Papa Z's Views and Comments

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!!!!!

2011-12-08T22:17:00.003-06:00

Ineffabilis Deus

Apostolic Constitution issued by Blessed Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854.

Accordingly, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, for the honor of the Holy and undivided Trinity, for the glory and adornment of the Virgin Mother of God, for the exaltation of the Catholic Faith, and for the furtherance of the Catholic religion, by the authority of Jesus Christ our Lord, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own: "We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.

Enough said!

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: HISTORY!!!!!!!

2011-12-07T10:02:00.002-06:00

Seventy years ago today . . .

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

And so, the United States of America entered the bloodiest war in history.

God bless our Greatest Generation.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!!!!! AND MUSIC!!!!!!!

2011-11-29T08:19:00.003-06:00

Wherein Papa Z rants . . .

Advent is upon us, and Christmas is near. Some of the most beloved church music will be sung over the next 6-8 weeks. Advent Lessons and Carols; Christmas Lessons and Carols; "Messiah" Sing-Alongs, etc., will be enjoyed by many.

HOWEVER, WOE to you who thinks that you actually know the words of your favorite Christmas Carol by heart! Your Missalette publishers know better than you do! Inclusive language -- not only horizontal, but vertical -- is now the norm! I know, I know, we mustn't hurt anyone's feelings by actually using phrases like "God made Man" or "Born to raise the sons of earth" or "God in Man made manifest". Better, of course, to artificially contort beloved texts in order to utterly confuse people in the name of "political correctness"!

To top it all off, the liturgical contortionists at GIA edit texts differently from those at OCP (who edit texts differently from Word, etc.) So there is no continuity even amongst the revisionists!

If modern day hymn-writers (and I'm using the term VERY loosely) want to compose politically correct, inclusive-language un-singable music for the rest of the year, I suppose that can't be helped. (There's a reason why Catholics don't sing -- but that's another post!) But for Christmas? Please just leave us alone!

Advent Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!!!!!

2011-11-28T08:12:00.003-06:00

A reader (I guess I'm up to 9.63 now) asked that I post the text of the Revised Translation of the Nicene Creed. So . . . here it is! Comments are welcome!

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,

At the words that follow up to and including and became man, all bow.

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!!!!!

2011-11-27T11:08:00.001-06:00

Veni, veni Emmanuel;
Captivum solve Israel,
Qui gemit in exilio,
Privatus Dei Filio.

Refrain
Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel,
Nascetur pro te, Israel!

Veni, veni, O Oriens;
Solare nos adveniens,
Noctis depelle nebulas,
Dirasque noctis tenebras.
Refrain

Veni, Clavis Davidica!
Regna reclude caelica;
Fac iter tutum superum,
Et claude vias inferum.
Refrain

Veni, veni Adonai!
Qui populo in Sinai,
Legem dedisti vertice,
In maiestate gloriae.
Refrain

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!!!!!

2011-11-27T10:55:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year!

Today is the First Sunday of Advent in the Year of Grace 2012!

Today is also the day when the Revised Translation of the Roman Missal is finally implemented.

While realizing that the Revised Translation is controversial in some circles, and while also realizing that no translation is -- or can ever be perfect -- this represents a dramatic improvement in the English text.

Being the brilliant theologian that I am (grin!) I greatly appreciate the revised texts, especially in the Penitential Act, the Nicene Creed, and the Invitation to Communion.

Mass today was, for me, a very moving event. Not only did I have to pay closer attention to the responses of the people, I also paid closer attention to the prayers of the priest. Here is an example:

Here is the OLD text for the Collect for the 1st Sunday of Advent:

All-powerful God,
increase our strength of will for doing good
that Christ may find an eager welcome at his coming
and call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven.

Here is the NEW, REVISED text we used today:

Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God,
the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ
with righteous deeds at his coming,
so that, gathered at his right hand,
they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom.

WOW!

What a powerful difference!

I look forward with eager anticipation hearing the revised collects, prefaces, and texts as the year progresses.

All Advent Blessings to my 7.35 readers,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: FREEDOM

2011-11-11T13:06:00.002-06:00

Today is Veteran's Day.

There are some special veterans in my heart this day, and I suspect that my 6.2 readers have veterans special to them on their hearts as well. I'm about to head over to the parish school where four of my children are students, for the annual Veteran's Day assembly, put together each year by the 2nd grade teacher, himself a veteran of the Marine Corps. (Teaching 2nd grade! Isn't that great?)

One of my favorite Catholic blog sites is Whispers in the Loggia. There is a wonderful piece today entitled In Remembrance, and Gratitude. I commend it to my readers.

Thanks to all veterans, past and present, and God Bless America!

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2011-09-28T20:49:00.005-05:00

Today, in 1978, we lost a holy man . . .

http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2011/09/smile-of-god.html

Pope John Paul I -- whose cause for canonization is active -- died today after 33 days serving in the "Shoes of the Fisherman".

There are many in the Church who would like to co-opt the late Holy Father, or to suggest that he held views or opinions which he did not hold.

Regardless, Albino Luciani was a saintly man, a man of God.

Pope John Paul I, Pray for Us!

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: FAITH!!!!!!!

2011-09-11T20:25:00.002-05:00

Pope Benedict XVI’s Prayer at Ground Zero, 20 April 2008

O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths
and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.
We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here—
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and
Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.

We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives
with courage and hope.

We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in
Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.
God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.

Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.

Hat tip to Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

2011-09-11T10:25:00.002-05:00

Today is September 11th, 2011.

Ten years ago, our nation was attacked by terrorists, resulting in the destruction of the World Trade Center, severe damage to the Pentagon, and the loss of life in a field in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed. September 11th, 2001 was, as one commentator put it, a "Pearl Harbor" day for our generation.

We all can remember where we were and what we were doing.

I was flying that day.

I was flying from Milwaukee to Baltimore via Cincinnati to participate in a recruiting event for the Graduate School of Marquette University. As we landed in Cincinnati for our scheduled lay-over, the pilot made an announcement that there had been a hijacking in New York, and that our connecting flights might be delayed. Once in the terminal, it didn't take long to figure out that there would be no more flying that day. I saw one of the towers fall from a restaurant in the Cincinnati airport. I was still serving in ministry in my previous denomination, and was dressed in clerics. I immediately went to the airport chapel, and spoke to the chaplain on duty, expressing my support and offering any assistance deemed necessary.

It took an hour to find my bag. Luggage from the various planes had been dumped in piles in the terminal. I was fortunate enough to find a nearby hotel, and spent the best part of the next two days (like everyone else) glued to the television. I was finally able to get home via the train -- itself an adventure -- and resume my "normal" daily routine.

Many people have asked "Where was God on that fateful day?" "Why didn't He stop the terrorists?" These are reasonable questions which have no easy answer. Of the many gifts which God has given us, the gift of Free Will is one fraught with questions of this nature. Since the episode in the Garden of Eden, Man has made choices. Some bad, some good.

Free Will was on full display on September 11th, 2001. The mind-numbing evil of the terrorists, yes. But also the good. Oh, the good deeds done on that day. Oh, the acts of heroism. Scripture teaches us that "Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for a friend." On September 11th, 2001 greater love was shown over and over, not only in the laying down of life for a friend, but in the laying down of life for total strangers. New York's Finest. New York's Bravest. Franciscan priest and Fire Department chaplain Fr. Mychal Judge who was killed by falling debris as he knelt to give the Last Rites to a stricken fireman. The passengers of Flight 93. The list goes on.

Where was God? God was everywhere. Grace was rampant.

One further point.

Has anyone stopped to consider that it was by the Grace of God that the tragedy was not even more horrific than it was? Do you remember the original news reports, citing death tolls upwards of 20,000 people? That easily could have happened. Roughly 100,000 persons could have been in those towers on a given weekday. Tens of thousands worked at the Pentagon. Flight 93 could have hit either the Capitol or the White House.

Oh yes. God was there.

Some closing thoughts, taken from The Wisdom of Solomon, chapter 3.

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
and no torment will ever touch them.

In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,
and their departure was thought to be an affliction,

and their going from us to be their destruction;
but they are at peace.

For though in the sight of men they were punished,
their hope is full of immortality.

Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good,
because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;

like gold in the furnace he tried them,
and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.

In the time of their visitation they will shine forth,
and will run like sparks through the stubble.

They will govern nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord will reign over them for ever.

Those who trust in him will understand truth,
and the faithful will abide with him in love,
because grace and mercy are upon his elect,
and he watches over his holy ones.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: FREEDOM!!!

2011-07-04T10:36:00.002-05:00

We pray, Thee O Almighty and Eternal God! Who through Jesus Christ hast revealed Thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Thy mercy, that Thy Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of Thy Name.

We pray Thee, who alone art good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, Pope Benedict XVI, the Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of his Church; our own bishop, Jerome, all other bishops, prelates, and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise amongst us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct Thy people into the ways of salvation.

We pray Thee O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.

We pray for his excellency, the governor of this state , for the members of the assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.

We recommend likewise, to Thy unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Thy most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.

Finally, we pray to Thee, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of Thy servants departed who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of peace; the souls of our parents, relatives, and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation, and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance.

To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light, and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

Bishop (later Archbishop) John Carroll of Baltimore -- 1st Bishop of the United States, and cousin of the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, Charles Carroll of Carrollton.

SUBJECT: FREEDOM!!!!!!!

2011-02-06T13:28:00.002-06:00

Ronald Wilson Reagan

February 6th, 1911 -- June 5th, 2004.

33rd Governor of California (1967-1975).

40th President of the United States of America (1981-1989).

"A people free to choose will always choose peace. "

"Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged."

"How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin."

"It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first."

"Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

"Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong."

" There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right."

Ronald Reagan -- "Ronaldus Maximus" -- along with Blessed Pope John Paul II and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of the United Kingdom -- effectively ended the Cold War.

I had the opportunity to see him personally in October, 1984, at the dedication of the Christopher Columbus statue in Baltimore's Little Italy. I was no more than 100 yards or so away. I was still too young to vote!

I had a ticket to the Second Inauguration in January, 1985 -- the one which was canceled due to the extremely frigid weather.

He would have been 100 years of age today. May he rest in peace. We shall not see his like again.

(And I'm not a Republican!)

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!!!!!

2011-02-05T20:10:00.002-06:00

Today marks a special day for the Zampino (Wisconsin) family!

Six years ago today, my youngest child, Gianna was baptized in the Catholic Church.

On the same occasion, my wife, who was raised Catholic, was reconciled with the Catholic Church.

On the same occasion, I made my profession of faith in the Catholic Church, and my seven other children were received as well.

I realize and respect that many of my friends and readers (if there are any left!) may disagree with some of my religious opinions and points of view. That's fine.

But for myself, and for my family, six years ago, we came Home.

Many, many thanks to Archbishop Timothy Dolan, sometime Archbishop of Milwaukee, and now Archbishop (and future Cardinal Archbishop) of New York. Many, many thanks to Archbishop Jerome Listecki, the current Archbishop of Milwaukee, and someone whom I admire greatly.

Many, many thanks to Fr. Dennis Klemme, Canon Lawyer Extraordinaire --and my sponsor for my conversion and reception.

Many, many thanks to Fr. William (Bill) Kurz, S.J., and Fr. John Yockey, my Spiritual Directors over the last six years.

Many, many thanks to the priests of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee (and elsewhere) who have supported me and my family. (Fr. Rick Wendell, Fr. Carmelo Guifree, Fr. Antony Thomas, Fr. Mike Ligtner, Fr. Mark Brandl -- and many others . . . )

And many, many thanks to my Pastors at St. Andrew Parish, here in Delavan, WI. Fr. Brian Holbus and Fr. Jim Schuermann. Your support has been above and beyond the call of duty. We all owe so much to both of you!

And to the people of St. Andrew! You've made all the difference! My heart is very full.

God is good, and He has a very Nice Mother!

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: SPORTS!!!!!!!

2011-01-24T07:23:00.001-06:00

GO PACK GO!!!!!!!

Green Bay Packers 21, Chicago Bears 14!!!!!!!

SUPER BOWL PARTY AT MY PLACE!!!!!!!

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2011-01-14T09:18:00.003-06:00

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Today, at Noon, Rome time, his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI has published the Decree for the Beatification of the Venerable Servant of God, Pope John Paul II (the Great).

The date of the Beatification has been set for May 1st, 2011 -- Divine Mercy Sunday.

The medically verified miracle? A French nun, after imploring the intercession of the late Holy Father, was instantaneously cured of Parkinson's disease -- the exact malady suffered by Pope John Paul II in his last years. The cure was immediate and permanent and has no medical explanation whatsoever.

Now Thank We All Our God!

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!!!!!

2010-12-24T19:38:00.001-06:00

The twenty-fifth day of December.
In the five thousand one hundred and ninety-ninth year of the creation of the world from the time when God in the beginning created the heavens and the earth;
the two thousand nine hundred and fifty-seventh year after the flood;
the two thousand and fifteenth year from the birth of Abraham;
the one thousand five hundred and tenth year from Moses and the going forth of the people of Israel from Egypt;
the one thousand and thirty-second year from David's being anointed king;
in the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel;
in the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad;
the seven hundred and fifty-second year from the foundation of the city of Rome;
the forty second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus;
the whole world being at peace,
in the sixth age of the world,
Jesus Christ the eternal God and Son of the eternal Father, desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming,being conceived by the Holy Spirit, and nine months having passed since his conception,
was born in Bethlehem of Judea of the Virgin Mary, being made flesh.
The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

Merry Christmas! (I know -- the more modern text is probably more accurate -- but I LOVE the traditional text!)

Papa Z

SUBJECT: PERSONAL!!!

2010-12-07T16:10:00.003-06:00

Today is December 7th. Twenty-three years ago today, on December 7th 1987, I had my first date with the wonderful woman who would become my wife!

We had been friends for more than two years, and were taking a class together. We were working on a "take-home" exam in the school library, when I spontaneously asked her if she wanted to go out. We had virtually no cash between us, but drove around looking at Christmas lights. We later shared a small order of french fries at McDonald's! (All the change we could collectively assemble!) We had twelve dates in the next two weeks, and were married in October of 1989.

Michele is a wonderful, godly woman; a great wife and mom; and my best friend!

I LOVE YOU, MAMA Z!!!!!!!

Papa Z!

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!! & LITERATURE!!!!!!!

2010-11-22T20:17:00.003-06:00

O God of searing truth and surpassing beauty, we give you thanks for Clive Staples Lewis, whose sanctified imagination lights fires of faith in young and old alike. Surprise us also with your joy and draw us into that new and abundant life which is ours in Christ Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Clive Staples (Jack) Lewis, pray for us! (November 29th 1898 - November 22nd, 1963)

Blessings,

Papa Z. (and thanks to Fr. John for the Collect!)

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!!!!!

2010-11-16T09:20:00.003-06:00

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, formerly of Milwaukee and now of New York has been elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops!

And there was GREAT rejoicing!!!

Read all about it here.

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: HISTORY!!! & LITERATURE!!!

2010-10-25T12:10:00.003-05:00

Enter the KING

WESTMORELAND. O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work to-day!

KING. What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin;
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

HAPPY ST. CRISPIN'S DAY, EVERYONE!!!

Blessings,

Papa Z.

Non nobis domine, domine,

Non nobis domine,

Sed nomini, sed nomini

tuo da gloriam.

SUBJECT: FOOD AND DRINK (AND LITERATURE)!!!

2010-09-23T12:26:00.002-05:00

Greetings, greetings, my fellow hobbits!

Tomorrow we will be celebrating, albeit two days late, the birthdays of our illustrious ancestors Bilbo and Frodo Baggins!

It will snow food and rain drink!

There will be:

Hot Soup (Hobbit Bean Soup)

Roast Beef

Yorkshire Pudding

Fresh Bread

Sweet Cream Butter

Cheese (a wonderful Wisconsin "Tilston Point" -- based on the English Stilton -- and purchased locally)

Fruit Tarts

AND . . .

A MIGHTY DISH OF MUSHROOMS AND BACON!!!!!

All lovingly served by your host, Drogo Moss, of Lake-by-Downs in the Shire!

There will also be a reading from the Red Book concerning A Long-Expected Party!

I have no doubt that a good time will be had by all!

Sincerely,

Drogo Moss

(aka Papa Z)

SUBJECT: RELIGION AND SOCIETY!!!!!!!

2010-08-26T08:26:00.003-05:00

Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Blessed Mother Teresa, pray for us.

Below is the Collect for her feast.

Blessings,

Papa Z

O God,
who called blessed Teresa, virgin
to respond to the love of your Son thirsting on the cross
with outstanding charity to the poorest of the poor,
grant us, we beseech you, by her intercession,
to minister to Christ in his suffering brothers.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!! & HUMOR!!!

2010-07-12T09:40:00.003-05:00

I wish that I could claim this one as my own!

As it is, a hat tip to WDTPRS and an unknown seminarian!

The Seminarian’s Song

To the Tune of the Major-General’s Song
from The Pirates of Penzance

I am the very model of Catholic seminarian
I’ve information pastoral, canonical, and Marian,
I know the Popes of Avignon and Councils Ecumenical
From Nicaea to Vatican plus gatherings heretical.
I’m very well acquainted too with matters homiletical,
I’ll write a pretty sermon that is eloquent yet practical,
About soteriology I’m teeming with a lot o’ news…
Such as salvation history’s relation to the modern Jews.
I’m very open minded, I have Sunday lunch with Protestants,
I teach them our Church History and sing it in Gregorian Chants,
In short in matters pastoral, canonical, and Marian,
I am the very model of a Catholic seminarian.

I know my ancient languages, some Latin, Greek, and Hebrew too;
I’m smart as a Dominican, I write for The Thomist review,
I quote Thomas Aquinas and I know the Summa all by heart,
I know the arguments for God from Anselm to Rene Descartes;
I am an expert without doubt in all matters liturgical,
I’ll see the rubrics carried out in fashion demiurgical!
I can intone polyphony from every epoch, school and rank…
And sing all of the arias composed by Mister Cesare Franck.
Then I can run a bingo or a bake sale in the Parish Hall,
And sell spaghetti supper tickets at the local shopping mall:
In short, in matters pastoral, canonical, and Marian,
I am the very model of a Catholic seminarian.

In fact, when I know what is meant by “Molinist” and “Arian,”
When I can rise above the title of Popish sectarian,
When such affairs as wakes and confirmations I’m more wary at,
And when each sort of imperfection, sin, and fault I can combat;
When I have learnt the progress of von Balthasar’s theology,
Converted every member of the Church of Scientology—
In short, when I’ve a smattering of basic Catholicity—
They’ll say that I’m a cleric full of goodness and simplicity.
And though my Bishop is impressed by my enormous panurgy,
The man is rather wary at my love for Latin Liturgy,
But still in matters pastoral, canonical, and Marian,
I am the very model a Catholic seminarian.

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: FAITH!!! & SOCIETY!!!

2010-07-02T10:58:00.004-05:00

It has been widely reported that the extremely outspoken British atheist Christopher Hitchens has been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus.

It occurs to me that the best thing the faith community can do is to pray for him -- body, soul, and spirit with true concern and without malice.

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: FAITH!!! & REASON!!!

2010-06-04T08:52:00.002-05:00

I was perusing "First Thoughts" -- the blog of "First Things" magazine, and one of the recent posts drew my attention to an article by the Hugo Award-nominated Sci-Fi author Michael Flynn, writing for the Catholic journal "Dappled Things".

The article was fascinating. I quote from the opening paragraphs . . .

It is often said that until the Scientific Revolution Islam was far ahead of the Christian West in the natural sciences. This belief is a reaction to an earlier age of Western triumphalism that overlooked the genuine achievements of the Islamic philosopher (faylasuf); but like many reactionary movements, it overcompensates and praises a golden age that never quite was. Europe was never quite the dark age of ignorance that the “enlightened” philosophers pretended.

At the beginning of the Middle Ages, Islam was clearly the most scientifically advanced civilization on Earth, and China boasted a more advanced technology. Yet by the end of the Middle Ages the Latin West was clearly ahead of both Islam and China. How did this reversal of fortune take place? Joseph Needham called this ‘the Grand Question.’

There were two reasons: China never had an Aristotle; Islam never had an Aquinas. Consequently, logic, reason, and science in those cultures were like the seed that fell on barren ground, or among the weeds. In China, science withered; in Islam, it was choked out after a promising start.

Read the entire article here.
I'd love to see some discussion.
Blessings,
Papa Z.

SUBJECT: LIFE!!!!!!!

2010-05-31T12:49:00.004-05:00

Life . . . and death.

We must never, NEVER, forget those brave men and women of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, the Coast Guard, the Merchant Marines and all attendant services who gave their all; who made the Ultimate Sacrifice.

It is because of them . . . that we can enjoy the freedoms and liberties that we have.

We must NEVER forget; we must ALWAYS be grateful.

Blessings to all -- and especially to my servicemember friends -- and to all veterans, wherever you may be.

Papa Z. is grateful.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!!!!!

2010-05-11T11:49:00.004-05:00

Some thoughts on Anglican to Catholic Conversions

I am a frequent reader (and occasionally comment) on the excellent blog "What Does The Prayer Really Say?" by Father John Zuhlsdorf. Fr. Zuhlsdorf is a strong proponent of "Say the Red, Do the Black" with regard to proper, reverent liturgy. I thoroughly enjoy reading his thoughts and commentaries. Over the last year or so, with the continuing disintegration of the Church of England (and the Episcopal Church, here in the United States) Fr. Zuhlsdorf has authored quite a few posts on Anglicanism, and on Pope Benedict XVI, whom he rightly calls "The Pope of Christian Unity". The comment stream by readers of his blog has been quite active with lively participation by both cradle Catholics and Anglican converts to Catholicism.

I am bothered, however, by the tenor of some of the comments offered by some of the cradle Catholic participants who seem to feel the need to utterly degrade the entirety of the Anglican tradition, to question the motives of converts, and seem to be happy only when a convert abases himself in the mud on the banks of the Tiber, begging for admittance.

There are those who, regardless of the Pastoral Provision established by Pope John Paul II (the Great) and Anglicanorum Coetibus promulgated by Pope Benedict (the Pope of Christian Unity) wish to have nothing to do with former Anglican clergy who become Catholic priests -- to the point of refusing the Eucharist from such a priest (which more than smacks of the heresy of Donatism to me!)

There are those who wish to reject the notion that the history of Anglican tradition has anything at all to offer the Catholic Church, in spite of the Vatican's actions to the contrary (for example, the promulgation of "The Book of Divine Worship.") There are those who make broad pronouncements about the history and spirituality of Anglicanism, and those who make generalizations out of complete ignorance, forgetting the patrimony of Lancelot Andrewes; of King Charles the Martyr; of the Tractarians; of the beautiful translations of St. Thomas Aquinas' Eucharistic hymns (much better, I might add, than in your typical missalette!) And do we even want to compare the prose of the Book of Common Prayer to what ICEL has given us?

There are those who do not (or will not) understand that conversion is a journey, and that not everyone moves along that journey at the same speed. It took the (soon to be beatified) Venerable Servant of God John Henry, Cardinal Newman years to make his journey. Even GK Chesterton only made his conversion formal 14 years before he died.

There are those who do not (or will not) respect the fact that there have been well-reasoned arguments put forth by Anglo-Catholics which seem to justify separation from Rome, and that even when one realizes that an argument one once thought was valid truly is not, there is real pain and real grieving.

There are those who do not (or will not) respect the fact that many converts literally "leave everything behind" to follow Christ. Homes, salaries, churches, pensions, friends, etc. all become secondary considerations when one realizes that the fullness of Truth is to be found in Rome and not Canterbury.

To coin a phrase, all we ask for is a little respect. Don't try to debate us on nuances of English history or on causes of the English Reformation. We know all that. (Indeed, I can lecture on the subject for hours without notes!) Don't try to tell us that our entire ministries before our conversions were utterly without grace. They weren't. Don't try to lecture us on Apostolicae Curae. We accept it. We're extremely familiar with the document -- and realize (as Pope Leo XIII did at the time) that certain issues are not as "cut-and-dry" as they seem. Rejoice that we have come to embrace the fullness of Truth. And allow us a measure of dignity.

In the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 15, we read of the Council of Jerusalem. The burning question: did Gentile believers first have to become Jews in order to be saved. Some said yes -- the entirety of the Law of Moses was absolutely necessary for salvation. But the Apostles said no -- it was enough to avoid meat offered to idols, blood, the flesh of strangled animals, and sexual impurity. It seems to me that there is a correlation here. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have spoken in their Apostolic capacity regarding conversions from the Anglican tradition. That should be enough for everyone. Further burdens are not necessary.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2010-05-10T12:14:00.003-05:00

Catholicism and Fundamentalism

I'm probably gonna get hammered for this post!

No, this is not a review of Karl Keating's book of the same name -- though if you are interested in my thoughts on the book, check out my review for Amazon.com!

What this IS, however, is some commentary on a trend I've begun to notice among a certain percentage of very conservative Catholics, and that is a trend toward what can only be described as a form of Catholic fundamentalism. Now please realize that while fundamentalist Catholics are very conservative, not all conservative Catholics are fundamentalists. This is a very important distinction to make. This commentary is not intended as a rant against people who prefer the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (I've not attended one, but plan to, at my earliest convenience) nor those who watch EWTN (my wife and I not only watch, but appeared on "The Journey Home" a few years ago) or those who prefer more traditional music (count me in!) etc. I'm not referring to your typical, orthodox, Pope John Paul II Catholic.

When viewed on the spectrum of "liberal" to "conservative" your dear commentator would most certainly fall considerably to the "right" of "center". From a theological standpoint, I'm probably more conservative than 80% of your typical "man in the pew"; and the same would be certainly true in my academic work as well.

What I am concerned about, however, are those on the very far right -- the ones who brand you as an enemy (or worse, a heretic!) because you only agree with them 95% of the time. The ones who seem to think that faith means disengaging your brain, and that all development of doctrine ceased in the Middle Ages.

Some tendencies I've noticed which concern me:

Geo-centrism -- the notion that the earth is fixed and immovable, and that the universe revolves around it. (Based on a total misunderstanding of the Church's "condemnation" of Galileo!)
The absolute rejection of any and all critical tools in the interpretation of Scripture (and history!) After all, higher criticism was invented by liberal German Protestants who wanted to destroy the Church, therefore all critical tools must be avoided at all costs! (So much for the Church Fathers!)
A literalist view of Scripture that would frighten an Independent Baptist! No allegory allowed! No figures of speech, either! (Example; The prophets teach that Jesus would ride into Jerusalem "on an ass, and on a donkey, the foal of an ass" -- therefore on Palm Sunday, Jesus rode two animals! Yes, I've seen this vigorously debated!)
An unhealthy obsession with Matthean Priority. Personally the Synoptic Problem is not my problem -- and is an unresolved -- and unresolvable question. But, as the (faulty) reasoning goes, theologians who accept Markan priority obviously used critical tools to arrive at this conclusion -- and all critical tools must be avoided at all costs! Se above!
An insistence that only the Douay-Rheims Bible can be used (and only certain editions of that!) if one is unfortunate enough not to be able to read the Latin Vulgate (and only certain editions of that!)
A misunderstanding of the role of the Teaching Authority of the Church, leading to bizarre claims of "infallibility" on issues upon which the Church has never claimed infallibility!

In each of these cases, the problem seems to stem from an ultra-montane view of the Church, and by the taking out of context (both textually and historically) the role of, and meaning behind, Papal pronouncements. The gift of Papal Infallibility is to preserve the Church from teaching heresy in matters of faith and morals. It does not necessarily follow, however, that every proclamation by every Pope on every issue is a matter of faith and morals!

Now, is it true that many modern theologians have gone beyond (and even against) the Magisterium of the Church? Of course it is! Sadly, such dissent is common on a number of levels. But sadly, the Church has always had dissenters, and, as Christ teaches us, the wheat and the tares will continue to grow together until the End of the Age. But the way to deal with dissent and heresy is to promote good theology and orthodox doctrine -- not to insist that the thinking process be shut down entirely. The Book of Proverbs teaches us that "iron sharpens iron". What a blessing for the Church that the iron of St. Thomas Aquinas was sharpened on the iron of St. Bonaventure! What a blessing that Franciscans are not Dominicans who are in turn not Benedictines! What a blessing that some of the finest astronomers in the world have been (and still are) Jesuits!

It seems to this commentator that the extremes of the very far right are every bit as dangerous as the extremes of the very far left; both extremes leave the Church open to the ridicule from Her enemies; and that neither serve to benefit Her primary mission, which is the eternal salvation of souls.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: LIFE!!!!!!!

2010-05-03T09:14:00.004-05:00

Okay, I'll admit it! Your gracious blogger is a technological troglodyte!

I've been wondering why my 7.42 loyal readers haven't been posting comments. And the other day, my son received a message from one of you telling him that all of the comments posted were coming back as "undeliverable".

Guess what? Some months ago, I switched e-mail accounts -- and I never updated that little detail on this blog!

Oh well! It's fixed now!

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: LITERATURE!!!

2010-04-12T15:49:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite novels is That Hideous Strength by CS Lewis. I've even used it as a textbook in a couple of college-level theology classes.

I suspect that many of the (eight) readers of this blog are also familiar with the book.

I want to pose a question to those (eight) readers -- and this next statement is a spoiler for anyone who has not read the book.

Who succeeded Dr. Elwin Ransom Fisher-King as the Pendragon? We're told toward the very end of the book that he was the latest in a long line spanning many, many centuries -- and that his successor would be revealed. Yet Lewis closes the novel without a successor being named.

If you've read the novel, I'd really like your opinion on this! Who was the successor -- and why did you choose this character?

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT!!! RELIGION!!!

2010-04-04T06:56:00.003-05:00

V. Alleluia, Christ is Risen!

R. The LORD is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!!!

What more needs to be said?

Have a blessed Feast!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!! & POLITICS!!!

2010-03-19T13:42:00.002-05:00

As regular readers of this blog are aware, I am not a member of either major political party. Indeed, I am not a member of any political party at all; having made that decision when I was first ordained priest in the CEC in 1998. I took this stand (after many years of pondering a similar decision by a Catholic priest friend) because I wanted to be able to stand for or against specific issues without being accused of being part of the agenda of a political party. Even after my conversion to the Catholic Church, I have maintained my position, even though this position no doubt frustrates friends of mine on both sides of the political aisle!

I am also not in favor of the idea that all politicians whose private lives or public votes are not in accord with their professed religious faith should automatically be excommunicated. Again, this position would no doubt frustrate friends of mine on various points of the religious spectrum! This is fine by me!

To my mind, excommunication is a tool used most effectively when it is used rarely -- but when it IS used, is used to good and deliberate effect. Overused (or even over-threatened) it loses any effectiveness it might have AS a tool, both to save the soul of the excommunicate, and to take a strong public stand.

Having said all this, I would like to propose a worthy candidate for public excommunication in the Catholic Church -- namely, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. She has publicly and unrepentantly deliberately mis-stated the teachings of the Church on life issues; she has publicly and unrepentantly defied her own bishop, and now, for me anyhow, the last straw.

The Speaker, today, on this, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, publicly prayed to the foster-father of Our Lord, that the current version of the health-care legislation be passed. Also here. (Hat tip to American Papist!)

Please don't get me wrong. I'm not attacking health-care reform, nor are the Catholic bishops. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, long a supporter of real heath-care reform, have also come out strongly against the current version of the health-care legislation.

But, in this case, some extremely basic concerns about the current version of the legislation are not only being addressed, they are being ignored, and those raising those concerns are being marginalized -- at best.

It seems to me, that a public statement by the Bishops supporting substantive health-care reform, while making it clear that the Speaker's action -- publicly praying to St. Joseph for support for a bill which would, in many respects, make a mockery of authentic Catholic social teaching -- is unacceptable; even blasphemous to the point of placing her outside the Graces of the Church would be entirely appropriate!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2010-03-18T17:18:00.002-05:00

After months of speculation, it has finally been formally announced that Pope Benedict XVI will beatify the Venerable Servant of God, John Henry, Cardinal Newman during his pilgrimage to England and Scotland.

For me personally, this is a momentous occasion. It was the reading of Newman's "Apologia" that really began to turn wheels in my mind and heart, culminating in my own crossing of the Tiber in 2005.

What is even more remarkable is that the Holy Father will be officiating at the Beatification service himself. During the nearly 5 years of his Pontificate, Pope Benedict has delegated Beatification ceremonies, typically to the local Ordinaries. This one he's doing himself.

What is also exciting is the fact that the Holy Father is actually making a pilgrimage -- indeed a Pastoral Visit -- to the UK -- the first Pastoral Visit by a Pope to England's "Green and Pleasant Lands" since that nasty little bit of unpleasantness known as the Protestant Reformation!

May God grant that this visit by Pope Benedict XVI -- the Pope of Christian Unity -- may further the day when all the children of Canterbury are finally home.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!! (AND POLITICS!!!)

2010-03-02T15:37:00.003-06:00

A few months ago, an uncle of mine who is a staunch conservative and a devout Lutheran asked me if I had heard anything about something called "The Conservative Bible Project". At the time, I had not, but I took a look and was unimpressed -- indeed, completely underwhelmed.

This Lent, I am preparing some meditations on the Seven Words of Christ from the Cross.

Guess what?

The Conservative Bible Project comes up again!

This outfit, the "brainchild" of Andy Schlafly (using the term EXTREMELY loosely) is attempting to re-translate the King James Bible by omitting alleged "liberal translation distortions" (their words)!

Like, for example, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing"!

The argument? Because certain early manuscripts do not include this verse, it must be a later interpolation by LIBERALS!!! The REAL Jesus would never have said anything so radical about forgiving one's enemies!

Other examples: The story of Jesus forgiving the woman caught in the act of adultery in John's Gospel is tossed out as well! While certain early manuscripts place this story in Luke's Gospel rather than John's Gospel, it's inclusion in Scripture has been testified for more than 1500 years. BUT, some LIBERALS, like to use this passage as an argument against Capital Punishment -- so it must go as well!!!!!!!

Check out other examples if you like -- I'm not going to waste blog space doing so.

Now conservative interpreters and exegetes have rightly criticized certain elements of the religious left for overusing the tools of higher criticism to go beyond criticism and analysis to outright deconstructionism, from the so-called "Quest for the Historic Jesus" to "The Jesus Seminar", etc. And in the opinion of your worthy blogger, many of these criticisms are valid. (Not all -- that's a topic for another post!)

But there is an old saying which says that what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. If conservatives are going to criticize liberals for textual deconstruction; it seems to me that they are legitimately subject to equal criticism for engaging in the same sort of faux analysis.

The "Conservative Bible Project" is an embarrassment which should be exposed for the fraud it is. The contributors (who are certainly NOT "translators" in any meaningful sense of the word) ought to be ashamed.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: PERSONAL!!!

2010-02-08T17:21:00.003-06:00

The New Orleans Saints have won the Super Bowl!

Now, I've never been a huge New Orleans fan. I've never had anything particular against the team -- they've just never really been on my radar.

BUT . . . my late father-in-law, Murphy Soirez, was born in Louisiana and was a Saints fan. Murphy lived to be 80 years old -- but didn't get to see this day. Heck, he didn't get to see the Saints ever do much of ANYTHING!

I jokingly told my kids that if the Saints DID win the Super Bowl, it would represent their grandfather's 1st miracle -- and that we would have a "Blessed Murphy" day on the anniversary of his death in his honor!

Now, we're really going to do it!

Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints -- and thanks Murphy -- I'm sure you had some of the best seats in the house!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: LIFE -- AND DEATH!!!

2010-01-13T21:49:00.004-06:00

There is an international disaster going on in Haiti.

Former Southern Baptist minister; former Presidential candidate; and long-time "religious" talk-show host Pat Robertson announces that Haiti has been "cursed" and "swore a pact to the devil".

What an unmitigated ASS!!!

What an INSENSITIVE JERK!!!

What a THEOLOGICAL NINCOMPOOP!!!!!!!

WHAT the HELL kind of Christianity does he propose to promote???????

The Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, among tens, if not hundreds of thousands of others are dead. Millions more are homeless, and potentially dying.

At this point in time -- we pray, and we follow the Corporal Acts of Mercy.

Everything else is up to God.

For Pat Robertson -- or anyone else of his ilk -- to even SUGGEST anything otherwise, is SICK, PERVERTED, and DISGUSTING -- not to say UN-CHRISTIAN in the EXTREME!!!

Readers, pray for Haiti!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: LIFE -- AND DEATH!!!

2010-01-13T08:29:00.004-06:00

Dear readers,

Whatever you are doing when you come upon this post -- STOP.

Say a prayer for Haiti.

I suspect that the devastation will be far beyond the reporting of this morning's headlines.

Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-12-24T07:45:00.003-06:00

TOMORROW . . .

HE COMES!!!

According to Professor Robert Greenberg of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Benedictine monks arranged these antiphons with a definite purpose. If one starts with the last title and takes the first letter of each one - Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia - the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come.” Therefore, the Lord Jesus, whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us, “Tomorrow, I will come.” So the “O Antiphons” not only bring intensity to our Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion.

Again, thanks to Fr. William Saunders, Dean of the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College!

BLESSINGS!!!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-12-23T07:37:00.004-06:00

We're almost there . . .

O Emmanuel

Latin:

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster,

exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum:

veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.

English:

O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,

the hope of the nations and their Saviour:

Come and save us, O Lord our God.

and . . .

O Emmanuel: “O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”

Again, acknowledgments are due to "Common Worship" and Fr. William Saunders.

BLESSINGS!!!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-12-22T13:16:00.003-06:00

And still . . .

THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES . . .

O Rex Gentium

Latin:

O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum,

lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum:

veni, et salva hominem,

quem de limo formasti.

English:

O King of the nations, and their desire,

the cornerstone making both one:

Come and save the human race,

which you fashioned from clay.

and . . .

O Rex Gentium: “O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.” Isaiah had prophesied, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (9:5), and “He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (2:4) .

And again, acknowledgments to "Common Worship" and Fr. William Saunders.

BLESSINGS!!!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-12-21T15:04:00.003-06:00

And the Countdown Continues . . .

O Oriens

Latin:

O Oriens,

splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:

veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

English:

O Rising Sun,

splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:

Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

and . . .

O Oriens: “O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.” (9:1).

BLESSINGS!!!

Papa Z.

PS -- A Happy Advent Birthday to My Mother!

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-12-20T09:14:00.003-06:00

And the Countdown Continues!

O Clavis David

Latin:

O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel;

qui aperis, et nemo claudit;

claudis, et nemo aperit:

veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris,

sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

English:

O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel;

you open and no one can shut;

you shut and no one can open:

Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,

those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

and . . .

O Clavis David: “O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.” Isaiah had prophesied, A will place the Key of the House of David on His shoulder; when he opens, no one will shut, when he shuts, no one will open.” (22:22), and “His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over His kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever.” (9:6).

Again, acknowledgments to "Common Worship" and Fr. William Saunders.

BLESSINGS, on this the FOURTH SUNDAY of ADVENT!!!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-12-19T11:24:00.005-06:00

The Countdown Continues . . .

O Radix Jesse

Latin:

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum,

super quem continebunt reges os suum,

quem Gentes deprecabuntur:

veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

English:

O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;

before you kings will shut their mouths,

to you the nations will make their prayer:

Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.

and . . .

O Radix Jesse: “O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.” Isaiah had prophesied, “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (11:1), and A On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.” (11:10). Remember also that Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:1).

Once again, acknowledgments to "Common Worship" and Fr. William Saunders.

BLESSINGS!!!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-12-18T09:50:00.007-06:00

The Countdown Continues . . .

O Adonai

Latin:

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel,

qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,

et ei in Sina legem dedisti:

veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

English:

O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel,

who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush

and gave him the law on Sinai:

Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

And . . .

O Adonai: “O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.” Isaiah had prophesied, “But He shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.” (11:4-5); and “Indeed the Lord will be there with us, majestic; yes the Lord our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king, he it is who will save us.” (33:22).

Again, acknowledgments are due to "Common Worship" and Fr. William Saunders.

BLESSINGS!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-12-17T16:21:00.009-06:00

The Countdown Has Begun!!! It is time for the Great "O" Antiphons!!!

O Sapientia

Latin:

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodidisti,

attingens a fine usque ad finem,

fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia:

veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

English:

O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,

reaching from one end to the other mightily,

and sweetly ordering all things:

Come and teach us the way of prudence.

and

O Sapientia: “O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” (11:2-3), and “Wonderful is His counsel and great is His wisdom.” (28:29).

Acknowledgements are due to the Church of England's "Common Worship" and Fr. William Saunders of Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College.

BLESSINGS!!!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-12-08T11:48:00.003-06:00

December 8th -- The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Year of Our Lord 1854

Blessed Pius IX

Declaramus, pronuntiamus et definimus doctrinam quae tenet beatissimam Virginem Mariam in primo instanti suae conceptionis fuisse singulari Omnipotentis Dei gratia et privilegio, intuitu meritorum Christi Jesu Salvatoris humani generis, ab omni originalis culpae labe praeservatam immunem, esse a Deo revelatam, atque idcirco ab omnibus fidelibus firmiter constanterque credendam.

Wherefore, in humility and fasting, we unceasingly offered our private prayers as well as the public prayers of the Church to God the Father through his Son, that he would deign to direct and strengthen our mind by the power of the Holy Spirit. In like manner did we implore the help of the entire heavenly host as we ardently invoked the Paraclete. Accordingly, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, for the honor of the Holy and undivided Trinity, for the glory and adornment of the Virgin Mother of God, for the exaltation of the Catholic Faith, and for the furtherance of the Catholic religion, by the authority of Jesus Christ our Lord, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own: "We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful."

Have a blessed Feast Day!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!! -- Happy New Year!

2009-11-29T06:54:00.003-06:00

Greetings to my six (or is that seven?) good readers!

Today is the New Year for the Church -- the 1st Sunday in Advent in the Year of Grace 2010!

May God bless you and your loved ones richly this year!

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-11-14T09:35:00.004-06:00

We have a new Archbishop!

Bishop Jerome Listecki, currently Bishop of the diocese of LaCrosse, Wisconson, and a former Auxiliary Bishop in Chicago, has been named as the successor to Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who was transferred to New York in April.

A hundred thousand welcomes to Bishop Listecki! May your time in Milwaukee be most blessed!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: SOCIETY!!!

2009-11-11T15:16:00.003-06:00

Today is Veterans Day. On this day in 1918, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month -- the guns went silent in Europe, bringing the Great War to a close.

Under President Eisenhower, this day, formerly called Armistice Day, in remembrance of the conclusion of the First World War, was formally changed to Veterans Day -- to honor ALL our Veterans -- Past, Present, and Future.

So here's a heartfelt "Thank-You" to all our fine men and women who have served, are serving, and will continue to serve our nation to keep us free.

Here's to:

The Army

The Navy

The Air Force

The Marine Corps

The Coast Guard

The Merchant Marine

Your sacrifices will never, NEVER, be forgotten.

God Bless AMERICA!!!

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: POLITICS!!!

2009-11-09T12:53:00.003-06:00

I'm not usually dreadfully political on this blog -- but this is a big deal to me.

20 years ago today -- the Berlin Wall fell.

On June 12th, 1987, President Ronald Reagan gave the following speech:

"Tear Down this Wall".

Do you remember?

He was mocked at the time by the press and by the pseudo-intelligentsia of the West. We were supposed to appease the Soviet Union. We were supposed to compromise. What about Detente? How dare this "warmonger" use such strong language against our "good friends" in the Eastern Bloc?!

Do you remember?

A little more than two years later, on November 8th, 1989, the Wall fell. Almost immediately, one by one, the nations of Eastern Europe began to break free. The "republics" comprising the USSR began to break free. (Ironically, the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize went, not to Ronald Reagan; not to Margaret Thatcher; not to the Servant of God Pope John Paul II (the Great) -- but to General Secretary Mikael Gorbachov!)

It began 20 years ago today.

And where is our President?

Where?

Why is he not in Berlin?

What are his priorities?

This is not a "Left vs. Right" issue. This is not a "Conservative vs. Liberal" issue. This is a day of rejoicing in freedom -- all throughout Europe.

And our President -- ostensibly the "Leader of the Free World" -- is absent.

What a shame.

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-11-09T12:20:00.005-06:00

I've seen quite a few bloggers and commentators begin to refer to Pope Benedict XVI as "The Pope of Christian Unity", and I plan to begin using the same reference. The Holy Father, building on the foundation of the Servant of God Pope John Paul II (the Great) has done more to effect authentic Christian unity than any Pontiff since the Protestant Revolt.

May the words of Our Lord in the 17th Chapter of St. John's Gospel come quickly to fruition.

Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in thy name, which thou hast given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.

Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world."I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word,that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me. O righteous Father, the world has not known thee, but I have known thee; and these know that thou hast sent me. I made known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." (Revised Standard Version)

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-11-09T12:08:00.004-06:00

I told you I'd have more on the subject!

The Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus has officially been promulgated, "Providing for Personal Ordinatiates for Anglicans Entering into Full Communion with the Catholic Church."

Read it here:

ANGLICANORUM COETIBUS

I would invite commentary.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

PS: BTW, for ongoing interesting commentary on this subject, please visit -- in addition to this blog -- "Per Christum" (to which I am an occasional contributor), "Whispers in the Loggia", "What Does The Prayer Really Say". I recommend them both.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-10-20T08:43:00.003-05:00

There are VERY exciting things happening with regard to the relationship between traditional Anglicans and the Catholic Church.

I'll have extensive comments very shortly, but for the time being, please check out Per Christum and What Does The Prayer Really Say? for information.

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: FOOD AND DRINK!!! AND LITERATURE!!!

2009-09-21T11:53:00.002-05:00

Greetings to all my fellow hobbits!

Tomorrow is, as you know, the anniversary of the birthday of those most illustrious hobbits, Bilbo Baggins and his nephew Frodo Baggins! May you celebrate with food and drink with those you love, never forgetting to read the Account of the Eleventy First Birthday Party from the Red Book!

The Zampino hobbits of Delavan celebrated yesterday, as a dear friend has his birthday on the 22nd -- and his son and daughter-in-law could come yesterday.

We had:

Fresh bread with butter and cheese (really GOOD cheese!)

15 bean soup with ham

Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding

AND A MIGHTY DISH OF MUSHROOMS AND BACON!!!

My eldest daughter made fruit tarts (apple, cherry and blueberry) for dessert.

And there was Boddington's Pub Ale!

It was a most splendid occasion!

Blessings to all -- and may the hair on your toes never fall out!

Papa Z

SUBJECT: LIFE -- Lest We Forget . . .

2009-09-11T09:05:00.004-05:00

Where were you, September 11th, 2001?

I was on an airplane, headed for the East Coast. I had been sent to Baltimore on a recruiting trip for the Marquette University Graduate School. The flight was routed from Milwaukee to Baltimore via Cincinnati, and it was while we were getting off the plane in Cincinnati that it was announced that there had been a hijacking in New York, and that we would be "temporarily delayed". Needless to say, I stayed in Cincinnati -- and there was no recruiting trip. I saw one of the Towers fall from a lounge in the Cincinnati airport.

I offer the following prayer. It was the prayer given by Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of his visit to Ground Zero last year.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths
and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.

We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here—
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and
Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.

We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives
with courage and hope.

We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in
Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.

God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.

Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.

SUBJECT: SOCIETY!!!

2009-08-19T12:32:00.005-05:00

God bless you, Mayor Barrett!

Tom Barrett is the Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has been a political fixture in Southeastern Wisconsin for many years, having served previously in the State Senate and in the United States House of Representatives. On many, if not most issues, he and I would most likely find ourselves on opposite sides of the political aisle, but he has long been recognized, even by his political opponents, as a good and decent human being, with whom one could dialogue, and reasonably disagree.

Last Saturday evening, Mayor Barrett was attending the Wisconsin State Fair -- a tremendously fun annual event which draws hundreds of thousands of participants over its 11 day run. He was attending, not in his role of Mayor, but rather as a citizen out for an evening of family fun. He was accompanied by his sister, his niece, and two daughters.

As the family was leaving the Fair, about 10:45 last Saturday evening, the Mayor's attention was attracted by a woman screaming and crying for help. He sent his daughters off with his sister, while his niece called 911. Mayor Barrett rushed to assist the individual crying for help. When he arrived on the scene, he saw a grandmother, trying to protect an infant, while both were being menaced by a man who turned out to be the infant's father, estranged from the mother's family. When the Mayor tried to calm the situation down, he was punched in the gut, knocked to the ground, and when he arose, was severely beaten with a weapons-grade collapsible police baton. He had teeth smashed out, his hand was shattered, and he was hit so hard in the face and head, that he required plastic surgery.

The grandmother and the infant were unharmed. The Mayor took the beating instead. Greater love, etc.

Fortunately, the Mayor will be okay. The perpetrator is in custody. Not surprisingly, the thug had a history with the local police.

Today, the Mayor made his first public statement after the incident and after being released from the hospital. His comment?

"I can't think of a situation like this when people would not have responded as I did,"

I'd like to think that the Mayor is right.

The late Science Fiction author Robert A. Heinlein used to note that a society in which the basic rule "Women and Children First" was lost, was a society doomed to fail. I think that Heinlein would have been proud of Mayor Barrett.

I know that I am.

God bless you, Mr. Mayor, and may you make a full and speedy recovery.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: SOCIETY!!! (And Politically Incorrect!!!)

2009-06-30T12:26:00.007-05:00

Our local Boy Scout troop suffered a loss last Friday.

On Sunday, June 14th, one of our adult volunteers, a blind man, who loved the Scouts and was much loved by the troop was struck by a car. He used both a cane and a guide dog, and there are "Blind Person Area" signs posted throughout our small downtown area (population, roughly 8,000).

He died on Friday and will be buried today. Many of the Scouts will be present at the funeral in their Class "A" uniforms to pay their last respects to a kind and decent man.

There is no excuse for the accident.

The individual driving the car was 81 years old with a history of traffic violations and citations. At this time, I do not know what charges, if any, are pending.

I realize that this is a politically incorrect opinion to hold, but this accident demonstrates to me -- yet once again -- that when one reaches a certain age and/or state of health, one's driving privileges should be restricted, or even taken away.

Please don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting that everyone over a certain age should not be allowed to drive. I'm not saying that at all. People age at different rates. Mrs. Smith might be fully capable of driving at 90, while Mr. Jones might need to stop at 72. I'm not advocating for an "age cut-off".

What I AM suggesting is that at a certain point in time, 8-year license renewals need to become 5 or 3 or 1-year license renewals, and that past a certain age, road-testing needs to become a requirement for renewal.

When I first learned to drive, the State of Maryland had a graduated license program. First, I got my learner's permit, which was severely restricted. Then, I received my provisional license, which was considerably less restricted. Only after I had completed both "probation" periods (without violations) did I receive my "permanent" license. Wisconsin has a graduated program as well, though not as strict as Maryland's was.

What I am suggesting is that beyond a certain age or state of health, reasonable graduated restrictions be implemented including more frequent renewal periods and road-tests. In addition, I would like to see a provision wherein a license could be revoked after a certain number of age or health related citations were received -- even if they are only minor citations. I will be contacting my state legislators to this effect.

This was a preventable tragedy. Let's prevent further tragedies of this nature from occurring in the future.

Meanwhile, Adam, may your soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace, and may light perpetual shine upon you. And you'll be able to SEE that light!

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-06-09T11:18:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday was Trinity Sunday -- one of my personal favorites. According to tradition, it was St. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury and Martyr (1170) who first instituted the feast for England, and was later spread to the Universal Church.

In honor of Trinity Sunday, I post the full text of my favorite Trinity Sunday hymn "I Bind Unto Myself Today" -- translated from the traditional St. Patrick's Breastplate by Cecil Frances Alexander, a noted 19th century writer and translator of hymn texts.

St. Patrick's Breastplate

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this today to me forever
By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river,
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of cherubim;
The sweet ‘Well done’ in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors’ faith, Apostles’ word,
The Patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the star lit heaven,
The glorious sun’s life giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward;
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave, the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-05-21T14:44:00.005-05:00

I would like to wish all 8 of my faithful readers a very blessed Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord.

Yes, I know, in most dioceses in the United States, the feast has been moved to Sunday; ostensibly because fewer people would actually come to Mass on a Thursday (same story with the Feast of the Epiphany) but I don't buy it!

Frankly, friends, with regard to Mass attendance, the Catholic Church does not demand a whole lot. Sundays, and a small handful of Holy Days of Obligation. Heck, if we were Baptists, it would be Sunday morning AND Sunday evening AND Wednesday evening! (And a much higher percentage of our income would be expected!)

I'd love to see the Feast observed on its correct day, and to hear sung those glorious Ascension Day hymns that so few people know anymore. Five years ago, prior to my conversion, I was doing some research in Oxford (yes, poor me! And the library was literally steps away from the Eagle and Child! But I digress). I was staying at St. Stephan's House, Oxford -- a rather "high church" Anglican seminary. On Ascension Day, I was invited by some of the students to accompany them up to the roof of the chapel (via a typical medieval castle-style winding staircase) where we gathered and sang an Ascension Day hymn. I believe it was "See the Conqueror Mount In Triumph" or "Hail the Day that Sees Him Rise". It was wonderful!

Besides the two hymns listed above, my other favorite Ascension Day hymn is "Hail Thee Festival Day".

Anyone else have a favorite?

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: LITERATURE!!!

2009-03-02T15:11:00.003-06:00

Today would have been the 105th birthday of Dr. Seuss! The school attached to the parish where I work served "Green Eggs and Ham" for lunch! And Google has changed its nameplate today in the good Doctor's honor!

I don't know about you, my eight faithful readers, but Dr. Seuss was a delight for me as a child and is just as much a delight for me now that I am a father myself! (I might add that his book for adults -- "The Seven Lady Godivas" is wonderfully hysterical! And no, it's not "R" rated! Just think Dr. Seuss' humor, and extrapolate!)

Rest in Peace, Dr. Seuss -- and THANKS!

Papa Z

SUBJECT: POLITICS!!!

2009-02-23T16:09:00.003-06:00

In the comments section under my December 12th post, I indicated that I would be blogging at a later date about our bicameral legislative system here in the United States. Upon reading the linked column by George Will, I believe I'll do it now!

Let me state categorically my belief that the 17th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States should be repealed. This is the amendment which called for the "Direct Election" of United States Senators by the voters of the several states. It was ratified by the requisite number of states in 1913. Up until that point, the Constitution dictated that the power to elect Senators was vested in the legislatures of the several states. The original intent of the Founding Fathers was that the House of Representatives was to directly represent the people who elected them, and that the Senate was to represent the interests of the several states. In other words -- A SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES!!!

Were there times when the state legislatures were remiss in their duties? Sure. Were there instances of corruption or competing candidates for office? Of course. And do we not see similar instances of corruption and controversial elections today, with our system of direct election? Yes -- similar problems exist. Such is the nature of representative democracy! It's not always neat and clean! (Roland Burris jokes, anyone? or Al Franken, for crying out loud?)

Amending the Constitution was not the answer -- and we're reaping the result of that decision. Senators are subject to the same lobbying pressures as are Members of the House -- and the role of the several states in forming, or at least deliberating upon, the policies of the Federal Government have been greatly diminished. The checks and balances are gone.

In the opinion of your humble blogger, it is high time we repealed the 17th Amendment, and returned to the original intent of our Founders, as imperfect or as messy as it sometimes could be. Let's return to the states the deliberative powers which were originally theirs, and restore a better balance between the states and the Federal Government.

For God and Country,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: PERSONAL!!!

2009-02-07T14:36:00.005-06:00

One of the neat things about a blog, is that the blogger can write pretty much what he wishes, on pretty much whatever topic he wishes!

Well, right now, I'm going to brag on my eldest son!

David, Jr. is 18 and is in his senior year at St. Lawrence Seminary High School.

2009 has certainly been good to him!

A few weeks ago, we learned that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has accepted him as a college seminarian. He will be attending St. Joseph College Seminary, which is located on the campus of Loyola University in Chicago.

Yesterday, we learned that he has been chosen for induction into the National Honor Society at St. Lawrence.

Our family could not possibly be more pleased and proud!

God is good, and He has a very nice Mother!

Papa Z

SUBJECT: PERSONAL!!!

2009-01-24T07:00:00.003-06:00

I just received word that my first cousin and her family lost their home and all their material possessions last night in a house fire. I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through right now. Praise God everyone is safe. Thank God for His promises of Divine Mercy.

Please remember this family in your prayers.

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-01-19T16:35:00.002-06:00

On the "Per Christum" blog, where I am an occasional contributor, I have posted some ruminations on Eastern Orthodox apologetics which, for reasons which escape me, I have been unable to properly format here on Blogger!

So I would like to direct my (up to eight 1/2) readers to the following post on the "Per Christum" site.

Comments are accepted both here and on the "Per Christum" site. Please be charitable in discussion, even when in disagreement. No flaming permitted! :-)

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION -- AND POLITICS!!!

2009-01-09T11:07:00.004-06:00

One of my favorite commemorations in the liturgical calendar is the memorial of St. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury and Martyr in 1170, celebrated on December 29th. St. Thomas was martyred, essentially, for refusing to let the will of the State suppress the rightful prerogative of the Church. As we approach Inauguration Day, and a new President who has vowed to immediately sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which would completely remove all restrictions on all abortions overriding the laws of all 50 states; would remove all rights of conscience for health care providers; and would require Catholic hospitals to perform abortions, it would be wise to review the bold statement the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has made: (see my earlier blog post of November 12th) -- and to consider St. Thomas Becket, St. Thomas More, St. John Fisher and all the other martyrs of the faith who realized that as patriotic as one is, one's duty to God comes first -- before one's duties to the State. And that there may well be times when one's duties to God can get one in trouble!

For your reading pleasure, I present Archbishop Becket's Christmas Sermon from T. S. Eliot's play "Murder in the Cathedral":

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will." The fourteenth verse of the second chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Luke. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Dear children of God, my sermon this Christmas morning will be a very short one. I wish only that you should meditate in your hearts the deep meaning and mystery of the Christmas Day mass. For whenever Mass is said, we re-enact the Passion and Death of Our Lord; and on this Christmas Day we do this in celebration of His Birth. So that at the same moment we rejoice in His coming for the salvation of men, we offer again to God His Body and Blood in sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.

It was in this same night that has just passed, that a multitude of the heavenly host appeared before the shepherds at Bethlehem, saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will"; at this same time of the year we celebrate at once the Birth of Our Lord and His Passion and Death upon the Cross. Beloved, as the World sees, this is to behave in a strange fashion. For who in the World will both mourn and rejoice at once and for the same reason? For either joy will be overborne by mourning, or mourning will be cast out by joy; it is only in these our Christian mysteries that we can rejoice and mourn at once for the same reason.

Now think for a moment about the meaning of this word 'peace'. Does it seem strange to you that the angels should have announced Peace, when ceaselessly the world has been stricken with War and the fear of War? Does it seem to you that the angelic voices were mistaken, and that the promise was a disappointment and a cheat?

Reflect now, how Our Lord Himself spoke of Peace. He said to His disciples, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." Did He mean peace as we think of it: The kingdom of England at peace with its neighbours, the barons at peace with the king, the householder counting over his peaceful gains, the swept hearth, his best wine for a friend at the table, his wife singing to the children? Christ's disciples knew so such things: they went forth to journey afar, to suffer by land and sea, to know torture, imprisonment, disappointment, to suffer death by martyrdom. What then did He mean? If you ask that, remember then that He said also, "Not as the world gives, give I unto you." So then, He gave to His disciples peace, but not peace as the world gives.

Consider also one thing of which you have probably never thought. Not only do we at the feast of Christmas celebrate at once Our Lord's Birth and His Death: but on the next day we celebrate the martyrdom of His first martyr, the blessed Stephen. Is it an accident, do you think, that the day of the first martyr follows immediately the day of the Birth of Christ? By no means. Just as we rejoice and mourn at once, in the Birth and Passion of Our Lord; so also, in a smaller figure, we both rejoice and mourn in the death of martyrs. We mourn, for the sins of the world that has martyred them; we rejoice, that another soul is numbered among the Saints in Heaven, for the glory of God and for the salvation of us all.

Beloved, we do not think of a martyr simply as a good Christian who has been killed because he is a Christian: for that would be solely to mourn. We do not think of him simply as a good Christian who has been elevated to the company of the Saints: for that would be simply to rejoice: and neither our mourning nor our rejoicing is as the world's is. A Christian martyrdom is never an accident, for Saints are not made by accident. Still less is a Christian martyrdom the effect of one's will to become a Saint, as one by willing and contriving may become a ruler of men. A martyrdom is always the design of God, because of His love for us, because of His desire to warn us and to lead us, and to bring us back to His ways. It is never the design of man; for the true martyr is he who has become the instrument of God, who has lost his will in the will of God, and who no longer desires anything for himself, not even the glory of being a martyr. So thus as on earth the church mourns and rejoices at once, in a fashion that the world cannot understand; so in Heaven the Saints are most high, having made themselves most low, and are seen, not as we see them, but in the light of the Godhead from which they draw their being.

I have spoken to you to-day, dear children of God, of the martyrs of the past, asking you to remember especially our martyr of Canterbury, the blessed Archbishop Elphege; because it is fitting, on Christ's birth day, to remember what is that Peace which He brought; and because, dear children, I do not think I shall ever preach to you again; and because it is possible that in a short time you may have yet another martyr, and that one perhaps not the last. I would have you keep in your hearts these words that I say, and think of them at another time.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-01-09T10:48:00.005-06:00

With best wishes for a blessed Epiphany season, I offer the following from T. S. Eliot:

Journey of the Magi

A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times when we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities dirty and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wineskins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-01-09T10:42:00.003-06:00

Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, 1936-2009

Go forth, O Christian soul out of this world.

In the Name of the Father who created you.

In the Name of the Son who redeemed you.

In the Name of the Spirit who sanctified you.

May your rest this day be in peace, and your dwelling be in the presence of God.

The Catholic world has lost a giant of the faith. Please see the following from Whispers in the Loggia

and

First Things

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2009-01-03T09:27:00.003-06:00

Dear friends,

As we wind down this Christmas season, I offer a portion of W.H. Auden's "Christmas Oratorio". I find it appropriate at this time.

Well, so that is that.
Now we must dismantle the tree,
Putting the decorations back into their cardboard boxes -
Some have got broken - and carrying them up to the attic.
The holly and the mistletoe must be taken down and burnt,
And the children got ready for school. There are enough
Left-overs to do, warmed-up, for the rest of the week -
Not that we have much appetite, having drunk such a lot,
Stayed up so late, attempted - quite unsuccessfully -
To love all of our relatives, and in general
Grossly overestimated our powers. Once again
As in previous years we have seen the actual Vision and failed
To do more than entertain it as an agreeable
Possibility, once again we have sent Him away,
Begging though to remain His disobedient servant,
The promising child who cannot keep His word for long.
The Christmas Feast is already a fading memory,
And already the mind begins to be vaguely aware
Of an unpleasant whiff of apprehension at the thought
Of Lent and Good Friday which cannot, after all, now
Be very far off. But, for the time being, here we all are,
Back in the moderate Aristotelian city
Of darning and the Eight-Fifteen, where Euclid’s geometry
And Newton’s mechanics would account for our experience,
And the kitchen table exists because I scrub it.
It seems to have shrunk during the holidays. The streets
Are much narrower than we remembered; we had forgotten
The office was as depressing as this. To those who have seen
The Child, however dimly, however incredulously,
The Time Being is, in a sense, the most trying time of all.
For the innocent children who whispered so excitedly
Outside the locked door where they knew the presents to be
Grew up when it opened. Now, recollecting that moment
We can repress the joy, but the guilt remains conscious;
Remembering the stable where for once in our lives
Everything became a You and nothing was an It.
And craving the sensation but ignoring the cause,
We look round for something, no matter what, to inhibit
Our self-reflection, and the obvious thing for that purpose
Would be some great suffering. So, once we have met the Son,
We are tempted ever after to pray to the Father;
“Lead us into temptation and evil for our sake.”
They will come, all right, don’t worry; probably in a form
That we do not expect, and certainly with a force
More dreadful than we can imagine. In the meantime
There are bills to be paid, machines to keep in repair,
Irregular verbs to learn, the Time Being to redeem
From insignificance. The happy morning is over,
The night of agony still to come; the time is noon:
When the Spirit must practice his scales of rejoicing
Without even a hostile audience, and the Soul endure
A silence that is neither for nor against her faith
That God’s Will will be done,
That, in spite of her prayers,
God will cheat no one, not even the world of its triumph.

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION AND LITERATURE!!!

2008-12-25T09:40:00.004-06:00

The Birth of Christ is the eucatastrosphe of Man's history.

"On Fairy Stories"

JRR Tolkien

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2008-12-24T18:49:00.006-06:00

The twenty-fifth day of December.
In the five thousand one hundred and ninety-ninth year of the creation of the world from the time when God in the beginning created the heavens and the earth;
the two thousand nine hundred and fifty-seventh year after the flood;
the two thousand and fifteenth year from the birth of Abraham;
the one thousand five hundred and tenth year from Moses and the going forth of the people of Israel from Egypt;
the one thousand and thirty-second year from David's being anointed king;
in the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel;
in the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad;
the seven hundred and fifty-second year from the foundation of the city of Rome;
the forty second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus;
the whole world being at peace,
in the sixth age of the world,
Jesus Christ the eternal God and Son of the eternal Father, desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming,being conceived by the Holy Spirit, and nine months having passed since his conception,
was born in Bethlehem of Judea of the Virgin Mary, being made flesh.
The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

Merry Christmas!

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2008-12-22T09:21:00.005-06:00

"Hope in Things Unseen"

On Friday, December 19th, 2008, the mortal remains of Avery, Cardinal Dulles were committed back to his Maker. As a bit of a tribute, I would like to share with my (up to seven!) readers a small portion of the Cardinal's remarks given shortly after the tragic events of September 11th, 2001. The words are as powerful now as they were then.

. . . As a theologian, I have to recognize that Christian hope never rests on material things. As individuals we try to follow the teaching of Jesus, who reminds us that rust corrodes, moths consume, and thieves break in and steal. Jesus instructs us to build treasure in heaven, the one bank that can never fail. The only thing that counts in the end is whether or not we hear the greeting of the Lord, “Well done, you good and faithful servant.”

Jesus Christ is not only the personal hope for each one of us. He is also the hope of the world. If the world turns away from Him, it goes terribly astray. The pursuit of riches produces massive poverty; the pursuit of freedom begets slavery; and the pursuit of peace ends in destructive violence. But with the strength and generosity that comes from the Lord we can take part in building here on earth what the liturgy calls “a kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love, and peace.”

Amen and Amen!

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2008-12-14T10:49:00.005-06:00

Following up on an earlier post in which I reported the death of Avery, Cardinal Dulles, I wanted to share with my (six) readers the contents of the telegram of sympathy sent from the Holy Father to Edward, Cardinal Egan, the Archbishop of New York.

HAVING LEARNED WITH SADNESS OF THE DEATH OF CARDINAL AVERY DULLES, I OFFER YOU MY HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES, WHICH I ASK YOU KINDLY TO CONVEY TO HIS FAMILY, HIS CONFRERES IN THE SOCIETY OF JESUS AND THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY OF FORDHAM UNIVERSITY. I JOIN YOU IN COMMENDING THE LATE CARDINAL’S NOBLE SOUL TO GOD, THE FATHER OF MERCIES, WITH IMMENSE GRATITUDE FOR THE DEEP LEARNING, SERENE JUDGMENT AND UNFAILING LOVE OF THE LORD AND HIS CHURCH WHICH MARKED HIS ENTIRE PRIESTLY MINISTRY AND HIS LONG YEARS OF TEACHING AND THEOLOGICAL RESEARCH. AT THE SAME TIME I PRAY THAT HIS CONVINCING PERSONAL TESTIMONY TO THE HARMONY OF FAITH AND REASON WILL CONTINUE TO BEAR FRUIT FOR THE CONVERSION OF MINDS AND HEARTS AND THE PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. TO ALL WHO MOURN HIM IN THE HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION I CORDIALLY IMPART MY APOSTOLIC BLESSING AS A PLEDGE OF CONSOLATION AND PEACE IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

Blessings,

Papa Z

SUBJECT: POLITICS!!!

2008-12-12T14:38:00.004-06:00

Some years ago, in fact, not long before the 2004 election, I wrote an article entitled "A Modest Proposal" dealing with what I perceived then (and still do) as a major flaw in our current political system. The flaw? The complete dominance of the two-party system! It seems to me that the one (and perhaps the only) thing that the Democrats and the Republicans agree upon -- is that no other party should be allowed to play the game! In the past, this has not always been the case. Indeed, throughout the history of the United States of America, members of six different political parties have been elected to the Presidency -- and many more have served in either the legislatures of the several states or on Capitol Hill. Take a look:

Federalist Party -- George Washington and John Adams
Democratic-Republican Party -- Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe
National Republican Party -- John Quincy Adams
Whig Party -- William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, and Millard Fillmore. (Technically John Tyler ascended the Presidency as a Whig -- but was kicked out of the party soon after!)

The "modern" Democratic party elected it's first president -- Andrew Jackson -- in 1828. The "modern" Republican party elected it's first president -- Abraham Lincoln -- in 1860. (And in 1864, Lincoln chose for his running mate a Southern Democrat as a sign of national unity! Can you imagine something like that happening today?)

What I'm trying to say is this: so-called "minor" parties have been a part of this great nation for more than 200 years. Frequently, these parties have been "single-issue" parties (like the Prohibition Party or the Greenback Party) but their very presence has brought to the fore issues of national importance which needed to be discussed.

Some have suggested that a proliferation of small parties would necessitate the forming of "minority" or "coalition" governments which would, in fact, find it very difficult to actually govern. They point to examples like Italy, the United Kingdom, or Canada. However, in the Electoral College, the United States is protected from many, if not most, of the difficulties of a more parliamentary system. One person still needs those 270 Electoral Votes to be President! But would it hurt to have other voices heard in our legislatures? Of what are the two big parties afraid?

In the 2008 election, three minor parties qualified for ballot access in enough states to have theoretically reached the magic 270 Electoral Vote threshold:

Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate, garnered more than 520,000 votes and appeared on the ballot in at least 45 states.

Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party candidate, garnered more than 180,000 votes and appeared on the ballot in at least 37 states.

Cynthia McKinney, the Green Party candidate, garnered more than 150,000 votes and appeared on the ballot in at least 32 states (and the District of Columbia).

And, of course, Ralph Nader ran as an Independent, garnered more than 690,000 votes and appeared on the ballot in at least 45 states (and the District of Columbia).

These four candidates, each of whom could have THEORETICALLY won the White House due to their ballot access, together accounted for more than 1.5 MILLION votes. Yes, this represents only a bit more than 2% of the ballots cast -- but all four were LEGITIMATE NATIONAL CANDIDATES! Why were they not permitted to participate in the Presidential Debates.

(Please note: my mentioning these candidates and political parties should not be construed as an endorsement of any sort. I'm trying to make a point! Nor am I suggesting that parties or individuals who manage to make the ballot in only a couple of states should be taken particularly seriously. I'm talking about allowing the major players, who represent parties which are at least decades old, to be treated with the legitimacy they deserve.)

How would participation by these other candidates have hurt? The final results of the 2008 election would most likely have remained the same. The number of voters choosing a minor candidate might well have increased -- perhaps even dramatically -- but either the Republicans or the Democrats still would have won. The difference? Legitimate issues, on both the "Right" and the "Left" which were ignored during the campaign would at least have been heard. And perhaps, over time, such legitimate issues may well be addressed by the "Big Two". Such has happened in the United States before! Finally, such exposure might well have resulted in success by the minor National parties on the State and Local level.

Would that be such a bad thing?

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2008-12-12T10:43:00.005-06:00

It is with great sadness that I announce to my (six) readers the death this morning of Avery, Cardinal Dulles, SJ. He was 90 years old.

Cardinal Dulles was arguably the most significant American theologian of the century, and possibly the foremost ecclesiologist in the world. Indeed, we even used his "Models of the Church" at Oral Roberts University!

I had the great privilege of meeting Cardinal (then Father) Dulles while I was a student at Nashotah House. We had a academic convocation each November, and Fr. Dulles was one of the featured speakers. We had just suffered through an interminable (and awful) address by some retired Episcopal bishop. Fr. Dulles was next. Very diplomatically, very kindly -- and VERY thoroughly, Fr. Dulles absolutely demolished the previous speaker. So thoroughly, in fact, that our Systematic Theology/Liturgy professor at the seminary (who was more sympathetic, I'm afraid, to the heretical bishop than to Fr. Dulles) visibly extremely uncomfortable! It was a joy to behold.

Following the convocation, I had the honor to ride back to the airport with Fr. Dulles. I am most privileged to have in my personal collection several of his books, which he graciously signed for me.

Cardinal Dulles's death will leave an incredible void in theological circles -- and, no doubt, among his Jesuit brothers. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2008-12-05T14:48:00.003-06:00

It is with great sadness that I report the sudden death at 79 of Alexei II, Patriarch of Moscow and of all the Russias, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church. He had led the 100 million strong church since 1990.

The following telegram was sent to the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI:

I was profoundly saddened to receive news of the death of His Holiness Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and of All the Russias, and with fraternal affection I wish to convey to the Holy Synod and to all the Members of the Russian Orthodox Church my most sincere condolences, assuring you of my spiritual closeness at this very sad time. In my prayer I beseech the Lord to welcome into his Kingdom of eternal peace and joy this tireless servant, and to grant consolation and comfort to all those who mourn his passing. Mindful of the common commitment to the path of mutual understanding and cooperation between Orthodox and Catholics, I am pleased to recall the efforts of the late Patriarch for the rebirth of the Church, after the severe ideological oppression which led to the martyrdom of so many witnesses to the Christian faith. I also recall his courageous battle for the defence of human and Gospel values, especially in the European Continent, and I trust that his commitment will bear fruit in peace and genuine progress, human, social and spiritual. At this sad time of loss, as his mortal remains are consigned to the earth in the sure hope of resurrection, may the memory of this servant of the Gospel of Christ be a support for those who are now in sorrow and an encouragement for those who will benefit from his spiritual legacy as leader of the venerable Russian Orthodox Church.

With fraternal affection in the Risen Lord,

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

May the soul of Patriarch Alexei II, and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace. To any of my Orthodox readers (Russian or otherwise) please accept my deepest sympathy.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: BOOKS!!! (And Illustrations!!!)

2008-11-21T13:52:00.002-06:00

Yes, I know I'm a bit behind the times, but I recently learned of the death of Pauline Baynes. She died a few days short of her 86th birthday. For those amongst my six readers who may not be familiar with her, you would probably recognize her work. Pauline was the illustrator for JRR Tolkien's "Farmer Giles of Ham", "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil", and "Smith of Wooten Major" among other works. At Tolkien's suggestion, she was also engaged by CS Lewis to illustrate "The Chronicles of Narnia".

Anyway, I'd like to draw the attention of my readers to the very fine obituary written by Brian Sibley and posted on his blog.

http://briansibleysblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/pauline-baynes-queen-of-narnia-middle.html

Pauline Baynes -- "Further Up and Further In". Rest in peace.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: FOOD AND DRINK!!!

2008-11-18T09:19:00.001-06:00

Okay -- now for something a bit lighter!

Readers of my blog will know that my wife's father passed recently. It's weird, but the positive thing about family tragedy is that one actually gets to see family and loved ones one normally does not get to see! This past trip to Maryland was no exception.

I'm a big fan of the Food Network (which probably explains my waist size!). One of my favorite shows is "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives". Well, while in Baltimore, my wife's sister and her husband took us to one of the restaurants featured in an episode of that show.

The food was terrific. Incredible veal sliced over pasta with a cream sauce -- and topped with crabmeat. YUM!!!

BUT, dear reader, a word of advice!

NEVER order a mixed drink in a diner -- no matter if said diner was featured on a famous television show or not!!!

It was late in the evening (9:00+) when we finally got to the diner (coming straight from the airport) and my brother-in-law (who is very much like myself in many respects) decided that a round of drinks would be a good idea. Matt ordered a Tanqueray Martini, straight up, very dry, with olives -- and I did likewise. We each received a shot glass full of straight dry vermouth! Matt patiently explained to the waiter (whose English was not very good) "Tanqueray". We each received another shot glass -- full of Chardonnay! Finally, in desperation, Matt asked for a shot glass of straight Beefeater's, hoping that he would finally be understood! The waiter returned with two shot glasses filled with room-temperature Beefeater's, with which, using ice from our water glasses and the vermouth, we were able to assemble -- at our table -- something remotely resembling our (by this time desperately needed) martinis!

Oh well!

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION (And Politics -- but MOSTLY Religion!!!)

2008-11-12T18:54:00.001-06:00

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a recent statement on the recent election and its implications on that most fundamental right -- the right to life. I post excerpts here. Ancillary commentary (mine!) will be clearly marked!

STATEMENT of the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

“If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil.” (Psalm 127, vs. 1)

The fundamental good is life itself, a gift from God and our parents. A good state protects the lives of all. Legal protection for those members of the human family waiting to be born in this country was removed when the Supreme Court decided Roe vs. Wade in 1973. This was bad law. The danger the Bishops see at this moment is that a bad court decision will be enshrined in bad legislation that is more radical than the 1973 Supreme Court decision itself. (Emphasis Mine!)

In the last Congress, a Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) was introduced that would, if brought forward in the same form today, outlaw any “interference” in providing abortion at will. It would deprive the American people in all fifty states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry. FOCA would coerce all Americans into subsidizing and promoting abortion with their tax dollars. It would counteract any and all sincere efforts by government and others of good will to reduce the number of abortions in our country.

Parental notification and informed consent precautions would be outlawed, as would be laws banning procedures such as partial-birth abortion and protecting infants born alive after a failed abortion. Abortion clinics would be deregulated. The Hyde Amendment restricting the federal funding of abortions would be abrogated. FOCA would have lethal consequences for prenatal human life.

FOCA would have an equally destructive effect on the freedom of conscience of doctors, nurses and health care workers whose personal convictions do not permit them to cooperate in the private killing of unborn children. It would threaten Catholic health care institutions and Catholic Charities. It would be an evil law that would further divide our country, and the Church should be intent on opposing evil. (Again, Emphasis Mine!)

On this issue, the legal protection of the unborn, the bishops are of one mind with Catholics and others of good will. They are also pastors who have listened to women whose lives have been diminished because they believed they had no choice but to abort a baby. Abortion is a medical procedure that kills, and the psychological and spiritual consequences are written in the sorrow and depression of many women and men. The bishops are single-minded because they are, first of all, single-hearted.

The recent election was principally decided out of concern for the economy, for the loss of jobs and homes and financial security for families, here and around the world. If the election is misinterpreted ideologically as a referendum on abortion, the unity desired by President-elect Obama and all Americans at this moment of crisis will be impossible to achieve. (Again, Emphasis Mine!) Abortion kills not only unborn children; it destroys constitutional order and the common good, which is assured only when the life of every human being is legally protected. Aggressively pro-abortion policies, legislation and executive orders will permanently alienate tens of millions of Americans, and would be seen by many as an attack on the free exercise of their religion. (Once again, Emphasis Mine!)"

I truly wish such a statement had been published by the Bishops PRIOR to the election -- preferably, at least one month prior to the election. Perhaps this would have given the lie to those Catholics, clergy and otherwise, who felt that they could contort their consciences into pretzels in order to vote for the most radically pro-death candidate ever elected to lead our great nation.

For the full statement, please check out the excellent blog "Whispers in the Loggia" which I follow quite closely. It can be found here: http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com.

May God have mercy.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: POLITICS!!!

2008-11-05T10:13:00.001-06:00

Come Nineveh, Come Tyre.

Allen Drury -- 1973

SUBJECT: POLITICS!!! (AND GOOD BOOKS!!!)

2008-10-31T09:23:00.001-05:00

For the most part, I have refrained from discussing partisan politics in this blog. I personally am an Independent -- a decision I made some 10 years ago when I was ordained a priest in the CEC. I wanted to feel like I had the freedom to comment upon individuals or particular issues without people feeling that I had partisan motivations for doing so. For the most part, I have never regretted that decision.

I do want to offer a few comments however about the upcoming Presidential election. And I want to do so by referring my six readers to the late author Allen Drury (1918-1998). Drury was, arguably, the father of the modern political novel and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1959 for his book "Advise and Consent". Drury was also a professional journalist who worked for UPI, the New York Times and the Washington Star.

In "Advise and Consent", and in the following three novels, Drury introduced his readers to a Washington in the midst of the Cold War; an era in which the "well meaning" liberal intelligentsia of the day preached a doctrine of total appeasement to the Soviets and engaged in a great deal of "blame America first". The novels followed the careers of two politicians: one, a young energetic, inexperienced, naive governor who can't (or won't) control the violent thugs who (in the name of peace) are promoting his candidacy for the Presidency. The second, an older somewhat curmudgeonly former Senator and Secretary of State who is not so polished in his speaking -- but who sees the Soviet threat for exactly what it is. The fourth novel, "Preserve and Protect", ends with one of these two candidates being assassinated -- but does not tell us which one. Drury then goes on to write two sequels: "Come Ninevah, come Tyre: The Presidency of Edwin Jason" and "The Promise of Joy: The Presidency of Orrin Knox".

Although now certainly somewhat dated, the heart behind Drury's writing is every bit as applicable today as when first written. Indeed his next to last novel, "A Thing of State", published in 1995, warned of the dangers of Islamic terrorism -- and the similar naivete of the press and blind politicians.

In this election, we have a choice between a candidate who speaks in sound bites; who has a long list of shady characters (at best) as friends and advisors; and who has no real experience in dealing with the wider world -- and a candidate who is percieved as grumpy and curmudgeonly, who is certainly not as polished, and who doesn't draw the adoring masses -- but who understands the national and international security issues facing our nation at this point in time.

For me, the choice is clear.

Think about it.

As a public service, here is my own guide to Allen Drury's fiction:

The Advise and Consent Series:

Advise and Consent (1959) -- Winner of the Pulitzer Prize -- a novel about the United States Senate

A Shade of Difference (1962) -- a novel about the United Nations -- and race relations -- years before the civil rights movement -- and a sequel to Advise and Consent

Capable of Honor (1966) -- a novel about the press -- and a sequel to A Shade of Difference

Preserve and Protect (1968) -- a novel about violence used for political purposes -- and a sequel to Capable of Honor

Come Nineveh, Come Tyre (1973) -- the first of two possible sequels to Preserve and Protect

The Promise of Joy (1975) -- the second of two possible sequels to Preserve and Protect

The Mark Coffin USS Series:

Mark Coffin, U. S. S. (1979) -- a novel about a newly elected senator and the struggles of his early days in office.

The Hill of Summer (1981) -- a novel about the rise of two leaders -- a vice-president, assuming presidential duties upon the death of his predecessor; and a Soviet premier: young, energetic, and ruthless. This book continues the characters in Mark Coffin.

The Roads of Earth (1984) -- a sequel to The Hill of Summer -- predicting, with a certain prophetic accuracy, the decline of communism in eastern Europe.

Other Political Novels:

The Throne of Saturn (1970) -- a novel about the politics of the space race; arguably one of Drury's best

Anna Hastings (1977) -- a novel about a most colorful newspaper magnate

Decision (1983) -- a novel about the Supreme Court

Pentagon (1986) -- a novel about the Pentagon, and the politicization of the military

A Thing of State (1995) -- a novel about the dangers of Islamic extremist terrorism

University Novels:

Toward What Bright Glory? (1990) -- a novel set at Stanford University following the members of one particular fraternity

Into What Far Harbour? (1993) -- a sequel to Toward What Bright Glory?, following the extended careers of the main characters

Public Men (1998) -- another sequel examining the main characters some 50+ years following the events in the first book

Novels of Ancient Egypt:

A God Against the Gods (1976) -- a novel dealing with the events of the late 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt

Return to Thebes (1977) -- a sequel to A God Against the Gods

Other Novels:

That Summer (1965) -- a rather forgettable novel about angst in California

The Destiny Makers (1988) -- I HAVE NO EARTHLY IDEA!!!

Papa Z

SUBJECT: PERSONAL !!!

2008-10-29T11:41:00.002-05:00

Murphy J. Soirez -- 1928-2008

On Sunday, October 26th at approximately 7:04 PM, my father-in-law, Murphy Soirez, went home to God. He had suffered a massive stroke five days earlier and never regained consciousness. At his bedside was his wife of 57 years and three of his four children and their spouses (including my wife and myself). His fourth child had left the hospital only a few hours previously. The pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas parish, where he had worshiped for 55 years had visited the day before to administer the Last Rites of the Church.

If one defines success as to how well one plays the hand of cards one has been dealt, Murphy was among the most successful of men. Born into poverty in the bayous of Louisiana, Murphy left school after the 7th grade in order to go to work and help support his family. He was always willing to do whatever was necessary for his family. As a young man, he joined the Army and was trained as a firefighter. Although a Korean War era veteran, he never saw combat. Upon leaving the Army, he married Doris, my mother-in-law and joined the electrical contracting firm owned by her family. He remained at Crown Electric until his retirement.

Murphy worked tirelessly all his life. Although not a wealthy man, he was determined to see his children succeed in life. All four of his children spent at least part of their education in Catholic schools (11 years in the case of my wife). He was very proud of the achievements of his children. His eldest son joined him at Crown Electric -- and is now president of the firm. He rejoiced in his 11 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. Murphy was a good neighbor. One cannot count the number of times he mowed the lawns or shoveled the walks of the elderly in the neighborhood. He loved to garden and to landscape -- indeed, he was still gardening until the day before his stroke. He loved the ballgame. One of my wife's fondest memories was the many times her father took her to see his beloved Baltimore Orioles play at old Memorial Stadium.

After returning from the hospital on the evening of his death, his other son-in-law and I raised our glasses in his honor. "To the best father-in-law a man could have" said Matt -- to which I responded "To a good life well lived".

Rest in peace, Murphy Soirez. You will be greatly missed.

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,and their departure was thought to be an affliction, and their going from us to be their destruction;but they are at peace. For though in the sight of men they were punished,their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good,because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them,and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth,and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples,and the Lord will reign over them for ever. Those who trust in him will understand truth,and the faithful will abide with him in love,because grace and mercy are upon his elect,and he watches over his holy ones. -- The Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9

Papa Z

SUBJECT: PET PEEVES!!!

2008-10-20T17:19:00.003-05:00

"Extended Warranties"

In the opinion of the tremendously unbiased writer, the concept of the "Extended Warranty" has got to be one of the biggest scams on the market today. Two recent examples from the life of the Papa Z family should suffice.

Example One: The New DVD/VCR. For Christmas, the Zampino clan purchased, as a family gift, a new combination DVD/VCR machine to replace two very well worn out components. We made this purchase from a supposedly reputable well-known electronics retailer, and purchased a machine from a supposedly reputable manufacturer. We didn't purchase the "Cadillac" model -- but we didn't purchase the "Yugo" either, by any stretch of the imagination. We declined the "extended warranty" which would have added quite significantly to the purchase price. Well it's October now. The little motor which opens and closes the DVD drawer is shot. It has apparently shorted out. We called the retailer, and were, of course, informed that since we had not purchased the "extended warranty" we were out of luck. We called the manufacturer and were informed that they would gladly cover the cost of the part -- but not the cost of the labor -- AND we would have to pay to have the item shipped out. Estimated cost? Essentially half -- 50% of the cost of the device in the first place. My conclusion? Built-in obselescence. The "extended warranty" was an ultra-expensive insurance product banking on the hopes that the device would last two years. If it didn't -- hey, the device was essentially "throw-away" in the first place. If it didn't last (which obviously, it didn't) then it was my problem. Either way, I'm stuck with either a much more expensive purchase -- or an overpriced repair bill.

Example Two: In February, the Zampino family was forced, out of dire and unexpected necessity, to purchase a car -- a vehicle used, but new to us. It was a 2003 Buick with only 63,000 on it. The purchase was made at a local dealer -- a dealer which owns 5 dealerships in Southeast Wisconsin and Northern Illinose. I received a very fair deal on the trade-in and had no problem with sales department. It even came with a limited warranty! Of course, an "extended warranty" was available (which would have added well over $1,000+ to the cost of the car) which came with its own set of limitations and exclusions. By early April, it had become obvious that the air conditioning needed to be recharged. I was annoyed -- but not particularly angry -- such things happen. I went back to the dealer, paid the hundred bucks for the recharge -- and for the injection of a dye into the system to make sure that there was no leak. I was guaranteed that if I needed a recharge again, it would be taken care of -- at no cost to myself. Within two months, another recharge became necessary. I returned to the dealer -- who informed me that there WAS no dye left in the system; that the condensor had died -- and that the repair would cost upwards of $1,000. I pointed out that under Wisconsin statute, the dealer was supposed to exercise "reasonable care" when inspecting a used vehicle -- and that it was obvious that "reasonable care" was not exercised. Indeed, it was clear that the service department of the dealership had merely signed off on an untested system. I was then informed that had I purchased the "extended warranty" the repair would have been covered. The service department offered to cover half the cost of the repair -- but also informed me that "of course, the repair could cost considerably more" than the estimate! (Like I couldn't see THAT scam coming!) Like the DVD manufacturer, the service department of this dealership didn't care if "reasonable care" was exercised or not. They figured I'd either pay the hefty additional premium -- or find myself screwed a few months down the road. (I might add that the car has developed additional issues in which minimal "reasonable care" by the dealership was not exercised as well -- issues which should not have occurred after only a few months.)

End of rant! (But I am looking for a different vehicle -- from a different dealership!)

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2008-10-20T16:57:00.002-05:00

So far, in this blog, I have refrained from commenting on the current events within the Episcopal church. I left that body in 1993 and although I retain quite a few friends, both clergy and laity, within that body (and indeed graduated from Nashotah House in 1998) I have not felt it particularly necessary to add my 2 cents worth.

For the most part, this is still the way I feel. I pray for my friends still in that body and I hope that they find the peace, the hope, and the answers they need.

I do, however, want to bring to the attention of my 6 readers the recent blog posting of Jeremy Bonner writing on the recent decision of most of the Diocese of Pittsburgh to realign with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. Bishop Duncan of Pittsburgh is a good and godly man (and preached the sermon on the occasion of my graduation from Nashotah House).

Without further comment, I post the link to this post:

catholicandreformed.blogspot.com/2008/10/to-grey-havens-diocese-of-pittsburgh.html

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2008-08-29T11:17:00.002-05:00

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear a presentation given by the Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. who is the Director of Education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center. In addition to being a priest, Fr. Tad (as he is most commonly known) is a neuroscientist of some note. The subject of the presentation was "Stem Cell Research in light of Humanae Vitae". In a roughly 75 minute presentation, Fr. Tad clearly and succintly explained the science involved, current research (and successful medical application) with regard to adult stem cells, and cut through the political "spin" so loudly promulgated by the media.

If you ever get the chance to hear Fr. Tad speak, by all means, do so!

Papa Z

SUBJECT: PERSONAL!!!

2008-02-25T12:41:00.002-06:00

Rest In Peace, Fr. LeBar

This morning, I learned of the death of Fr. James LeBar. Fr. LeBar was a close friend and mentor to my own dear friend Fr. Ken Yossa. He was, for many years, the chief exorcist for the Archdiocese of New York, and was one of the most prominent figures in this very specialized ministry in the entire world.

My friend Fr. Yossa is a Byzantine Catholic priest (Romanian Rite) who is godfather to my son Philip and who was present at my own reception into the Church. He forwarded to me this prayer which seems most appropriate for the occasion. It is taken from the Byzantine Funeral Office for a Priest:

O Lord, our God, we see your departed priestly servant James and all the works performed by him in your Church. Now that he has departed by your will, we beseech you O solicitous Master, in your loving kindness, forgive him all his transgressions—committed deliberately or through human frailty—and that you admit him to the region of the living, to the place of light where all the saints repose. For you are the resurrection, the life and the repose of your priestly servant James, O Christ our God, and we glorify you, together with your eternal Father and your all holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: PERSONAL!!!

2008-02-21T22:03:00.003-06:00

This is a very different -- and difficult -- post for me.

Today, I would like to recognize the life of Ken Jablonski. Ken died 15 years ago, sometime between the hours of 4 and 8 AM on February 22nd, 1993. He was 34 years old. He had suffered from severe kidney disease, leading to total kidney failure (and two failed transplants). He had survived more than 20 years of kidney dialysis. He was also, for the many years that I knew him, totally blind. Early in the morning of February 22nd, 1993, while waiting for the taxi to take him to his thrice-weekly dialysis treatment, he suffered what appeared to be a fatal heart attack. When the taxi company called the authorities to report his non-appearance that fatal morning, the police found his body on the living room floor, reaching for the phone.

At the request of his family, I was in charge of his funeral arrangements, and the disposition of most of his material goods.

Ken was a unique man. In spite of his physical disabilities -- and his blindness -- he was a musician of extraordinary skill -- on the piano, the guitar, and the electric guitar -- as well as being a gifted composer. He had one of the most profound -- and funny -- senses of humor that I have ever encountered in my life. Reading from a Braille manuscript, he proclaimed the Old Testament Lesson at my wedding, and remained very interested in my family life until his untimely death. (He died when my oldest son was 2 1/2 years old, and one month before my oldest daughter was born.)

Ken was an honest man; a generous man; a giving man; and a godly man. To the very end of his life, he was concerned about the needs and hurts of others. Upon his death, one of the tasks which fell to me was to "clean out" his computer -- and I found many more examples of his kindness and decency about which I had no knowledge -- even as his closest friend.

One final example: about four months prior to his death, Ken had the opportunity to meet the severely retarded and disabled daughter of my wife's best friends. She was only a small child at the time. After my wife's friends had returned home, Ken penned a letter to this little girl: a letter gripped with love and emotion. Some years after Ken's death, this little girl died as well -- and at the visitation for family and friends, Ken's letter was posted prominently by the casket. I don't believe I've ever met a more compassionate person in my entire life.

Ken, while a devout Christian, often joked about giving up "religious ritual" for Lent! And, true to form, he died just two days before Ash Wednesday! Tomorrow, while a day of abstinence, a part of me will be strongly tempted to give up -- in Ken's honor -- my Lenten disciplines -- just for a day.

Kenneth P. Jablonski -- may you rest in peace! May your friends be as lucky as you, to remember you so faithfully! And if, perchance, I should (in your honor) stray on Friday, please intercede to the Almighty on my behalf!

Papa Z

SUBJECT: BOOKS!!!

2008-01-29T13:27:00.003-06:00

Much to the great frustration of my wife, I have a passion for books. I love to read them -- and to collect them.

Here's a question for my faithful readers -- all six of them!

What are your favorite books, and what books have made the greatest impact on your lives? (Not including Sacred Scripture -- let's assume that as a given!)

I'll start:

1) The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

2) The Office of Peter and the Structure of the Church by Hans Urs von Balthasar

3) The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon

Boy, a shrink would have fun with THAT list!

There are others -- but this is good for a start!

Papa Z

SUBJECT: MUSIC!!! (And Ecumenism!!!)

2008-01-29T13:14:00.002-06:00

This is a different sort of post -- and I'm hoping for some good feedback.

Looking back over the recently concluded Christmas season, I was struck once again that, despite the differences which grieve the Body of Christ, the Christmas music we all enjoy is a beautiful example of ecumenism in the best sense of the word. Note, if you will, the background behind some of our most beloved carols.

Joy To The World -- text by the English Nonconformist Isaac Watts; music by the German (presumably Lutheran) GF Handel (who spent much of his life living and working in England).

Silent Night -- text by the German Catholic priest Josef Mohr; music by German Catholic Franz Gruber.

Hark, The Herald Angels Sing -- text by the Anglican Methodist Charles Wesley; music by the Jewish convert to Protestant Christianity Felix Mendelssoln.

O Little Town Of Bethlehem -- text by Episcopalian Bishop Phillips Brooks

It Came Upon The Midnight Clear -- text by Unitarian! clergyman Edmund Sears

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen -- traditional Church of England

Perhaps we are sometimes more united in song than in prayer!

Please feel free to add your favorite Christmas music (and its history/background) to this list.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2007-12-19T14:46:00.002-06:00

Faithful readers . . . (all six of you! :-) )

Recently, I was asked by a local pastor to write a few words on "The Golden Compass". My review has subsequently been distributed to literally hundreds of parishes, schools, and ministries all over the United States. I thought it might be of interest here.

On December 7^th, the movie adaptation of Philip Pullman’s novel “The Golden Compass” – the first volume of “His Dark Materials” trilogy – will be released. With the stunning successes of “The Lord of the Rings”, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe”, and the various “Harry Potter” movies, expectations are high that “The Golden Compass” will also be a box-office hit. Many parents will, no doubt, be strongly pressured by their young children to see the film and will subsequently purchase the novel and its sequels.

At the same time, serious concerns have been raised from a number of sources about both the intentions of the author and of the appropriateness of the novel’s content, especially for persons of faith. As both a parent and as an expert in science fiction and fantasy literature, I was asked to read “The Golden Compass” and to try to address some of these concerns.

First, and foremost, Philip Pullman is an outspoken atheist. He has openly admitted that his books are about “killing God”. Indeed, in the final volume of the trilogy, several characters do “kill God”. The protagonists of the story (pre-adolescent children) spend much of their time fighting off the evil machinations of “The Magisterium” – a thinly-disguised Catholic Church stereotype, complete with priests, sacraments, and even a Vatican Council. Members of the Magisterium kidnap children in order to perform vile scientific experiments attempting to separate the soul (each person’s daemon) from the body. The opponents of the Magisterium (also using a sacrificed child) discover a way to cross between worlds and mount an attack on God.

Next, for someone merely viewing the movie trailer, a “Narnia” type adventure, complete with talking animals, etc, is what would probably be expected. Again, this is deliberate on the part of Pullman who loathes the Narnia cycle, calling it “one of the most ugly and poisonous things I've ever read”. In other words, the author has written an “anti-Narnia” in which the concepts of good and evil are reversed and moral relativism is rampant. What is especially disturbing is that “His Dark Materials” trilogy is being aggressively marketed to pre-adolescent children and young teens – the same audience as Narnia.

Because of Pullman’s militant atheism, the movie treatment of “The Golden Compass” has toned down the anti-religious, anti-Catholic bias tremendously. Frankly, the production company was afraid of a financial disaster if the novel had been more literally adapted. Nevertheless, the concern remains. Just as the writings of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis enjoyed a re-birth of popularity following the release of the film treatments of their respective novels, it can be expected that sales of “His Dark Materials” (and related merchandise) will receive an equal boost. If this occurs, we can only expect that the blatant message presented in the novels will become ever more blatant in future films.

Finally, I would encourage parents to use the occasion of this film release as an opportunity for a “teaching moment” about our Catholic faith and identity. We have the first and primary responsibility for the education of our children, and it is we who have the ability – and credibility – with our children to teach right from wrong; good from evil; that moral decisions are not relative; and that “the ends do not justify the means”.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2007-11-05T11:18:00.002-06:00

Some thoughts . . .

The WorldWideWeb is buzzing again with the news of the latest charges and counter-charges with respect to the current controversy in the CEC. I wish to make an observation here, with respect to those who are, in good conscience, still trying to sort things out and pray things get better. I have nothing against these persons -- and I do believe in miracles.

But most engaged in these most recent discussions (both on this blog, CEC Healing, and various internet forums) are missing the point.

The point is this:

The situation cannot -- CANNOT -- be fixed with the current leadership in place. (I'm referring to the leadership in the United States. Overseas, the situation might be different -- I just don't know.) The system is broken, and cannot be fixed by re-arranging the same broken pieces. The remaining bishops in the CEC were ALL complicit in the disaster of last year; many have been complicit in various issues since Manila in 2004. Even today, the truth has not been told in many places, and people continue to be hurt and misled. Those bishops which tried, in whatever way, to effect change or to demand accountability were marginalized, attacked, denounced, threatened, and forced out.

The laity can "demand" accountability; they can "demand" participation; they can "demand" anything they like -- but until the bishops admit that they are broken; that they have failed in their charge; that they have not been the good shepherds God called them to me -- nothing can or will change. A sick person cannot begin to get better until he acknowledges the sickness. And that's what this is -- a deeply-rooted sickness. "Retiring" Adler won't heal the sickness. Blaming blogs and forums won't heal the sickness either. It's often been said that sometimes, healing cannot begin until the parties involved hit "rock bottom". One would think that lessons should have been learned last year -- but apparently the remaining bishops have not yet hit "rock bottom".

For the sake of the souls still left in the CEC, I pray that the remaining bishops do hit "rock-bottom"; do come to terms with their own sickness; and earnestly and truly repent.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: BASEBALL!!!

2007-10-20T10:17:00.002-05:00

I am not particularly a fan of the New York Yankees as a team. This being said, some of the greatest ballplayers to ever play the game have played all or part of their careers with this storied franchise -- including many of my personal favorites:

Babe Ruth

Lou Gehrig

Joe DiMaggio

Yogi Berra

Mickey Mantle

Reggie Jackson

Catfish Hunter

. . . and the list goes on.

However, I have also long believed that the ownership of the Yankeess has, for decades, been arrogant, shortsighted, and meddling -- to the detriment of the team in particular -- and all of baseball in general.

The recent forced departure of Joe Torre is the latest example.

12 seasons -- 12 playoff appearances -- 4 World Series Championships.

The ownership has taken a pathetic "But what have you done for me lately" attitude -- and one of the finest, classiest, most knowledgable baseball men alive today is out of a job.

Good luck, Joe Torre -- you deserved better than you got.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2007-10-10T11:28:00.002-05:00

So maybe this is not quite the end.

A recent post on this blog indicated that I was through participating in CEC discussion and controversy. Since that time, however, more garbage has come to light (and I have also discovered an excellent blog -- CEC Healing, which I strongly recommend.)

http://cechealing.wordpress.com/

For the sake of the victims involved in this latest series of scandals, I will be extremely cautious. More people have been hurt -- and I, for one, do not choose to be the one to unnecessarily exacerbate that hurt. Suffice it to say, however, that the spin out of San Clemente continues, and that the leadership has shown an astonishing talent for shifting blame away from those most in sin to those whose participation has been at best ancillary. Classic example: the recent "confession" of a former high-ranking CEC clergyman of adultery. Guess what, folks, it's not a "confession" if you get caught! And the facts of the matter being what they are -- "adultery" is a pretty disingenuous term. "Sexual/Spiritual Abuse" seems to me to be a far more accurate description of what occurred.

Another writer, commenting on another blog, has expressed doubt as to whether the CEC can recover, and become the body God wanted it to be in the first place. I believe in miracles, and affirm that God can do whatever He wants (and frequently does) but I have my doubts.

I do believe that the CEC was originally raised up by God for the purpose of reconciling many Protestants (especially Charismatics and Pentecostals) with the Catholic Church. I don't believe that the CEC was particularly unique -- merely a vehicle God used in the 20th century to try to effect healing. In my study of Church History, I can point out other examples, since the Reformation, where God has attempted to effect such reconciliation -- and all failed, due to the disobedience of men.

In the 17th Century, the Caroline Divines (Lancelot Andrewes, and company) tried to restore a strongly sacramental presence to the Church of England.

In the 18th Century, John Wesley and his Methodist movement tried to restore the importance of Communion to the Evangelical wing of the Church of England.

In the 19th Century, the Oxford Movement provided possibly the greatest attempt at real reconciliation between church bodies since the grief of the Reformation.

And in the 20th Century, the CEC was brought forth to bridge the gap which had grown between Pentecostalism and the independent churches to that Faith Once Delivered To The Saints.

All four attempts failed. Why? Not because of the faithlessness of God, but rather of the faithlessness of man.

In the 17th Century, it was a monstrosity of Puritanism (in the worst sense of the word) which ended in civil war, regicide and terror.

In the 18th century, Wesley's followers, not content to "wait on the Lord" (or on Wesley!) broke from the Church of England (and lost whatever shreds of Apostolic authority the C of E still could claim.)

In the 19th Century, there were those who followed Cardinal Newman into the Catholic Church, but there were many others who chose to try to re-create an "English Catholicism" -- a church which had never truly existed, at least, not in the way that Keble, Pusey, and Gore desperately longed for.

And in the 20th/21st century, the move of God known as the CEC was derailed, not just by the human frailty of the leadership, but also (and most importantly) by the division and non-definition of doctrine and dogma. By men who claimed to believe one thing on paper -- but preached and taught the opposite. By men who didn't believe; who didn't want to believe the original vision of the church; who drove honest believers out, and lied about their departures; and, in some cases, by men whom, I believe, were and are active tools of the enemy.

Yes, healing is possible. Restoration is possible. But there must be a return to the original vision; a laying-aside of personal agenda; and honest contrition for wrongs done.

Elsewise, God will try again. In another place. In another time. In another way. And the CEC will be consigned to the rubbish-heap of failed religious movements.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2007-08-14T16:51:00.002-05:00

The End!!!

This will be my last post regarding the Charismatic Episcopal Church. The amount of venom by some -- CERTAINLY not all -- members of that body toward their brothers and sisters who have, for whatever reason, moved in different directions still continues. The "spin" and (at best) misleading information coming out of San Clemente still continues. The tragedy continues.

I have tried, to the best of my ability -- and sometimes have failed -- to provide information and communication which was accurate, and as dispassionately as I could. Many will say that I have failed miserably, while many, many more have thanked me for providing a needed service. Sadly, some personal attacks have come from fellow Catholics who seem to feel that once one swims the Tiber, one should be automatically immune to criticisism. This is unfortunate.

Regardless, I am backing out of further CEC discussion and controversy. I will continue to provide support for those who contact me privately. I continue to pray for healing wherever necessary.

Comments will no longer be supported on this blog with regard to any CEC entry.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: BASEBALL!!!

2007-08-08T12:55:00.003-05:00

*Barry Bonds* hit home run number *756* last night. What a shame. What a shame to the many fans of this, the greatest game of all. What a shame to the many fans of the home run ball. What a shame to all those great athletes who work hard for the love of the game.

Some thoughts on this *event*:

1) I wholeheartedly approve of the comments Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig made upon the event of #*755*: "Congratulations to Barry Bonds as he ties major league baseball's home run record," it said. "No matter what anybody thinks of the controversy surrounding this event, Mr. Bonds' achievement is noteworthy and remarkable.

"As I said previously, out of respect for the tradition of the game, the magnitude of the record and the fact that all citizens in this country are innocent until proven guilty, either I or a representative of my office will attend the next few games and make every attempt to observe the breaking of the all-time home run record."

So much was not said here! No handshake. No applause. No conversation. No nothing. And do you know where the Commissioner was yesterday? (Hint: NOT at the game in DC!) He was being deposed by former Senator Mitchell, who is heading up baseball's investigation on steroid abuse. Don't you just love it?

2) In my view, the Commissioner could have gone further. In his role, he has the right (some might say, even the responsibility) to act IN THE BEST INTEREST OF BASEBALL!!! This means he has an enormous level of discretion -- and that his decisions are most difficult to appeal or overturn. Look at the example of the "Black Sox" scandal, where 8 members of the Chicago White Sox were permanently banned from baseball due to their associations with gamblers -- associations which led to the "throwing" of the 1919 World Series. There are a couple of interesting things to note here: 1) The players were found NOT GUILTY in a court of law. 2) Of the 8 players allegedly involved, solid cases for illegal play can only be made for 4 of the 8. Nevertheless, the Commissioner at the time, banned them ALL for life acting IN THE BEST INTEREST OF BASEBALL!!! None of the 8 were ever reinstated, although 2 (Joe Jackson and Buck Weaver) continued to defend their innocence and tried to clear their names for the rest of their lives. Later suspensions (which were lifted) were levied by Commissioners against Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle for their legal (but controversial) affiliation with casino gambling. And then we have the Pete Rose fiasco -- which I will not dignify further in this post. My point? Commissioner Selig, although I appreciated his remarks at #*755*, could have prevented this debacle from ever reaching this point.

3) Hank Aaron is a class act. His video tribute to *Bonds* was the epitome of gentlemanly behavior -- behavior that *Bonds* does not now -- and never has exhibited.

4) Willie Mays -- one of the greatest of all times -- has lowered himself dramatically in my view. Yes, I know that *Bonds* is his godson -- but a proper godfather would have taken *Bonds* to task long ago.

5) If someone suggests that there is a racial component to the hostility toward *Bonds* one more time, I'm liable to become physically ill. People don't oppose *Bonds* because he's black. Amongst the top 10 home run hitters of all time, 5 are black, and 2 are Hispanic. Baseball may not be free of racial tension -- but this is not the game it was 30, 40, 50, or 60 years ago. People show hostility toward *Bonds* strictly because of his behavior. No other reason.

At the end of the day, *Bonds* is not, and never will, be Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron. Not as a ballplayer, and not as a person.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: POLITICS!!!

2007-07-31T15:47:00.002-05:00

I am not a member of any political party.

I ceased claiming party membership when I was ordained a priest in the Charismatic Episcopal Church, because I wanted to feel like I could speak my mind on church/state issues without having either Republicans or Democrats accuse me of "shilling" for a political agenda.

This being said, on many issues, I'm pretty conservative. And the Democratic front-runners scare me. They scare me as a Catholic Christian; they scare me as an American; and they scare me because of their pandering to the most radical fringe of the very far left. I think that it was C. S. Lewis who suggested that honest men may reasonably disagree -- and I agree with that statement. But in my view, the "Moveon.org" crowd; the "Daily Kos" crowd and their ilk have dropped the adjectives "honest" and "reasonable" from Lewis's statement.

Why am I posting this now? To urge those on the Religious Right to watch what they say; watch what they do; and watch whom they alienate.

A bit of history . . .

Ronald Reagan won in 1980 largely because huge numbers of ethnic Catholics, who had traditionally voted Democrat, voted Republican in droves. Jimmy Carter (among other mistakes) pushed the "I'm a Southern Evangelical" agenda just a bit too hard -- while his Democratic Party was making abortion a litmus test -- and changed the voting patterns of two generations. Since that point -- even in 2004, when the Democratic candidate was a Catholic (sort of) -- Catholics provided the winning margin for the GOP. A friend of mine, back when I lived in Oklahoma (who himself worked for the State Government, and proudly styled himself as a liberal Democrat and Episcopalian) argued that the Catholic vote was the largest swing bloc in America today.

Why did the Democrats lose so much of the Catholic vote? Largely due to the "social" or "family" issues -- especially the abortion issue. While the Republican party has been a "big tent" on this issue, the Democratic leadership has allowed a vocal element on the fringe to make party policy -- and has for 30 years. It is virtually impossible -- on any level -- to be a successful Democratic politician if one does not support abortion rights. While there are (sadly) many pro-choice Catholics, a significant number of Catholic voters will not vote for pro-choice candidates -- even if those voters agree with those candidates on many other issues.

Over the last 20+ years, more and more Catholics (especially ethnic Catholics) have trended toward the Republican party because of family issues -- and not because they are especially enamored with Republican economic or immigration or environmental issues. Many Catholics recall that for decades the Republican party was rife with anti-Catholic hatred, bigotry, and even violence. The infamous Senator James Blaine of Maine; Republican candidate for President in 1884; was the driving force behind the nativist and virulently anti-Catholic "Blaine Amendments" which persisted in state constitutions for many decades. Many Catholics recall the support which anti-Catholic bigots gave Herbert Hoover in 1928 -- guaranteeing him the election. (Out of fairness, it must be noted that Hoover personally rejected such support).

The Catholic "family values" vote, as I said, currently trends Republican. I see two ways of this changing. 1) The Democratic party could re-embrace the concept of a Pro-life Democrat. This would hideously alienate the angry far-left of their base -- which is providing millions upon millions upon millions of dollars of support. I don't see this happening anytime soon -- at least, not on any level other than very local. 2) Republicans could blow it for themselves by letting some of the more extreme fringe members of the Religious Right -- who despise Catholics on principle -- continue to make bizarre and foolish statements like the one reported here:

http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1308

Now, realizing that neither Senator Brownback nor Governor Huckabee have much of a shot of attaining the Republican nomination, the point remains that statements like those made by Rev. Rude (a most appropriate name if ever I heard one) are likely to reinforce old "Republican Nativist" historical stereotypes more than anything else. Is this what we really need?

Papa Z

SUBJECT: EVERYTHING!!! FAITH, SOCIETY, ETC., EVERYTHING!!!

2007-06-13T21:20:00.002-05:00

The news is reporting that Ruth Graham, wife of the Rev. Dr. Billy Graham, is near death.

All Christians alive today -- whether Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant -- and all men and women of good will owe a tremendous debt of gratitude toward Dr. Graham and his family.

I pray that Mrs. Graham know the love, peace, and strength of our Lord Jesus Christ at this time; that her family and friends be strengthened at her approaching Homecoming; and that all persons be able to look at her life as a life to be cherished -- and emulated.

May the angels surround you, Mrs. Graham, and lead you to Glory!

Papa Z

SUBJECT: PRAYERS!!!

2007-06-09T17:07:00.002-05:00

I have just received a report that John Holloway, the CEC bishop for Georgia, has suffered an extremely severe stroke. Frankly, from the report I have received, things look bad.

I would ask all readers of this blog to keep him and his family in your prayers.

Yes, there are many, many issues surrounding current and former CEC people, especially over the last 18 months or so. These issues may continue to exist -- and, in many cases, probably need to continue to exist.

BUT -- in an emergency situation, ALL involved -- regardless of denominational affiliation (or issues of violation and hurt -- as real as they may be) are called to come together and remember that we are all part of the Body of Christ.

My prayers are with John Holloway and with his family. I pray for his complete healing -- body, mind, soul, and spirit. I encourage all persons of good will to do likewise.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!

2007-06-04T19:53:00.002-05:00

Greetings, all,

I have recently received a very kind message from Bp. Fred Fick, sometime CEC bishop of the Great Lakes.

Bp. Fick informs me that while he participated in some of the preliminary discussions which led to the formation of the Communion of Christ the Redeemer; after much prayer and discernment, he has declined to participate. Instead, he is seeking the fellowship of conservative Anglicans within the Continuing Movement.

I pray that Bp. Fick and his family and friends find the Will of God for their unique situation, as I am sure that they continue to pray for us.

God bless you, Bp. Fick.

Papa Z

SUBJECT: SOCIETY!!!

2007-05-17T16:27:00.002-05:00

I'M PROUD OF MY EAGLE SCOUT -- Part II

This weekend, my oldest son David (who was awarded his Eagle Scout last August) will be formally inducted as a Vigil member of the Order of the Arrow.

For all non-Scouters, the Order of the Arrow is the peer-nominated Honors Fraternity in the Boy Scouts of America. Vigil membership represents the highest possible ranking in the Order of the Arrow.

Papa Z is one proud papa!

Papa Z