2008 March archive at Cornell Society for a Good Time

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Archive for March, 2008

The Catholic Church: Not Racist

In light of the recent dust storm concerning the topic of racism, I’ve been doing some thinking. Why don’t we Catholics make a bit more of our non-racist credentials?

Of course the liberal media has tried to stick the Church with all kinds of “isms” in modern times, and in most of the time establishing the real truth is rather complicated. For example, the claim that the Church is inherently sexist (by which they really mean “misogynist”) is untrue. The Magisterium certainly has never taught that women are morally inferior to men. But, the war of the sexes having raged relentlessly for time out of mind, it no doubt is true that, practically speaking, women have sometimes gotten the worse end of it, in Christian societies as in others. Furthermore, establishing what the relations between the sexes should be is itself a bear of a question. The end result is that we’re not likely to hear the end of that charge anytime soon. Moving on to another sore point: the claim that the Church is “homophobic” is true in a way, since she has always unambiguously condemned sodomy as sinful. In this case, the trick is not establishing what the Church thinks; rather, one must argue that no injustice is being done here because, in fact, the Church is right. With some people, as we know, that’s a tough sell.

Published by Clara March 31st, 2008 37 Comments

Birthday Bash

Especially for those of you in the NYC area - this looks like lots of fun:

Roman Forum Spring Ball
to honor
THE BIRTHDAY OF ROME: 753 B.C.-2008 A.D.

Saturday, April 26th, 2008, 7:00 P.M. through Midnight
Feast translated from April 21

7 Piece Rich Siegel Ballroom Orchestra
Grand Imperial Buffet and Dessert
BYOB

Well Done Roma! Festivities and Spontaneous Outburst of Joy 10:00 P.M.

On Rome’s Birthday (April 21, 753 B.C.) and the Parilia
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Published by Iosephus March 31st, 2008 2 Comments

A good Sunday in Detroit

This sounds so lovely that I wanted to pass it along. Unfortunately, I can’t be there - but if you’re in the mid-Michigan area, do make an effort at some point to get to Detroit and at least visit these churches, if you cannot attend Mass at them. St. Joseph’s is completely untouched, no wreckovation, and no Novus table to be seen anywhere; it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. St. Josaphat’s, a very short distance (by car) away, is the location of the regular weekly Tridentine. So this is also a nice announcement because, at least on this one Sunday, there will be a wealth of old rite Masses (relatively speaking) in downtown Detroit. (I wonder if there is any particular occasion for this event?) This is a wonderful thing for an archdiocese that, at least in the past, wasn’t favorable to the old Mass - and, in general, the bishops in the whole of the state haven’t been too supportive.

One of our cluster parishes, St. Joseph will be having a Solemn High TLM with orchestra this Sunday.

Mass in G - Franz Schubert

Benediction: 3:00 PM, Mass: 3:15 PM

Celebrant: Fr. Bloomfield, Deacon: Deacon Bloomfield, Subdeacon: Fr. Hrytsyk. Fr. Mark will probably be hearing confessions.

St. Joseph’s Church is at
1828 Jay St.
Detroit, MI 48207

This is a beautiful church, and they have a very nice website at www.saint-joseph-detroit.org

As always St. Josaphat will be having a TLM 9:30am this Sunday.

Published by Iosephus March 28th, 2008 0 Comments

Witnessing

A couple of times in the last month I’ve been accosted by Evangelicals wanting to “witness” to me about their faith. I think this is more likely to happen to you if you live in the South, if you’re young, if you’re female, and if you like walking for exercise so that you’re often on foot in places where you might be accosted. Also my husband says that something about me must attract people who like to talk. He’s amazed how often random strangers (on planes, in line at the DMV, over the counter at the deli, etc.) will open up and start telling me all about themselves. Maybe I look friendly?

Anyway, unless I’m in a hurry to be somewhere, I usually let them tell me about Jesus. The conversation usually starts by either 1) offering me a Bible (which of course I don’t need) or 2) inviting me to some local church. In the latter case I promptly explain that I am Roman Catholic. This does not usually lead to the end of the conversation. They obviously think Catholics very much in need of conversion.

Published by Clara March 27th, 2008 21 Comments

The Disposable Word of God

Since we’ve been in a mood for analyzing the Novus Ordo Mass of late, I thought I’d mention one other thing that seems to be preventing it from reaching its full potential: missalettes.

If my personal experience is any guide, the vast majority of parishes in America use those OCP missalettes, published four times a year and left in the pews of most Catholic churches. I expect this is done mainly for reasons of convenience. Missalettes are easy to use. Mass producing them brings the cost down, and when every parish uses the same missalettes, people become familiar with them and have no trouble following along when they’re visiting in a new parish. These are tangible benefits.

The downsides are pretty serious, however. Some relate to content. For example, by having a monopoly on missalettes, the OCP is able to keep a stranglehold on Catholic music in America and keep everyone singing Eagle’s Wings and Here I Am, Lord. But even without that problem, missalettes should not be used as a constant and permanent way for lifelong Catholics to follow along at Mass. As a “starter kit” for beginners, they’re fine. As a permanent fixture of Catholic life, they shape the sensibilities in exactly the wrong way.

Published by Clara March 25th, 2008 15 Comments

It’s a good thing Easter is so long for Catholics…

because this one has started out a bit wonky. On the plus side, the trees all along our street bloomed just in time for Easter. They are gorgeous. I love flowering trees.

On the other hand, after a beautiful, spring-like Good Friday and Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday dawned chilly and grey. Today, Easter Monday, it actually snowed. I live in the south, mind you. Even in January we hardly ever get snow.

Sad weather notwithstanding, we had a nice and memorable Easter Sunday, but somewhat more hectic than my Easter Sundays of years past. We had people over for Easter dinner, so I got up early to start cooking, and spent much of the day either cooking or entertaining, except of course for the time spent at Mass (the non-Catholic friend we invited to dinner also came to Mass with us, which was nice). What with the unusually complicated musical repertoire, Mass was rather hectic as well. It’s quite an adventure trying to hold together a little band of mostly-inexperienced singers, doing a solid 25 minutes or so worth of music that we’ve barely had a chance to practice. For the honor of our Risen Lord, however, we gave it everything we had. And then, after 15-plus hours of cooking, singing and entertaining, I finally dozed off on the couch sometime after midnight.

Published by Clara March 25th, 2008 2 Comments

Easter Vigil

Happy Easter to everyone! The Doctor and I have just returned from the Easter Vigil. Last year we spent Easter apart, so it was a blessing to be together this year for the happy occasion. On the other hand, I could not help but yearn for the beautiful Easter Vigil of St. Michael’s parish in Scranton, which I had the privilege to assist at these past two years. Here we don’t have a Latin Mass parish, so we had to go to the Novus Ordo for most of the Triduum.

They did a reasonably good job of it, with even parts of the ordinary in Latin, but ah! the Novus Vigil is really such a humdrum thing next to the exquisite beauty of the traditional liturgy in its full splendor. I have been spoiled. The Exsultet in this Novus Mass was done reasonably well, but it just could not capture the firm, joyous dignity of the old one, and saddest of all, it omits my favorite line: “O vere beata nox, quae sola meruit scire tempus et horam, in qua Christus ab infernis resurrexit!” (Oh truly blessed night, which alone deserved to know the time and hour when Christ rose again from the tomb!)

You have to get it in full context to properly appreciate it, but last year I remember tears pricking my eyes when we came to that line. This is not a thing that happens to me often.

Published by Clara March 22nd, 2008 55 Comments

Let the Blood of Christ be on us

Today, Good Friday, I’ve been meditating on the line from Matthew (27:25), spoken by the enraged Jews in response to Pilate’s continual efforts to set Jesus free: “His blood be on us and on our children.”

These words appear only in the Gospel of Matthew. It isn’t clear what we should literally take them to mean in any case — it seems unlikely that the crowd shouted this “all with one voice,” as it were, though we can fairly suppose that words to this effect must have been heard from multiple mouths. Gibson took some grief for putting this phrase into his Passion film, on the grounds that it has sometimes been used as a justification for tormenting the Jews as “Christ-killers.” He eventually agreed to take it out… but in fact he only removed the English subtitle, not the actual words, which rock-star-atheist Christopher Hitchens immediately took as evidence for Gibson’s true anti-Semitism.

Nobody should let the furor of all that silliness obscure their meditations on these profound words. I sometimes feel that the “felix culpa” puzzle of St. Paul is all encapsulated in this one line. Here we see the Jews ostensibly (and in their own minds) asking for something very evil — that Our Lord, though wholly innocent and good, should be put to death. But at the same time, in fact, they are pleading for something wonderful — that His blood should mark them and their children forever. For, as we know, the Blood of the Lamb has the power to redeem them from this and all their other sins. We can hardly help but think of the blood of the Passover, which marked the doors of their ancestors and thus saved their children from the angel of death. Mankind’s greatest sin, and its plea for redemption, are captured all in this one sentence.

I was looking through the Catena Aurea this morning, hoping to find something on this passage, but there was nothing. If anyone knows of anything good that has been written on it, please do share.

Published by Clara March 21st, 2008 16 Comments

Can you not watch one hour?

Maundy Thursday is a bit of an eclectic day in some respects. It’s hard to know what to make of it precisely because it’s packed with so many things. The Last Supper. The washing of feet. The institution of the Holy Eucharist. The agony in the Garden. Our Lord’s arrest. A rather significant sequence of events unfolds very quickly, so it’s hard to take a single point for reflection at the outset of the Triduum.

This year my Maundy Thursday was quite full with (somewhat more mundane) activities of my own so I didn’t post this in time for the day itself. Still, I thought I might say a few words on the one part of the story that, in my childhood, seemed to me positively humorous — the Apostles’ inability to stay awake in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Published by Clara March 21st, 2008 1 Comment

The Necessity of Naming

Last Friday I opened a thread on the subject of classification. The goal was to come up with a mutually agreeable term for referring to those Catholics who prefer to assist in the Novus Ordo Mass, otherwise known as the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. People like me who assist at the Traditional Latin Mass are often termed ‘Traditional Catholics’ or ‘Latin Mass Catholics’, and it seemed to me necessary to have a corresponding term for those who assist at the Novus Ordo Mass. Continue reading

Published by Clara March 18th, 2008 60 Comments

Another Nomenclature Question

It’s a sad thing. All yesterday I had a good, meaty philosophical post that I want to write bouncing around in my head, waiting to be written. I never got around to it. Now I’m leaving on a short trip, so it looks like this isn’t going to happen right away. (I can hear the general sighs of disappointment!) But to tide you all over, I thought I should post an overflow question from the last thread that really calls for further attention.

The issue is with the term ‘Novus Catholic.’ It’s just a standard term within circles of Traditional Catholics for referring to anyone who primarily assists at the Novus Ordo Mass. Sometimes it is used just as a term of abuse, though I don’t use it that way on this blog. But even while discouraging insults and childish taunts, I recognize the need for having a term to refer to this group of Catholics. Admittedly they’re the much larger group, as compared to Traditional Catholics, but that’s irrelevant. It’s a group of people, they have significant commonalities among them, and we sometimes have reason to refer to them (I mean in normal conversation, not in name-calling.)

Published by Clara March 14th, 2008 50 Comments

Proposed Lenten rule for young women

This little discussion of Lenten birthdays has put me to thinking about Lents past, and about the various things that people decide to “give up” for the season. In my case, of course, there aren’t really that many past Lents to remember. Mormons don’t observe Lent; they take Easter as more or less an isolated incident. Sometime in my rebellious Mormon adolescence, I realized how seriously defective this was (though without having any clear notion of what the alternative would be). Consequently, when I took my first Catholic theology course and learned about the liturgical calendar, everything clicked immediately. I resolved to do my best to observe Lent that year, and I’ve been doing so ever since.

Of course, for those first few Lents, I didn’t really have a clear sense for what precisely I ought to do. I wasn’t trying to pretend to be Catholic per se, but the Novus Catholics who surrounded me were obviously the main available model, and for them the chief element of Lent (beyond the fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday) seemed to be “giving up” things. The pattern seemed to be: pick something you really like, and do without it for 40 days. People picked all kinds of things, and observing them, I found some Lenten efforts admirable, while others just seemed unspeakably silly. But one resolution I made right away: I would not pick anything that related to food. This might seem odd in a season that was supposed to be about fasting. But I had my reasons, and they related to the fact that I was living at the time in a girls’ dormitory.

Published by Clara March 11th, 2008 40 Comments

Lenten Birthdays

Today is my birthday, and in honor of the day, I wanted to record for posterity my great displeasure at having been born at such a singularly unhappy time of year. If I live to be 80 years old, I can look forward to exactly three non-Lenten birthdays in the rest of my life. Now, I suppose matters could get slightly worse. If I’d been born a week later, I wouldn’t even get the three. On the other hand, in that same period of time my birthday falls on Ash Wednesday no less than four times. Huzzah! Many happy returns! All I can say is, if I have to fast through four Ash Wednesday birthdays, my 77th (the only one that falls on Mardi Gras) had better be awesome.

Published by Clara March 6th, 2008 15 Comments

One more word on modesty

Having posted a few words on feminine modesty yesterday, I thought I might add another little thought that I had concerning feminine modesty and Islam. This occurred to me the other day when the Doctor and I were walking in a local park. We passed two Muslim women, fully covered except for their hands and faces, and a little girl of around eight years old. Presumably she was the daughter of one of the women. She was wearing jeans, a sweater, and sneakers — perfectly standard attire for an American child. Having lived in Islamic societies a couple of times in my life, I know that this is a fairly common practice. Women are expected to cover themselves almost entirely, but there is very little concern about the attire of prepubescent girls, who may wear whatever is comfortable or convenient. The day a girl reaches puberty marks a dramatic break in her life. Thenceforth she must always clothe herself as a woman.

Published by Clara March 6th, 2008 5 Comments

A study in innocence

Due to adverse weather conditions in the northeast, I spent a significant amount of time the week before last in airports. To help soothe my irritation at all the travel delays, I decided to indulge in a rereading of a Jane Austen novel, and since it had been a number of years since I had last read it, I selected Mansfield Park.

Although all of Jane Austen’s novels are a pleasure to read, Mansfield Park isn’t really one of my favorites, for many of the same reasons, I imagine, why it has never been as well-loved among the population at large as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, or Emma. The moralism can at times be rather overpowering. One can only suppose that Austen had her tongue in her cheek at times, but even so the long passages about the evils of acting can get to be a bit much. The hero and heroine are both rather dour, humorless figures, and Fanny Price in particular is something of a wallflower – timid, nervous, and almost desparately eager to allow any of her relations to use or take advantage of her. I cannot recall a single instance in the book of her either making a joke or being amused by one, and the tone set by her character puts something of a damper on what is normally one of Austen’s most delightful gifts – her razor-sharp satirical wit.
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