús Villagrasa
Administrator general:
Eduardo Vigneaux
The two adjunct councilors were also put in place, in January of 2011, by Cardinal De Paolis, to whom the entire leadership of the Legion is therefore subject in everything.
Of the old guard that took office in 2005, when Maciel was still alive, the ones still in their posts are director general Corcuera, a Mexican, the councilors Ryan, an Irishman, and Burtka, an American, and the administrator general Vigneaux, a Chilean.
Of these, Ryan and Vigneaux are still very closely connected to Garza, who in spite of having been exiled to the United States and deprived of control of the Legion's assets continues to be greatly feared.
Even Corcuera is under the illusion of being irremovable, thanks to the bond that he has woven at the Vatican with Bishop Josef Clemens, the current secretary of the pontifical council for the laity and Joseph Ratzinger's personal secretary when he was a cardinal.
But their fate is sealed. Garza also believed he was sure to remain in his post, until just a few days before his removal. Cardinal De Paolis proceeds at a snail's pace, but he is inexorable.
As demonstrated by the unexpected promotion to leadership of two new men like Heereman and De Guedes.
And as also demonstrated by the measures taken by De Paolis on the same day with regard to the consecrated men and women of Regnum Christi.
Here, especially among the consecrated women, there is a feverish disquiet. Out of about 800, almost half have already gone, in greater numbers than among the priests and male religious.
Recently a particular uproar was created by events surrounding their assistant general, Malén Oriol Muñoz, from a wealthy Spanish family and with with four brothers, all priests, who left the Legion one after the other in recent months.
Under the rules in effect until a few days ago, the consecrated women of Regnum Christi were subjected to the Legion. They reported to the vicar general, which for a long time meant in practice to Father Garza. But it was precisely this dependence that was stifling for many of them, all the more so after the devastation that exploded from the Maciel scandal.
Many of them, therefore, intended and still intend to live their vows under the authority not of the Legion, but of the local bishops, in new forms. They say they have communicated this intention of theirs to Benedict XVI, and and have received his "support and blessing."
Malén Oriol is also tempted by this exodus. Last October, she presented to the director general of the Legionaries her resignation from the post of assistant general. She presented it again on January 24 to Cardinal De Paolis.
"I am waiting for his response," she wrote to her fellow sisters in a letter sent last February 12 and reproduced in its entirety further below.
So then, the response came three days later, on February 15, with another letter, long and detailed, addressed by Cardinal De Paolis to the consecrated men and women of Regnum Christi:
In this letter, De Paolis accepts the resignation of Malén Oriol from the position of assistant general, but beseeches her to remain in Regnum Christi, and together with her the others who are impatient to go elsewhere.
Above all, however, the pontifical delegate revolutionizes the rules of Regnum Christi, on the basis, he writes, of the results of the apostolic visitation conducted there as well after the one in the Legion, and of the discussions held on several occasions with consecrated men and women in Mexico, Brazil, and Rome.
From now on – writes Cardinal De Paolis – the vicar general of the Legion ceases to have authority over the consecrated men and women.
And the positions of assistant general for the two female and male branches are also being retired. So no one is replacing Malén Oriol.
The consecrated men and women will have as authorities of reference two assistants of the pontifical delegate, Father Agostino Montan and Father Gianfranco Ghirlanda.
As for the structure of the two communities, the model for now will be that of a simple "association of the faithful."
Any connection with the Legion of Christ is suspended "for the moment." It could be discussed again in the future, when the spirituality and apostolate of both the congregation and of Regnum Christi have been redefined.
For now, "the consecrated men and women must have a healthy autonomy, and this implies that it be an associative reality with its own subjectivity."
This letter from Cardinal De Paolis caused a genuine earthquake among the consecrated women.
Some of them still want to transfer, but don't know where and how. Others intend to stay in Regnum Christi, awaiting the developments. Malén Oriol herself is unsure.
It is a feverish agitation that is felt in a particular way in the mother house of the consecrated women of Regnum Christi all over the world: a former convent of nuns on the Via della Giustiniana, which stands next to one of two prestigious bilingual schools (in Italian and English) managed in Rome by the consecrated women of Regnum Christi, the Irish Institute (the other is the Highlands Institute, in the EUR district).

Feast Day this Friday

Blessed Charles the Good

Count Charles of Flanders, was called "the good" by the people of his kingdom. They named him for what they found him to truly be. He was the son of St. Canute, king of Denmark. Charles was just five years old when his father was murdered in 1086. When Charles grew up, he married a good young woman named Margaret. Charles was a mild and fair ruler. The people trusted him and his laws. He tried to be an example of what he expected the people to be.
Some nobles accused Charles of unjustly favoring the poor over the rich. He answered kindly, "It is because I am so aware of the needs of the poor and the pride of the rich." The poor of his realm were fed daily at his castles.
Charles ordered the abundant planting of crops so that the people would have plenty to eat at reasonable prices. Some wealthy men tried to hoard grain to sell at very high prices. Charles the Good found out and forced them to sell immediately and at fair prices. An influential father and his sons had been reprimanded by Charles for their violent tactics. They joined the little group of enemies who now wanted to kill him.
The count walked every morning barefoot to Mass and arrived early at the Church of St. Donatian. He did this in a spirit of penance. He longed to deepen his own spiritual life with God. His enemies knew that he walked to church and also that he prayed often alone before Mass. Many people who loved Charles feared for his life. They warned him that his walks to St. Donatian could lead to his death. He replied, "We are always in the middle of dangers, but we belong to God." One morning, as he prayed alone before the statue of Mary, his attackers killed him. Charles was martyred in 1127.

Excerpted from Holy Spirit Interactive

Rhinitis

I have had rhinitis for years. It means I am a sniffler. The nose has a tendency to run. Allergies, colds, anything. It is great when you have to go to a funeral because you have to carry a towel in front of your nose and everyone thinks you are grieving for the deceased but actually you just have a runny nose. Other than that it is totally useless. When it starts - one sniffle - I take antihistamine medicine immediately. That is the key for me. If I wait I have to take more medicine. I am big and so that is not a problem. Two tablets to start out won't kill me but that is MY body and I know what I can do or cannot do. Twice in my life it was so bad that I had to be put on a short regimen of Prednisone. Actifed is also a wonderful antihistamine. I makes me the most sleepy so I like to take it at night and I get a two for one. Pseudoephedrine make me feel funny and won't do anything for me.

Canon Law 844 and the leap year.

There was a moment today over coffee where I could very nicely come back to it. "I'm so ignorant about it, I had to look it up." However, the answer, with three different people sitting around me than last week, was: "We really don't care to hear about rules and regulations and we will do what we want." Well, that changes everything.
I did get good advice. Was told to go to Kraul and take advantage of their leap year prices. Got a rotissarie chicken for $5.99 - not bad. Then sent a package of books off that I just finished reading for the brown hoods in Florida. They are all retired and have time to read. They get my wordly books: Condoleezza Rice, Queen Elizabeth, an orthodox woman who left the closet etc. I said they had time to read, didn't I? These are the books I read late at night to put me to sleep. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. The Condoleezza Rice book I could not get into it at all. I fell asleep right after reading her first name.

The liberalism with olive branches

I was forewarned yesterday but other than some curious looks "who are YOU?" there were no remarks that one could readily label as "liberal." There have been more "liberal" comments on Wednesday over coffee.....I told them the story how I got lots of olive branches from the Garden of Gethsemane when I was in the Holy Land a few years ago and promised that everyone would get a few leaves next time. I have been wanting to distribute them and have only gotten around putting the leaves in little medical containers if spurts....So my promise will be an incentive to do something for good.

Chlor-Trimeton

Why is this medication prescribed?


Chlorpheniramine relieves red, itchy, watery eyes; sneezing; itchy nose or throat; and runny nose caused by allergies, hay fever, and the common cold. Chlorpheniramine helps control the symptoms of cold or allergies but will not treat the cause of the symptoms or speed recovery. Chlorpheniramine is in a class of medications called antihistamines. It works by blocking the action of histamine, a substance in the body that causes allergic symptoms.

How should this medicine be used?

Chlorpheniramine comes as a tablet, a capsule, an extended-release (long-acting) tablet and capsule, a chewable tablet, and a liquid to take by mouth. The regular capsules and tablets, chewable tablets, and liquid are usually taken every 4 to 6 hours as needed. The extended-release (long-acting) tablets and capsules are usually taken twice a day in the morning and evening as needed. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take chlorpheniramine exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Chlorpheniramine comes alone and in combination with fever and pain reducers, expectorants, cough suppressants, and decongestants. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice on which product is best for your symptoms. Check nonprescription cough and cold product labels carefully before using 2 or more products at the same time. These products may contain the same active ingredient(s) and taking them together could cause you to receive an overdose.This is especially important if you will be giving cough and cold medications to a child.

Nonprescription cough and cold combination products, including products that contain chlorpheniramine, can cause serious side effects or death in young children. Do not give these products to children younger than 4 years of age. If you give these products to children 4-11 years of age, use caution and follow the package directions carefully.

If you are taking the liquid, do not use a household spoon to measure your dose. Use the measuring spoon or cup that came with the medication or use a spoon made especially for measuring medication.

If you are using the extended-release tablets or capsules, swallow them whole. Do not break, crush, chew, or open them.

Other uses for this medicine

This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

What special precautions should I follow?

Before taking chlorpheniramine,

tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to chlorpheniramine, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in the chlorpheniramine product you plan to use. Check the package label for a list of the ingredients.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: other medications for colds, hay fever, or allergies; medications for anxiety, depression, or seizures; muscle relaxants; narcotic medications for pain; sedatives; sleeping pills; and tranquilizers.
tell your doctor if you have or have ever had asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or other types of lung disease; glaucoma (a condition in which increased pressure in the eye can lead to gradual loss of vision); ulcers; diabetes; difficulty urinating (due to an enlarged prostate gland); heart disease; high blood pressure; seizures; or an overactive thyroid gland.
if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking chlorpheniramine.

you should know that this medication may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.

ask your doctor about the safe use of alcohol while you are taking chlorpheniramine. Alcohol can make the side effects of chlorpheniramine worse.

What special dietary instructions should I follow?

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

What should I do if I forget a dose?

Chlorpheniramine is usually taken as needed. If your doctor has told you to take chlorpheniramine regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

What side effects can this medication cause?
Chlorpheniramine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

drowsiness

dry mouth, nose, and throat

nausea

vomiting

loss of appetite

constipation

headache

increased chest congestion

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

vision problems
difficulty urinating
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [ 1-800-332-1088 ].

What storage conditions are needed for this medicine?

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.
In case of emergency/overdose
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222 . If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Disclaimer

AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, 2011.

Pancho

OK - that will be the name of the "future" dog. Gladiouluses choice. Madam is sleeping more and more and eating less and less and has walked on three legs for about three years. Her bones are starting to show. She is loosing weight. It will be hard to let her go because it is a connection to mother. Toghether we picked up Madam at the SPCA the day after she was dropped off and mother always said that God brought her Madam. Madam almost won a beauty contest a few months later. We have adorable pictures of her. She is a sunflower in a flower pot. Yes, she did fit in a flower pot then. I said she almost won the beauty contest except that another family with children wanted their dog to win first prize and so I backed off - for their children's sake and Madam took second prize. The pictue is Madam in her prime in our front yard.

The sub

No, not the sandwich. I substituted for St. Stephanola. A couple of people pulled me aside to warn me that this group was very liberal. ?? That is probably why the good people of the Church of the Crucified see all the demons on us. I think it went very well. They liked the idea of Jesus the revolutionary. Actually someone said she had read a book with some such title. I suggested for further reading that they pick up the two books by the current Pope: Jesus of Nazareth, Volume I and II. Also suggested that they might pick up The Lambs Supper by Scott Hahn if they wanted to deepen their faith. The kind gentleman who directs the "Aging Gracefully" group piped up that he did not come to the meeting to have any books recommended to him and then continued to ramble on and on. Can't win the all. Most people said that they came because of Lent, to experience something new and be renewed, and to deepend their faith. There were close to 30 people and it started to get crowded in the library.
Afterwards had a discussion with one of the group leaders of the bible class. She is unhappy and I don't blame her. Told her that her group was not for her. These things happen. My group is great and it pains me that hers is not. Told her to join my group next time around. She feels that her co-facilitator undermines her. Told her not to be a facilitator then.

The future Queen of Sweden

Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary - born last Thursday

A guy to forget

I am sure you have heard of Sacha Baron Cohen. Years ago he came out with his first movie that was widely advertised as comic and funny. I wanted to see a funny movie at the time and stupidly went to see it. Sleeze had no limit. So save your money. Anytime Sacha Baron Cohen is in a movie - skip the movie and just eat the popcorn.

And one more test

I am hearing more and more about all sorts of  practices that produce life. We take away what is holy and make it a cook book. This talk by the Holy Father was refreshing. Children are a gift not a right.

MARRIAGE, THE ONLY WORTHY "PLACE" IN WHICH TO PRODUCE CHILDREN

Vatican City, 25 February 2012 (VIS) - At midday today, the Holy Father received 200 scientists and members of the Pontifical Academy for Life, which is currently celebrating its eighteenth general assembly on the theme: "The diagnosis and treatment of infertility". This subject, said the Pope, "has particular scientific importance, and is an expression of the concrete possibility of fruitful dialogue between ethics and biomedical research".
"Research into diagnosis and therapy is the most scientifically correct approach to the question of infertility, as well as being the most respectful of the human condition of the people involved", said Benedict XVI. "Indeed, the union of a man and a woman, in that community of love and life which is marriage, represents the only worthy 'place' for a new human being to be called into existence".
The Pope explained how "the human and Christian dignity of procreation does not lie in a 'product', but in its bond with the conjugal act: that expression of the spouses' love for one another, that union which is not only biological but also spiritual. ... An infertile couple's legitimate aspirations to become parents must therefore, with the help of science, find a response which is fully respectful of their dignity as people and as spouses". Yet, the Holy Father said, the field of human procreation seems to be dominated "by scientism and the logic of profit", which often "restrict many other areas of research.
"The Church is attentive to the suffering of infertile couples", he added, "and her concern for them is what leads her to encourage medical research. Science, nonetheless, is not always capable of responding to the needs of many couples, and so I would like to remind those who are experiencing infertility that their matrimonial vocation is not thereby frustrated. By virtue of their baptismal and matrimonial vocation, spouses are always called to collaborate with God in the creation of a new humanity. The vocation to love, in fact, is a vocation of self-giving and this is something which no bodily condition can impede. Therefore, when science cannot provide an answer, the light-giving response comes from Christ".
Benedict XVI invited the participants in the general assembly to continue to develop "a science which is intellectually honest and dedicated to the continual search for the good of mankind. ... Indifference towards truth and goodness is a dangerous threat to authentic scientific progress", he warned. In conclusion, the Pope encouraged his audience to dialogue with faith because "it was Christian culture - rooted in the affirmation of the existence of Truth, and the intelligibility of reality in the light of Supreme Truth - which enabled modern scientific knowledge to develop in mediaeval Europe, a knowledge which in earlier cultures had remained in the bud".

The Black Hood Meeting

Our leader presented the Book of Revelation totally differently yesterday. He explained that it was a book of hope and concentrated on those passages only, bypassing all the horns and and hills and numbers. Very, very good. I will try to get a copy of what he presented. Apparently it came from a paper he wrote once.

Do you know it is Monday?

Picked up lttle Bernie this morning but when I got to the temple there was nobody to set up yet. Was it Monday, was it Tuesday? Did I mess up? Did I not listen to my telephone messages (chronic problem)? Then the Rabbi gave no homily, nor did the Deacon. Pitty because both of them are very good. The little girl in front of me excercised around the chairs. I thought the Rabbi shortened Mass - that is no homily - because with children that young every second counts. ("Mummy I want to go home.") Well, no, we were to reflect on the Word. How can one reflect when a kid goes through her ballet routine in front of you? No, no, I don't mind. This was rather tame. After all we are supposed to celebrate in community. I just hate the one father who brings his two daughters to Sunday Mass. Now that group is really vocal. We ought to give out free duck tape to them.

The Red Carpet...for the brain dead

Got home last night and wanted to watch the news and ended up on a channel that showed the Red Carpet prior to the Academy Awards....Heaven help us! Kinda lame after a while. The female interviewers had a British accent. Must be in vogue. Nobody of the stars or starlets - except one - wore a necklace apparently because the times are tough. Funny. Dresses that cost zillions are still permitted. Never watched the real Academy Awards. Turned the TV off. Too vapid.

Reference link for Mary-aholics

http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/aboutmary2.html


 
Great link! check it out

Homesick for mother

This morning I got homesick for mother and so I wore my Bustoon hoodie. Mother was from Bustoon. I love Bustoon. Great town except for the weather. I know it coming and going......It is a great town to visit.

Communion at Protestant Services

CATHOLIC TEACHINGS
REGARDING
COMMUNION AT PROTESTANT SERVICES

In recent years, we have seen an increase number of Catholics who have been receiving communion at Orthodox and Protestant churches. Their argument for doing so is that the communion services of all religions are equal. Furthermore, Catholic priests and laity have invited non-Catholics to receive communion in the Catholic Church. This exchange of communion is called "inter-communion." "Inter-communion" means that the believer of one faith (religion) receives communion in another faith (religion) while attending their service.

What does the Catholic Church say about “inter-communion?” Can a Roman Catholic believer receive communion while attending the service of another faith (religion)? With the exception of believers who belong to Rites that are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, "under no circumstances" is it allowed for a Roman Catholic to receive communion from ministers who are not of the Roman Catholic faith.

Defending the position of the Roman Catholic Church on the subject of inter-communion since December, 1997, His Eminence, Dr Desmond Connell, the Cardinal Archbishop of Dublin, stated that "under no circumstances" is it permissable for a Roman Catholic believer to receive communion from a Protestant minister. His statement is to be praised for openly speaking the truth in defense of the Roman Catholic faith, in accordance with Church Canon Law # 844.1.

"Catholic ministers may lawfully administer the sacraments only to Catholic members of Christ's faithful, who equally may lawfully receive them only from Catholic ministers." [Canon # 844.1]

Can someone of another faith (religion) receive communion while attending a Roman Catholic service? Only those who belongs to Rites that are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church can receive communion within the Catholic Church. This excludes the Orthodox and Protestant Churches because they do not hold the Catholic belief that Jesus is truly present in the Holy Eucharist. The presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist (consecrated host) is often referred to as the “Real Presence.”

Why does the Roman Catholic Church have this law in place? When a Roman Catholic believer receives the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist (communion), he is making a statement that he is “in full communion” (“in full communion” means “in full agreement, without exception, with all the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.”) with those who are present and who are also partaking in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Communion with members of non-Catholic faiths such as the Anglicans, the Presbyterians, the United Church, etc... is incomplete because the believers of the Roman Catholic and those of other faiths do not share the same faith (belief) about, for example, the Eucharist. While Roman Catholics believe in the continued Divine Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist after the celebration of the Holy Mass, other faiths do not share in this belief. Some of our separated brothers and sisters believe that the consecration of the bread and wine is either symbolic or in memory of the Last Supper, rejecting the firm belief that Roman Catholics affirm, that the bread and wine are actually transformed into and remains as the Body and Blood of Christ until consumed.

Why is it that on the Sunday of Unity Week, some ministers of Protestant Churches were invited to con-celebrate the Holy Mass in Catholic Churches and even receive the Consecrated bread and wine, the Body and Blood of Christ? First of all, while it cannot be denied that such actions have taken place and continue to take place, this practice opposes the sound teachings of the Catholic Church that are found in the Canon Laws and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Secondly, those who implement such actions in the spirit of ecumenism are doing so to bring about a man-made unity that compromises their faith and permits all forms of liturgical scandals to take place. They fall short of perceiving that the reconciliation of all Christians in the unity of the one and only Church of Christ transcends all human powers and gifts. This can only be miraculously achieved by the grace of the heavenly Father through the power of the Holy Spirit in the Most Holy Name of Jesus.

Thirdly, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is the supreme expression of unity and not a means towards unity. When the Apostle Paul encouraged the Ephesians to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace, he went on to remind them: "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism." [Ephes. 4:4-5]

Given this understanding of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, in false ecumenism, there can only be Eucharistic Communion. There cannot be true "inter-communion" because the term “inter-communion” in conjunction with a practice that opposes true “inter-communion” is a contradiction. To share the common cup while still maintaining fundamental differences in faith, order and ministry does not make sense because it violates a major element of the meaning and significant of the Eucharist.

Fourthly, ecumenism can only be built on clarity, charity, truth and love. To compromise the apostolic truths (such as the "Eucharistic Presence") of the Roman Catholic Church is to silently reject some or all of the sound doctrines of the Church. For there cannot be two truths, one opposing the other! As such, it can only be concluded that he who rejects the apostolic truth that is found in the Catholic faith, has withdrawn himself from the sound doctrines of the Catholic faith to embrace a different faith, a truth that opposes the one Spirit of Truth. By compromising the one truth, he can no longer call himself a "Roman Catholic" faithful!

Nor can he continue to receive the Sacraments since he has rejected one or more teachings of the Catholic Church. 

Playing Goldilocks

I am like Goldilocks. I am trying various Masses so see which one is right. Saturday evening? Sunday early? Sunday middle? Sunday late? I have tried them all. Right now I am back in the "middle." No matter which Mass I attend I can't seem to shake a father with his two very noisy daughters. Sitting up front makes things better.
This afternoon I have a black hood meeting. This black hood group leader is a disappointment after the last one but the group is nice. We were supposed to read Revelation for this afternoon, then rosary and evening prayer and back home. I have my Va-Va salad already in the fridge. No luck with the guys lately. They are also charging me 20 cents extra for the second packet of ranch dressing. There should be a senior discount at least! I suppose it is not worth it to have a twenty thousand dollar face lift for a chance to get a twenty cent package of salad dressing for free. Well, back to reading Revelation.......

Where to receive communion

I asked the Chief Rabbi today if Catholics can receive communion in other (Protestant) churches. The answer was a resounding NO. Felt better. It was really bothering me. If you followed this blog you will have noticed that last week my fellow friends drowned me out telling me that it was no big thing to receive communion somewhere else in a non-Catholic church. The Deacon also thought this was no problem. I started to think that I was wrong and the whole thing just bothered me tremendously. Well, I was right after all. Felt so much better.

The nun and family

Visited the nun's mother this afternoon. She is 88 with a will to live - call her feisty. We promised her to take her out to the Diner for a sundae after she gets discharged. She loves those outings. Tried to cheer up the nun.
They served a big chicken or turkey leg - on piece - for dinner. Ridiculous. How can an elderly person who is blind cut something like this up? I am amazed how all the doctors and nurses are so fixated on the medications which is wonderful but they don't think when it comes to food. Nobody is in charge - one food fits all. I guess you don't need to eat when in the hospital and are legally blind and have no teeth. Looking is enough.

The Bath

Went to the mikvah today. We don't take our clothes off. It is a spiritual bath called confession.

INR Self Testing - Is it for you?

INR Self Testing


Stephan Moll, MD; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Jack Ansell, MD; Boston University Medical Center; Boston, MA
Warfarin and the INR
If you are on warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®), you regularly need a blood test called prothrombin time, protime or PT, with the result of the test called INR - International Normalized Ratio. Monitoring of the INR is essential because too high an INR puts an individual at risk for bleeding and too low an INR at risk for clotting. There are four different ways to get your INR tested and warfarin adjusted:
Traditional way: In the physician’s office or anticoagulation clinic, blood is drawn from a vein stick and then sent to a laboratory. It takes some time to get the INR value back: 1-2 hours at the fastest, 1-2 days if the blood sample needs to be sent to an outside laboratory. You will need to be called at home once the result is back and your new warfarin dose needs to be discussed. This is a somewhat cumbersome and time-consuming way to manage warfarin.
Physician office point-of-care testing: In your physician’s office a small drop of blood from a finger stick can be transferred onto a small, so called “point of care instrument” (POC device). The INR result is available within minutes, while you are still in your physician’s office. You can, therefore, immediately be informed of the result and your further warfarin dosing discussed with you. These POC instruments make warfarin management easier and lead to improved, faster and more efficient communication with patients.
INR self-testing: You can use these same “point of care” instruments at home or when traveling to check your INR. You can then inform your physician, anticoagulation clinic pharmacist or nurse, or the IDTF (independent diagnostic testing facility; further discussion below) of the result (by phone or through the Internet) and get instructions on further dosing of your warfarin. This is referred to as “Patient self testing” (PST).
INR self-management: Patients who use the “point of care” instruments themselves can not only check their own INR, but can also be taught to adjust their own warfarin dosing. While this type of anticoagulant management has gained acceptance in the medical community in some European countries, it has, at this point, not been promoted by the healthcare systems in the U.S. or Canada.
Reasons to do INR self testing
High quality anticoagulation therapy can certainly be delivered through physicians’ offices and anticoagulation clinics. For many patients these are good, effective, safe and convenient set-ups. However, for many people, INR self testing is also a good and attractive option. There are some powerful advantages of INR self testing over routine office-based care.
Foremost, several studies (summarized in reference 1) have shown that individuals who monitor their own INR have (a) slightly less bleeding and clotting complications, and (b) are more often in the target INR range, i.e. their anticoagulant therapy is better controlled;
Patient self testing can be more convenient and save you time, as you do not have to go to the physician’s office for testing. This can give you more freedom, particularly, if you have to rely on a caregiver for transportation or have a long drive to your physician’s office;
It may give you a sense of security, as you can easily check the INR at times when you suspect that the INR may be too high or too low, such as when you have started a new medication, discontinued a medication, are sick, or have changed your diet. Also, if you have a history of fluctuating (unstable) INRs and need to have frequent INR checks, it is easier to test more frequently if you have your own instrument at home;
It may empower you by having you actively involved in your medical care;
It allows you to travel without having to track down service providers for INR testing and deal with bureaucracy and language barriers;
And lastly, if it is difficult to get a venous sample from you from an i.v. stick and your physician’s office does not have a “point of care” instrument, the self testing from a finger stick may be a good solution for you.
Thus, there are several good reasons for you to consider self testing and ask your physician about it. Similarly, these same reasons should prompt physicians to make you aware of the possibility to do INR self testing.
Who is suitable for INR self testing?
Self testing may be suitable for you if:
you have shown good compliance with previous anticoagulation management;
you have the manual and visual dexterity to perform testing or have a committed support person to assist you witth testing;
the clinic or physician’s office following you has a policy that approves patient use of the instrument;
you and your healthcare provider agree upon a method of communication regarding the INR results that you will obtain.
Appropriate training and consistent quality control of the instrument are key for INR self monitoring to be safe and effective for you.
What INR home monitoring instruments are on the market?
Three instruments are being marketed in North America (table 1). Any one of them is a good option for patient self testing. The instruments are small and light, weighing only between 5.3 and 28.8 ounces. For INR testing, only a small amount of blood needs to be applied to a test strip (for CoaguChek®XS and INRatio®) or a cuvette (for ProTime®), only one small to large blood drop. Prices for the machines are roughly between $1,500 and $2,500, and prices for one test strip or cuvette, i.e. for one INR test, $7.00 – $18.00.
When trying to decide which of these instruments to purchase, you may want to consider:
your physician’s or anticoagulation clinic personnel’s recommendation, based on their experience and knowledge of the instruments;
other patients experience and satisfaction with (a) their home monitoring device, and (b) the educational and support services provided to them by the manufacturer and/or distributor (IDTF); support and education services provided by the company making the instrument or distributing it;
amount of blood needed for the test strip or cuvette (10 micro liter for CoaguChek®XS; 15 micro liter for INRatio; 27 micro liter for ProTime®);
ease of operating the instrument;
Weight of the instrument may matter to you especially if travelling frequently.
Do INR home monitoring instruments give reliable INRs?
Yes. INR values obtained with finger stick home monitoring devices are typically very well reproducible and correlate well with INR determinations obtained from blood sticks from a vein and tested in a laboratory. However, INRs above 4.0, discrepancies to INR values obtained with other test methods may exist. This is a general limitation of the INR and not unique to the home monitors. It is not clear which of such discrepant values is more reliable and accurate: the INR determined in the laboratory or the POC instrument INR.
INRs from POC instruments are unreliable in about 1/3rd of patients with the clotting disorder called antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLA syndrome) who are on warfarin. In these patients, the POC devices give INR readings that are too high, or the instruments report error messages. This is the case with any of the 3 instruments on the market. If you have APLA syndrome, your INRs should be checked="checked" from blood drawn from a vein and tested in a laboratory. That value can then be compared to the INR obtained with a POC instrument from a finger stick. Only if both values correlate well may it be acceptable for you to use the POC machine for self testing.
Do insurance companies pay for home monitoring instruments?
Medicare only pays for these instruments and the testing materials needed (test strips or cuvettes) if the patient is on warfarin because of a mechanical heart valve replacement. Medicaid does not have the same reimbursement guarantees. Medicare does not pay if you are on warfarin for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), irregular heart beat (atrial fibrillation), or other reasons.
ProTime® InRatio® CoaguChek® XS
Other insurance carriers may or may not pay for instrument and testing materials. Some companies pay for them upon submission of the first insurance claim; others may initially deny payment but later agree to pay, if you are persistent and explanatory letters are written (by you and/or your healthcare provider) and phone calls made. CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) covers home monitoring. See related article.
How do I get an instrument?
If you are interested in having one of these home monitoring devices you should discuss this with your anticoagulation provider. Your physician needs to be supportive because he/she:
will need to write a prescription for it;
will need to be available for the continued oral warfarin dose adjustment;
is medically responsible for your anticoagulation management.
Once a prescription has been written you can contact one of the companies that can help you obtain an instrument (table 2). They are called independent diagnostic testing facilities” (IDTFs) and are specialized in:
checking with the insurance companies whether they will pay for the instrument and testing materials;
filling out the necessary insurance paperwork for you;
providing you with the instrument and testing materials;
teaching you how to use it;
be available to you in the future for answering any questions or assisting you if problems with the testing device arise;
Some of the IDTFs also have software and methods to help track your INR results and communicate the results to your healthcare provider.
Table 1 FDA Approved INR Home Monitoring Devices (not reproducable here)
Name of Instrument Company Website Phone Number
CoaguChek® XS Roche www.coaguchek.com 800-852-8766
INRatio® HemoSense www.hemosense.com 877-436-6444
ProTime® ITC www.protimesystem.com 800-631-5945
What can I tell my healthcare provider if I am interested in INR self testing?
Your healthcare provider may be hesitant for you to use an INR home monitoring instrument. He/she may feel left with the work and hassle of phone calls dealing with INRs that have been tested by
you at home, giving medical recommendations over the phone, but not receiving appropriate reimbursement for these services. This is a valid concern if you are on an oral anticoagulant for reasons
other than a mechanical heart valve and your insurance is through Medicare/Medicaid. However, some other insurance carriers have started to cover such services, even if you are on a warfarin for DVT,
PE, irregular heart beat and other reasons. CMS is also presently discussing to expand coverage of home INR testing to indications other than heart valve replacement. A decision is expected early in
2008. At this point, it is probably best for you to:
discuss your interest in using a home monitor with your healthcare provider;
talk to your insurance provider and inquire about their approach to coverage for the instrument, the testing materials (strips or cuvettes) and the healthcare provider’s services.
The easiest route may, however, be to utilize the experience of the IDTFs to help you and your physician navigate the reimbursement issues.

P AT I E N T R E S O U RC E S


http://www.ismaap.org/
http://www.clotcare.com/
http://www.stoptheclot.org/
http://www.acforum.org/
http://www.fvleiden.org/

R E F E R E N C E S
1. Heneghan C et al. Self-monitoring of oral anticoagulation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet 2006;367(9508):404-411
2. Yang DT et al. Home Prothrombin Time Monitoring: A Literature Analysis. Am J Hematol 2004;77:177-186.
3. Dorfman DM et al. Point-of-care (POC) versus central laboratory instrumentation for monitoring oral anticoagulation. Vascular Medicine 2005;10:23-27.
4. Gardiner C et al. Patient self-testing is a reliable and acceptable alternative to laboratory INR monitoring. Br J Haematol. 2005;128:242-7.
5. Perry SL et al. Point-of-care testing of the international normalized ratio in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies. Thromb Haemost. 2005 Dec;94(6):1196-202.
6. www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewtrackingsheet.asp?id=209

ABBREVIATIONS

CMS – Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

DTF – independent diagnostic testing facility

INR – International Normalized Ratio

i.v. – intravenous

POC device – point of care device

PST – patient self testing

Posted October 15, 2008



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The nun's mother

The nun's mother is still in the hospital. Apparently she has a blood clot in the heart which is not unheard of after getting a stent implanted. She got her stent recently. Now they want her on coumadin which makes sense but she bleeds out easily so that will be another problem. The dose has to be high enough to not get blood clots and low enough not to bleed out. Been there done that with mother. Apparently there is now a home device that checks the INR. That would save the nun time dragging her mom to the lab constantly.

The Life of flowers (Жизнь цветов) from VOROBYOFF PRODUCTION on Vimeo.

For those of you who want to learn more....

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=a9_sc_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Athe+lambs+supper&keywords=the+lambs+supper&ie=UTF8&qid=1330183268
This is the link to the book "The Lambs Supper", written by a convert to Catholicism, Dr. Scott Hahn. Highly recommended for those who want to learn everything about the Catholic Mass and are too shy to ask. Explained in understandable terms for the lay person. Should be in every house.

Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation, Lesson 101

It dawned on me last night that we suddenly have a strange mix of big words. The Nicene Creed talks of Consubstantiation, the consecration at Mass deals with Transubstantiation. So here it is folks:
It is Consubstantiation in the Creed is because it deals with the Father and the Son - they are together, they are one, but one does not change into the other. At Mass we start with bread and wine and they become the Body and Blood of Christ - that is Transubstantiation - they become something VERY different while looking the same. The Anglicans believe in Consubstantiation at the time of the consecration - there is God in the bread and wine - they coexist. We Catholics do NOT believe in Consubstantiation at the consecration during Mass. God does not enter into the bread and wine and coexists. Bread and wine are truly transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus. 

World on Fire with Fr. Barron

http://www.wordonfire.org/WoF-Blog/WoF-Blog/February-2012/Lent-Gospel-Reflections-from-CATHOLICISM-Week-1.aspx
This piece supplements the first segment of the popular Catholicism series.

Fr. Barron

If you cannot get enough about Fr. Barron go to World on Fire - his official website. Sermons can be listened to and DVDs can be viewed and purchased. Here is a reflection for this weekend:
http://www.wordonfire.org/WOF-Radio/Sermons/Sermon-Archive-for-2012/Sermon-581-Jesus-Among-the-Angels-and-the-Beasts.aspx

The battered fish and the happy ending.

Had beer battered fish for lunch. That's when fish suffer from domestic violence. Very good but could not eat tonight. Too much food. Drank coffee and lemonade.
The Rabbi spelled out my name phonetically. Looked and sounded like "Lurray Cavern." Did not know that Lara was that difficult to pronounce. Had a nice table tonight at our first Catholicism session. Very full and still very strange to me to see so many seniors. I am not used to it quite yet. Very good conversation. One convert at my table and one non-Catholic. Loved it. Great mix. Great intro by the Rabbi. Every one loves him and I tell everyone how lucky they are to have him.

Dear Rabbi Seligmann

Can we keep the Deacon in training? He is just great. Had a nice chat with him this morning after Mass. I don't even want to think that he will leave us at the end of the year. I know that the Big Herod kept a Deacon who was in training at Seven Flags. So, all things are possible. 

This morning

Looked at my local Catholic newspaper. The Big Herod was in Rome and skyping. Heaven help us. Mother and I bought him his first computer and lessons to go along. He managed e-mails but not much else and now he is skyping? He must think of himself as Wonderbread.
Passed by a huge car accident this morning. One car flipped over, one car bashed in. What a way to start the day!
Since I have my I-pad I watch much more European news. So what is new? The royals in Sweden have a new princess: Estelle Silvia Eva Maria. She will be queen one of these days after her grandfather, the current king, and her mother. Then there is the tragedy of the Dutch Royals. If you followed this blog I have made fun on occasion about the looks of the current Queen. Her second son was in an avalanche in Austria and is now brain dead. The Dutch are very progressive when it comes to euthanasia but I don't think his mother will pull the plug. Plus she has the resources to support him for the next fifty years artificially. One has to feel sad for the queen as a mother.
Called one of my "bestest" girl friends in the old country this morning. She had surgery on her face due to a melanoma. Worst place for this to happen. I will keep her in my prayers. She was always my buddy when I hatched out these ridiculous plans as a teenager and she was also the one who double dated with me when I went out with the Crush. I told her that the Crush turned out to be a heel. Told her not to waste her time contacting him. We had a few good laughs. She commented that as men get older they think more about sex and the women become more spiritual. Perhaps that why we have so many more women in the chapel each morning. She is returning to Teneriffa next Monday where she now lives. Eternal sunshine.
I have a luncheon date today.....and a fish fry tonight

Nun news

The nun's mother was admitted to the hospital again last night. She fainted for no apparent reason. This is fairly the course of the elderly: hospital in, hospital out, the frequencies become shorter and shorter. It is stressful. Please keep the nun in your prayers. 

Ask and you will get an answer

I asked the Deacon this morning about receiving communion in other Protestant religions and he said he does receive. Based on the motto: When in Rome.....For myself, I still feel uncomfortable and don't think I would do it. I would be receiving bread and what for? To let everyone else know that I "was baptized and believe in the communion of Saints?" For me receiving communion means that I receive Jesus, totally, that he rests in me and I rest in him. I am one with God, the angels bow down before me (think about that!), I am strengthened for the journey ahead - most likely the trip home -  and the Holy Spirit has infused some wisdom so that the Father can relax and knows I will stay out of trouble. Folks and ALL of this is free in our Catholic religion. I would not change with anyone.

Family Rosary

We just finished the family rosary. Prince, Princess and the Madam were all on my lap. I think the Madam has to be put to sleep in the near future. Princess stayed but the other two hopped off after a while. Afterwards I ate some yogurt and Prince came and wanted some. HE LIKED IT! Unsweetened regular yogurt. He ate three little spoon fulls. What's next pickles? Now it is time to prepare for my bible class for tomorrow. We are on Chapter 11.

A little bit of fasting.....

It took 40 days...

On Ash Wednesday the Church begins her great Lenten journey with Jesus on the road to Jerusalem. For centuries, Lent has been a very intense spiritual journey and experience for the followers of Jesus Christ. Why are there 40 days in Lent? It took 40 days for sinful-ness to drown in the flood before a new creation could inherit the earth. It took 40 years for the generation of slaves to die before the freeborn could enter the Promised Land. For 40 days Moses, Elijah and Jesus fasted and prayed to prepare themselves for a life's work.

Lent invites us to turn from our own selves, from our sin, to come together in community. Self-denial is the way we express our repentance. Self-denial is threefold, advises Matthew's Gospel.

We pray: "Go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret." We fast: "so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father." We give alms: "Beware of practising your piety before people in order to be seen by them … so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Through the Lenten exercise of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we springclean our lives, sharpen our senses, put tomorrow in its place and treasure the day at hand.

One of the three Lenten practices open to most misinterpretation today is that of fasting. Fasting has become an ambiguous practice. In antiquity, only religious fasting was known; today, political and social fasting exists (hunger strikes), health and ideological fasting (vegetarians), pathological fasting (anorexia), aesthetic fasting (the cult of the body – believing that thinner is better). There is, above all, a fast imposed by necessity: that of millions of human beings who lack the indispensable minimum and die of hunger.

These fasts in themselves have nothing to do with religious or aesthetic reasons. In aesthetic fasting at times one can even "mortify" the vice of gluttony only to obey another capital vice, that of pride or vanity. Fasting, in itself, is something good and advisable; it translates some fundamental religious attitudes: reverence before God, acknowledgment of one's sins, resistance to the desires of the flesh, concern for and solidarity with the poor. As with all human things, however, it can fall into "presumption of the flesh." Remember the words of the Pharisee in the temple: "I fast twice a week" (Luke 18:12).

Lent is a time for us to discover the reasons for the pious practices, disciplines and devotions of our Catholic Christian tradition. What have we done with the important Lenten practice of fasting? If Jesus were here to speak to disciples of today, what would he stress most? We regard as more important the need to "share bread with the hungry and clothe the naked"; we are in fact ashamed to call ours a "fast," when what would be for us the height of austerity – to be on bread and water – for millions of people would already be an extraordinary luxury, especially if it is fresh bread and clean water.

In his message for Lent 2009, Benedict XVI wrote:

At the same time, fasting is an aid to open our eyes to the situation in which so many of our brothers and sisters live. In his First Letter, St. John admonishes: 'If anyone has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, yet shuts up his bowels of compassion from him – how does the love of God abide in him?' Voluntary fasting enables us to grow in the spirit of the Good Samaritan, who bends low and goes to the help of his suffering brother. By freely embracing an act of self-denial for the sake of another, we make a statement that our brother or sister in need is not a stranger. It is precisely to keep alive this welcoming and attentive attitude towards our brothers and sisters that I encourage the parishes and every other community to intensify in Lent the custom of private and communal fasts, joined to the reading of the Word of God, prayer and almsgiving. From the beginning, this has been the hallmark of the Christian community, in which special collections were taken up, the faithful being invited to give to the poor what had been set aside from their fast. This practice needs to be rediscovered and encouraged again in our day, especially during the liturgical season of Lent.

Fasting helps us not to be reduced to pure "consumers"; it helps us to acquire the precious "fruit of the Spirit," which is "self-control," it predisposes us to the encounter with God. We must empty ourselves in order to be filled by God. Fasting creates authentic solidarity with millions of hungry people throughout the world. But we must not forget that there are alternative forms of fasting and abstinence from food. We can practice fasting from smoking and drinking. This not only benefits the soul but also the body. There is fasting from violent and sexual pictures that television, movies, magazines and Internet bombard us with daily as they distort human dignity. There is the fasting from condemning and dismissing others – a practice so prevalent in today's Church.

"See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!" We need Lent to help us recognize that our identity and mission are rooted in Jesus' dying and rising. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the pillars of the Lenten journey for Christians.

Lent is a time to fast from certain things, but also a time to feast on others. Fast from discontent, anger, bitterness, self-concern, discouragement, laziness, suspicion, guilt. Feast on gratitude, patience, forgiveness, compassion for others, hope, commitment, truth, and the mercy of God. Lent is just such a time of fasting and feasting!

Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB
CEO, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation

Lent

You Were Buried with Him in Baptism, in Which You Were Also Raised with Him

by Pope Benedict XVI

From Our Store: Essays in Apologetics, Volume II (eBook)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Lenten period, which leads us to the celebration of Holy Easter, is for the Church a most valuable and important liturgical time, in view of which I am pleased to offer a specific word in order that it may be lived with due diligence. As she awaits the definitive encounter with her Spouse in the eternal Easter, the Church community, assiduous in prayer and charitable works, intensifies her journey in purifying the spirit, so as to draw more abundantly from the Mystery of Redemption the new life in Christ the Lord (cf. Preface I of Lent).
1. This very life was already bestowed upon us on the day of our Baptism, when we “become sharers in Christ’s death and Resurrection”, and there began for us “the joyful and exulting adventure of his disciples” (Homily on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, 10 January, 2010). In his Letters, St. Paul repeatedly insists on the singular communion with the Son of God that this washing brings about. The fact that, in most cases, Baptism is received in infancy highlights how it is a gift of God: no one earns eternal life through their own efforts. The mercy of God, which cancels sin and, at the same time, allows us to experience in our lives “the mind of Christ Jesus” (Phil 2: 5), is given to men and women freely. The Apostle to the Gentiles, in the Letter to the Philippians, expresses the meaning of the transformation that takes place through participation in the death and resurrection of Christ, pointing to its goal: that “I may come to know him and the power of his resurrection, and partake of his sufferings by being molded to the pattern of his death, striving towards the goal of resurrection from the dead” (Phil 3: 10-11). Hence, Baptism is not a rite from the past, but the encounter with Christ, which informs the entire existence of the baptized, imparting divine life and calling for sincere conversion; initiated and supported by Grace, it permits the baptized to reach the adult stature of Christ.
A particular connection binds Baptism to Lent as the favorable time to experience this saving Grace. The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council exhorted all of the Church’s Pastors to make greater use “of the baptismal features proper to the Lenten liturgy” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum concilium, n. 109). In fact, the Church has always associated the Easter Vigil with the celebration of Baptism: this Sacrament realizes the great mystery in which man dies to sin, is made a sharer in the new life of the Risen Christ and receives the same Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead (cf. Rm 8: 11). This free gift must always be rekindled in each one of us, and Lent offers us a path like that of the catechumenate, which, for the Christians of the early Church, just as for catechumens today, is an irreplaceable school of faith and Christian life. Truly, they live their Baptism as an act that shapes their entire existence.
2. In order to undertake more seriously our journey towards Easter and prepare ourselves to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord – the most joyous and solemn feast of the entire liturgical year – what could be more appropriate than allowing ourselves to be guided by the Word of God? For this reason, the Church, in the Gospel texts of the Sundays of Lent, leads us to a particularly intense encounter with the Lord, calling us to retrace the steps of Christian initiation: for catechumens, in preparation for receiving the Sacrament of rebirth; for the baptized, in light of the new and decisive steps to be taken in the sequela Christi and a fuller giving of oneself to him.
The First Sunday of the Lenten journey reveals our condition as human beings here on earth. The victorious battle against temptation, the starting point of Jesus’ mission, is an invitation to become aware of our own fragility in order to accept the Grace that frees from sin and infuses new strength in Christ – the way, the truth and the life (cf. Ordo Initiationis Christianae Adultorum, n. 25). It is a powerful reminder that Christian faith implies, following the example of Jesus and in union with him, a battle “against the ruling forces who are masters of the darkness in this world” (Eph 6: 12), in which the devil is at work and never tires – even today – of tempting whoever wishes to draw close to the Lord: Christ emerges victorious to open also our hearts to hope and guide us in overcoming the seductions of evil.
The Gospel of the Transfiguration of the Lord puts before our eyes the glory of Christ, which anticipates the resurrection and announces the divinization of man. The Christian community becomes aware that Jesus leads it, like the Apostles Peter, James and John “up a high mountain by themselves” (Mt 17: 1), to receive once again in Christ, as sons and daughters in the Son, the gift of the Grace of God: “This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favor. Listen to him” (Mt 17: 5). It is the invitation to take a distance from the noisiness of everyday life in order to immerse oneself in God’s presence. He desires to hand down to us, each day, a Word that penetrates the depths of our spirit, where we discern good from evil (cf. Heb 4:12), reinforcing our will to follow the Lord.
The question that Jesus puts to the Samaritan woman: “Give me a drink” (Jn 4: 7), is presented to us in the liturgy of the third Sunday; it expresses the passion of God for every man and woman, and wishes to awaken in our hearts the desire for the gift of “a spring of water within, welling up for eternal life” (Jn 4: 14): this is the gift of the Holy Spirit, who transforms Christians into “true worshipers,” capable of praying to the Father “in spirit and truth” (Jn 4: 23). Only this water can extinguish our thirst for goodness, truth and beauty! Only this water, given to us by the Son, can irrigate the deserts of our restless and unsatisfied soul, until it “finds rest in God”, as per the famous words of St. Augustine.
The Sunday of the man born blind presents Christ as the light of the world. The Gospel confronts each one of us with the question: “Do you believe in the Son of man?” “Lord, I believe!” (Jn 9: 35. 38), the man born blind joyfully exclaims, giving voice to all believers. The miracle of this healing is a sign that Christ wants not only to give us sight, but also open our interior vision, so that our faith may become ever deeper and we may recognize him as our only Savior. He illuminates all that is dark in life and leads men and women to live as “children of the light”.
On the fifth Sunday, when the resurrection of Lazarus is proclaimed, we are faced with the ultimate mystery of our existence: “I am the resurrection and the life… Do you believe this?” (Jn 11: 25-26). For the Christian community, it is the moment to place with sincerity – together with Martha – all of our hopes in Jesus of Nazareth: “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world” (Jn 11: 27). Communion with Christ in this life prepares us to overcome the barrier of death, so that we may live eternally with him. Faith in the resurrection of the dead and hope in eternal life open our eyes to the ultimate meaning of our existence: God created men and women for resurrection and life, and this truth gives an authentic and definitive meaning to human history, to the personal and social lives of men and women, to culture, politics and the economy. Without the light of faith, the entire universe finishes shut within a tomb devoid of any future, any hope.
The Lenten journey finds its fulfillment in the Paschal Triduum, especially in the Great Vigil of the Holy Night: renewing our baptismal promises, we reaffirm that Christ is the Lord of our life, that life which God bestowed upon us when we were reborn of “water and Holy Spirit”, and we profess again our firm commitment to respond to the action of the Grace in order to be his disciples.
3. By immersing ourselves into the death and resurrection of Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are moved to free our hearts every day from the burden of material things, from a self-centered relationship with the “world” that impoverishes us and prevents us from being available and open to God and our neighbor. In Christ, God revealed himself as Love (cf. 1Jn 4: 7-10). The Cross of Christ, the “word of the Cross”, manifests God’s saving power (cf. 1Cor 1: 18), that is given to raise men and women anew and bring them salvation: it is love in its most extreme form (cf. Encyclical Deus caritas est, n. 12). Through the traditional practices of fasting, almsgiving and prayer, which are an expression of our commitment to conversion, Lent teaches us how to live the love of Christ in an ever more radical way. Fasting, which can have various motivations, takes on a profoundly religious significance for the Christian: by rendering our table poorer, we learn to overcome selfishness in order to live in the logic of gift and love; by bearing some form of deprivation – and not just what is in excess – we learn to look away from our “ego”, to discover Someone close to us and to recognize God in the face of so many brothers and sisters. For Christians, fasting, far from being depressing, opens us ever more to God and to the needs of others, thus allowing love of God to become also love of our neighbor (cf. Mk 12: 31).
In our journey, we are often faced with the temptation of accumulating and love of money that undermine God’s primacy in our lives. The greed of possession leads to violence, exploitation and death; for this, the Church, especially during the Lenten period, reminds us to practice almsgiving – which is the capacity to share. The idolatry of goods, on the other hand, not only causes us to drift away from others, but divests man, making him unhappy, deceiving him, deluding him without fulfilling its promises, since it puts materialistic goods in the place of God, the only source of life. How can we understand God’s paternal goodness, if our heart is full of egoism and our own projects, deceiving us that our future is guaranteed? The temptation is to think, just like the rich man in the parable: “My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come…”. We are all aware of the Lord’s judgment: “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul…” (Lk 12: 19-20). The practice of almsgiving is a reminder of God’s primacy and turns our attention towards others, so that we may rediscover how good our Father is, and receive his mercy.
During the entire Lenten period, the Church offers us God’s Word with particular abundance. By meditating and internalizing the Word in order to live it every day, we learn a precious and irreplaceable form of prayer; by attentively listening to God, who continues to speak to our hearts, we nourish the itinerary of faith initiated on the day of our Baptism. Prayer also allows us to gain a new concept of time: without the perspective of eternity and transcendence, in fact, time simply directs our steps towards a horizon without a future. Instead, when we pray, we find time for God, to understand that his “words will not pass away” (cf. Mk 13: 31), to enter into that intimate communion with Him “that no one shall take from you” (Jn 16: 22), opening us to the hope that does not disappoint, eternal life.
In synthesis, the Lenten journey, in which we are invited to contemplate the Mystery of the Cross, is meant to reproduce within us “the pattern of his death” (Ph 3: 10), so as to effect a deep conversion in our lives; that we may be transformed by the action of the Holy Spirit, like St. Paul on the road to Damascus; that we may firmly orient our existence according to the will of God; that we may be freed of our egoism, overcoming the instinct to dominate others and opening us to the love of Christ. The Lenten period is a favorable time to recognize our weakness and to accept, through a sincere inventory of our life, the renewing Grace of the Sacrament of Penance, and walk resolutely towards Christ.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, through the personal encounter with our Redeemer and through fasting, almsgiving and prayer, the journey of conversion towards Easter leads us to rediscover our Baptism. This Lent, let us renew our acceptance of the Grace that God bestowed upon us at that moment, so that it may illuminate and guide all of our actions. What the Sacrament signifies and realizes, we are called to experience every day by following Christ in an ever more generous and authentic manner. In this our itinerary, let us entrust ourselves to the Virgin Mary, who generated the Word of God in faith and in the flesh, so that we may immerse ourselves – just as she did – in the death and resurrection of her Son Jesus, and possess eternal life.
From the Vatican, 4 November, 2010
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

Even the Pope receives ashes today

Be sour and dour

That's what the Rabbi said this morning we should be but I was already sour and dour last night when I missed the pancake dinner and drove home on an empty stomach. What am I now? Joyful, joyful, of course! The Rabbi said these were the best pancakes ever last night. How would he know? Was he there last year to compare? Is he comparing those pancakes of last night with something he has in his fridge? Mystery after mystery. Went out with the ladies this morning. Coffee goes well with ashes. We have a very liberal contingent which is also vocal and they don't like the Pope ("he taking us backwards") and they don't understand why we not necessarily should receive communion at a Protestant church ("the pastor said we were all invited and should come forward if we were baptized and believed in the communion of Saints!").  I think we cheapen our own belief if and when we receive somewhere else. We serve another god by receiving just bread. Well, I could not explain it to them. I got drowned out. I guess it is my thinking is too orthodox for them. That's one of those issues that the Rabbi needs to clarify. I need to get back to my own routine of prayer and activities. This afternoon I will prepare for tomorrows bible class. I really missed Bible class. I decided to give up Peggle and Blitz for Lent, two of my favorite compute games. I am do-ed out. No more doing or doo doo or "do falls" than what is already on my calendar. Actually I take the "do falls" back. I like it when the dew falls. Just more praying.

And today - Aschermittwoch - explained by the Capuchins in Muenster

"We don't have this any more" - a classic Carnival song

Old Carnival Songs

I am dancing.....

Pancakes - flat

Went tonight to the pancake dinner. Got there and it looked they were still setting up. "When does it start?" "It's over!" Somehow I had 7 p.m. on my mind. Even wore my Carnival head hat covering. Said no to two other invitations to be at the pancake dinner. Sometimes you can't win.

Whitney Houston

Had no idea who she was before she died. When I was a teenager my music was Elvis. Then I got into classical music thanks to the Crush and then came the Beatles. I did not appreciate the Beatles until 10 years later because I had just grown out of the screaming stage. When I met mother I learned Irish popular tunes which got me back to Germany Volksmusik of my early childhood and on that level I like Klezmer now. The Whitney Houstons of the world I by-passed for some reason.

Novena of Birthdays

I will celebrate a novena of birthdays. Just kidding. I will celebrate tonight with a few pancakes. I am used to jelly filled doughnuts from my childhood. No pancakes where I come from on Fasnacht or Carnival. 

Pastor Wiesel and the Church of the Twelve Dwarfs.

I learned this morning that it was proposed to Pastor Wiesel that he take over the Church of the Weeds as well as the Church of the Seat On. He declined. He is no dummy. He helps out at the Church of the Weeds but that is different from being in charge. The job he has now is one of the last jobs left that can be very flexible. If you play it right you can take off from Wednesday morning after Mass to Sunday morning before Mass. Every so often you can or must take a mental health day on Wednesday out of obedience and then you are off right after Monday Mass and writing a few checks. Not a bad life. He signed up for the Seat On Church when the times comes but until then he'd be a fool to volunteer for anything else. 

Pull out the tubes....

I saw two friends in the rehab this morning. One had a stroke and has been there for quite a while and the other one was just admitted. She had knee replacement surgery. If I ever stroke out, please folks, pull out all the tubes. I do not want to live that way. More and more I respect the decision of a mother who died at Christmas. What I am seeing in the rehab centers and nursing homes is pathetic. If you don't have anyone who is there constantly, there is no service. You are shunted to the side. The friend with the knee replacement surgery will be fine. She has her marbles together and is otherwise healthy.

Du, du liegst mir im Herzen

Little Bernie sang this song to me this morning. Apparently eons of years ago some German co-workers, refugees from Hitler, sang it to him. He remembered. What was weird that mother used to sing this song to me as well. It is a popular German tune.
The Rabbi showed me his t-shirt which said: Sheffield Construction Company and underneath it said: We built Lara's dog house. I only saw the famous dog house under construction. What fascinated me more at the time was that an Australian novice has started a beautiful vegetable garden. I am a gardener and I could appreciate the effort. The following year the novice was gone and the vegetable garden had gone to weeds. I was disappointed. You would have thought that the brown hoods would kept up the vegetable garden. When the dog house was finished I saw a picture of it. 

Jeremy Lin

I like this kid. Why? He is small and he has guts. Great assets.

The Spill

Tonight I spilled a whole bottle of mineral water on my dining room table. Oy-vey. The dining room table serves as my office. I cleaned it up - sort of - but got disgusted and called the nun and we went out. Our usual routine: one cup of coffee for me and perhaps one ice cream cone for her. I drove us to a McDonalds. They had the coffee but the ice cream machine was broke. So I drove to a Robert in a Basket (why does he have to be in a basket?) and we looked at the menu. She wanted something with a banana. They had no bananas. I think there is a song: "We have no bananas." Well, they did not sing to us, just told us. So she settled for scoop of vanilla ice cream with lots of chocolate on top. Went back to the Seven Flags parking lot, parked and talked. I told her we needed to go back my temple one of these days and park way in the back when the Rabbi was there and spook him. In view of what happened there recently it would be too, too funny. Of course, if someone were to bang on the car while I was inside and it came unexpectedly I would jump clear through the roof. 

Unorthodox

"Unorthodox" is the title of a new book that just was published by Deborah Feldman. She was brought up in the Satmar sect of Hasidic Judaism and it is a fascinating read. I did not know that Satmar is a cannibalization of Saint Mary - who would have known? I knew that the ultraorthodox were super pious in their outward appearance but the that Rabbi had to look at your underwear if you had doubts if your period had ended or not and before you could go to a mikvah - that beat all. Apparently you can send you husband with your underwear to the Rabbi. I think my doubts would have vanished for good. Can you imagine that in any Christian religion?
"Here husband, I don't know what this spot is - take my panties and go check it out with the pastor." Well, Deborah left the Satmars and so we have a book about them. Only in America.
http://www.amazon.com/Unorthodox-Scandalous-Rejection-Hasidic-Roots/dp/1439187002/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329690214&sr=1-1

the SO

The SO e-mailed very nicely after a break. She was busy with taxes. She gave some of the books I had sent for her Catholic daughter-in-law to the d-i-l and  the d-i-l took some but thinks the bible is for other people. Actually she said worse but I can't repeat this. We Catholics are our own worst enemies at times. The SO wrote that the Crush's homepage got updated. I checked it out and he will be signing books at a hog food contest - coming up soon. The nun is reading one of his books now. She likes it. It moves fast but she also sees his sensuality that comes through. 

Canada

Drove to Canada this morning. Canada is a place where I hand out goodies to the homeless. A friend has been going faithfully with me for the last year or so. Each time he makes 60 baggies of goodies. There has been a truck there every time I get up there recently and they hand out sandwiches and water. We give out toiletries, doughnuts and used clothing. The people go from one place to another. Afterwards to Mass. One of the brown hoods officiated. He sends greetings to the Rabbi. Sometimes we go to O'Sheets afterwards but not today. The friend had eaten some lobster and it still clawed its way around his stomach. I once made lobster for a sister-in-law. Nobody knew she was allergic to lobster. She sure was sick the next day.

It's work

http://mediacenter.dw.de/english/video/item/402633/
http://mediacenter.dw.de/english/video/item/401541/

Home Alone

I am home alone again. My visitor is gone. Kinda lonely but also nice to not be responsible for someone else's welfare. I promised the nun that she can have all my booze bottles. I have no attachment to alcohol. Mother used to drink martinis with the best gin: Bombay Sapphire but I used up the last by taking gummy bears and spiking them with gin. It was an experiment I wanted to try and it worked. The sapphire was almost six years old! Oh, yes, I eat about two or three gummy bears every week now. I think at that rate they will rot even though I keep them in the refrigerator. I rarely drink. My addiction is food. I love bread and butter. I am going to cut out the bread now and the rice and later the potatoes. Don't care for vegetables that much but love salads and fruit. Need to loose some weight so I can fit into a slim coffin. The new me - fit to die.....Va-Va will drape a special blanket over my coffin: "Eat our salads and you will end up here...," neatly embroidered around the edges. Callous Funeral Home can do the arrangements. The Rabbi will give the final condemnation. I want all my dogs to be there and pee on the ground above me as a farewell. Sounds great doesn't it? No that is not desecration that is consecration.