IF SOMETHING YOU READ SEEMS OFF - INVESTIGATE!

Don’t take everything that you read at face value even if it appears in the newspaper and is authored by someone who we are told, “is a professor of history emeritus at Northwestern University” and “is the author of ‘Why I Am a Catholic.”  Intelligence, wisdom and understanding are all separate gifts and simply because someone has a “high education” does not mean that they have a grasp on all three of these gifts or that all of their arguments are altruistic.

Such is the case with the editorial in Monday’s Beacon Journal by Garry Wills.  Even if someone might agree with his conclusion, his path to it was a strained one at best.  There are so many problems with this article that one post would not be enough to point them all out.  At least for today two will be pointed out.

The first is an unneeded exaggeration to help make his point.  It is dishonest.  Remember when God said to Adam, “From that tree you shall not eat; for from the moment you eat from it, you are surely doomed to die.”  Gen 2:17.  Later, when speaking with Satan, Eve reports, “it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘you shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die!’"  This is an exaggeration of what God said and makes God appear less reasonable and maybe even a little vengeful.  So when Mr. Wills says that the Church says, “You can be gay so long as you don’t do anything about it,” one must ask the question if this is really what the Church (and as Catholics we would ask is that really what Christ) says?  What it does say is that one may not have a sexual relationship with someone who is not your opposite gender spouse.  Is there far more compassion and room for living in that than the rather sterile and cold, “you can’t do anything about it”?  If a person really believes in the truth of their argument, then they should not need to rely on exaggeration or slights in order to make it.  It should stand on its own.  This is the first sign that Mr. Wills is not exactly confident of his theological position.

The second big area of difficulty is his understanding and use of natural law (which he labels as a “quaint theory.”)  Again, if you need to make light of something in order to make your point, you’ve already begun to weaken your position.  

But here is where I am stuck.  I am not sure if Mr. Wills understands Natural Law so poorly that if he had a similar application in a term paper he might flunk the course, or if he understands it so brilliantly that he is attempting to misapply it so ingeniously in order to lead people astray.  He makes the misleading statement that, “the first biological use of an activity is the only permissible use of that activity.”  (Again, see the Eve problem above.)  This would mean then, that a married couple is not permitted to enjoy sexual relations, that they must only engage in it for procreative purposes.  This is “absurd” he says.  As proof, he says that if we truly follow Natural Law then eating should only be for fuel and we would no longer be able to eat wedding cake or drink champagne.  I would agree with him if this actually had anything to do with Natural Law or actual Church teaching.  Yet he uses this example to say, in essence, if you see that as absurd, then one could logically see the ban on sexual relations outside of traditional marriage as absurd.  But here, once again, he hurts his case.

A married couple can enjoy sex.  There is a broad spectrum of activities in which they may engage.  They may, so to speak, eat cake and drink champagne.  What they may not do is eat things that are not good for them.  We are not permitted by Natural Law to eat road tar for the same reason a person should not put sugar in the gas tank of their car.  Neither should a person eat far more than they need for sustenance (that is called gluttony.)  Except in cases of emergency, we should not try ingesting food through orifices that are not designed for the intake of nutrition.  This is Natural Law, not the banning of champagne toasts.  

Mr. Wills did have some good points not the least of which is the unhealthy keeping of secrets that should not be kept.  But his arguments are so poorly concocted as to do more harm to his point than good - at least for those who are will not to just accept whatever it is that they are reading but to think well for themselves.

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CDLIIX

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND: "[T]he new media instruct he public on how to think and what they need.  Some of this subtle tutoring can be funny, especially in advertising.  It led Neil Postman to see American television commercials as a form of, 'religious parables, organized around a coherent theology.  Like all religious parables [television commercials] put forward a concept of sin, intimations of the way to redemption, and a vision of heaven.  They also suggest what are the roots of evil, and what are the obligations of the holy.'"  from Archbishop Chaput's, "Render unto Caesar"

IN OTHER NEWS:

Deacon Stavarz sent in THIS article, "A Letter to an Aspiring Priest."  Thanks.

8 and a half minutes with Denzel Washington:

MONDAY DIARY: ALMOST EXCRUCIATINGLY TRUE STORIES: KNOW NO EVIL

There is a protocol in the Church that serves to make the process of doing things in the best possible way without hurting feelings.  Say, for example, that somebody is going to be moved.  There is a lot of discussion that takes place first with all the various people involved.  Each of these persons are told to keep matters under their hat until it is officially announced.  This way nobody sits on the outside looking in saying, "Why didn't anybody ask ME about this" when, in fact, perhaps they just didn't get to it yet. Or if the process falls through, there is no embarrassment in changing course.  It may seem silly but in the long run, the "hush rule" serves us well.

THAT BEING SAID - Do you have any idea how difficult it is to know something and not be able to talk about it???  So you find ways to satisfy that itch as well as being loyal to something the bishop has asked you to do.  You officially have a discussion about nothing.

Years ago, my classmate and I were out to dinner with some friends and we both noticed that the others was studiously not talking about certain topics.  Spidey senses went up and he asked:

Of course this is all well and good unless you really DON'T know what is going on.  That makes the conversation more difficult.

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CDLIX

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  "It is quaint that people talk of separating dogma from education.  Dogma is actually the only thing that cannot be separated from education.  It is education.  A teacher who is not dogmatic is simply a teacher who is not teaching."  from G. K. Chesterton's, "The Problem with the World."

QUOTE II:  "It is. of course, part of that modern morbidity that insists on treating the State (which is the home of man) as a sort of desperate expedient in time of panic.  This terrified opportunism is also the original on the Socialist and other schemes."  same source

IN OTHER NEWS:

Now that I have time to think I realized I COMPLETELY MISSED

THE 13TH ANNIVERSARY

OF 

ADAM'S ALE!  

Thank you for sticking around.  Special shout out to those in the top 3 places after the good ole' U.S., Russia, France and Germany.  And coming in at 10th is the Netherlands which means more than it once did since I took the DNA test and found out that I am supposedly 17% from this area.  (Who was traveling in Slovenia and decided to stay for a while on my Father's side????)  If you are reading this I am sending out a prayer to you.  God bless!


Just before leaving on vacation I was walking the dogs in Schneider Park and saw the bell tower lit up like a golden beacon for West Akron.  Glad I had my phone on me to share it with you.

Great video.  8 minutes:

FAMILIAR CIRCUS

I am SO on vacation

WRITE THE RIGHT STUFF

It is going to become more challenging to be Catholic I believe.  BUT I also think it is going to be a lot more fun - at least as long as you keep in mind that the Holy Spirit will do what needs to be done as long as we cooperate and don't think we will do it with our own clever selves.

There have been a couple of things lately.  One was the Gillette commercial and another was an article in the Akron Beacon Journal recently concerning the "Problem with Christian Schools" that on first blush seem to make some modicum of sense but something leaves the viewer/reader unsettled. If you feel that way, don't shake it off - delve into it.  Really find out what is nagging at the back of your mind.  Most often it is a subtle but vital bit of ill-logic.  It may not pop out at you at first.  But a bit of digging and prayer will help make it pop.  

Once that makes its presence known to you - write down as if trying to assist someone else to understand.  Then be prepared to use it (with friends over coffee, on your blog, in a letter to an editor . . . )

The article in the ABJ, for example, sighted what the Associated Press writer described as intolerance, Christian schools teaching things that are not tolerant of other people's ideas.  A person who began a hashtag movement thinks that because of this, Christians schools might need to be censored in some way (my words, not his.)  The oddity of this is that he wants to be intolerant of people he deems intolerant (not to mention he singles out Christian schools as the problem, not schools of other faiths - Jewish, Muslim & so forth, not private schools, not home schools, etc. . .) which gives the appearance that there is more going on here than just a discussion about tolerance.

So I wrote a terrible letter to the editor of the ABJ, let it sit for a while, went back and wrote a better one and sent it in and they were kind enough to print it.  Thank you ABJ.  Here is the letter:

Dear Editor,

Sunday’s article, “Hashtag stirs debate over Christian schools” brought up a very important point.  The author is concerned about those who would, “breed intolerance toward people with a different outlook.”  Oddly enough the solution seems to be to do away with those who have a different point of view than he.  There also seems to be a particular bias against Christian schools as there was no mention of other faith based schools or even the difficulties occurring in our public schools.  Does this not go against the very tolerance the author desires?

Perhaps it is that there are certain aspects of non-governmental schools over which he would like ever more government control.  This is a fine thing as long as you have a benevolent, efficient and intelligent government that happens to agree with you.  But what about when that ruling body turns against you and what you believe?  Then where do you turn?

Thank goodness we have a variety of educational institutions in these United States from public schools, to private schools, religious schools, to home schooling.  They keep us diverse and allow us to tackle problems creatively from multiple paradigms.  Though there are troubles with each of these ways of learning from time to time, doing away with one or the other of them or forcing them to bend to the will of a government is not the answer in a free nation.   We should celebrate tolerance and diversity.  We do not accept lack of choice for our political candidates, in our news sources or for a brand of aspirin.  We should not accept it in our educational choices either.

The Rev. John A. Valencheck

pastor

St. Sebastian Parish, Akron

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CDLXIII

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  "So much time and energy is waisted in futile worrying and in endless discussions about what is needed and how to go about getting it.  Simply present your needs to Me with a trusting heart and I will show you that I am a lavish provider for those who let Me take charge of their needs."  from the book, "In Sinu Jesu"

QUOTE II:  "I will allow you to experience disappointment and failure only so that it may be clear to all that this is My work, and I am doing for the sake of My Bride the Church, and for the sake of My priests, those who I have called to love My Church even as I love her."  same source

IN OTHER NEWS:

P. V. sent in THIS article about a Dad giving strategies on how to go to Mass with young ones.

J. N. sent in THIS link to podcasts of the radio show "Catholic Close Up"

Some events to consider:

 Look who is going to be at the Ite Project Game On Night at St. Paul on Feb 8th!

 TOT AKRON!

 GREAT concert coming up.

 Reserve the date for a Spectacular Evening at St. Sebastian..

Here's some encouragement:

Some thoughts:

This poinsettia was put outside during the sub-zero weather looking as though it were blooming in the warmest of summers.  That is because it freezes almost instantly in such cold weather.  I will stay looking fresh for as long as it stays that cold.  Of course, today it looks terrible.

Light shining through the front door onto the crucifix.  I thought it interesting.

2.5 minutes to help understand exactly what is going on:

MONDAY DIARY; ALMOST EXCRUCIATINGLY TRUE STORIES: THE HARE AND THE BABBID

I've always thought that, when it was possible, it always good to have more than one priest at a parish (which is becoming a rarer possibility.)  Just like one size really doesn't fit all (believe me, I would know, with my monkey legs and arms) one priest can't be to the liking of all people.  I know I am not everybody's cup of tea.  What person could be?  

Fr. Anthony and I are pretty different.  Our styles of ministry differ greatly.  If our pastoral ministry were symbolized by types of restaurants, it might look like this:

There is a time and a type of person who likes fine dining and sitting around and enjoying a meal.  There are other people who like take out - to grab food on the way to the next thing.  If you want a very personal encounter with a priest when getting your throat blessed on St. Blaise Day, you go to Fr. Anthony, if you want your throat blessed so that you can make it out of morning Mass in time to get to dinner, you go to me.

In the end, then, when you have variety, everybody wins.

LIVING A FAIRY TALE LIFE

Could we be living out the fairytale Little Red Riding Hood?

One of the original titles of this story is, “The False Grandma,” which might fit better.

A QUICK SYNOPSIS:  The Big Bad Wolf BBW wants to eat Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH) and the food in her basket and so runs ahead of her to grandma’s house, does away with grandma, disguises himself as her and lays in wait for LLRH.  When she comes in, everything SEEMS normal but something is off and she can’t quite put her finger on it.  So she asks questions.  “Gee grandma, what big ears you have.”  “The better to hear you with my dear . . . “

So imagine, if you will, that LLRH is our young.  Grandma stands for 2,000 years of Judeo-Christian culture.  The Big Bad Wolf is modern, politically correct culture that takes its place and seems, in many ways, to be so right, but there is something off about it.

Maybe the BBW is the Gillette commercial.  “This sounds right.  But why am I questioning it?”  Maybe it is the abortion laws coming out of New York.  “The better to give you freedoms my dear.”  “Freedom” and “Choice” sound like such good things.  Why does the country feel uncomfortable about them in this situation and are asking questions?

What we need more than ever is the lumberjack to come on the scene to unmask the BBW for who he is, to restore grandma, and allow LRRH to live in true peace and freedom.  The lumberjack comes in many forms.  One of the most powerful manifestations is Wisdom.  Wisdom sees what is and understands what is beneath the shiny, promising facade, beneath Grandma’s night cap to the self serving predator beneath.

True wisdom comes from contemplation, meditation, study, searching out truths from the past that have been thoroughly thought about by the greatest minds of Western Culture, digging beneath the surface, thinking through to logical conclusions, to grasp the bigger picture, to be a man or woman of intelligence, not just facts. 

Every trap requires some complicity from the prey.  The mouse has to step on the lever when its greed pulls it toward the too easily proffered cheese.  It’s time to stop being mice.

TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CDLXII

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  ". . . charity is not to be measured by the sensible satisfaction that sometimes accompanies devotion, but by two essential signs: death to sin and configuration to Christ through the increase of the Christian virtues."  from Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Langrange, O.P.'s "Knowing the Love of God"

QUOTE II:  "Music is liquid architecture, architecture is frozen music."  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

IN OTHER NEWS:

Just a bunch of backlogged videos today:

Greg sent this one in.. Thanks!:

Cool song entitled, "Prayer to St. Sebastian" since we are celebrating at the parish.



This commercial really touched me.  I went to check out their products a few days ago.  Everything in my price range was sold out.  This is a more effective ad campaign than others that might come to mind.  Maybe we as Church could take a lesson from all of this controversy.



David told me about this commercial this morning.  Thumbs up from me!

MONDAY DIARY: If you CAN make it here, you can make it ANYWHERE

What SNOPES has to say on the new bill in New York
What the New York State CATHOLIC CONFERENCE says.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: MISC.

Here are just some things that I need to get out of my desk.

If you didn't hear the last Theology on the Rocks on the crusades you can hear it HERE.

Firstly, today is the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.  The person who created one of our St. Sebastian paintings is Mother Mary Thomas, about whom you can find more HERE.  The convent in which she lives is commonly and politically correctly called St. Paul Shrine.  It was an Episcopal church originally called St. Paul.  When the left for Cleveland Heights, the sisters bought and renamed it, "The Conversion of St. Paul Shrine."  So today is their feast day and I ask you to say a prayer for them

Today is also the feast day of St. Paul parish in south Akron.  The pastor there, the Rev. Matthew Pfeiffer was formerly a parochial vicar at St. Sebastian and still occasionally celebrates Mass here on Sunday afternoons and plays cards here every Wednesday.  He is also turning 40 (OLD) next month but don't tell him I told you and so he and his community could also use a prayer.

The Diocese of Cleveland has a new website.  (WAY TO GO!)  HERE it is.

Also I've been thinking about preaching on the Gillette controversy this weekend (at least in part.)  Then I found this thing below in my mailbox.  I plan on giving it a listen today and thought you might like to also:\

Christopher West and Matt Fradd (who recently started using our new Heart of the Mountain beard balm even though he doesn't have a beard – because he "loves the smell") are going to be talking about the "Gillette Controversy" that was sparked by Gillette's recent ad. We think it will be an amazing conversation about theology, culture, and the role of business in cultural commentary.

We hope you can join us (and thousands of others) for the live conversation on Facebook – tomorrow (January 25th) at 12pm EST.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION – OR JUST TO GET A REMINDER ABOUT SO YOU WON'T FORGET

GUEST BLOGGER: IF ONLY WE KNEW WHAT HE WAS THINKING

The following is a transcript of Fr. Simone's homily from this past weekend.  It is a pious reflection on St. Sebastian's thoughts.  A number of people have asked that it be posted here so here you go!  Good job Fr. Simone!

“As a Soldier, I came to serve Jesus.  As a soldier, you’re trained to discipline yourself for a life of service, to deny yourself, to step-out from safety into danger for the glory of Rome, to fight for victory: an honorable life.

But you can’t defeat your own pride.  You can’t run from the pain you feel, from the pain you caused.  Under all the armor and muscle, there is a wounded heart from the violence you’ve seen, a conscience suppressed under orders, a soul neglected and empty.

But one day, Your grace broke-in.  In my brokenness, God reached-in and showed my strength to be weakness.  For the first-time, I felt hope for hope: a way beyond-me, that I might find a way to the freedom my heart has been aching for.  My heart knew, more than glory and honor, I need love and somehow, I’ve never really known what love is.

Suddenly these Christians who seemed so foolish, who were mocked, who were killed, who I’ve dismissed all these years, maybe they see something I’ve never seen.  Maybe they’ve found something I need, that I was meant to have.  Suddenly, these strangers feel like brothers and sisters.  This Son of God: Jesus this Jew from Nazareth, He might be real.  If He is who they say He is, I need this: this faith they seem to have.

My Jesus, My Lord, that day I met you!  I’ve never been the same!  It was the best day of my life!  Forgive me for all the years it took for me to find You.  How can I go back to the way I was?  I can’t!  I’d rather die than leave you, now that I found You.

These men I’ve served with, fought with, bled with, these brothers in arms who I’ve come to know.  How can I not share this with them?  If I don’t at least try to bring them to You Jesus, I mind as well be their enemy!

Jesus, I don’t know what’s going to happen.  I used to doubt myself and hate my past, but I know-better now.  You brought me just where I needed to be: right here.  I have to go where You are needed.

I don’t care what happens to me.  Your love is all I need.  I Trust Your strength, not mine!  May my strength be Yours.  I won’t insult You by worrying about what I will say, what I will do, to make You known.  I know You found me, saved me and raised me-up for a reason.

I’m Yours.  I belong to you.  Make-me Your servant.  Make-me Your soldier.  I’m not afraid of anything anymore.  I’ve never felt so alive, so loved.  I can’t imagine my life without you now and I’d rather die than lose You!

Wherever this path leads, lead me Lord.  Your life in me is all that matters now.

WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE IS YOUR HEART

A friend of mine lives on a farm about a forty minute drive from the parish.  He is having a rough go of it lately and it is not because of the snow and cold.  It is because of woodpeckers.  He has a wood house and the woodpeckers have targeted it for their pecking of wood.  He has tried everything.  He put up fake owls, he started blasting “woodpeckers in distress” calls over loudspeakers, freshly painted his house (as was recommended by experts) but nothing works.  Every day there is a couple of more holes, about half an inch across, many of which are clean through the siding.  So he has to go out and fill in the holes almost every day.  He is not happy.

He can’t do anything to kill the woodpeckers.  They are federally protected and he could get into a hole basket full of trouble if he resorted to that.  Yet if he and his wife should conceive their child, they have a federally protected right to do to that child what it is illegal to do to that woodpecker.  With the woodpecker we say, “Well, it may greatly upset your life but you going to have to find a way to cope with it.  That’s life.”  When it comes to their child we say, “Well, if he is going to greatly upset your life, you can get rid of him.  That’s life.”

I am not for the overturning of the protection of woodpeckers.  Maybe we could extend the rights to humans in the womb (and extend to the parents more assistance than we do to woodpecker sufferers - which I know many of you do!)

Today is the national day of prayer for the legal protection of human life in the womb.  Please consider offering a prayer and engaging in some action, exercising the rights, privileges, dignity and power that you have on behalf of one who currently, legally has none of these in our country.

MONDAY DIARY: ALMOST EXCRUCIATINGLY TRUE STORIES: WHAT TO DO WHEN THE SNOW FAILS TO END THE WORLD

So I guess I owe the Weather Bureau an apology.  I have grown so jaded to the threats of the end of the modern world as we know it due to an impending snow storm that I just rolled my eyes as they predicted the great snow storm of 2019.

On Friday, Marcy asked if we wanted anything from the grocery store and we requested our usual; bread, milk and eggs.  A little while later she texted to say that we weren't getting ANYTHING.  People were going mad stocking up for the impending snowmageddon.  "They were out of eggs, milk and bread, carts and parking spots!  I need to go to confession."

On the one hand, I suppose it is good that people are making sure they are prepared for an emergency.  But seriously, when was the last time we were trapped in our homes for more than two days even the worst storms?  

Meanwhile everybody is stuck with gallons of milk, eggs and bread.

I mean, you've got to do SOMETHING with all that food!  Right?