More Priestly Fashion Statements

Father Longenecker teaching the young about the joyful wearing of birettas...

Top that (excuse the pun) King Z.

SPUC Blog

John Smeaton is the director of Britain's SPUC (Society for the Protection of Unborn Children) He has a blog and comments here on British government double talk. When the government run agencies laudably want to get pregnant mothers to quit smoking the talk is all about 'helping your growing baby'. When the same government talks about abortion they speak of how 'gentle suction is used to remove the pregnancy.' 

Duuh. Now a baby is a 'pregnancy'. It's almost as bad as the chilling turn of phrase used in the USA, where the baby is referred to as 'the product of conception.'

B/T Hermeneutic of Continuity

Climb Ev'ry Mountain

The title of this post is just to annoy Richard Williamson....but it is a big mountain to climb to catch the magnificent Fr.Z. It's not for want of trying...I mean the latest addition to this blog--the clerical fashions page seems to be a big hit. So why isn't this translating into votes? I realize it is a nuisance. You have to register, give an email address and password and so forth, but come along readers--give it the old college try! Start by clicking on the logo and go on from there.

I mean, if enough votes come in to help me reach fourth place I might even post a picture of myself in full soutane, sash, biretta and ferraiuolo...

For the Record

A cheeky commenter over at Fr. Z's blog hinted that I do not wear proper headgear.

Begone doubter!!

Come on a Benedictine Men's Retreat

I will be leading a Benedictine retreat for men at St Bernard's Abbey in Cullman, Alabama on 20 - 22 February.

If you would like more information, drop me a line. Email link through my website.

The Fashion Wars Begin

I see that Fr Z had declared war. Clearly jealous of my magnificent cloak he posts here a picture of himself in something he calls a cappa. What sort of a garment is that? It's too short. Indeed it is nothing less than an ecclesiastical mini skirt!

 

But is it even the man himself? We can't see his face. It could be any priest at all. I think we should be told the whole truth!

He also muses aloud as to whether I have a ferraiuolo or not. I will keep you in suspense on that one...just watch this space for the coup de grace.

What I Love About the Catholic Church - 4

There's something in human nature that wants to join and belong. We want to be a part of clubs, institutions, nations, federations, confraternities, fellowships, friendly societies, unions, movements and armies and organizations. We need to belong to a group, a family, an order of like minded brothers and sisters. We want to work together with shared beliefs to change the world. We want to fit into a hierarchy, a chain of command and an ordered society.

There's also something in human nature that needs to be subversive. We want to undermine all the clubs and coteries, all the gangs and groups, all the secret societies and establishment associations. We distrust such groups and long to undermine them all. We want to be part of a guerilla movement, a renegade army of radicals. We want to belong to 'we few, we faithful few'--an idealist group of individuals who never compromise and are willing to die for their beliefs.

As a Catholic you can do both at once. You belong to the most ancient, the most universal, the most august and venerable of institutions. You are a member of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church that comes to us from the Apostles. It has embassies in every land, an international network of associations and orders and confraternities and religious movements and associations of the faithful and charities and schools. You want to belong? You're in. You want to be part of a family? The Catholic Church is the one and only organization that is truly fraternal, international, non discriminatory and inclusive all human beings who want to belong everywhere.

At the same time, if you join the Catholic Church you belong to the one organization that has also at ever place and in every time been subversive. True Catholics are always underground church members. They're always critical of the status quo, always ready to subvert the worldly order, always being counter-cultural. One of their battle cries is, "The gospel is only good news when it is subversive!"

St Francis illustrates this paradox. In a radical hippie like move he throws his rich father's goods out the window, takes his cash and give it to the poor, then strips naked and hands everything back to his earthly father to go and build Christ's Church. Then he walks barefoot to Rome in order to submit himself to another father--the Holy Father--and will not be content until he is within the embrace of the Church.

So do you want to belong to the greatest and oldest of surviving historical institutions--a worldwide fellowship of brothers and sisters who share the most intimate bond not only between themselves, but with their confreres down the ages--but you also want to belong to the world's oldest subversive underground, unpredictable and persecuted minority?

Join the Catholic Church.

St Paul Miki

Do you remember the story of the Kakure Kirishitan?

St Francis Xavier went as a missionary to Japan in the 1500s, and the result of the Jesuit mission was very successful. Tens of thousands of souls were converted. The warlords of Japan considered this a kind of alien invasion from the Phillipines and began to persecute the Catholics. Many were tortured and slain for their faith. St Paul Miki was a noble born Japanese youth who converted and became a Jesuit. He was crucified for his faith along with 25 companions in 1597. One of those who died in the great wave of persecutions told the faithful, "In the future someone will come back who will preach to you the gospel of Jesus Christ once more. You will know he is the messenger of Jesus Christ because he will be unmarried. He will be obedient to Peter in Rome, and he will teach you to love the mother of Jesus."

For nearly 300 years Christianity in Japan was thought not to exist. The persecutions had wiped them out. Then a French missionary, Bernard Thadee Petitjohn, went to Japan in the mid 1800s. Protestants had tried to establish missions, but were unsucessful. When Fr Petitjohn arrived and began preaching an old woman came up and said, "They said someone would come and you have. Come with me."

She took him to a secret meeting room and introduced him to the Kakure Kirishitan--the 'secret Christians.' There were 50,000 Catholics who had kept the faith, baptized, catechized by re-telling Bible stories and maintained their Catholic religion underground. She asked to see his statue of the Blessed Virgin and asked if he was married and obeyed Peter in Rome. When he said he did the Kirishitan flocked to him for the sacraments of confession and Eucharist.

At Mass at school today I told the students this story and reminded them that in nearly every age somewhere around the world the Catholic church was persecuted. It is part of the mark of belonging to the true Body of Christ--where Christ is he will be reviled and hated and persecuted by the world, the flesh and the devil.

Pray for the Church in Japan. Pray for the church suffering persecution even today in Muslim lands.

Bread and Circuses

We went to the circus last night with the kids and some friends. I love the circus. There's something ancient and earthy and common about it. It's more high tech now, but it's still the same entertainment that has been around since Roman times: acrobats, lovely ladies, brave men, wild beasts, magicians, clowns, spangly costumes, special effects, lights and music.

What could be more fun that seeing two pretty ladies being shot out of a cannon and flying across the room, or watching eleven elephants stand on their heads, or twelve Chinese acrobats do astounding leaps and bounds? There were dogs who could walk on their front legs, dancing tigers slapstick and magic tricks where people were cut in half...

Quite wonderful really.

Winter Wear

(click to enlarge)

It was observed earlier that blogs by Catholic priests really ought to expand their offerings. King Z no longer features just serious comment and 'slavish translations of prayers' but now has recipes, camera feeds, forums and pretty pictures of birdies. I thought as a way to compete I would start a fashion page.

Here we see the latest in priestly wear for winter. The woolen serge cloak, inherited from an elderly Anglican priest many years ago is seasoned with prayer and 'aged' with subtle worn spots and frayed edges. The hand molded brass lions' head clasp has a timeless look, with a patina of antique gold and ebony. The hooks and connecting chain offer a slightly ominous and exciting hint of inquisitorial dungeons and ancient Catholic intrigue.

Beneath the cloak the priest wears a full cassock with thirty three buttons symbolic of the number of years of Christ's life. The ample sleeves boast hand worked piping and the tailored fit is complemented by the Benedictine scapular which links the whole outfit to a tradition that is as venerable as it is fashionable.

On top our model wears a jaunty soft felt hat in a Southern style--not quite a 'cowboy' hat and not quite the 'gangster fedora' it lends a certain roguish charm to an otherwise somber and serious demeanor.

Enquiries for orders may be made to Longeneckeroni--ecclesiastical outfitters for the discerning priest. (All queries handled by our professional staff of former seminarians with utmost confidentiality and deference.)

Horror Story from Florida

Here's a charming story from the land of the free and the home of the brave: Florida doctor botches an abortion, the little girl is born alive, but he just cuts the umbilical cord, scoops up all the the 'product of conception' and chucks it in the trash.

Taking this on another angle, here is a story from British journalist Philip Johnson about what's going to happen to all the aging boomers. It was all hunky dory as long as the money bubble was still growing. We were all going to see our property portfolios continue to grow in value. Our investments were going to continue to glow golden. With wonderful health and wonderful health care facilities we could all retire to a beach condo somewhere and continue a groovy love life of artificial Viagra virility/sterility. Now the bubble's burst and our money has vanished.

Johnson asks, 'Who's going to pay to look after us?' Good question. Whoops, we didn't have enough kids to look after us in our old age. Even tribal people in primitive lands have enough sense to have lots of kids as their ultimate pension plan. Who's going to look after the greying groovies? Answer: nobody.

The generation who were aborted by them will have no qualms in euthanizing their parents. After all, if the parents killed their own babies in the womb because they were considered an expensive waste of time and space, the same argument will apply to drooling boomers in nursing homes. The young ones will say, "We can't really afford another old person." or "An old person will negatively affect my mental welfare."

I'm spooked, and I've just decided on the career choices of my children: Ben's is going to specialize in geriatric medicine. Maddy is going to be a trained elderly care giving nurse. Theo is going to be a professional fund raiser and Elias is going to run a high class nursing home...

UPDATE: Further news on the Florida abortion/murder case here.

What I Love About the Catholic Church - 3

In the Catholic Church you find what is best from every other religion and denomination. It is syncretistic in practice without being syncretistic in dogma.

Do you like the austere asceticism and counter cultural life of the Mennonites and Amish with their odd clothes, old fashioned lifestyle and prophetic and pastoral way of life? We got monks.

Do you find Hinduism intriguing and fun with its flowers and candles and statues and temples and little festivals and offerings and devotionals? Catholics have all that without the idol worship.

Do you like Anglicanism with beautiful buildings, sophisticated educated people, fine music, sumptious liturgy and a spendid history? We've got all that.

On the other hand, do you like down to earth worship with folksy people involved in fellowship, peace and justice and making the world a better place? There sure plenty of that in the Catholic Church.

What about scholarship? Are you impressed with the bookishness of Protestants, the erudition of the Jewish scholars and the love of Bible learning among sincere Evangelicals? Catholics have it too.

What about Eastern religions? Are you drawn to esoteric spiritualities? Mystical experiences? Meditation? Monasticism? Catholicism offers a rich banquet of 2000 years worth of spirituality.

Closed communion like the Plymouth Brethren? It's Catholic. Tolerance and acceptance of other religions and seeing what is good about them like Protestant liberals? That's Catholic too.

Of course, it could be argued that all the bad stuff about other religions you will also find in the Catholic Church, and I suppose that would be true up to a point--at least to the point of admitting human failure, hypocrisy and defeat, but hey, let's accentuate the positive.

St Agatha Trivia Quiz

Q: Why was St Agatha claimed as patron of bell founders and bell ringers?

A: Dustthouart got it. St Agatha was matyred by having her errmm.. breasts cut off. When pictured with them upside down on a plate (as one does when one is a martyr) ignorant medieval Christians thought they were bells. Some thought they were buns so she is also patron of bakers.

Blogger Awards Update

Fifth place tie with NLM at the moment. I think it's going to be a long haul to rise much higher.

The unstoppable Fr.Z remains the Priest Blogger King. His blog is pretty amazing. It continues to expand. He has cam feeds, forums, recipes for dinner and pictures of birds. What next? A fashion page? Catholic crossword puzzles? Sudoku?

Michael Dubruiel RIP

Amy Welborn's husband, Mike Dubruiel has died. Amy reports his sudden death here and says you can help by buying his books.

I got to know Mike when he was commissioning editor at Our Sunday Visitor. He gave two of my books the green light and welcomed me when I visited OSV in Indiana. I later learned that he was an old friend of Bishop Robert Baker--the Bishop of Charleston who would later ordain me. He then moved to Alabama to work for Bishop Baker after the Bishop moved from Charleston.

When I was at EWTN in the fall I had lunch with Mike and Bishop Baker. He drove me back to EWTN where this photo was taken. I planned to lunch with him in a couple of weeks when I next visit Alabama to lead a retreat at the monastery there.

Mike was level headed, shrewd and full of faith and good humor. He was a fine editor, a smart and practical author and a good friend. I'll miss him and my prayers and support goes to Amy and their children. Keep them in your prayers.

UPDATE: Amy has posted Mike's final column for the Diocesan paper and his blog. You can read it here. You can make a donation to help Amy and her kids here.

Candlemas in Connecticut

Traditional worship in Connecticut for Candlemass. 

More pictures at NLM.

What I Love About the Catholic Church - 2

I love the fact that the Catholic Church is both universal and local, and you can see both. The HQ is there in Rome at exactly the place where St Peter was crucified upside down and buried, and just a short distance from St Paul's burial place. It is there down through history, solid and secure, but it is also down the road at St. Agatha's. It's in the little thatched hut in Africa, the medieval cathedral, and the American church that looks like a parking garage. 

Yes, its a messy jumble of human frailty, liturgical abuses, glorious strengths and embarrassing weaknesses, but it is just as full of blood and guts and glory and shame as the Old Testament. All of human life is there, not only from the last two thousand years, but also stretching back to the history of God's people the Jews. Furthermore, all of this shame and glory and sin and forgiveness and humanity and divinity is all bundled up and made particular as I enter the confessional and step up to the altar at Mass. 

All of it is there, from the martyrs who faced the wild beasts to the priests who said Mass over a scrap of dry bread and a thimbleful of wine huddled in a corner at Auschwitz. It is all there from the greatest baroque churches and the saints of the counter Reformation to the old Italian lady with no teeth who clutches her rosary beads in prayer. It is at once universal and ancient and everywhere and yet here and now and everywhere present.

Blog Awards

The problem with this contest is that you have to click on the logo, then sign in and create a password and give your email address, and they send you a reply and you then get to vote. A bit tiresome, but I'm in 8th place so far. Take time to vote if you can! Not that I'll ever catch King Z.

UPDATE: It's nice to see that out of the top eight religious blogs seven are by faithful Catholics. Is this because we're all reclusive computer nerds who need to get a life?

On Blaise and Throat Blessings

I love obscure traditions. Today is St Blaise day and we will Bless Throats with crossed candles. Now I've been to church on St Blaise day before and had my throat blessed, but didn't understand the significance of blessed candles or the point of the blessing. Nobody really explains these things. Neither did they explain whether the candles should be lit or not. (They're not) I was a bit worried lest a set some girl's long hair on fire...

When I asked an older Catholic in England said, "It's the time of the year when everybody catches cold and has a cough, so we bless throats." OK, maybe, but why bless throats in Turkey or North Africa or Australia? "It's just a tradition dear..."

It is easy when given such an answer to revert to one's Protestant roots and dismiss the tradition as 'just the traditions of men', (that in itself being another kind of tradition of course) But instead of dismissing traditions we ought to stop and think them through. When something's been around a long time that means people thought it was worth keeping. We're fools to throw out the family antiques just because they're not to our taste.There's probably something we're missing.

Then I noticed in some photographs of the enthronement of the new Patriarch of the Russian Church that he's holding crossed candles. Three in one hand (for the Trinity) and two in the other hand for the dual nature of Christ in the incarnation. OK, I get it. By the virtue of Christ's incarnation the physical and spiritual come together, so we bless throats with crossed candles.

So why throats? Well, I got thinking further about this, and the throat is where the voice is produced and the voice is the meeting place of the physical and spiritual within us. Voice production is a physical thing, but what comes out? Music and speech, and the content of music and speech is very much a mental and ultimately spiritual thing. So the throat becomes a symbol of the meeting place of the spiritual and physical in us.

This takes place the day after the Feast of the Presentation in the Temple where the physical and spiritual are met in the Christ child physically being presented in the Temple. The Temple of God (Mary) brings God to the Temple of God.

The nice thing is that all of this is really so ordinary. So the music teacher will bring our kids who sing in the chapel choir to have their throats blessed, our theology teachers who express God's truth to our kids will have their throats blessed, and any others will come to ask God to bless their voices and their words and their song for his glory.

Thoughts on the Presentation of Christ

The Presentation of Christ has always seemed to me a minor feast, a hidden little gem if you like. Isn't that in keeping with the mystery itself? The Jews, and everyone else for that matter, want their Messiah to come sweeping in on clouds of glory. Corinthian pillars, sweeping searchlights, the sound of trumpets and riding on a white horse. 

Behold the Lord will come to his temple, but look how he comes: just another peasant with his wife and their first child. Standing there in the line with all the other simple people who have come with their two turtledoves. Just another mother with just another child, coming to do her religious duty and present her son at the temple.

Only old Simeon and Anna had the eyes to see. They who dwelt in the temple following the contemplative life. They are the ones who could see. The mystics, the hermit, the one who spends time in adoration. They are the ones who have eyes to see that the Messiah of the masses is never the true Messiah. Instead he comes as a little one, a hidden one. 

He comes as a mystery to the world of men. As in the gospel, when he walked on the water, it says that 'he would have walked past them in the night.' He comes as a slip of a child and nearly slips by you, unless you have eyes to see, and still he comes in the same way--in the hidden ones he lies hidden. By being concealed he is revealed.

Vicars on Parade

Priest Fashion Show - The most popular videos are a click away

Now why was it I decided to leave the Church of England? 

B/T to Mark Shea

Blogger's Choice

I've been nominated (along with lots of others) for best religion blog in this new competition. We all know who is way out in front--Fr. Z. All thanks to his army of mindless drones. "Vote for me!" he says, and "Yes Father!" they all mutter and scurry off like the lemmings they are...

Anyway, far be it from me to use my priestly authority to compel anyone to do my will. This is a matter of free and beautiful choice... but if you don't get yourselves over to the blogger's choice awards immediately (by clicking on the logo) and bring my presently pitiful standing up to within the top ten there will be eternal punishment waiting... Now go!

UPDATE: The difficulty with this blog award is that they list you by your web address not your blog title, so for mine look for gkupsidedown

Also--you need to sign on to the site and give your details, your email and create a password. Boring I know, but it only takes a minute.

Candlemass

Prepare your bridal chamber, O Sion, to receive Christ the King: welcome with love Mary, the gate of heaven, for it is she who brings you the King of light and glory. There stands the Virgin, holding in her arms the Son begotten before the morning star, and Simeon, taking him into his arms, proclaims to all the nations that he is the Lord of life and death, and the savior of the world.

Podcast - 7 - Christ's Apostolic Authority

Homily for Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time: click here for: Christ's Apostolic Authority