taylorwentabloggin

A Few More Pics of St. James the Greater and Easter Sunday

2008-03-29T23:13:00.003-04:00

The interior of St. James the Greater, with the altar set up for TLM:

The stained glass windows there are beautiful:

The crucifix:

Another interior shot:

Adam, David, and Daniel...

St. James the Greater and Easter Pics

2008-03-29T22:59:00.004-04:00

On Easter Sunday, we attended the high TLM at St. James the Greater in WV. After Mass, I was able to get some photos.

Here is their choir loft:

An exterior shot of this lovely parish:

A wider-angle shot of the exterior:

The steeple showcases the beauty and simplicity of the design. I don't know who the architect is, but I'd love to see some of his other work.

The altar set up for the TLM.

Quiet prayer after Mass. Nobody here was talking until they got out into the foyer. It was wonderful.

BARB!!!

2008-03-24T21:02:00.000-04:00

Can you seez it?

Farewell, Lent...

2008-03-23T02:40:00.003-04:00

Lent always seems to be shorter than it really is. Blink, and it's gone.

Here's wishing you all a holy, healthy, and happy Easter season.

Some pics from recent weekends...

2008-02-25T09:54:00.003-05:00

Baby Greggie, being silly and upside down...

Uncle Frank plays with Baby Greggie...

Nom...nom...nom...pizza is chewy!

Here's Dave...all happy about something...probably pizza.

Up high in the floor to ceiling chimney wall at Frank and Joanie's place, there are two fairly large statues nestled in. One is Jesus, and one is the Blessed Mother. Here is an up-close image of the Blessed Mother. Isn't she beautiful?

Some pics from the Pitt

2008-02-24T18:58:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures from a recent day trip to Pittsburgh!

Here is St. Anthony's chapel, where the largest collection of saints' relics in the United States is housed:

This is the statue that is on the top of St. Anthony's chapel (you can see it in the pic above, too).

Here's Dave, outside the doors to the chapel.

These are just some buildings downtown that I thought looked cool.

This is a picture of the city, coming down Troy Hill.

Our Lady of Lourdes

2008-02-11T12:12:00.000-05:00

I am preparing some materials and activities on Our Lady of Lourdes for religious education class tonight.

In thinking about the apparition, and what Our Lady asked of St. Bernadette, I have been blessed with a great illumination about my own faith and my conversion.

Our Lady asked St. Bernadette to perform acts "for the sinners" and asked her to do things like kiss the ground, eat grass, and dig up a spring. These were actions that required tremendous obedience and humility on the part of St. Bernadette, only fourteen years old at the time.

I was thinking about this, and reading the fifteen promises made by Our Lady regarding the rosary, and I was pondering why Our Lady would ask St. Bernadette to do those tasks, and why she so wants us to pray the rosary.

I thought about the things that Our Lady has said to people in Church-approved apparitions. Repent. Make reparation for sin. Pray. Be obedient. Ask Jesus for mercy.

And then it became clear. All that Our Lady asked St. Bernadette to do, and all that she asks us to do, requires humility and love. Few practices can build our sense of humility as effectively as praying the rosary. In praying the rosary, we begin to develop a stronger understanding of Mary and Jesus, a deeper appreciation and love for Jesus, and a real sense of just what Catholic Marian devotion is all about.

Yes, we honor Mary because she is God's most perfect creature. We love Mary because she is the Mother of Jesus Christ and our Mother, too. We model ourselves after Mary because of her obedience and humility, and look to her for an example of how to say "yes" to God.

But there's more to it than that. When we honor Mary's obedience and humility, we are honoring more than just her choice (which of course, in and of itself, warrants respect). We are honoring the very will of God, we are honoring the kind of person He has designed us to be. Mary's life was overflowing with humility, love, obedience, faith, suffering, and grace. Before the Gospel was written, Mary was living it. Before the Early Church Fathers wrote about our Trinitarian God, Mary knew Him well and lived in an intimate relationship with all three Persons of our one God.

And this is how she continues as our Blessed Mother. She appears to St. Bernadette, who in turn gives us a shining example of humility and obedience. And there we have the very message of Lourdes. Humility. Obedience. Love.

Of all the places I could have ended up as an adult, thirty minutes from the National Grotto of Lourdes was simply the best place for me, and the best place for my hardened heart, in dire need of conversion. God, more kind and generous than I could ever have hoped, gave me a place to see humility at work. To suffer through my pride and to pray with my Mother, at a place where humility is honored abundantly.

I just came across this, which I think is lovely reading for a day like today. Here you go, a little Merton on Mary:

"It is because she is, of all the saints, the most perfectly poor and the most perfectly hidden, the one who has absolutely nothing whatever that she attempts to possess as her own, that she can most fully communicate to the rest of us the grace of the infinitely selfless God. And we will most truly possess Him when we have emptied ourselves and become poor and hidden as she is, resembling Him by resembling her."

Bad Liturgy, Parish Confusion

2008-02-10T15:54:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that my parish has a reputation for catering to horizontalism, from name-tag Sunday to homilies telling us to "point to the Christ that we will become, and point to the Christ we already are."

I read this little gem from Cardinal Arinze today, and it soothed my soul. Here it is, for any of you in a similarly confused parish:

Many abuses in matters liturgical are based, not on bad will but on ignorance, because they "involve a rejection of those elements whose deeper meaning is not understood and whose antiquity is not recognized" ("Redemptionis Sacramentum," No. 9). Thus some abuses are due to an undue place given to spontaneity, or creativity, or to a wrong idea of freedom, or to the error of horizontalism which places man at the center of a liturgical celebration instead of vertically focusing on Christ and his mysteries.

I must be overworking them...

2008-01-29T10:53:00.000-05:00

Here's a dialog from my 1st grade class last night:

Me: Well, kiddos, we have a test to do. Should we do it tonight or next week?

Kids: Next week!

Me: Alright, we'll do a little review this week, and the test next week.

Kid: Mrs. Taylor?

Me: Yes?

Kid: How about if we just have an easy class this week. Let's not do any worksheets, either.

I must be going soft in my old age, but they got their way. We learned about Lent and made rosaries. No worksheets. No test.

Oh, but just WAIT until next week! ;)

And even more pics!

2008-01-25T08:44:00.001-05:00

From March for Life 2008

A Few Good Men...

The Triumph of the Cross...

"The religious right wants to tell women they have to be pregnant."

Really? You sure about that, genius?

March on, friends, march on...

Just for architectural appreciation...

Some more shots from March for Life 2008

2008-01-25T00:36:00.001-05:00

Some young ladies nearby enjoy music on the mall...

Our Lady stands waiting for change outside the State Reps offices...

This sign was down the street...I was fortunate that my camera managed to pick it up...

March for Life 2008 - A Few Photos

2008-01-23T01:52:00.001-05:00

Here is the group I was with, from St. Peter's in Libertytown. The banner of OLG was actually painted by one of the parishioners. Stunning work!

This was a very large and culturally diverse group from NY. I thought their banner was quite beautiful.

And, of course, Steubenville made a strong showing:

One of my favorite banners of the day:

Snow! Snow! SNOW!!!

2008-01-21T08:12:00.001-05:00

My sister sent some pictures from Altmar, NY. Her subject line was "And it snowed..." and the text of her e-mail indicated that there is no sign of stopping.

It's beautiful!

Emmitsburg Basilica - in detail...

2008-01-20T00:43:00.000-05:00

This is a detail of the statue of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton that stands on the altar dedicated to her in the Basilica.

This is a detail of the crucifix that is hanging above the sanctuary:

In the four corners of the arches that go up into the ceiling of the basilica, there is a mosaic of each of the Gospel authors. Here is a detail of the mosaic of St. John.

This is the Gethsemane Chapel, a beautiful place to sit in quiet prayer. The wall is curved covered in a mosaic scene.

A detail of the statue of Jesus in the Gethsemane Chapel. You can see the beautiful colors of the mosaic behind...

Emmitsburg Basilica

2008-01-20T00:40:00.000-05:00

I went to Emmitsburg today and took a few pictures of the Shrine of St. Elzabeth Ann Seton, a minor basilica in Emmitsburg, MD.

Above are a few shots. I'll post some more detailed shots in a bit.

Baby Greg

2008-01-20T00:19:00.000-05:00

Here are some recent photos of the cute little man.

Me -- in recovery from surgery

2008-01-18T23:11:00.001-05:00

Oh yeah...check the bald spot where the tumor was.

Of course, now you can't really tell that it was necessarily from surgery. Just looks like I have mange.

Images from our home prayer space

2008-01-17T22:38:00.001-05:00

Wall Rosaries

2008-01-17T22:29:00.000-05:00

Here are pictures of our two wall rosaries. One is in the den -- it is very old. My mother procured it from an estate sale and gave it to my husband when we were in the process of preparing to come into the Church.

The second is one that I bought for him. It has a St. Benedict medal in the center and take a look at the beads!

Playing with the New Camera

2008-01-17T19:18:00.000-05:00

Hey, all!

Here's a picture of Dave. I took it tonight with my new digital camera. I am practicing using it with the hopes that I will be able to get some cool shots of local Catholic locations for my mom and a few other relatives/friends.

Here's a sepia Dave:

As We Look Ahead to This Year's March for Life

2008-01-05T02:26:00.000-05:00

Let's remember the words of Pope John Paul II:

"The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus' message...In the name of God: respect, protect, love, and serve life, every human life!"

Holy Men Are Just So Funny!

2007-12-29T22:25:00.000-05:00

The other day I was watching a bit of Archbishop Fulton Sheen. He was telling a story about a woman that would hang around outside a church, and that he would talk with her and finally convinced her to come inside the church. (This is paraphrased, but the story basically went like this.) She said, "Alright, but once I get in there don't you ask me to go to confession." He said, "Alright, I won't." She was insistent. He said, "Fine, I won't ask you to go to confession."

He goes on with the story, "We went inside, and got to where we were walking past the confessionals. And I didn't ask her to go to confession. While we were walking by, I just pushed her right into the booth."

HA!

Now, I'm listening to Fr. Corapi, who is telling a story about a man who walked into his confessional and said, "Bless me father, I have no sins."

"Really?! I thought only Mary was immaculately conceived. Praise God!"

Fr. Corapi and Archbishop Fulton Sheen. You gotta love them both.

Dani

The Holy Father on Relativism

2007-12-27T19:15:00.000-05:00

As a Christmas gift, I received a little book of snippets from the wise writings of Pope Benedict XVI.

I read this, and it stuck with me, probably because I work in an organization that is highly academic in nature, and academia is, overall, in a rather sad state.

"Today, a particularly insidious obstacle to the task of educating is the massive presence in our society and culture of that relativisim which, recognizing nothing as defnitive, leaves as the ultimate criterion only the self with its desires. And under the semblence of freedom it becomes a prison for each one, for it separates people from one another, locking each person into his own 'ego'."

How blessed we are to have a Pope who can say so much with so few words.

We love you, Pope Benedict XVI!

Christmas Day - Status of the Season Report :)

2007-12-26T00:39:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day both went very, very well here in the Taylor household. I made a large Polish inspired Christmas Eve dinner to go with our oblatek. We had fish, potatoes, pierogies, saurkraut, polish sausage and pickled beets.

After dinner, Dave and I relaxed some and went to Mass at 9pm at St. John the Evangelist in Frederick, MD. Mass was quite lovely. We came home, visited with the family for a little while, and then decided we would open one gift each. Well, our inner children got the best of us and we ended up deciding to open all of our gifts that night, as the 24th became the 25th in the wee, wee hours of the morning.

Dave was incredibly excited to get his wii. He was really taken aback when he unwrapped the Nintendo DS, too. Still being in the wii shock, the DS was like that one final jab that lays out the boxer after a staggering hook.

This morning, I got up early to make the ham for Christmas dinner. We had ham, stuffing, green beans, fresh rolls, etc., and then we put out desserts and treats for the visit from all the family that came later in the afternoon.

I managed to miss evening prayer in all the hubbub, which is kind of a bummer. But, other than that, everything is going really nicely. Dave is exhausted from family fun and wii playing, he's dozing on the sectional next to me.

And I am writing this from my new laptop that my lovely husband gave me for Christmas! I love it!

May the peace of Christ remain with all my friends and family this season. Happy Feast of St. Stephen!

Dani

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2007-12-25T01:13:00.000-05:00

Although it's been said many times, many ways,

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!!!

With all our love and our faithful prayers,

The Taylors

BLOG BLESSING!

2007-12-22T18:39:00.000-05:00

Dawn, Pennsylvania's most feared and revered homeschooling momma, gave me a nice blog blessing! What a lovely Christmas gift!!!

The idea… it’s a game of tag with a difference, rather than looking inwardly, we look outside ourselves and bless, praise and pray for 3 blog friend. By participating in this endeavor we not only make the recipient of the blessing feel valued and appreciated, but we are having some fun too. We’re going to see how far the bloggin’ blessings can travel around the world and how many people can be blessed! Recipients of a bloggin’ blessing may upload the above image to their sidebar if they choose to. If you receive a bloggin’ blessin’ please leave a comment on this thread so that we can rejoice in just how many blessings have been sent around the world!

I'd like to pass the blessing on to:

Ann at Ineffable Twaddle . If you see the name of her blog and still have to ask why she'd be my first choice to pass this blessing onto, you clearly do not know cool when you see it. In that case, get away from my blog, your lameness is upsetting us. ;)

Seminarian Zach is next on the list, because he is so brave and open in his communication on his blog and in web forums. He is always himself, and willing to honestly express what is on his mind. Besides, his blog often has fabulous photos.

The final recipient I've chosen is Ivar for the simple fact that his faith is an inspiration and his personality a delight. He and "Viking" are possibly two of the most kind and sincere folks you'll ever come across. Viking has been discerning his vocation for a long time, so please pray for him. Ivar is thinking about whether or not the priesthood is in his future, too.

Here are my prayers for them:

For Ann:

Heavenly Father, you have given Ann a tremendous voice, both in song and in pen. Please bless her as she uses her gifts to give you glory and serve her Church. Please send your Holy Spirit to guide her artistry all the days of her life, and to open the hearts of those with whom she shares her talents. I ask this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

For Zach:

Eternal Father, you have a devoted servant in your loving son, Zach. Please hear his prayers as he finds the best path for him in the Catholic Church. Please aid him in his preparation for the priesthood, and attend to all his needs so that he may attend to the needs of your Church and your children in Her care. It is through Christ, the Head of the Church and the Heavenly Priest, that I make these requests. Amen.

For Ivar:

Beloved Jesus, Head of the Holy Catholic Church and greatest Giver of Self, I ask that you hold Ivar close to your Holy Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of our Blessed Mother, as he discerns how to offer himself to You and Your Church. Should you call him to the sacred priesthood, please give him all he needs to become a truly pious and holy priest, and please inspire us to keep him, Zach, Viking, and all seminarians and clergy in our prayers. I thank you, Dear Jesus, for your sacrifice and the sacrifice of your good and loving priests. Thank you for giving yourself for us, and thank you for calling men to give of themselves, continuing Your work in Your Church.

Whatever life you call Ivar to live, I thank you for his example of faithful discipleship. Amen.

For Therese...A Klingon Looks Like This

2007-12-14T00:17:00.000-05:00

What I've Learned This Week

2007-12-05T19:58:00.001-05:00

Well, it's been five days since my tumor was removed from my noggin, and this is what I've learned during recovery:

1. Vicodin is not the worst way to start your day.

2. St. Therese of Lisieux is a very sweet and comforting intercessor.

3. Recovering from surgery really IS a good time to pray. It may be the only time that people actually hesitate to interrupt you.

4. When you cannot turn your head independently of your body without pain or dizziness, your driving is not so great.

5. Zooey Deschanel can pull of long dark hair and short blond hair. Proof that life is not fair.

6. Speaking of hair, husbands are relieved when you get to keep most of yours.

7. In spite of the fact that your stitches are clearly visible on the front of your head, someone will still ask you, "So, when is your surgery?" And they will be serious.

8. It's actually good when people see your stitches, because even mean people and people who don't like you become really nice when they see stitches in your head.

9. When they say there will be swelling, there WILL be swelling.

10. As far as Klingons go, I make a pretty cute one.

Where is Hell?

2007-11-06T16:39:00.000-05:00

Last night, a student in my 1st grade CCD class asked "Where IS Hell, anyway?"

I said, "Where do you think it is? Does anybody have any idea where Hell might be?"

Now these are pretty smart kids, so I was expecting someone to say, "We can't see it," or "It's not on the Earth" or something like that.

One girl's arm shot straight up in the air. I called on her and she said,

"It's under Alaska."

I said, "Where did you hear that?"

She replied, "Nowhere, but I was right the last time I guessed an answer."

:)

-Dani

Meme from Dawn

2007-10-26T21:36:00.000-04:00

Meme From Dawn

Okay, so Dawn has decided to tag me for a meme. Here goes:

1. Do you attend the Traditional Latin Mass or the Novus Ordo?
Novus Ordo. We have no TLM's close enough.

2. If you attend the TLM, how far do you drive to get there?
The closest one I would be able to attend is about one hour away.

3. If you had to apply a Catholic label to yourself, what would it be?
I would say orthodox. Or, if I am showing my true upstate NY colors, "Wicked Catholic."

4. Are you a comment junkie?
Nope. I'm a comment underachiever.

5. Do you go back to read the comments on the blogs you’ve commented on?
Sometimes.

6. Have you ever left an anonymous comment on another blog?

Yep. It took me a while to figure out how to have an account and all that.

7. Which blogroll would you most like to be on? I have no idea.

8. Which blog is the first one you check?
Father Z!

9. Have you met any other bloggers in person?
No, I haven't.

10. What are you reading?
Catholicism and Fundamentalism.

Bonus Question! Has your site been banned by Spirit of Vatican II?

No, because nobody has ever heard of my site.

So now that I have this meme out of the way, I have to decide who to tag.

I have decided on http://www.viking-vocation.blogspot.com

Why I teach CCD...

2007-10-01T20:16:00.000-04:00

In addition to all the sincere, heartfelt reasons, there is the undeniable fact that children are completely hilarious.

One of my students tonight told me that he knew the Hail Mary, because he's been saying it every night before bed.

To demonstrate his knowledge of the prayer, he began to recite it to the class:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

:)

Baby Genius!

2007-08-28T21:20:00.001-04:00

This is my great nephew, Baby Gregory. He is super cute, a total genius, and shows no mercy to the carrot puree!

Where is the emphasis in "my personal relationship with Jesus"

2007-08-28T11:53:00.000-04:00

Do Catholics really lack a personal relationship with Jesus, as we are so often accused? Do non-Catholic Christians have a MORE personal relationship with Jesus than we Catholics have?

The obvious answer, to any knowledgeable Catholic, is NO. Catholics neither lack a personal relationship with Jesus nor do we automatically have a less personal relationship with Jesus than a non-Catholic Christian.

So, to what do we attribute this misconception? Is the confusion a result of having a structured liturgy, Marian devotion, or saintly intercession? Perhaps those are contributing factors, but I have come to believe that the real answer lies in the eye of the beholder, rather than in the factors themselves. It is a matter, in many cases, of faulty perception. Due to the perception itself being flawed, one can easily see why the non-Catholic Christian who is opposed to saintly intercession cannot simply change their attitude about the matter as a result of informed conversation. No, it is the perception itself that must be corrected first.

Why, we might ask, is the perception flawed? The reason is because the non-Catholic Christian who opposes saintly intercession is attached to an egocentric theology, putting themselves at the center of their Christianity. Please note that I am in no way saying that such a person does not wish to love, serve, and worship Christ. Many non-Catholic Christians do have a strong emotional love for Christ, and the desire to do His will.

True Christianity, however, is Christocentric. Christ is in the middle of it, at the heart of it; all is centered around Christ. Unfortunately many non-Catholic Christians (in particular many in the evangelical, non-denominational, baptist, and pentecostal camps), emphasize the phrase "my personal relationship with Jesus." Depending on where the speaker puts the emphasis within that phrase, the notion very easily moves from Christocentrism to egocentrism.

When we focus on the idea of "MY PERSONAL relationship with Jesus," we see that the language itself is, by its very usage, exclusionary. It attempts to craft a relationship between two and two alone. Me & Jesus. That's it.

The worldview one creates in that instance puts "me & Jesus" at the center of everything. It elevates the self, however unintentionally for some, to the level of Jesus. It elevates the importance of self to the importance of Jesus, and leaves the rest of the world, including the pope, the Church, Mary, the other Saints in Heaven, and our earthly families, friends circulating around this center.

Others no longer are a means by which one shares Christ's love, but are rather an obstacle, a wedge between the individual and his personal relationship and Christ. This mentality is evident in the number of Protestant Christians who will accuse a Catholic of "not having a personal relationship with Jesus," and "praying to the saints instead of Jesus."

This worldview does not leave room for the intercession of the saints, and it certainly does not leave room for the acknowledgment that there are others who are holier than ourselves.

One's perception is tainted because they view notions like the communion of saints not through the lens of "how does this work in a Christ-centered faith," but rather, "how does this work in a me-&-Christ-centered faith." The papacy, the mass, and the communion of saints fit beautifully in the first, but do not work with the second.

The first lens is the lens is the Catholic lens. The second is the modern Protestant lens. Many of these Protestants adhere to the notion of Biblical authority, be it sola scriptura or prima scriptura.

So, is their lens Biblical?

The answer, I'm afraid, is no. There is nothing in the Bible that supports the idea that we are to exclude others in our relationship with Christ, our worship of God, or our efforts to live a holy and devout life. On the contrary, the family relationship, the necessity of unity with one established Church, the obedience to legitimate authority, the intercession of others, and the recognition of extraordinary holiness are all evident in the Scriptures.

Should all Christians have a personal relationship with Christ? Of course. That is not in question. The question is whether or not it is appropriate for this relationship to be exclusive of all others, and defined by our own preferences, and the answer to that, from a Biblical standpoint, is no.

Dani

Update on Uncle Ray

2007-08-22T22:34:00.000-04:00

Uncle Ray has a tentative surgery (for removal of the afflicted kidney) date of August 29th.

The doctors are thinking/hoping that this should solve the problem, and that he will be fine to live on the remaining kidney.

A mass was said for Uncle Ray on August 13th. Another is being offered by overseas missionaries sometime soon. We sent a little care package to Uncle Ray today.

I do not know when, post-op, he will be well enough for visitors, but I am planning a trip up to visit him when he's well enough. I will probably stay at Cindy's or at the Oswego Inn. I'll let people know either way, so that we can spend some time together and maybe go visit him in small groups.

Those of you who are in New York, please make sure that Aunt Joy and Uncle Ray's needs are being met as much as possible (food, etc.). Thanks very much!

Dani

The City May Not Sleep...but I'm sure tired!

2007-08-22T22:17:00.000-04:00

I'm still recovering from our weekend in Manhattan!

It started with an early morning trek to the train station at BWI. Within about 35 minutes, we were on the train that was heading north to NY. I was awake for the first couple of stops, but I was out cold when we stopped in Wilmington and I just barely woke up when we first arrived in Philly.

Once you stop in Newark, you know how close you are, so everyone is looking out the windows or gathering up their things. Dave was excited to see the city in the distance.

The first thing we did upon emerging from Penn Station was grab a cab to Dave's company's office. Not too far (about twenty blocks or so), but Dave and I aren't accustomed to NYC cabbie driving, so we were cracking up the whole time. I had forgotten how funny it is to fly twenty blocks, with intermittent sudden stops and terrified pedestrians. All I could think of was the movie Elf, "The yellow ones don't stop!"

The folks at the office were very hospitable and kind. They showed us around the NY office and got us set up with the keys to the corporate apartment for the weekend.

When we got to the apartment, we could not get in. The keys were turning but the door was not opening. Apparently, we are too stupid to unlock doors. Yeah, that's right. It took the two of us and a phone call to find out what the "trick" was, in order to get in. We were very proud of ourselves.

The corporate apartment was quite enjoyable actually. A split-level studio with some cool exposed brick and large, dark, wooden beams.

We had a great first day, walking the neighborhood, grabbing lunch (pizza) nearby, and walking downtown. That night, I brought Dave over to my old neighborhood (the Upper West Side) and I have to admit that the nostalgia bug bit me hard. It was a real joy to be in the old neighborhood again, and I was delighted to see that some things in that neighborhood never change (Carmine's, Mary Ann's, Zabar's, Citarella, La Caridad and City Diner were all just as I remembered them). Even the Food Emporiums were just where I left them! :) So, Dave got to experience a NY "supermarket" before we went back to the apartment for the night (we ate dinner at City Diner by the way, and it was as delish as ever).

Saturday was another day of fun, and mass at the beautiful St. Vincent Ferrer parish on E 65th and Lex. What a stunning place, and WHAT a homily the priest gave!

By the time departure time rolled around on Sunday, we were ready to sleep. And I did. On the train, and when I got home.

I still need about two or three LONG naps for my recovery to be complete.

Dave, jet (or, shall we say, highway and traintrack) setter as he is, is off to Ocean City this weekend with his dad.

I have adult faith formation stuff on Saturday and then NOTHING BUT REST on Sunday.

Thanks be to God.

Dani

Uncle Ray

2007-08-07T19:06:00.000-04:00

For anyone looking for updates on Uncle Ray, I will post them here.

As of right now, all we really know is that the cancer diagnosis is renal cell carcinoma in one kidney. The results of the bone scan and other tests are not back yet. As such, we do not yet know if the cancer has spread or if it is localized in the one kidney.

When those tests come back, Aunt Joy will be able to tell me what the treatment plans are, and I'll post them here and e-mail folks individually as much as possible.

Please keep Uncle Ray, Aunt Joy, and their whole family in your prayers.

Dani

Our Family is Crabby...

2007-07-25T00:15:00.000-04:00

Or at least we were last week! ;)

Our crabbing trip to Cambridge was a ton of fun! Not that we had much success fishing and crabbing, mind you, but we definitely had fun TRYING to catch some dinner.

We enjoyed fishing, crabbing, kayaking (except for me -- when I was ready the weather wasn't, and vice versa), walking outside, swimming, reading, and watching movies together. And, of course, eating that bushel of hardshell crabs was a pretty good way to spend our time!

It's a safe bet that a pretty good time was had by all.

Dani and Dave

Here a twist, there a twist, everywhere a twist, twist...

2007-07-13T15:54:00.000-04:00

Well, it sure seems that everyone has their knickers in a twist over something this week. Whether it's the Holy Father's Motu Proprio or the recent clarification statement from the CDF, there is an awful lot of complaining going on.

First let's look at the Motu Proprio on the TLM. There is something particularly hilarious about the type of people who are displeased with the position of the Holy Father as expressed therein. The people who think the TLM was completely done away with, or at least should have been, are the same people who think the NO is just swell precisely BECAUSE it is the mass "of the people." The outrageously amusing irony here is that, in many ways, the TLM has been kept alive for decades BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE who have demanded its availability. Therefore, isn't the TLM just as much, if not more, the mass of the people? Doesn't the increased availability of the TLM express exactly what its opponents generally want from the Church (that she respond to the cries of the laity and their desires)?

Every liberal in the Church should, therefore, be celebrating the Pope's Moto Proprio.

Regarding the document addressing the Church proper and those ECs who are not in full communion with the Church, I actually don't have much to say about that. I am a post Vatican II convert and even I knew that what was said in this document is exactly what has always been said, even in Vatican II documents.

If I had to guess why people are upset about it, I would say pride, agenda, and fear. That's my best guess. I suppose that when people find that the Church is not some hyper malleable wad of feel-good ooze, they are going to get upset.

But, for some of us, we are Catholic because we want the pillar and foundation of the truth, not a wad of feel-good ooze.

Dani

More from the Holy Father...

2007-06-26T17:53:00.000-04:00

...on the topic of conscience, from the same work quoted previously.

Short and sweet:

"It is strange that some theologians have difficulty accepting the precise and limited doctrine of papal infallibility, but see no problem in granting de facto infallibility to everyone who has a conscience."

How true, even with your average Joe on the street, theologian or not! It is the same people who tell me that the pope cannot be infallible that think THEY are infallible.

Have I mentioned how much I love this book?

Dani

Saint John Fisher and Saint Thomas More

2007-06-22T09:41:00.000-04:00

Okay, I do not necessarily plan on making a habit of posting about a saint on every memorial, but I do want to take a minute to make mention of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, both martyrs, who share today as a memorial.

Both were martyred for opposing Henry VIII's declaration that he was the head of the Church in England. If we look at the Church, from its conception, with open hearts, we can see the dire importance of unity and orthodoxy. Those who stand in opposition to unity and those who willfully promote schism stand in opposition to the very nature of Christianity and God Himself.

If unity does not matter, and heretical Christianity is just as good as true Christianity, then these men died for nothing. If this is the case, they cannot even properly be called martyrs, because they weren't dying as a witness to Christian truth. If unity is not important, then these men were in error, and died as a matter of their own mistake.

Of course, the Church knows these men DID die in defense of true Christianity, and that they are indeed heroic martyrs. If the Church knows this, what does that mean for each of us?

In honor of them, today would be a good day for us to look at our lives and practices. Are we accepting heretical notions and trying to blend them in with our Christianity? Are we denying the rightful authority of the Church? Are we promoting heresy in any way?

Prayerfully,
Dani

P.S. -
For married couples, it is particularly noteworthy that St. John Fisher defended the permanence and sanctity of Christian marriage. For me, it is particularly noteworthy that St. John Fisher is the patron of the Diocese of Rochester, NY. I was born in there. :)

Happy Feast Day of St. Aloysius

2007-06-21T09:35:00.000-04:00

Today is the feast day of St. Aloysius, a holy Jesuit who died rather young after caring for plague victims. He is known for his prayerfulness, reverence, and innocence.

St. Aloysius is a patron of students and youth, and an outstanding role model for all of us.

Please join me in this prayer today:

Heavenly Father,
in Saint Aloysius you combined remarkable innocence
with the spirit of penance.
By the help of his prayers
may we who have not followed his innocence
follow his example of penance.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Some Good Thoughts from the Holy Father

2007-06-15T23:38:00.000-04:00

There is a prevalent error in the minds of modern men, that the individual subjective conscience is an infallible source of truth. Sadly, this has worked its way into the Catholic world as well. I can't tell you how many of us in RCIA or other faith formation have been told that we may ignore Church teaching if it doesn't fit with our opinion, because we are "called to follow our conscience."

The Holy Father's "On Conscience," addresses this beautifully. Here is a sampling (emphasis in bold added by me):

"By the way, a look into Sacred Scripture should have precluded such diagnoses and such a theory of justification by the errant conscience. In Psalm 19:12-13, we find the ever-worth-pondering passage, 'But who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from my unknown faults.' That is not Old Testament objectivism, but profoundest human wisdom...

...Not without reason does the self-righteous man in the encounter with Jesus appear as the one who is really lost. If the tax collector with all his undisputed sins stands more justified before God than the Pharisee with all his undeniably good works (Luke 18:9-14), this is not because the sins of the tax collector were not sins or because the good deeds of the Pharisee were not good deeds. Nor does it mean that the good that man does is not good before God, or the evil, not evil or at least not particularly important.

The reason for this paradoxical judgment of God is shown precisely from our question. The Pharisee no longer knows that he too has guilt. He has a completely clear conscience. But this silence of conscience makes him impenetrable to God and men, while the cry of conscience that plagues the tax collector makes him capable of truth and love. Jesus can move sinners. Not hiding behind the screen of their erroneous consciences, they have not become unreachable for the change that God expects of them - of us. He is ineffective with the "righteous" because they are not aware of any need for forgiveness and conversion. Their consciences no longer accuse them but justify them."

Interview with Francis Beckwith

2007-06-15T09:44:00.000-04:00

I just read a great interview with Francis Beckwith, former President of the Evangelical Theological Society, who has recently converted to Catholicism.

I found it compelling to read another testimony of failed catechesis and irreverent masses. As catechists we need to constantly raise the bar and be a strong witness to orthodox, authentic Catholic teaching.

Every catechist, parent, DRE, and fallen away Catholic should read the interview, found here:

http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=24243&page=1

Dave - On Being Catholic

2007-06-13T11:11:00.000-04:00

I understand that my web presence has been requested by some of you who know me as "Mr. Dani." I am flattered and thank you for your interest. Therefore, I will post, this, my first blog on TaylorWentABloggin. First, let me say that I am Catholic. I have only been a practicing Catholic for a little over a year, and in the Church since November of 2006. I am still in the learning process about many aspects of the Catholic faith and thus cannot offer such brilliant insights as my wonderful and knowledgeable wife, Dani.

So, why am I Catholic if I do not possess a deep knowledge of the faith? One reason. The Catholic Church is Jesus' Church. Jesus is God, Jesus passed the torch to Peter, and the Church was formed. Enough said. If the fact that Jesus formed one Church and said it was his Church, and you refuse follow his teachings and commands, well...I pray for you. That is not to say that I am not a sinner or become misguided. I sin every day. I do not pray enough. I put myself first. I gossip. I curse. However, I know that my intentions are to love God and follow his will, to help others, and be the best Catholic Christian I can be. I encourage you to do the same. In my next blog, I will recount how I came to the Church and the circumstances that led me back to Jesus and the Eucharist.

Christ's Peace,

Dave

Ramblings on comfort and holiness

2007-06-09T10:26:00.000-04:00

Why are we so often willing to sacrifice holiness for comfort?

I can look back to the U.S. popular culture in the post WWII era, and see a strong seed starting then. In that era, we began to see the focus on building a comfortable family life, an increase in suburban development, and the desire to protect ourselves and our children from any and all possible discomfort and struggle. Children's goods and toy sales skyrocketed. The desire for upper middle class luxury became commonplace as the "American Dream" (obviously, this is not to be confused with the desire for extravagant luxuries during the 1920's).

As the fifties phased into the sixties, we can really start to see the negative fruits of a culture that promotes false comforts and put the child at the center of his own universe. The so-called counter-culture of the sixties was not counter-culture at all. It was, rather, a predictable result of the previous years' poor child rearing and misguided focus. Those who thought they were being counter-cultural were, in fact, simply being exactly who their culture built them to be.

In the seventies and eighties, the trend continued. By the nineties, we had kids so full of apathy that listening to thoroughly depressing and even nihilistic music actually made us feel BETTER, because we were so jaded that we longed to feel something, even if it was something unpleasant.
The problem is that we didn't seem to learn anything. I am still constantly talking to people who think that a primary goal in life is to be without discomfort and conflict. Their goal is not to be good, it is not to serve others, it is not to be holy, it is not to love God above self. It is to be comfortable.

Granted, part of this is also a result of the perfectly natural desire to feel comfort and peace. We long for perfect joy and happiness because we are made for God, and our ultimate desire and goal is to live with Him in the perfect joy and happiness of Heaven.

However, we must not allow that desire to confuse us into falling into a much more spiritually and culturally dangerous desire, the desire to find perfect comfort and joy in our earthly life by eliminating all difficulties and conflict, and refusing to accept our crosses as they are presented to us.

As I'm writing this, it is leading me to my last post. Praying the rosary. (I truly did not intend for this connection, it simply organically developed in the writing of my entry.) It is in the rosary that we find an understanding of the attributes that we are meant to have as Christians, the desire to humble ourselves in light of our Lord's life, suffering, and death, and the courage to live the Christian life.

Let's close this post with a prayer:

SALVE REGINA
Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae; vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Hevae. Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.

V. Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genetrix.

R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.

Pax Christi,
Dani

The Rosary

2007-06-08T15:14:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to encourage everyone to pray the rosary. As St. Pio has said, "Love our Lady and make her loved; always recite the Rosary and recite it as often as possible."

With the summer coming up, and kids home from school and college, it's a good time to schedule family rosary prayer groups.

For catechists who are off for the summer before religious ed./CCD time comes again, praying the rosary is a wonderful way to deepen your devotion to Our Lady, develop your prayer life, and meditate on Christ and your Christian faith. No doubt, doing so will better prepare us for our teaching tasks that lie ahead!

Dave and I have a rosary with us pretty much everywhere we go. I've been surprised when I've found myself waiting in a car for someone, waiting in an empty office, etc., and have had time to pull out my rosary and pray!

If you don't have the space to carry a full rosary with you, you can always consider a rosary bracelet. While most of the crystal and glass rosary bracelets are ultra feminine, we have found some that are rope and wood that are great for men. I think we have seen these more masculine varieties at the Gift Shop at St. Benedict's Church in Baltimore, MD and at St. Joseph House by the Sea in Ocean City, MD.

If you're in the market for a new rosary, some nice shops in Central Maryland are St. Peter's Books and Gifts in Emmitsburg, MD, and the Gift Shop at the Basilica Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, also in Emmitsburg.

Perhaps the most beautiful are those made by the Carmelite Sisters in Colorado. www.sistersofcarmel.com

I hope everyone is getting ready for a safe, healthy, and happy summer.

Peace and all good things,
Dani

Open-minded? Neutral?

2007-06-06T10:14:00.000-04:00

Has anyone else noticed that people who claim to be things like, "open-minded" and "neutral" never actually are? Of course, these are also people who invariably claim to champion diversity.

Yet, When you challenge their position, they very rarely have any actual facts or sound philosophy on which to stand. They are quick to call everyone who doesn't agree with them names like "egocentric" "narrow-minded" "pre-progressive" and the like.

How is this neutral? How is refusing to consider the possibility that you might wrong an open-minded approach? How is calling (people who don't agree with you) names respecting diversity?

Even when I was a fairly radical leftist, I never claimed to be "open-minded" or "neutral", because I was aware enough of myself and my viewpoints to know that they were not open, and they most assuredly were NOT neutral. And at the time, I was only a teenager and a very young adult. If I had that level of awareness at that age, why are there adults, even in their middle and older age, who somehow don't have it?

We could blame the public school system, I suppose, for not teaching people what words actually mean. We could blame the individual's obvious lack of intellectual integrity and coping skills for the need to respond like a child to a topic-oriented conversation, turning it into personal attack.

Perhaps, though, there is more to it. We must consider the wounded nature of the average person. We must consider how readily people are manipulated. The more wounded, the more easily manipulated. We must also consider the appeal of the cultural elitism of the radical left, which sets out to appear more educated and wise, and is quick to assign words such as "intelligent" "responsible" and "fair" to their propaganda. This tactic is particularly successful when applied to people who suffer from poor self-esteem (potentially stemming from or evidenced by: socially unsuccessful with peers in youth or adulthood, unsuccessful romantic relationship history, history of feeling inferior to other family members or family's expectations, etc.).

In short, I encourage my friends to take a firm but gentle hand with people who fit this bill. Remember, they are hurting. They are wounded. As much as you'd like to throw them out the window into a big steaming pile of wake-the-heck-up, it's probably better to simply state your case, point out their poor logic (be prepared to realize that many people have not studied logic), and gently direct them back on course to appropriate and responsible conversation. If they cannot stay on the straight and narrow road of reasonable and topic-based debate, leave them until they brush up on their skills. Never cease to love them. Never cease to pray for them.

Posted by Dani

Finally, a blog we will (kinda try to) keep up with!

2007-06-06T00:36:00.000-04:00

Hey! Dani here. I made this blog space for me and David to use. Hopefully, we'll actually use this one! :)