Father E.F. and the story of the dying priest

Ran across the blog of a Pastor Emeritus, "E.F." (no, not "extraordinary form" but his 1st two initials). He's got a relatively new blog, just since this February, and he tells a really good story about a dying priest and Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. It's a must read.

I've given him a link on my blog too.

Former US Ambassador to Vatican Refuses Notre Dame Laetare Medal

Let's have a big hand for her. The medal is WORTHLESS if Obama is to be honored.

The Fox News story begins:

"SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon won't accept the school's Laetare Medal at commencement next month because of its decision to have President Barack Obama speak to graduates.

Glendon also says in a letter to Notre Dame's president that giving Obama an honorary degree violates the U.S. bishops' 2004 statement that Roman Catholic institutions shouldn't honor people whose actions conflict with the church's moral principles."

Rest of the story is here.

Who RULES? Karen RULES. And WHY does Karen RULE?

....because she IS the Sacristy Queen.


See this pain in the rear end problem above? The one where some dipwad used the brand new lighter thingie and is freakin' clueless and didn't push the taper thingie out like they should after they used it and as a result of them being a dipwad a lot of the damn taper thing melted right to the metal and you couldn't use it and if Father or I had caught them we'd have rung his or her neck.


This is why I make the big bucks.

[And next week if you're really GOOD. I mean, REALLY, REALLY GOOD - I'll show you how to light the charcoal inside 30-45 seconds or so without making a big mess, and have it all "good to go" so the incense lights right away and doesn't go out because some dipwad didn't know how to light the charcoal and as a result there is a thurible and Father tries REALLY hard but you can't do squat if the charcoal's not burning right!]

Flippin' a coin with the Latin Mass

I must say I've been having an enjoyable time learning the finer points of the Latin Mass Ordo. Especially when I come to find that my own generation (those of us born mid 50s) was not the only "jacked around generation." I'd known the low Mass a bit as a child (they literally switched to the NO within two week of my 1st Communion.) But I'd never known the ins and outs of the more arcane things like ember/rogation days, etc.

The powers that be had gradually been tweaking things around all through the 20th century. The three missals I have are all pre-1962 - the year the last changes were made to TLM. [Although I gather there's a tweak here and there now with those saints we "got rid of" an a quibble here and there.]

Friday's Mass was "interesting" - being both the feast of some saint I'd never heard of AND the anniversary of the coronation of the pope. The priest did the saint, and added on bits from the propers for a pope's anniversary. [In former times prior to '62 the Mass of the Chair of St. Peter would have been said.] I guess they changed that bit, because with a pope with a long reign, if it had been a feast day, that particular saint would be you-know-what-outta-luck for potentially decades. My speculation as to the reasoning. Regardless, they simplified everything.

It was one ladies first time at a latin Mass in years (she's older vintage than me, but was probably late grammar school or high school in 62 - so she wasn't completely clueless) but a few of us after the Mass said "well, this wasn't an easy one, the changeable parts were all over creation in the Daily Missal."

Saturday, I get there and think "no sweat" as it was slated for St. Mark. BUT upon inspection, my older missal also had something about being a potential rogation day. Purple. A litany and procession added in, and different propers.

But my 50s missal seemed to do some sort of combo of procession, and litanies and St. Mark's mass. So I didn't know what was up - some hybrid no doubt - but what? Then when the sacristan put out the Red tabernacle veil I knew Mark was ON. So I marked on missal with an eye out for Mark, and kept an eye out for rogation stuff too (given what had happened the day before), because I knew Father G. (pastor of St. Anne's) must have seen the "bear pit" a little later, because the sacristan had to bring the missal back from the altar where it had already been set up. [Father confirmed I was right after Mass on that point!]

We did the mass for St. Mark, with bits like the prayer, and postcommunion etc from the rogation Mass tacked on to the propers for Mark. No procession or litany though. And I wondered if this had been one of the those '62 changes. I had a quick conversation with Fr. after Mass and asked about that procession business. He said his ordo didn't mention it, but did mention the rogation business. [And I KNOW he did those as add ons, 'cuz I listened for them specially and he did them in addition to the rest.]

So I chalked it up to "well, they must have simplified that bit." Then this morning I looked at the post done by mulier-fortis and it turns out in her parish they did the Rogation day but no St. Mark. Which means they are doing it when in England? [Bueller? Bueller?]

So I pulled out my '25 missal and half understood the rubric mentioned (my latin isn't good enough for the fine points) so I called up the Sainted Fr. Shipley who was only too happy to translate for me as I read off the latin. He had no idea what the 62 changes were re: this....but the 1925 instruction basically said "If you people [wherever the heck your diocese is] depending if you're persecuted and used to doing this go ahead and do the rogation day and transfer St. Mark to the 3rd day after Easter .. but if it's Easter and there's a pink Cadillac on Mainstreet you can do what Fr. G. is going to do years from now and watch out for whatever things are coming down the pike in '62....]"

So they were both right. Maybe England is especially persecuted with all those people dying in the Tower and all that jazz but here in the US it's like ... "What, Me Worry?" Which is why I have the picture I do to accompany this post.

[Okay for the nerds out there the '25 missal said... for St. Mark (April 25) -

"Ad processianem dicitur Missa de Rogationibus, ut habetur suo loco in Proprio de Tempore, 287 [the rogation Mass] et, si contingat tranferri Festum S. Marci, non tamen, transfertur Processio, nisi quando praedictum Festum occurrat in die Paschae: tunc enim in Feriam III sequentem transferatur."]

It was all too casual

A few mornings ago I got up early and stopped at a gas station to put in a few gallons. I was to be going swimming later, so I also grabbed some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to scarf down after the swim and before work. The mid-20ish man, smiled as he saw the treat and said "when my girlfriend was pregnant, she craved those all the time. And her craving them made me crave them too." It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him how old his child was, and he said with utter casualness "She didn't have the baby, but she's starting to crave Reese's again - she's pregnant again." Said with a smile and utter nonchalance. I was torn saying anything after that. I thought "what if she miscarried?" So I wanted to give the benefit of the doubt. But he'd said it with an utterly unchanged expression, and not sorrow. Not glee, by any means, not wistfully, not ANYTHING., He could have said "She's going to Montana tomorrow" and the expression would have been the same. I feel like going back and saying "if she aborted the baby last time, there's help she can get to keep the baby." Sometimes you just want to grab people and shake them by the shoulders. "GROW UP, man, you are too young and irresponsible to be impregnating your girlfriend twice and not caring about the full consequences of your actions!!!" But then I don't really know that she DIDN'T miscarry, do I? And sometimes people say things "casually" when it affects them deeply.

In my lifetime two people confessed to me that they had a close relative have one, or had one themselves. The first one's aunt (who'd died when she was little) had a "backstreet abortion" while in her late teens. Unmarried, frightened, scared. So this first person wanted abortion legal so people like her aunt wouldn't have died. [I thought, "if she HADN'T had the abortion TWO people would be living!!! Pregnancy is temporary!"] The second person had been newly married - to an atheist. He wasn't "ready to be a daddy yet." She wasn't practicing her Christian faith at the time, and wanted to please him. And so she had one. When I barely knew her, she mentioned it "casually" - like this fellow did. Almost in passing. But some years later, after I knew her much better, and she'd started practicing her faith again, the couple had had three beautiful children. (She was pregnant with the eldest when I'd first met her.) But she brought the subject up again with me and said she'd told her husband she'd NEVER have another abortion, it was awful, and had devastated her. My guess is that when she looks at her 3, she's got to be thinking sometimes "there should have been four."

So perhaps this young man's "casualness" is an act of denial at this point.

Chasin' the greys away

Again with the crummy gray "Marine Layer." But IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!

Pardon me all to hell and begone

For not posting yesterday. In honor of Earth Day I was gas-assing around in a Humvee, leaving as big a carbon foot print as I possibly could. I mooned Al Gore, burned down a rain forest, left all the lights on everywhere I went, and made sure to strew enough plastic bags around the gutters. Then I wasted water by hosing them down the sewerage system, and out to the ocean, where they will undoubtedly choke a bunch of transgendered dolphins and whales, and maybe even some baby seals. I also smoked half a carton of Camel Cigarettes, just to piss people off. I urged everyone I saw to stop doing what they were doing and go make some more babies. Then I rented a private Lear jet and just got back from doing an around the world victory lap. So I'm just a weensie bit tired. But I can probably still find some asbestos to poke holes in.

BTW: I'm celebrating "Earth Day" as an Octave ! This morning I asked for plastic at the checkout stand...and smiled after some long haired Maggot infested New York Times readin', Jerry Springer Watching ageing behind-me-in-line hippy said "wow, after all Ophra said about plastic bags yesterday." (She was emaciated and had green skin, too!) I'm going to drive around the block a few times extra just in her honor today. And then I'm going to change the oil in my car and put the oil in some landfil.

Hey, Karen can play "spot the error" in the EF form too.

I think. This morning there was a substitute priest for the pastor at the UA Mass. the Mass was done for St. Anselm, a doctor of the church. I noted the Credo was to be added, but the supply priest (of the Sainted Fr. S's vintage) added the Gloria, and didn't do the Creed.

UNLESS this was some tweak put in in the '62 Missal as opposed to prior ones. Which wouldn't have made sense. Given he was a doctor who defended the Creed against those heretics in the east, it makes more sense to say the Creed rather than a Gloria. Whatever.

Still -- I think something like this would a nice little extra to do with a weekday Mass in honor of St. Anselm (and other doctors of the church.) Something, I expect, that got lost - along with various Octaves, etc.

I'd asked the deacon after Mass about this, but he wasn't sure, and I was in a rush to get to work. So if anyone can say: "No, it was supposed to be the Gloria, and not the Creed as was done" let me know.

What are the best webpages that might point out the various changes in the Missal done since, say, 1900 or thereabouts?

Way to GO, Suits!!!

Really. We did well last week, so the "suits" [metaphorically!] picked up the lunch tab, AND brought it to us. Mine was House special Beef and cream cheese wontons from Pick Up Stix, my fav. chinese food of the moment.

The song rocks too. One of my favs. from the nineties!

What was it like when Mary saw her Resurrected Son?

There's a meeting that went unrecorded. Oh, to be the fly on the wall.

Mary: SON!!! IT'S TRUE!!! I thought Peter was jacking me around!
Jesus: PEte was always a kidder.
Jesus: So has Johnny been treating you well? Any complaints?
Mary: Great!!! He even picks up after himself, not like SOME people I know.
Jesus: Ah, mom, are you still on the "Your room is the WORST pigsty I've ever seen" thing?
Mary: Well, you had me worried for a while there - especially that day you wanted to paint your room black.
Jesus: Just a phase.
Mary: Yeah, until "dad" told you he'd smack the snot out of you. How's he doing?
Jesus: Resting in the arms of THE Father. He said for me to give you this kiss.
Mary: Send him one back for me!
Jesus: Wilco. Your nephew, John, said "hey" too.

I'm still trying to figure out his peripatetic ramblings. What the heck was he doing? Seeing Paris or something before he ascended? Emmaus one day, [and AFAIK that's the only time the place is mentioned] then he's up by the shore waiting for someone to bring him a fish. Whatever. Jesus as rockstar. He hangs with the guys, then just crashes somewhere else.

Don't tell me God doesn't have a sense of Humor

I've always been amused by the story in Luke 24 re: the Risen Jesus and the disciples on the way to Emmaus. Firstly, because I've always wondered what Jesus was doing hiking to the podunk town of Emmaus to begin with, and secondly his exchange with said disciples.

Essentially -

Jesus: So, anything new happening in town?
Cleophas: Geez, man, what have you been living under a ROCK or something?

Jesus HAD to have been laughing inside when he said that.

It's not a quality to scriptures directly attribute to Jesus, but I think the speakers we are often most attracted most often make their "points" with humor. I'm not saying Jesus was a stand up comedian by any means, but I think he had this human attribute.

I also like his exchange with the Samaritan woman. He knew darn well he was going to grant her request beforehand, but essentially, "Why should I give food to you dogs in preference to the choosen people?" And she said that the children fed the food to the dogs under the table. I can see him laughing and saying "Okay."

Mermaid Update

I forget which poet wrote about "Lapping the Miles" but so far to date since Jan 21, I've lapped enough to cover 40.75 miles as of yesterday. I think I'm starting to grow gills.

Sometimes Facebook Kills me

X is moving to Des Moines. Well, maybe not.

Karen at 10:33am April 6
dude, you'd be like, in IOWA...they can be cold as a falling thermometer in December if you ask about their weather in July ♫!

Z: at 2:02pm April 17
OMG... really? Am I the only one that got that Music Man reference?

Karen at 2:08pm April 17
I hope not! We can stand touching noses!

Z at 2:09pm April 17
But what if we never see eye to eye?

Karen at 2:13pm April 17
We can join the other people at the picnic!

*****

I really HAD been disappointed that no one got that until 11 days later. Better late than never.
[And Stephen F., Dear, where the bloody hell are you on FB? Please don't tell me they don't have facebook in Manchester, or the boonies, because even they're not that far in the boonies for satellite.]

Happy Birthday Benny

I like this pic from better times during the US/Vatican Relationship. Some presidents knew how to do hospitality. [How much you wanna bet if he'd visited on his b'day today, zero would have presented him with a single devil's food cupcake that Malia left over from her lunch?

Georgetown whores itself for Zero

Yeah, Nobambi Hussein wanted the name of Jesus covered up when he gave an economic speech at Georgetown. So the whores at Georgetown bent over for him and did it.

Complain here.

When are bishops going to grow some sets and start yanking faculties for people like Jenkins and whatever unholy Jesuit approved this latest stunt.

Hysterical CNN "reporter" aghast not everyone wears kneepads for 0ero

You mean not everyone is thrilled with the government bleeding future generations dry?



In other news, government hack Janette Napolitano issues "warning" that there are right wing extremists, you know those folks who don't believe in the wholesale slaughter of innocent children in the womb, that need watching. And they're clinging to their guns and religion, and many of them are veterans too.

No, you silly bitches, YOU are the people who need watching. Take off the kneepads and wipe off your chins, you're embarrassing.

You can call me "honey" any time!!!

Really. :-D When I was getting some new tires (and parting with $$$$ I didn't particularly care to part with but had to) I waltzed over to a nearby liquor store to grab some Coke to nurse while waiting. The clerk reminded me "put in your pin number, honey" because I was using my ATM card and in such a daze I forgot to. Made my day. Now I know when you're in the board room and unless you're the gofer "honey do" doesn't go over very well. BUT when I'm in this sort of situation and down in the dumps, especially, you can call me "honey" anytime. Really.

Hope, Change, and Snappy Uniforms

These 'bots are frightening. When are the stupid people going to wake up? Before or after their "children" inform on then? The trouble is they have so many willing "scout masters."

Happy Easter

95% of the day was good. (Except for the flat tire bit, I'll finish dealing with that tomorrow.)

The powers that be outdid themselves more than usual this year. I served the evening 5:15 Mass and helped with Communion. Honestly, it was like sitting/standing in a field of lilies from my vantage point.

My church is in Old Town in San Diego, and is named after the patron saint of the United States. [And yes, I'm being slightly cryptic, I like to fly under the radar.] The pastor emeritus had the Mass, Fr. Tom P. -- Father Tom was also the first priest I ever served Mass for, back in '75 early in my college days. [And all you young girls serving Mass now can call me a pioneer woman for blazing the trail for you - and you can thank Fr. Tom as well. There WOULD have been a nice pic of Fr. Tom and me here BUT the person who took it must have jerked her hand just as she took it, oh, well.]

The side niches were also decorated nicely too. I hope everyone had as wonderful a Lenten Season and Easter Triduum as I had. Below is some video I took after everyone left. Might be a little dark but it was about 6:40 or so, and I just used all available light.

Vatican Sticks it to Caroline Kennedy and Nobama

Are Zero's people this full of hubris and arrogance that they keep trying to shove a pro-abortion "Catholic" to represent the US to the Holy See? YEAH!!!! Slow learners.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Now if all the bishops in the US would "Grow a set" and stop giving Communion to these jackasses too.

Easter Vigil

I don't always go to the Easter Vigil. But I did tonight. This time I went to the Vigil Mass at St. Charles Borromeo in San Diego. Nice Mass. Father just "did the Mass" -- AS WRITTEN -- without "embellishment." Yes, it can be done. Photo's a little fuzzy, but I just used available light.

I don't know about you folks, but I'm as tired as all get out.

Good Friday - (Mulier Fortis must have been asleep at the switch!)

...wow...I have some Good Friday pics up before Mulier Fortis, and she's 8 hours ahead of me!

These pictures were taken at this afternoon's 3 o'clock service at St. Anne's, San Diego. MY but I've been to theatrical performances with fewer costume changes! Sorry if these pics are slightly fuzzy. I used the best ones - I didn't want to use flash and have the entire congregation beat the snot out of me.

This first picture is of the gospel reading. It's been intriguing me why the gospel is read to the side like this. Even in the eastern Rite the Priest come out to the front of the sanctuary and proclaims it to the people straight on. Whatever. They all chanted very well. I always pity the poor soul who has to sing the high voice. I dunno what the Church was thinking. Ditto if "Jesus" doesn't happen to be a bass. I need to look at my Jungmann's to see if there's anything about this "gospel sideways" business.

This next part is where "The wood of the cross" is gradually unveiled. Newly ordained Deacon Jose Zapeda is to the left, Fr. Flood, visiting head honcho of the North American District of the FSSP is the principle celebrant with the cross, and Fr. Gismondi, the pastor of St. Anne's, acting as subdeacon, is to the right. Something tells me Fr. G. probably took off his stole a little too soon on this one. Because if memory serves he gave his lackey a funny look after he took it off and handed it to him, and then perhaps[?] realized "too late" he wouldn't have time to put it back on and get where he needed to be in time. I think he did it to see if anyone would notice.


This next photo was taken just before Communion. Earlier on they'd had on Black vestments before the unveiling, then they switched to purple for Communion.


Then after Communion, exeunt, sacristy sinistra.


Have to say I'm always a bit taken aback that the biretta on/biretta off business is somewhat entertaining, given that on most entrances and exits it only stays on for a few paces. It's a cool hat though, so I can see why someone entitled would for sure want to wear one. I expect it's from the days when the sacristy was a ways away from the sanctuary, and there might be an outdoor hike involved - and given the cold in Europe where this stuff started, I can see where one would want to have a hat on. These birettas, I've read, were derived from a midaeval academic cap.

A prayerful time was had by all. It took about one hour and fifty minutes, but the time just flew by. No need for Henry, the Horse, to dance the waltz.

Zero gets advice from Hitlery

...on how to submit to pirates. Not that weenie boy needs much in the way of tutorials on self-loathing and prostration.

Holy Thursday - Byzantine Style

...yup. This one "won out" last night. Would have had this up sooner but youtube took forever to process the file.



Here's the beginning of the gospel. We stood "aright and in awe" for the better part of 2 hours most of the time. The sermon was excellent. Fr. said that people who "want a personal relationship" with Jesus often miss out, because as desireable as that is, JUST that tends to be too individualistic - a person who doesn't want the rituals and the sacraments and formality. Father pointed out that by pondering the fact that Jesus gives of Himself most intimately in the Eucharist is the best way to develop an personal relationship with Him. We should be desireous of taking advantage of this gift as often as we can.

Church - it should be a welcoming experience

After Easter, we will be reaching out to all those Catholics who are having a hard time getting to regular Sunday Mass. In the interest of bringing people back in to the fold there will be a "No Excuse" Mass.

1. Cots will be placed in the vestibule and choir loft for those who say "Sunday is my only day to sleep in".

2. We will have steel helmets for those who think the church is too cold, and fans for those who say it is too hot.

3. We will have hearing aids for those who say "The Priest talks too softly", and cotton for those who say HE preaches too loudly.

4. Score cards for those who wish to list hypocrites present.

5. Some relatives will be in attendance for those who like to go visiting on Sundays.

6. There will be TV dinners for those who can't go to Church and cook dinner also. (Thank you new TV dinner ministry!)

7. One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to see God in Nature.

8. Finally the Sancuary will be decorated with both Christmas pointsettias and Easter Lillies for those who have never seen the church without them.

Decisions, Decisions....

Where to go to Mass tonight. I think I'm ruling out the EF at St. Anne's. I've been going there for Mon and Tues a.m. Masses before work, and Friday evening and Saturday. But it's kind of small, and I think it will be packed - so that rules that out - plus, it's doubtful I can grab my seat of preference, which is the seat in the front pew, extreme right. It's the one I can see the chalice from. A "must" for me.

I'm ruling out my own parish...because my own pastor might well adlib enough to make me want to scream. I suppose I could go up to the Mission, they do nice ones, but then...just...no. Not enough elbow room to swing a cat. I'm ruling out St. Therese. Big church, lots of room BUT, the priest there is a shade folksy...and I'm not in the mood for "folksy" right now.

Mentally, it's down to Holy Angels, the Byzantine Rite. I haven't favored it with my presence this year yet, but I'm feeling sentimental and I'll feel the presense of my mother and grandmother especially. But another friend, who does have lung issues, might want to go with me, and in that case I'd have to rule it out, because it will be a trip to the ER as well. Holy Angels uses more incense in a week than most western rite churches use in a month. If I don't go here, I'll be sure to go Easter Monday and Tues, IF they do Mass at night.

Which leaves St. Charles. Big church, with little chance of incense "issues." NO, but they do a nice service.

I wish I could bi-locate.

Outright liars at the White House re: bow to Saudi King

Just as I predicted last week. An "anonymous" clown at the White House is trying to cover for Barry Soetero (D-Kenya) claiming that Zero was merely "grasping the King with both hands and looking down because Barry is taller than the king.

These jackasses don't seem to realize that although THEY were holding US reporters at bay, *Other* countries newsmen were not so hampered, nor do they all cover with Cat Litter for 'the One.'

You can see the story, and the video here

I should be so clairvoyant about winning lottery numbers.

Zero thinks there's a language called "Austrian"

Download the video before it's gone. The lamestream press will put catlitter over this one too. They owe Dan Quayle an apology. Some comedian made a joke that implied Quayle thought "Latin" was the predominant language in Latin America. Wasn't true but the press reported it endlessly as "fact."

But "the smartest man in the world, the most suave, the uniter, "The One," The One who will "rescue" America's reputation on earth thinks there's an "Austrian" language. Most of us in "all 57 states" know better.

Phew! Made it through another Palm Sunday

...without "incident." Every Palm Sunday I always get to the sacristy and hold my breath that "they" have not done us in at the Sunday 5:15 Mass. What would be the ONE thing NOT to run out of on Palm Sunday?

Right.

I always get to the sacristy "extra early" on big event days. If something *can* go wrong, it will always be on a day when you have little time to spare. 15-20 years ago, I'd gotten to the sacristy good and early to make sure everything was okay. Well, it wasn't. There weren't but a HANDFUL of Palms. Literally. Someone hadn't set aside ANY for the Sunday 5:15, or people just grabbed them ALL after the last morning Mass. Bupkis. Nada. ZERO. Zippity-do-dah.

Well, I did what anyone would do under such circumstances. Fortunately, THAT particular Palm Sunday we had four lovely huge cut palm branches adorning the sanctuary. Check that. By the time Mass started, we had TWO lovely huge cut palm branches adorning the sanctuary...and lots of palms to give out. Glad I've always accounted for the "what ifs" and still give a sigh of relief not to ever have had to get "hangar queen" palms on Palm Sunday since then.

The picture above is one I took tonight of our tabernacle. I'm sorry I didn't take an actual closeup. This pic is cropped from one I took of the sanctuary from further back. The palm with roses was particularly lovely.

In da 'hood

Haven't done many posts about San Diego lately, but the neighborhood I frequent for weekday Masses is, shall I say, one of the older ones. It's just on the east side of the 5 where the entrance to the Coronado bridge is. It's seen "Better days" but something about these older neighborhoods is somewhat refreshing[?] in that one sees the odd thing here and there that one wouldn't normally see in the more anti-septic neighborhoods.

I have to say the guy [I'm assuming it's a guy with a tolerant wife, or equal Charger fanatic] that he must have a set of big brass ones. You know all the guys are thinking "Wow, how did his wife/old lady/girl friend let him paint the house like that?" And the women are thinking "if my husband/old man/boy friend painted the house like that it would be a 9/11 call." This house is a couple of blocks down from the Church.

This next house is interesting.

There were actually more roosters in the back, and wandering along the sidewalk, but something about it made me sense "cock fight gone awry" so I didn't get out and take the optimal shot 'cuz I was chicken. I'll mess with St. Paul, but not I'm not taking a chance just in case it's not Mamacita making a little money on the side keeping roosters to get their feathers to adorn hats- but Paco running a cock fighting ring. I didn't even know you could keep fowl in the city! [And something tells me "uh-uh" I bet no one is late for work, though. These guys are around the other side of the long block from the church, but I only saw them loose the one day after Mass. Some of them look like fine specimens!

Many of the houses were built in the 20s-40s I'd guess. I'd have loved to have seen the hood in its heyday.

You know, no matter where you go to Mass you are never satisfied with the details...

.. I had a bit of a chuckle this a.m. I got to church an hour early to do adoration and take part in the Benediction given before Mass. Usually the powers that be are just taking out the pyx to put in the monstrance just about 8 on the dot. Well, today they were a little behind schedule, not much, maybe 5-7 minutes ... then the deacon rolled on out to do that. I was sitting in the front row, and an older lady behind me had just come in and knelt behind me and whispered in my ear "Aren't they a little late?" I said "just a few minutes." And she said "and why is HE doing it? He's not a priest." So I said "he was just ordained a deacon" and she said "But I thought you had to be a priest" and I said "no, deacons can do the full ceremony, and technically, if need be a layman can also lead a benediction, but can't do the blessing." She chewed on that a bit.



Then when the deacon had set up the monstrance and knelt, there was silence for a bit, and the lady whispered "Aren't we supposed to sing O Salutaris?" And I said "I expect he'll start it." About 10 seconds later, he started the verse. We all joined in and then the deacon got up from his kneeling position to go in the sacristy before the first verse was finished. The lady behind me was astonished. "WELL, I never ... he didn't even stay! WELCOME to the NEW CHURCH." Very miffled. [About 45 minutes passes, then the benediction proper is done, and very nicely too.] But I had to laugh a bit, if that's the worst abuse she has to put up with.

Oh, and there was a trifecta of sorts. This is the 3rd time someone asked if I wanted a veil. The first time it was by a very sweet old lady. The last two Sats. in a row two different guys came trotting all the way up front, veil in hand, to offer me one. The 1st guy made haste to leave me in peace at the first refusal. This last guy was clearly put out that I wasn't playing ball with St. Paul, who as far as I am concerned about the women covering their heads bit, can go fly a kite. I about told the last guy as much, if not in words by intonation. My refusal kind of had that "hell no" ring to it.

Misguided one: "Would you like a veil?"
Minding own business one: "No, thank you."
Misguided one: "Oh, do you already have one?"
Irritated one: "NO, and I don't WANT one."
Whimpering one: "But you're *supposed* to." (said as he retreated)

Dude, I don't "have to" do jack squat!!! St. Paul never intimidated me, and this guy striding up with a Peptobismal Pink(tm) mantillia isn't going to either! He can consider himself lucky I didn't tell him what he could do with himself and the pony he rode up on. Believe me, I was tempted. The worst of it is, he probably actually believes I "need to." Which is, if anything, what's "wrong" with some of the LM people. Been isolated too long. If this is to be participated in by the whole western church, then it's for ALL of us. Even the ones who would have told Paul to go chase himself. As to those who really think this way: If St. Paul came back today to tell two guys they needed to get circumcised so they could go preach to some Jews, don't tell me today's adult guys would hack off a bit of their wee-wee to comply. "Dude, can't you find some guys who were born Jews to do this? This whole town, and you can't find Jews who converted to Christ? Matter of fact, why don't YOU do it? April fool's day is OVER."


[Sorry for the funny angle on the video, but I was guesitmating by holding it in front of my sternum. Note the brand new altar rail and step facings and flooring. No, it's not an ideal angle, but it was a good angle for the Mass to follow.]

Please keep Philip's Dad in your Prayers

Philip's dad, John Andrews, died suddenly and unexpectedly on April 1.

Eternal rest grant unto him.

And let perpetual light shine upon him.

May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,

Through the Mercy of God

Rest in Peace.

GOP: Here's the 2010 Campaign Poster

...at least until this jackass does something dumber. But then, maybe he's giving the King profound thanks for paying for his "education." Or he's dropped his earpiece. His damn suit is shiny too. Where'd he come up with that glad rag? Mohammed's Discount Warehouse?

But then it's not surprising that a Muslim would bow like that. Totally in keeping with what this clown really is.

No wonder the Eurotwits had orgasms over him. Barry, why don't you just do us all a favor and take a page from Japanese warriors who screw up?

Oh, and in case you have liberal jackass coworkers who claim Barry Soetero "dropped something" here is a VIDEO taken from the side. This will NOT be endlessly played by the "kneepad" press operating in this country.

Neil Cavuto rips Congressman Grayson a New One

I love the smell of burning congresscretin.

Sitientes Saturday, Skipping the Judica Mea and all that

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but so far I've been having an interesting Lent.

1) I haven't blown it yet on the Friday abstinence...but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I make it all the way through, because it seems like 2 out of 3 Lents I blow it somewhere.

2) I've been going to daily Mass more. I go to my own parish for Sunday Mass, but I've found the times very convenient at the new EF St. Anne's parish for some weekday Masses. I don't make it every day by far, but I've been going anywhere between 2-4 additional weekday Masses.

3) I never knew before there was a "Sitientes Saturday." It's the Saturday after the 4th Sunday (Laetare) in Lent. I knew there was a "Gaudete Sunday" and "Laetare Sunday," but never realized there were other days that had a special name taken from the 1st word of the Introit. "Sitientes" means "thirsty [ones]" -- the ubiquitous "they" translate it as "you who thirst." The English translation of the verse begins "You that thirst come to the waters, saith the Lord: and you that have no money, come and drink with joy." Sitientes Saturday was traditionally a day on which ordinations are done ... which finally solved the mystery to me of why so many of our Irish priests have February and March ordination dates. Here I always assumed it was because they were more likely to be on trimesters rather than semesters in their seminaries.

4) Autopilot. Yeah, as I suspected, one of the drawbacks with Latin is I think sometimes because a 2nd language isn't your own native tongue, unless you are really bilingual, there is always a delayed reaction in understanding. In the TLM, unless it is a requiem Mass or Passiontide (like it is from the start of before vespers Saturday) the priest and server(s) alternate Psalm 42 at the beginning right after the 1st priest/server exchange. Yesterday morning, father messed it up...launched into the "Judica me...." then after a back and forth or so, caught himself and skipped to where he should have gone.

This morning, determined to get it right, he firmly said "Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini." [Our help is in the name of the Lord...] But the servers, NOT LISTENING, did the 2nd response they'd have normally given, i.e. "Quia tu es, Deus, fortitudo mea: quare me repulisti, et quare tristis incedo, dum affligit me inimicus?" ["For Thou, O God, art my strength, why hast thou forsaken me? And why do I go about in sadness, while the enemy afflicts me?" (You're probably in sadness because of all these purple draped figures around you, dude.) According to my Jungmann's Rite of the Roman ritual it's likely skipped because these very words are incongruous given the Passiontide. In other words "yeah, dude, well, duh!!! no need to wonder why you're so sad, given what we're going to commemorate very soon now."] I heard Father *sigh* just a bit, knowing that was 2 days in a row it was blown. Rather than correct, he acted like they hadn't answered incorrectly and carried on the whole way through the 42nd psalm.

Given that the priests who do the Latin Mass don't give the girls the "golden hand shake" keeping all the interesting stuff for the boys, I wonder if they don't first do the run throughs IN ENGLISH to make sure the servers know what they are saying. Because even in English most Catholics would know that the response to "Our help is in the name of the Lord" should be "who made heaven and earth."

Whatever. Lapse. But then in English people also go into brain freeze, so I wouldn't guarantee by a long shot necessarily much better, though I would have thought they'd self-correct sooner.

4. The missals are nice, but it's somewhat of a pain to use three. I have a small Sunday Missal. Excellent small pictures to the side to enable one to "self-check" during the silent canon if you're in the same ballpark spot as the priest. Nice big type that even my occasionally smeared contact lenses can see through come hell or high water. All the crosses the priests makes are clearly marked, which helps. Well, that's a good missal good for the common parts of the mass, but not the changeable parts. Need a daily missal for that. Smaller type font, and though the English and Latin is given for SOME of the short prayers like the introit and post communion, it doesn't have the Latin for the Epistle and Gospel. Geek that I am, I like to follow the Latin. But the Daily Missal is also good for making sure I've understood the readings in English first, to fill in the words I don't know in Latin. PLUS there is a nice section for Latin/English prefaces side-by-side, which isn't contained in the Sunday Missal OR my missal #3. A small, compact, entirely in Latin hand missal with very small type font and no illustrations. I use a plastic see through bookmark that also acts as a magnifying glass with this. The priest was curious to see it, as he hadn't seen one from the 1920s like I have. "A seminarian's missal" he called it. Big plus to this one is, all the changeable parts, save the preface are pretty much confined to two pages, and I don't have to do a lot of flipping around, I just turn at most (usually) one page.

So here's the drill: I get to Mass 15 minutes early. Grab the Daily [English] Missal, and mark the preface and read all the readings in English. Then I grab the Latin missal, find the Mass there (and this I keep book marked with a yellow sticky as the ribbon died long ago) and keep it on the edge of the page (and believe me it can be a bitch to find if you lose the place.) Then I read the readings in Latin and go back to the English if-I-am-really-not-getting-it until I do get it so as to be able to get both meaning and words more or less simultaneously. Then I lay those two books sideways next to me. The Latin Missal open to the right propers and the Daily Missal open to the right preface. (Believe me, you have to practically go on a Ranger Search and Rescue mission to find that.) Father walks in and I grab the Sunday missal to follow the common parts. When we hit the changeable parts, I lay the Latin missal (already open) right smack on top of the Sunday missal, and use that until after the gospel, then put it aside for the offertory. The Secret can STAY the secret, usually, as far as I'm concerned, because it's always short AFAIK, and it's too much of a hassle to lean over grab the magnifying bookmark and read it at the right time for that short passage - and I already read it privately earlier. But I do lean over for the preface, because the prefaces are AWESOME. Too cool for words. Soaring Latin prose...maybe not as good as the "six winged many eyed" angels in the Eastern rite, but close. Darn close. Then I can turn my attention to following that silent canon in the Sunday missal. I smile if I pace it so I hit that "nobis quoque peccatoribus" thing right on. Thank-you-subdeacons-who-aren't-there-anymore-waiting-for-the-signal-to-grab-the-Communion-bags-which-no-longer-exist. Then I eventually have fun changing the "Domine, non sum dignus" to "Domine, non sum digna" just to tick off Fr. Sean's friend, should he happen to be there and sitting next to me which hasn't happened but I hope will because I have never seen a cow, or a bull for that matter, give birth in church. I love to see men have hissy fits. [Google Z's blog for "Domine non sum digna" if you don't know what I'm talking about.] Then I get to stand during Communion, my eastern rite heritage way of saying "hey, I am standing aright and in awe, and my right knee, in particular, is blown, baby." Then at the end I use the Sunday missal and plop on the Latin Missal when need be.

5. IMO, Father reads the last Gospel way-too-fast-like-he's-in-a-race-but-then-maybe-all-the-cool-90-year-old-priests-he-may-have-learned-from-said-it-that-way-because-they-were-in-a-hurry-to-get-to-the-breakfast-bacon-before-some-other-guy-got-it-because-there-were-10-guys-in-the-rectory-back-then-and-it's-no-fun-sucking-hind-teat-at-breakfast.

6. The church is in an "interesting[?]" neighborhood/barrio/whatever. Let me just say if you lived in that school district you'd probably try and have your kids bussed somewhere else. BUT, on the plus side, I have seen some interesting phenomenon. One Saturday morning, about a block from the church, there were ROOSTERS, and only roosters, hanging all around one particular house. Haven't seen them out and about before or since, though I did hear one of them this morning. [Sometimes the "silent canon" is accompanied by some nearby barking dogs. The roosters are too far away.] Oh, and yesterday, I was running late, else I would have stopped and fished out the camera, there was a house, ENTIRELY painted with a Charger logo and in team colors. Insane and bizarre, but somehow refreshing because you KNOW that condo association people would die of apoplexy over something like that. I think I'd prefer overall, the occasional neighbor having a house painted as only a fanatical Charger fan would - or have someone who kept fowl to dealing with neo-nazi condo association people who never got over being treasurer of their sophomore class. Unless, of course the Charger house was right next to mine, or the mafia was involved in the cock fights. [How do you know the mafia was involved in a cock fight? They bring a duck. The duck wins.] I think I'll do pics of the Charger house and the city slicker roosters on Fri. or Sat. after I've had time to take a pic of the former - it's been a while since I did any San Diego Travelogue posts - and I've got another one of those besides that in the works.

I suppose I could just be there at Mass and say the rosary, but what fun would that be?

Labrynth Mess in Cathedral

Whenever I think some things in the San Diego diocese are bad, I only have to look to kitbrookside's blog for a Diocese of Rochester atrocity. I wish this was a photoshopped joke, but apparently not. Isn't the vinyl prayer mat something that is more suited to a Baptist version of "Twister?" Wait...the Baptists have far better taste.

It occurs to me, however, that there IS a simple solution. Have a baseball team attend Mass there either immediately before or after the game - WITH their cleats on. Gone in 60 seconds, baby.

This used to be the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester - until the wiccans apparently took it over. I hear next week they're gonna sacrifice a goat to the god Pan. Think I'll skip it.