A Deo et Rege

Enbrethiliel (nice Tolkienesque name, but I can never spell it!) has posted a list of The 100 Greatest Catholic Quotes of All Time (Almost). She did an excellent job and although I’m sure some of our pet favorites may not be there, she got most of the classics! I forgot how much I loved St. Jerome and her quotes remind me of other Jeromisms, especially when this Doctor of the Church referred to Pelagius as "a corpulent dog," "a great red-faced lump," "a lout," and "too full of Scotch porridge."

The grounds of the Shrine were absolutely gorgeous. I took a small, winding path, which contained the Stations of the Cross along with other religious images. There was a life size crucifixion scene made with statues as well as the empty tomb. The angels at the tomb were absolutely beautiful and the white created a sense of the celestial glory of Jesus’s resurrection.

After this, I went back to the main grotto area and noticed a small area that featured crutches and other items that people no longer needed after visiting the shrine or using its water. The sister I talked to told me that they receive letters from people all the time telling of the miraculous events happening in their lives thanks to the shrine. God works in diverse ways and I have no doubt that he has used the ministry of this Shrine

As I walked back towards the bookstore, I noticed another path that went up a hill. A cross followed by stone circles wound up one side of the hill and around to the other. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the slabs were different sizes and corresponded to the beads of the rosary. What an incredible idea! It gave new meaning to outdoor rosary walks for sure. As with everything at Our Lady of Lourdes, the whole area was amazingly beautiful and very conducive to prayer and meditation.

I ended my pilgrimage at the Shrine chapel. It was small, but very lovely. It reminded me of the ideal small town church building if the parish wanted beauty, dignity, and coziness. I would’ve taken photos here, but a sister was in the building and I didn’t want to get in trouble (just in case)!

Sadly, my time at Lourdes was limited because I had to get to the hotel so I could prepare my presentation for the next day’s job interview. I definitely want to return to this Shrine and hope to do so in the next few weeks. Also, as a side note, I got the teaching job and will be living in Cleveland in August. Thanks be to God for his grace and the intercession of the Mother of his Son!

Photos on the left of angels; photo on the right of the rosary walk. All photos by Jonathan Bennett. I tried to go a little for the dreamy feel with them. To see them up close, simply click on the thumbnail.

If you are a blogger and want to participate in a research project, click on the graphic below. Hat tip to El who gave me something to do this afternoon!

I have tried to stay away from the debates within Anglicanism. Right now there are some major ones raging, but I have resisted the urge to blog on them. However, one article (by David Virtue) in particular caught my eye and, given the incredible religious implications outside of Anglicanism, I just couldn’t resist!

It seems an Anglican archbishop of Central Africa says he’s tired of listening to the USA and Canada continue to drag out the debates on sexuality and that soon, the African Anglicans will break away and set up a new African Anglican Communion in Alexandria, Egypt. This is incredible news and would certainly be a major episode in religious history if it happened. I don’t know how much this interview represents the majority of developing world Anglicanism, but it looks like, in spite of herculean (and perhaps a tad quixotic) efforts by Anglican head Rowan Williams, Anglican cohesion is in real danger of shattering.

Perhaps an Anglican-Rite within Catholicism should be there to pick up some of the pieces? I hope so. Anglicans would get Catholic theology and the See of Peter and we Catholics would get some good examples of liturgy and music, as well as luminaries like Lancelot Andrewes and C.S. Lewis. But that is another set of posts.

I think I’m going to start every new day with this prayer. It about covers it all and I especially like how it provides the intention for all indulged prayers:

O my God, I offer Thee all my prayers, works, and sufferings, in union
with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the intentions for which He pleads
and offers Himself in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in thanksgiving
for Thy favors, in reparation for my offenses, and in humble
supplication for my temporal and eternal welfare, for the wants of our
holy Mother the Church, for the conversion of sinners, and for the
relief of the poor souls in Purgatory. I wish to gain all the
indulgences attached to the prayers I shall say and to the good works I
shall perform this day.

Prayer from The New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism (No. 2)

There’s something I really enjoy about British TV, a quality I can’t put my finger on. It’s the quality that has allowed me to watch Are You Being Served? episodes 50 times and after a year or two break come back and enjoy them 50 more times. For one, British TV has traditionally been bolder and less politically correct than American television. Second, British humor is often more nuanced and requires more thought. Even when they are talking about sex, they just might not be talking about sex. Are You Being Served? is a good example of this.

My favorite British TV shows are probably Keeping Up Appearances, Are You Being Served?, Trigger Happy TV, and Little Britain. I also liked the episode of My Family I saw one time. My favorite at the moment is probably Keeping Up Appearances. Although here in America we don’t have an aristocracy, the themes of constantly wanting to get ahead through conniving micromanagement of those around us still strikes a chord, a very funny chord indeed. Watching Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bu-Kay, of course) try her hardest to "keep up appearances" while everything falls apart around her creates great laughs. I laughed so hard when she told a lord at an auction that there weren’t enough of "their kind" about that day. Earlier she had told her husband Richard that if someone were to mistake her for an aristocrat, it would be best not to correct the person. Hope forever springs eternal.

Ah summer. Being a teacher it means I can get my fill of British TV. And I’m happy to fill up on it.

First, I want to wish everyone a happy father’s day! Today’s "holiday" got me thinking about fathers and religion. One thing I noticed growing up a Methodist was the lack of men in the pews. We had lots of boys, girls, and women, but the men, the husbands and fathers, were lacking. As a Catholic, I still see it.

Many general studies have shown that men are necessary for healthy children. It’s nice to see science demonstrate we’re not just optional appendages! When it comes to  the religion of children, it seems fathers are extremely important. According to a Swiss study, fathers who practice their faith are very important in their child’s future religious activity (or lack thereof); in fact fathers were the one critical factor. By far. Robbie Low, writing on the study, shares the incredible conclusions:

In 1994 the Swiss carried out an extra survey which the
researchers for our masters in Europe were happy to record. The question was to
determine whether a person’s religion carried through to the next generation
and, if so, what, if any, were the critical factors. The result is dynamite.
There is one critical factor. It is overwhelming, and it is this. It is the
religious practice of the father of the family that, above all,
determines the future attendance at or absence from the Church of the children.

If both father and mother attend regularly, the figures
revealed, then 33 per cent of their children will end up as regular churchgoers
with a further 41 per cent attending irregularly. Only a quarter of their
children will end up not practising at all. If a father is irregular and mother
regular then only three per cent of the children will subsequently become

regulars themselves, though a further 59 per cent will become irregulars.
Thirty-eight per cent will be lost.

If the father is non-practising and mother regular, only 2 per
cent of children will become regular worshippers, and 37 per cent will attend
sporadically. Over 60 per cent of the children will be lost completely to the
Church.

Wow. Read all of The Truth About Men by then Anglican (now Catholic) Robbie Low

I had another job interview near Cleveland and some time to spare, so I figured I’d visit a Marian shrine (it was May after all). One looked especially interesting: Our Lady of Lourdes (note: site has been down the last couple of days) in Euclid, a suburb (of sorts) of Cleveland.

As usual this trip started with some Speedway coffee (a prerequisite for any road trip). The drive was quite scenic, until that is, I got near Cleveland and smelled the odor of a Ford plant. I held my nose, thankful that they hadn’t moved the plant to Mexico. Then I entered into Cleveland and crossed what I think was the Cuyahoga River with the downtown all around me. I  also drove by Lake Erie, which was prettier. The route to the Shrine off of I-90 was a bit convoluted and I drove in an area that I don’t want to return to. However, I got my bearings and made it to the Shrine.

The grounds looked so beautiful, like a little slice of the country in the midst of the city. I first made my way to the gift shop to buy the holy water containers, etc. The clerk explained to me the origin of the Shrine. Three sisters went to Europe and met a monk who had a rock that Mary had stood upon at Lourdes. He divided it into three pieces and gave it to the sisters who promised they would go back to Ohio (where their religious community was located) and create a shrine replica of Lourdes. The bishop of Cleveland blessed the endeavor and the shrine was created. The bishop of Cleveland also received from the Pope many spiritual privileges for those who visit the Shrine. Needless to say, it was all fascinating.

After that, I immediately went to the grotto replica, which contained two of the three pieces of rock that Mary stood upon. One was in the waterfall (pilgrims can take home holy water that runs over the rock) and one was available to touch in an area off to the side (this was the mystery photo in my previous blog entry). Although the Lourdes story isn’t dogma, nonetheless it was fascinating to think of touching a rock where Mary once stood. I prayed for my intentions and those of family and friends and made my way around the rest of the grounds.

More to come…
Photos on left of the Grotto and the rock. Photo on right is a closeup of Mary’s statue.
All photos by Jonathan Bennett

I had the pleasure of attending some Diocesan educational training classes today. I learned so much about educational techniques and formation. I hope to put that to good use in the autumn. Also, one of the handouts contained a quote I just loved. It’s by Kahlil Gibran:

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The Archer sees his mark on the pathway of the infinite and He bends you with his might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the Archer’s hands be for gladness;
for he loves the arrow that flies, so
He loves the bow that is stable.

I’ve included this picture as a preview to an essay I’m going to write about a recent visit to a shrine. Can anyone guess what this is a picture of? Look inside the cross. Of course, it’s a rock. However, what is the significance of the rock and where is it from? And this blog entry is not open to siblings, their girlfriends, or my fiancee! They already know. Anyone else have a guess?

Photo by Jonathan Bennett, taken at the ????? Shrine
Click photo to enlarge

My brother and I (ok, he did the work) have put up some basic Catholic prayers in English and Latin at our website ChurchYear.Net.

Today in the Catholic Church is the feast day of St. Barnabas. We call him Barnabas, but that was not his real name. According to Acts 4, his real name was Joseph. He was given the name Bar-Nabas by the apostles. It means "Son of Encouragement." What a great name, one which certainly reflected a gift from God. It’s easy to be negative, but hard to be genuinely encouraging, even in the Church.

When I look back in my life, I can find so many people who played the role of Barnabas, those who encouraged me to be live my life to its fullest and journey to a closer relationship with the Lord. I can think of a several offhand who have been such a blessing that I can barely put their impact to words. But I’ll try:

My parents are a good start. They have been amazing, especially since I can be a bit trying at times. My brother who has gone on my journey with me. My fiancee who puts up with me and loves me even when I’m annoying or worse. My grandma who loves me even though I don’t visit as much as I should. My former pastors who have always been open to my questions and supported me even if it meant leaving their communities. My current priest/pastor who got me into the Church quickly and has been my confessor and pastor in a way that has richly blessed me. My former professors who patiently led me in a right direction and showed me Wisdom. My numerous internet friends (see blog list for many of them) who have given me wisdom and insight. They may not know it, but some of their words have been just what I needed at times. And my bosses at the schools who call me first to work and have been nothing but great to me. There are more, but this entry has to end somewhere.

I’m not sure of all the customs associated with St. Barnabas Day, but it’s as good as time as any to thank those people who’ve encouraged me in my life. I pray for the grace to give the same encouragement and love to those I meet.

I was driving to the YMCA to work out and I remembered something that happened in high school that bugged me. I was getting some academic honor at school and was asked by the school newspaper to give an account of my future plans. Well, I was trying to be funny and clever, so I put I wanted to major in "pre-med" at Northwestern Diesel College (I believe the place does exist). Now, clearly this was meant to be funny, because who majors in "pre-med" at a diesel college? The editor changed it to pre-med at Northwestern (the University). That is not funny. Of course some people may not think my first bit was funny, but I tried. This is about as random as it gets on this blog, but I wanted to share!

Or at least it should be. I’m referring once again to Benedict XVI’s The Spirit of the Liturgy. Heck, it should be required reading for liturgists, Church architects, Church artists, etc. Although the Catholic Church isn’t the worst offender with regard to music (non-denominational groups tend to have that honor), we certainly need a revival of the old music coupled with new songs that are written with a greater understanding of  what sacred music really is. For Benedict XVI, this answer lies in the logos. He writes (emphasis mine):

Not every kind of music can have a place in Christian worship. It has its standards, and that standard is the Logos. If we want to know whom we are dealing with, the Holy Spirit or the unholy spirit, we have to remember that it is the Holy Spirit who moves us to say, "Jesus is Lord" (1 Cor 12:3). The Holy Spirit leads us to the Logos, and he leads us to a music that serves the Logos as a sign of the sursum corda, the lifting up of the human heart. Does it integrate man by drawing him to what is above or does it cause his disintegration into formless intoxication or mere sensuality? That is the criterion for a music in harmony with the logos, a form of that logike latreia (reason-able, logos-worth worship)…

Today is the Memorial of St. Ephrem of Syria, a great hymn writer of
the Eastern Church. In honor of his day, I give you the first 11
stanzas of his Fourth Hymn:

My God, without ceasing, I will tread the threshold of Thy house; I who
have rejected all grace, I will ask with boldness. that I may receive with
confidence. R., Our hope, be thou our Wall!

For if, O Lord, the earth, enriches manifold, a single grain of wheat,
how then shall my prayers, be enriched by Thy grace!

Because of the voices of my children, their sighs and their groans,
open to me the door of Thy mercy! Make glad for their voices, the mourning of
their sackcloth!

O firstborn that wast a weaned child, and wast familiar with the
children, the accurst sons of Nazareth, hearken to my lambs that have seen the
wolves, for lo! they cry.

For a flock, O my Lord, in the field, if so be it has seen the wolves,
flees to the shepherd, and takes refuge under his staff, and he drives away
them that would devour it.

Thy flock has seen the wolves, and lo! it cries loudly. Behold how
terrified it is! Let thy Cross be a staff, to drive out them that would
swallow it up!

Accept the cry of my little ones, that are altogether pure. It was He,
the Infant of days, that could appease, O Lord, the Ancient of days.

The day when the Babe came down, in the midst of the stall, the
Watchers descended and proclaimed, peace–may that peace be, in all my streets
for all my offspring.

Seventy and two old men, the elders of that people, sufficed not for
its breaches. The Babe it was, the Son of Mary, that gave peace on every side.

Have mercy, O Lord, on my children! in my children call to mind Thy
childhood, Thou Who wast a child! Let them that are like Thy childhood, be
saved by Thy grace!

Mingled in the midst of the flock, are the cry of the innocents, and
the voice of the sheep, that call on the Shepherd of all, to deliver them from
all.

Source: New Advent
Image of St. Ephrem believed to be in public domain