A New Testament saint whom I've just learned more about.

Saint Photini.

Prayer to Saint Photini:

Illuminated by the Holy Spirit, All-Glorious One,
from Christ the Saviour you drank the water of salvation.
With open hand you give it to those who thirst.
Great-Martyr Photini, Equal-to-the-Apostles,
pray to Christ for the salvation of our souls.

One of my favorite bloggers is back!

Disputed Mutability is back with a powerful post, sharing her experiences of being bullied because of her sexual orientation.

Her blog is great because what she writes often causes me to re-think some of my attitudes and opinions. Before reading this post and the comments, I did not support the Day of Silence. I did not support the Day of Truth, either,* but liked the idea of the the Golden Rule Pledge. Indeed, in the future I will instruct my nieces and nephews to observe the Day of Silence in solidarity with those trying to end the bullying of those with homosexual orientations and to give out the Golden Rule Pledge card.

Now, having said all that, my experiences in school were different in that, while I was bullied, it wasn't because of sexual orientation, but just because the one bully at my elementary school was simply a little thug! He was mostly a problem in the 4th and 5th grades. I went to a new school in 6th grade, and yet another when that school closed down after I graduated 10th grade. The first two schools were Fundamental Baptist schools, while the third was an evangelical school with a fundamentalist twist. I was never bullied because I would never admit to my sexual orientation. This was because homosexuality was always presented to my churchmates, classmates, and me as the most disgusting sin ever! According to the teaching on homosexuality I received, I was gay because I chose to be gay! Although I could not ever remember making this choice, I believed it was true because the people whom I trusted to teach me God's truth were teaching this view of homosexuality to me as God's truth. Since I loved God and yet had a homosexual orientation, I decided not to admit my same-sex attractions to myself. I buried them as best I could, and "bullied" myself in that I loathed myself and felt worthless. I'm learning how to accept myself, but it's rough going! I enjoy reading Disputed Mutability, Dreadnought, Eve Tushnet, and Adventures of a Christian Collegian because they seem to have done quite well at accepting themselves. I learn much from them. Check out their blogs.

Here's my testimony as I gave it to the priests and seminarians of the Diocese of Lansing (I'm working on updating it):

The Realities of Same-Sex Attraction Conference.

Here's the "official" prayer of Courage (corrected for spelling and punctuation) as found on the Courage web site.

Heavenly Father, You sent us Your Son, Jesus. He died for our sins and rose from the dead demonstrating Your immense love for us. You also gave us Your mother Mary to be our mother. Thank You Father for Your love.

Lord, convince us of Your deep love for us, and help us to see the ways that we distance ourselves from You. Guide us towards making amends for these actions. Help us to love You more.

Father, we implore you to bless the Courage Apostolate. Grant them Your protection and guidance. Help them in their ministry to bring Your love, fellowship and direction to those experiencing same-sex attractions.

Please increase the numbers of those willing to bring this important message to those in need, and give them the courage and graces necessary to do so. Lord, so much work has yet to be done in this area. I commit to (express your commitment) for this intention.

Amen.



*I was unaware that it's toned down as of this year. That's good to see!

I bought a book about saints, back in December.

It was on the clearance rack at Barnes and Noble. Occassionally, I'll pick it up and thumb through it. One day I might read through it, but not yet.

I was thumbing through it today, and came across what might be one of the reasons it was consigned to the clearance rack. In a section on the stigmata, it lists Blessed Lucy of Narnia as a stigmatist! I think the author meant Blessed Lucia of Narni. How funny!

If you're interested in the book, you can buy it at Amazon:

The Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Saints.

Blessed Lucia of Narni, pray for us!

A Prayer for Trinity Sunday

Collect for Trinity Sunday from the Anglican Use Book of Hours.


Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us Thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of Thy Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech Thee that Thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see Thee in Thy one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Prayer for Pentecost

Send Your Spirit
Father of light,
from whom every good gift comes,
send Your Spirit into our lives with the power of a mighty wind,
and by the flame of Your wisdom
open the horizons of our minds.
Loosen our tongues to sing Your praise
in words beyond the power of speech,
for without Your Spirit
man could never raise his voice in words of peace
or announce the truth that Jesus is Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Some prayers to pray before reading the Holy Scriptures

From our Orthodox brethren:

Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind, with the pure light of Thy divine knowledge. Open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of Thy gospel teachings. Implant also in us the fear of Thy blessed commandments, that trampling down all carnal desires, we may enter upon a spiritual manner of living, both thinking and doing such things as are well-pleasing unto Thee. For Thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

From The Catechism, or Christian Doctrine, by Way of Question and Answer

O Lord, through Thy great mercy, teach me all that is necessary for knowing Thee, for loving Thee, and for doing Thy holy will. Amen.

The collect for the Second Sunday of Advent from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of Thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which Thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Long Live Pope Benedict XVI!

On April 11th, the Knights of Columbus began a novena for Pope Benedict XVI* in honor of the fifth anniversary of his election. While the novena officially ended on April 19th, I'd like to suggest that we take it up again and make it a perpetual novena.

Novena for Pope Benedict XVI

Lord, Source of eternal life and truth,

give to Your shepherd, Benedict,

a spirit of courage and right judgment,

a spirit of knowledge and love.

By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care,

may he, as successor to the Apostle Peter and Vicar of Christ,

build Your Church into a sacrament of unity, love, and peace for all the world.

Amen.

V. Let us pray for Benedict, the Pope.

R. May the Lord preserve him, give him a long life, make him blessed upon the earth, and not hand him over to the power of his enemies.

V. May Your hand be upon Your holy servant,

R. and upon Your son, whom You have anointed.

Our Father...

Hail, Mary...

Glory Be...






*PDF warning.

The Feast of St. Joseph the Worker

I like this picture of Joseph: he doesn't look cherubic!

Ad te beate, Ioseph

by Pope Saint Leo XIII

To thee, O blessed Joseph, do we have recourse in our tribulation, and having implored the help of thy thrice holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also. By that charity wherewith thou wast united to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and by that fatherly affection with which thou didst embrace the Child Jesus, we beseech thee and we humbly pray, that thou wouldst look graciously upon the inheritance which Jesus Christ hath purchased by His Blood, and assist us in our needs by thy power and strength.

Most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family, protect the chosen people of Jesus Christ; keep far from us, most loving father, all blight of error and corruption: mercifully assist us from heaven, most mighty defender, in this our conflict with the powers of darkness; and, even as of old thou didst rescue the Child Jesus from the supreme peril of his life, so now defend God's Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; keep us one and all under thy continual protection, that we may be supported by thine example and thine assistance, may be enabled to lead a holy life, die a happy death and come at last to the possession of everlasting blessedness in heaven. Amen.

The Collect from the Mass of Saint Joseph the Worker

God our Father,

Creator and Ruler of the universe,

in every age You call man

to develop and use his gifts for the good of others.

With Saint Joseph as our example and guide,

help us to do the work You have asked

and come to the rewards you have promised.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Prayer to Saint Joseph by Pope Pius IX

Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in the spirit of penance in expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously by placing love of duty above my inclinations; to gratefully and joyously deem it an honor to employ and to develop by labor the gifts I have received from God; to work methodically, peacefully, and in moderation and patience, without ever shrinking from it through weariness or difficulty to work; above all, with purity of intention and unselfishness, having unceasingly before my eyes death and the account I have to render of time lost, talents unused, good not done, and vain complacency in success, so baneful to the work of God. All for Jesus, all for Mary, all to imitate thee, O patriarch Saint Joseph! This shall be my motto for life and eternity.

After a long hiatus...

...a new blog posting.

A quote I found years ago (in June of '97, to be exact).

"The goal of the Christian is not to please himself but to please his Lord. He does not wish to settle for that which is least harmful, but to reach for that which is highest and best. He is not seeking to avoid punishment but to bring joy to his Heavenly Father. He is not testing himself to see how much darkness he can stand, but striving to see how near he can get to the light.

"His is not a negative obedience demanded of him, but a positive eagerness to please God in every possible way."

Robertson McQuilken, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics, pg. 499

(I believe this is from the first edition of the book.)

I hardly ever post anymore...

...and when I finally do so again, it's another book meme!

1) What author do you own the most books by?

Agatha Christie

2) What book do you own the most copies of?

In addition to the 12 versions of the Bible and one copy each of a Haitian Creole New Testament and and English/Arabic New Testament I own, the following 5 books are tied at two copies each: 1) Catholic Catechism on Consecrated Life, 2) The Brown Scapular of Carmel, 3) If by Amy Carmichael, 4) The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods, and 5) Breaking Free: 12 Steps to Sexual Purity for Men.

3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?

Not in the slightest.

4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?

Edmund Bertram in Mansfield Park and Dicken in The Secret Garden.

5) What book have you read the most times in your life?

Individual book of the Bible: Genesis, which I've read at least 12 times; non-biblical book: The Mysterious Affair at Styles which I've read at least 8 times.

6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?

I don't know which individual book it was, but I loved the Happy Hollisters series.

7) What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 10. It's a collection of short stories. Some were good.

8)What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?

The Habit of Being: The Letters of Flannery O'Connor. I will probably read this book once a year, every year.

9) If you could force everyone you know to read one book, what would it be?

Hmmm. There are so many good ones to choose from (not including the Bible): Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, the above-mentioned The Habit of Being, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Eternity in Their Hearts by Don Richardson, Phantastes by George MacDonald, An Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Frances de Sales, Amy Tan's The Hundred Secret Senses, A Student's Guide to Liberal Learning by Father James V. Schall, and many more. I wouldn't know how to choose!

10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for Literature?

Haven't the foggiest.

11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

Asimov's Foundation series. It would have to be a TV series, though, because it's too big to be a movie.

12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?

Everybody Poops.

13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.

Don't know that I've had one.

14) What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?

Green Eggs and Ham and James Howe's Bunnicula series.

15) What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?

Difficult as in hard to understand would be Epiphany: A Theological Introduction to Catholicism. It uses words my 1900 page dictionary cannot define. I have set it aside until I get either a better education or a better dictionary (preferably both).

Difficult as in emotional is Mysterious Skin.

16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you’ve seen?

Alas! I've never seen one! The closest I've come is Dickens A Christmas Carol put on at the Bonstelle at Wayne State.

17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?

Haven't read the Russians at all, and the only French I've gotten to is Madame Bovary.

18) Roth or Updike?

Haven't read either.

19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?

Haven't read Eggers, but love Sedaris!

20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?

Once more, haven't read them. I just started working on the classics.

21) Austen or Eliot?

Austen!

22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?

I haven’t read a lot of the classics.

23) What is your favorite novel?

Pride and Prejudice.

24) Play?

Don't have one.

25) Poem?

Either Poe's "The Raven" or Carroll's "Jabberwocky".

26) Essay?

"Christians and Conspiracy Theories: A Call to Repentance."

27) Short story?

Don't have one.

28) Work of nonfiction?

A Student's Guide to Liberal Learning by Father James V. Schall.

29) Who is your favorite writer?

How about favorite authors? C.S. Lewis, Amy Tan, Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, Isaac Asimov, Flannery O'Connor, P.G. Wodehouse, and more.

30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?

Don't know.

31) What is your desert island book?

How to Survive on a Desert Island while You're Working on Your Escape from Said Island.

32) And… what are you reading right now?

1) The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2) Mariannehill and Its Apostolate, 3) Memorize the Faith (and Almost Everything Else) by Kevin Vost, 4) the Gospel of Matthew, 5) the book Daniel (the biblical prophet), 6) The Divine Office for Dodos: A Step-by-Step Guide to Praying the Liturgy of the Hours by Madeline Pecora Nugent, 7) The Orthodox Church by Kallistos Ware, 8) the book of Psalms, 9) The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis, 10) The Complete Rosary by William G. Storey, 11) The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden, 12) the book of Proverbs, 13) David Copperfield, 14) The Path to Rome by Hilaire Belloc, 15) the book of Sirach, 16) Why Catholic Bibles are Bigger: The Untold Story of the Lost Books of the Protestant Bible by Gary G. Michuta, 17) The Search for Christian America by Mark A. Noll, Nathan O. Hatch, and George M. Marsden, 18) The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs, 19) The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life by Armand Nicholi, Jr., and 20) Tom Brown's Body by Gladys Mitchell.