I heard something wonderful yesterday.

Hi!

A regular reader of this blog responded to one of my posts thinking it was from Patrick, so I thought I'd take a moment to remind everyone that the proprietor of this blog is on vacation for a couple of weeks. I don't want my old friend saddled with the blame for my banalities. I'm sure Patrick wouldn't subject you to his exploits in landscaping.

Hmmm. Actually, he probably would.

The only responsibility Mr. Madrid can be saddled with in connection with my musings lies in having asked me to be one of his guest bloggers while he's away.

I am the proprietor of Envoy's "Rocking the Cradle Catholic" department, which means I can type 600 or so words fairly quickly (probably no small part of the reason for Patrick's invitation).

None of that is the wonderful stuff mentioned above. Let's get to that now.

This blogging thing is hard work, so I'm very thankful to Father Riley (a new young priest at our parish) for his homily yesterday.

It was a particularly great Mass all around. My wife and I were the lectors, something we love doing together. Mary Ann got to read from the Book of Wisdom, which addressed a subject she is currently reading about in her Master's program. I had the pleasure of reading from The Letter of St. James (my affection for which I mentioned in a previous post). Father Riley then proclaimed Mark's gospel account of the Apostle's argument over who was the greatest.

Father followed up with a wonderful homily that weaved the messages of all three readings into a clear and concise observation on the individual's duty to serve. But that's not the best part. After stepping away from the ambo, he turned back to address a different subject.

He then proceeded to talk about the sinfulness of leaving Mass early, directing his remarks to all but specifically mentioning parents and grandparents; he reminded them that leaving early is a sin and that by bringing children out of Mass early with them, they are leading those beloved children into sin as well. He went on to suggest that if we cannot spare an extra ten minutes after Communion, our priorities may be highly disordered.

It sounds simple, but I know it took incredible courage...especially since he was speaking during the noon Mass on the day of our local NFL home opener. We made sure to speak with Father afterward and give him an atta-boy, along with our thanks for making such an important point.

And this--after all that--is the basic point I'd like to make today: it's important for all of us to notice and acknowledge even the seemingly small acts of herosim on the part of our priests.

They have already, in a very real way, given their lives for us. The least we can do is say thanks.

I'm sure I've failed to notice hundreds of such acts over the years. My prayer for all of us today is that we will be better attuned to the words and deeds of our priests, and take a few extra minutes to say thanks for caring.

It is a time for rejoicing!

Nine days ago, we received an over-estimated load of topsoil that forced my wife to dig a pathway in order to get out of the garage to pick up our son from school. After a full weekend, several evenings, one vacation day, and all day today--I am please to report that our enormous pile of topsoil is no longer a driveway ornament!

Hmmm. Nine days. Sort of a manual labor novena.

I guess I'm taking the long way around telling you that in terms of today's blog entry...I got nothin'. But sitting here thinking about what to share with you reminds me of a column about writing by one of my favorite ink-stained newspapermen--Paul Greenberg.

I hope you'll enjoy it.

Spooky Similarities

I knew I liked Hector Molina…and we’ve never even met. In his introductory post, he mentioned two of my favorite places—New York and St. Louis.

Hector is a native New Yorker who eventually moved to the Midwest. I grew up near the New Jersey mouth of the Holland Tunnel and eventually moved to the Midwest.

Hector now lives in St. Louis. I now bring my family on pilgrimages to St. Louis to stock up on Italian fare.

Hector lives and breathes the faith every day both personally and professionally. I…don’t. As it says in Envoy, I'm a practicing Catholic who still isn't very good at it but continues to practice every day.

Okay, so the similarities aren't as spooky as they first seemed. But reading about Hector's east coast roots reminded me of an Envoy piece I wrote back in the twentieth century. Thought I’d share it with you (especially since the parish festival I went to tonight didn't yield anything fun to write about as I had hoped it would)….

*************************************************************************************

My wife and I shared a unique liturgical experience, one Saturday afternoon. We went to Mass at the mall.

Don’t bother rereading. It still says, “We went to Mass at the mall.”

There’s a Carmelite Chapel on the Lower Promenade (basement level) of one of the many malls which serve as landscape in our corner of America. One of an estimated dozen or so Catholic mall chapels in the United States, it has been serving consumers’ souls since 1970. A quirky place, it sports electric stained-glass windows inside, and video in the hall for those who can’t get a seat in the often standing-room-only main room.

I assumed people’s reasons for attending that Saturday afternoon Sunday obligation Mass varied widely. For instance, weekend logistics kept Mary Ann and me from getting to our home parish that week. I figured others probably enjoyed the intimacy of the small venue, or the anonymity of worshipping at a crossroads of humanity. My wife, a native of mall country, assured me that the chapel’s main draw has always been brevity.

This had to be among the fastest Sunday obligation Masses ever said in a non-communist country. Barely 30 minutes from start to finish, including 10 minutes of homily, a substantial Communion crowd and a post-Communion “Hail Holy Queen” for various intentions including the conversion of Russia.

You should be able to get through checkout on the Upper Promenade (parking level), as fast as we got through that Mass. I had skid marks from blessing myself too fast. Mary Ann told me the mall chapel once had a Saturday afternoon priest who got your duty done in 20 minutes flat, homily included.

Mind you, that mall chapel is an important place. The priests hear as many as 1000 confessions a month. Their monthly Communion rail can stretch some 1600 tongues long. And, to be fair, those 20-minute liturgies keep my wife going to Mass through an extended season of twentysomething doubt.

Our celebrant that Saturday was a big, jovial priest from Ireland. He was helping out at the chapel during his vacation. This guy led us through the Mass so fast I could have sworn he was praying in tongues half the time. If we’d paused to take a breath during the Creed we wouldn’t have caught up until Communion.

He slowed down exactly three times. Twice for singing: the Gospel Acclamation and the Great Amen. Good set of pipes, too. Probably still trying to prove to his mother he hadn’t wasted his time listening to all those John McCormack records. He also downshifted for a wonderful, insightful homily. Those 10 minutes lost him his shot at the gold-plated brevity breviary I hear the chapel management bestows on its quickest consecraters.

Homily aside, I came away from that Mass winded, cranky and tempted to declare the celebrant disrespectful of the Holy Sacrifice. But, after a careful look into the mirror of the mall, I no longer believed he was. His style made him the perfect man for the job to be done that afternoon - the job of saying Mass in a sad vernacular. He spoke the language of people who want what they want, where they want it, as quickly as they can get it. It’s a familiar tongue to those of us who sometimes allow weekend logistics to disturb our Sunday worship.

Mind you, that mall chapel is an important place. Any conspicuous consumer, seeing the conspicuous words “Carmelite Chapel” on the directory to that very public square, can always find a willing missionary on hand. The priests who service the chapel hear as many as 1000 confessions a month. Their monthly Communion rail can stretch some 1600 tongues long. And, to be fair, those 20-minute liturgies my wife remembers kept her going to Mass through an extended season of twentysomething doubt.

Neither of us, however, is in doubt today. While we hope the chapel stands longer than the mall, piggybacking on the convenience offered by its ministry strikes us as plain wrong. We’ve never been back, but took a lesson away with us: making it known to people that Mass is at the top of your Sunday social calendar is a powerful means of evangelization.

Oh, and I’m afraid the answer is, “Yes.” We did use the occasion of Mass at the mall to return a few things.

"A New Season" of Anti-Catholic Bigotry

To piggy back on Jim's post regarding Penn and Teller's most recent attack on Catholicism, I heard on the Radio this morning that there is a bit of controversy brewing at the N.Y. Metropolitan Opera House. On the Laura Ingraham Show, Raymond Arroyo reported that the Met's new season opener, Puccini's Tosca, features a very disturbing scene.

At the end one of the acts, the baritone who plays Baron Scarpia apparently simulates the sexual act with a statue of the Virgin Mary. When the curtain rises again, he is found caressing the statue.

You know as well as I that we would never see this type a scene perpetrated with a statue of Mohammad. But, as usual, we Christians are fair game.

I know where Bill Donahue will be on September 21st. Why don't we each lift up a prayer in reparation for this sacrilege against our Blessed Mother:

Most glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, turn thine eyes in pity upon us, miserable sinners; we are sore afflicted by the many evils tat surround us in this life, but especially do we feel our hearts break within us upon hearing the dreadful insults and blasphemies uttered against thee, O Virgin Immaculate. O how these impious sayings offend the infinite Majesty of God and of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ! How they provoke His indignation and give us cause to fear the terrible effects of His vengeance! Would that the sacrifice of our lives might avail to put an end to such outrages and blasphemies; were it so, how gladly we should make it, for we desire, O most holy Mother, to love thee and to honor thee with all our hearts, since this is the will of God. And just because we love thee, we will do all that is in our power to make thee honored and loved by all men. In the meantime do thou, our merciful Mother, the supreme comforter of the afflicted, accept this our act of reparation which we offer thee for ourselves and for all our families, as well as for all who impiously blaspheme thee, not knowing what they say. Do thou obtain for them from Almighty God the grace of conversion, and thus render more manifest and more glorious thy kindness, thy power and thy great mercy. May they join with us in proclaiming thee blessed among women, the Immaculate Virgin and most compassionate Mother of God. Amen.

Howdy from Hector!

Greetings fellow fanaticos of Maestro Madrid! My name is Hector Molina. I'll be joining Jim Moore in filling in for our Blogger in Chief during his absence. For the throngs who are unfamiliar with me, I am a full-time Catholic Speaker and Evangelist who writes from St. Louis, MO. Patrick was kind enough to do a profile on me in Envoy a few issues ago (making it a collectors item for sure). I am a happily married, sleep deprived father of three. And in the interest of full disclosure, I am a native New Yorker. However, you will not be able to detect my accent on these pages, so fuggettaboudit!

I am very much looking forward to our conversation over the next couple of weeks. And Pat, if your listening...disfrute tu tiempo en la Madre Patria! (and please don't come home with a lisp!)

You Don't Mess Around With Jim

Thanks to everybody who took a minute to brag on a special priest, yesterday. While I'm thinking about which of my fatherly influences to tell you about, I'd like to put the spotlight on another father figure who means a lot to me...that recent epistolary contributor to the current cycle of Mass readings, St. James.

The writings of St. James make me very happy that my parents named me according to the tradition of a good old saint name. I rarely think of myself as "James" but it’s a pedigree that shouldn't be neglected.

A word of caution to anybody who starts paying closer attention to the wisdom of his or her saintly namesake: Get ready to feel woefully inadequate. I can’t get through the first chapter of James without self-esteem problems.

James 1:19, “Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

And my Irish ancestors became Catholic how?

James 1:26, “If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this man's religion is vain.”

No self-deception? Sheesh! What a grouch!

James 1:27, "…keep oneself unstained by the world . . . ."

Personally, I can't even keep myself unstained by lunch.

You could spend a lifetime just trying to live up to a single sentence in that first chapter. But there's always chapter two. Right?

James 2:10, “…whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”

Okay…maybe not. But what about chapter three?

James 3:8, “… no human being can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

Oh…and just in case the humility message hasn't hit home by the end of chapter three, St. James speaks even more plainly in chapter four:

James 4:14, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

“Mist,” he says…we don’t even get to be dust like on Ash Wednesday. Fortunately, Mist Wednesday would never catch on. Priests and extraordinary ministers lining up with atomizers full of holy water would just look silly.

Another truly great thing about James comes at the end. After raising the bar hopelessly higher and higher for five chapters, he offers a word of encouragement to those of us who hope people will learn the truth of Catholicism, and learn it somehow through us.

James 5:19-20, “My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

There’s a lot to be learned from St. James. And his letter may never caught my ear in quite the same way had my parents not given me his name.

Thanks Mom and Dad. May you be with Jesus this day.

U.S. Condemned For Pre-Emptive Use Of Hillary Clinton Against Pakistan

My favorite line is, " . . . trapped inside the Clintonized area."

I'll Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

Every so often, I get the chance to enjoy some R&R, away from the hurly burly of daily life. Over the next two weeks, I'll be taking something of a vacation and will not be as able to post to this blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. For some of you who frequent this blog, that may come as good news! But for those who have made this place a regular stop on your daily rounds of the blogward, I don't wan't to leave you panting with unrequited need for your daily dose of what I dispense here (theology, apologetics, humor, social commentary, etc.).

So . . .I've invited two long-time friends of mine to pick pick up the slack as guest bloggers here for the next two weeks.

Say hello to my leeetle friends: Héctor Molina and Jim Moore. I won't try to do any more of an introduction beyond saying how much I like and respect them both and how confident I am that you will enjoy their offerings here.

Please say a prayer for me, especially for safe travel in my comings and goings while on vacation. Thanks, and hasta la vista.

Let's brag about our priests!

Good morning, fellow Pat Madrid fans!

I'm Jim Moore--the "Rocking the Cradle Catholic" guy from Envoy magazine. Pat has done me the honor of inviting me to be one of his guest bloggers while he's away.

I'd like to get a sharing/conversation session going today in the wake of the most recent anti-Catholic bigotry foisted upon the American television audience by an alleged comedian whose name sounds like a brand of razor.

We're not going to talk about that tirade, but what I'd like us all to share--in this year dedicated to priests--are stories and ancedotes about the priests who have had a positive impact on our lives.

I'll sign back on this evening to catch up on the chat and share my own experiences. I'd do that now, but my day is starting early and I've got to it the road.

Happy Wednesday!

What do you make of this unusual cloud I saw today?

Today, at about 4:45 p.m. ET, while on my daily 5-mile walk, I had just finished praying the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel at the conclusion of praying the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary. I tucked my rosary into my pocket, wiped the sweat from my brow, and I looked up to the heavens. This is what I saw in the sky above me . . .

(Taken by Patrick Madrid with an iPhone, approximately 10 seconds apart, on September 15th, Our Lady of Sorrows, at about 4:45 p.m. ET, in central Ohio.)

Is Using A Minotaur To Gore Detainees A Form Of Torture?

Perhaps some who've been defending the moral propriety of torture in the comments section of one of my recent posts about the subject might think so. Hard to say. What do you think?

13 Things a Burglar Doesn't Want You to Know

The information for this comes from crime experts and convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky. Here’s what a burglar won’t tell you:

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love the flowers — they tell me you have taste, and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

5. If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don’t let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it’s set.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom. It’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It’s raining, you’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door — understandable. But I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters — don’t take me up on it.

10. I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. However, I almost never go into kids’ rooms.

12. I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it’s not bolted down, I’ll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. You can also buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a television.

(Source)

Is Waterboarding a Sin?

That's one of the questions which came up on my "Open Line" radio show yesterday. I thought you might find interesting the 8-minute discussion about this issue that I had with the caller. I don't think he got the answer he was hoping for. What are your thoughts on this issue? (Click the picture to launch the audio.)

A New Guide to America's Faithful Catholic Colleges

New Guide Recommends Faithful Catholic Colleges

Entire Contents of Guide Available as a Free Online Resource for Catholic Families

Manassas, Va.—Today The Cardinal Newman Society published a new, second edition of The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, a unique resource for parents and students seeking a faithful Catholic education.

This comprehensive Guide recommends 21 colleges and universities in the United States plus eight international, online and unique programs based on the strength of their Catholic identity. In addition, the Guide includes several essays to help families better understand the search for a strong Catholic college.

The culmination of four years of research and hundreds of interviews, this edition of The Newman Guide builds substantially on the successful first edition which was published on All Saints Day in 2007. All told more than 8,000 copies of that edition were distributed to Catholic leaders and families.

“When we published the original Newman Guide in 2007 we did not know what to expect, but we found that families were eagerly searching for help in identifying Catholic colleges that truly embrace their Catholic mission in all facets of campus life,” said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society and one of the editors of the second edition of the Guide.

“The mission of The Cardinal Newman Society is to help renew Catholic higher education, and we can think of no better way to do that than by offering this edition of The Newman Guide as a book but also as a free online resource. We are doing this so that as many Catholic families as possible are able to learn about the quality academics and faithful campus life available at the recommended colleges,” said Reilly.

Every college or program recommended in the Guide includes a complete profile that examines academics, governance, spiritual life, student activities, and residence life. New additions to this edition’s profiles are a letter to families from each college president as well as information on financial aid packages.

The online version of the college profiles include additional campus pictures and videos, open house and other event details, as well as a form to request admissions or financial aid information directly from the college.

The recommended Catholic colleges are:

§ Aquinas College, Nashville, Tenn.

§ Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, Fla.

§ Belmont Abbey College, Belmont, N.C.

§ Benedictine College, Atchison, Kan.

§ The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.

§ Christendom College, Front Royal, Va.

§ The College of Saint Thomas More, Fort Worth, Tex.

§ DeSales University, Center Valley, Pa.

§ Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville, Oh.

§ Holy Apostles College & Seminary, Cromwell, Conn.

§ John Paul the Great Catholic University, San Diego, Calif.

§ Magdalen College, Warner, N.H.

§ Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, Md.

§ Providence College, Providence, R.I.

§ St. Gregory’s University, Shawnee, Okla.

§ Southern Catholic College, Dawsonville, Ga.

§ Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula, Calif.

§ The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, Merrimack, N.H.

§ University of Dallas, Irving, Tex.

§ University of St. Thomas, Houston, Tex.

§ Wyoming Catholic College, Lander, Wyo.

A new section in this edition of The Newman Guide recommends international, online and unique Catholic colleges and programs to help provide options to families looking for non-traditional ways to obtain a faithful Catholic education.

The recommended international, online and unique programs are:

§ Angelicum Great Books Program, online

§ Campion College, Old Toongabbie, Australia

§ Catholic Distance University, online

§ Our Lady of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Tex.

§ Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, Barry’s Bay, Ontario, Canada

§ Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (“the Angelicum”), Rome, Italy

§ Redeemer Pacific University, Langley, British Columbia, Canada

§ St. Bede’s Hall, Oxford, England

In addition to the recommended college profiles, The Newman Guide includes several essays to help families put the search for a Catholic college in context.

The essays are:

§ A foreword by Father Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.,
co-chairman of The Cardinal Newman Society’s National Advisory Board

§ “The Status of Catholic Higher Education,” by Patrick J. Reilly,
president of The Cardinal Newman Society

§ “Finding God on a Catholic Campus,” by Father C. John McCloskey, Ill,
a well-known spiritual advisor and college chaplain

§ “Why Study Philosophy and Theology,” by Dr. Peter Kreeft,
a well-respected author and professor

§ “The Value of a Catholic Education,” by Eileen Cubanski,
founder and executive director of the National Association of
Private, Catholic and Independent Schools

§ “Can You Afford a Catholic Education,” by Phil Lenahan,
president of Veritas Financial Ministries and Our Sunday Visitor columnist

§ “What’s Catholic About Campus Living,” by Kathryn Jean Lopez,
editor-at-large of National Review Online and a frequent writer on Catholic issues

A study of the first edition’s recommended colleges by The Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education found that these institutions were not just faithful to their Catholic missions, but were generally also more affordable than other Catholic and private colleges and universities. That study is available online at CatholicHigherEd.org.

“If last spring’s Notre Dame scandal highlighted that there is still a long way to go to renew Catholic higher education, the colleges recommended in The Newman Guide are a prime example of how it is possible to have a quality academic program while remaining strongly Catholic,” said Tom Mead, executive vice president of The Cardinal Newman Society and one of The Newman Guide’s editors.

“As a Catholic father concerned with helping my children get to Heaven, I am personally grateful that there are so many options for a faithful, liberal arts education at the Newman Guide colleges. Our great hope in publishing this edition of the Guide is that tens of thousands of Catholic families will be introduced to these campuses where strong Catholic identity is a priority.”

The complete Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College is available at TheNewmanGuide.com.

Founded in 1993, The Cardinal Newman Society is dedicated to renewing and strengthening Catholic identity at Catholic colleges and universities. The Society focuses its work on assisting students, school officials and alumni; urging fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church; and researching activities both on campus and in the classroom. The Society is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, nonprofit organization supported by more than 20,000 individuals. More than 367,000 individuals signed its 2009 petition concerning the Notre Dame commencement scandal.

In addition to publishing The Newman Guide, the Society houses The Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education which provides research and analysis on strengthening Catholic higher education. The Society promotes Catholic values on life and sexual ethics on campuses through its Love & Responsibility Program and also operates a Campus Speaker Monitoring Project to support the guidelines the U.S. bishops have established to prohibit Catholic institutions from giving opponents of Catholic teachings honors or platforms for their views. Additionally, the Society promotes Eucharistic Adoration and is the national coordinator for the display of the Vatican’s International Exposition The Eucharistic Miracles of the World on college campuses.