Burying the Boston Bomber

I've been hearing on the news that the family of the Boston bomber is having a hard time finding a cemetary willing to sell them a plot to bury him in.

I think that a Catholic cemetary should come forward and offer to bury him. 

I know he was a terrorist.

I know he was a Muslim.

But one of the Catholic works of mercy is to bury the dead. The mortal remains of human beings should be treated with respect, no matter who they were,  what they did or what religion they happened to be.

Pope Benedict Resigns: Fear, Anger, Justice & Trust

Pope Benedict, on this Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, has announced his intention to resign at the end of this month.

Anyone who wonders why he would do this, who wonders why he, who lives in relative luxury, would be "tired", has only to look at the extreme reactions to this news, from so many, to get a taste of what it is like to be in charge of the Church.

Fear

One reaction is from those on the (for lack of a better term) far "right" of the Catholic Church--those seen, by some, as being "more Catholic than the Pope."   Some circles are abuzz with the so-called Prophesy of St. Malachi--supposedly predicting exactly how many popes the church will have--and, as a result, (I assume), the end of the world.  Jesus said "You will know neither the day nor the hour."  This kind of whipping up of unapproved prophetic frenzy does no good to anyone and makes some quite uneasy.

Another corner of uneasiness is coming from some who see Pope Benedict as "their pope" and who feel "abandoned" by his resignation.  He is not dead.  He is alive and will continue to serve the Church through prayer. Jesus also said, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against (the Church)."  As St. Padre Pio said, "Pray, hope and don't worry."

Also, it is never a spiritually healthy idea to hang one's entire faith (or any of it, really) on a human being.  Priests, cardinals and the Pope himself are human beings.  Guided by God, yes--we pray that is the case.  But, to feel adrift when a spiritual leader goes away, or dies, or is caught up in a scandal of some sort, is to put one's faith a human being.

Our faith is based on a person--the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity--Jesus Christ.  He is the only person we should have complete faith in.

Anger

On the other extreme, we have people (many of whom are current or former Catholics) who bitterly rail against anything having to do with the Catholic Church, or any of her leaders.  They insist on posting every, (often misleading or incomplete) article about the latest Catholic scandal, and, in this case, have taken the latest news as an opportunity to post about their dislike of the current Holy Father.

I will never understand why this is considered ok to do.  The way I was raised, it is not something done in polite company.  If I am at a cocktail party, and the host is a practicing Catholic, I would never think of ranting against the leader of the Catholic Church in her home.  I think the same holds true in cyber space, personally.

Tolerance of others is a value that many in this group hold dear.  The exception seems to be Catholic Christianity.  It must be ultra-modern, or face their public wrath.

Also, holding on to hatred and malice is not a healthy thing. Those, especially those in Church leadership positions, who, as I said before, are human beings, desperately need our *prayers*. If there is someone in particular who we happen to think has lead the Church down the wrong path, that person needs our prayers and not our hatred.

Justice

I admit it is sometimes a difficult line to draw.  There are those in the Church who have made very grave mistakes and who have not seen justice done to their victims.  We need to continue to speak out against any illegal and immoral things that have been done and to work for justice.

But, because a Church leader does not happen to share your political views? Not a reason for so much anger, in my opinion.

Trust

This is an exciting time to be a Catholic.  We believe that the Holy Spirit is necessarily at work in every conclave called to elect a pope.  The world *is* changing, and there *are* many things about the Church that *can* change.

I look forward to seeing what will happen.

Come, Holy Spirit!

Book Review: Off Balance by Dominique Moceanu

Off Balance: A Memoir by Dominique Moceanu
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Off Balance, by Dominique Moceanu, seemed a bit...off balance. It goes back and forth between the story of Moceanu discovering the existence of, and later, meeting, the sister her parents gave up for adoption because she was born without legs, and the "inside" story of Dominique's gymnastic career. That structure left me feeling off balance. I found myself wishing for more detail and resolution of the many threads that wove through these stories.

I initially read the book more for the story of the reconnection between the 2 sisters, and ended up more interested in the story of the abuse as perpetrated by Dominique's father and the famous Bela Karolyi. I will never look at gymnastics, or indeed, any pro sport, quite the same again. What price are we asking elite athletes to pay for our entertainment? I have long asked this question, and this book validates my concerns.

It is a shame that so many people knew of her father's "temper" and of Karolyi's mistreatment, and did nothing. The end of the book reveals the fact that the Karolyis (both Bela and Marta) control gymnastics more today than ever.

I hope that people listen closely to Ms. Moceanu's concerns.

2013 Spiritual Practices

It is a new year, and I'm incorporating some specific spiritual practices into my day. I am trying to pray morning and evening prayer every day, having just made my book of Christian Prayer a denim cover from an old pair of jeans.  The local parish I go to for Daily Mass 3/x a week, currently, does Morning Prayer after Mass and that has helped me learn my way around the Liturgy of the Hours in book form.  The priest from my own parish read part of the Office of Readings at Mass the other day, which reminded me that it exists in the back of the book of Christian Prayer and I'm trying to remember to read that as well.

I'm also really liking the Ignatian Daily Examen.  At the highlighted link, I clicked on Handouts on the Examen  and printed out Finding God in All Things.  I tuck that into my Liturgy of the Hours book and go over it after I read Evening Prayer.

Ignatian Spirituality's website has lots of resources on the Examen.  Everyone is sure to find one that will suit their lifestyle and place in the spiritual journey.

Music Monday--Christmas--Handel's Messiah

Today's Music Monday is a real treat--the entire Handle's Messiah. I have been told by an online friend that this version is closest to the way Handle's audience would have heard it in his day with the tenor flourishes. Also, this is the entire score, with no pieces left out. Remember, we are still celebrating the birth of Our Lord!

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

This week's Music Monday was Hodie Christus Natus Est.  We also listened to Good King Wenceslaus and I highlighted a blogger who is generously volunteering to facilitate the 2013 Patron Saint of the Year.

Good King Wenceslaus

Happy Feast of Stephen! The snow is certainly laying 'round about here today!