Perfect Intellect and the Blessed Virgin Mary

Our family prayed the Rosary last night, and while meditating on the Sorrowful Mysteries, I tried to ask God to help me develop certain qualities - ones that would help me be a better imitator of our Lord and His Blessed Mother.

I was meditating on the Agony in the Garden, and I thought about how I need to learn to submit to God's Will in my life. I need to be less selfish - less of a control freak - and trust God. This is what Jesus did during His Agony; He submitted Himself to the Will and the Plan of the Father.

As I meditated more, I thought of His Blessed Mother's submission to the Will of God. Her assent - her fiat - was perfect. Her will was in union with God's. Submission was a pleasure for her, and this was helped by the fact that her soul did not carry the scars of Original Sin. For an explanation of this important doctrine of the Catholic Church (called the Immaculate Conception), Catholic Answers offers, in part, the following:

The Immaculate Conception

It’s important to understand what the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is and what it is not. Some people think the term refers to Christ’s conception in Mary’s womb without the intervention of a human father; but that is the Virgin Birth. Others think the Immaculate Conception means Mary was conceived "by the power of the Holy Spirit," in the way Jesus was, but that, too, is incorrect. The Immaculate Conception means that Mary, whose conception was brought about the normal way, was conceived without original sin or its stain—that’s what "immaculate" means: without stain. The essence of original sin consists in the deprivation of sanctifying grace, and its stain is a corrupt nature. Mary was preserved from these defects by God’s grace; from the first instant of her existence she was in the state of sanctifying grace and was free from the corrupt nature original sin brings.

When discussing the Immaculate Conception, an implicit reference may be found in the angel’s greeting to Mary. The angel Gabriel said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28). The phrase "full of grace" is a translation of the Greek word kecharitomene. It therefore expresses a characteristic quality of Mary.

The traditional translation, "full of grace," is better than the one found in many recent versions of the New Testament, which give something along the lines of "highly favored daughter." Mary was indeed a highly favored daughter of God, but the Greek implies more than that (and it never mentions the word for "daughter"). The grace given to Mary is at once permanent and of a unique kind. Kecharitomene is a perfect passive participle of charitoo, meaning "to fill or endow with grace." Since this term is in the perfect tense, it indicates that Mary was graced in the past but with continuing effects in the present. So, the grace Mary enjoyed was not a result of the angel’s visit. In fact, Catholics hold, it extended over the whole of her life, from conception onward. She was in a state of sanctifying grace from the first moment of her existence. ...

(For the exact definition, broken down bit-by-bit with explanations, see the Catholic Encyclopedia at the New Advent site.)

Because Mary was conceived without Original Sin, she was in a better position to accept God's Divine Will and to align her own desires with His. Instead of her judgement being clouded by the aftereffects of The Fall, she was able to remain without sin throughout her life.

Which led me to ponder further...

When Adam and Eve were created, they had an enlightened intellect. In other words, they had innate knowledge of God and His Will. They could freely choose to accept or reject this (and we all know how that ended up), but they knew full well what that Will was. It was the sin of Pride that led to the Fall, hence "Pride comes before the Fall." But, make no mistake, they were smart enough to know what they were doing. Our intellects are not clear, they are not complete. Our intellects are like broken bones that are not quite healed properly. We are weak, our souls are weak, and our wills are weak. Anyone who thinks they are different is wrong, for even Saint Paul lamented that he was unable to avoid sinning (Romans 7:15).

But Mary - she was preserved from Original Sin, pre-emptively given the very Salvation that Christ Jesus would offer to us all. This is a basic belief that the Church has held since the earliest days of Christianity. Catholic Answers points to St. Irenaeus' writings in the Second Century:

"Consequently, then, Mary the Virgin is found to be obedient, saying, ‘Behold, O Lord, your handmaid; be it done to me according to your word.’ Eve, however, was disobedient, and, when yet a virgin, she did not obey. Just as she, who was then still a virgin although she had Adam for a husband—for in paradise they were both naked but were not ashamed; for, having been created only a short time, they had no understanding of the procreation of children, and it was necessary that they first come to maturity before beginning to multiply—having become disobedient, was made the cause of death for herself and for the whole human race; so also Mary, betrothed to a man but nevertheless still a virgin, being obedient, was made the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race. . . . Thus, the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. What the virgin Eve had bound in unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosed through faith" (Against Heresies 3:22:24 [A.D. 189]).

"The Lord then was manifestly coming to his own things, and was sustaining them by means of that creation that is supported by himself. He was making a recapitulation of that disobedience that had occurred in connection with a tree, through the obedience that was upon a tree [i.e., the cross]. Furthermore, the original deception was to be done away with—the deception by which that virgin Eve (who was already espoused to a man) was unhappily misled. That this was to be overturned was happily announced through means of the truth by the angel to the Virgin Mary (who was also [espoused] to a man). . . . So if Eve disobeyed God, yet Mary was persuaded to be obedient to God. In this way, the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of the virgin Eve. And thus, as the human race fell into bondage to death by means of a virgin, so it is rescued by a virgin. Virginal disobedience has been balanced in the opposite scale by virginal obedience. For in the same way, the sin of the first created man received amendment by the correction of the First-Begotten" (ibid., 5:19:1 [A.D. 189]).

So if the Blessed Virgin Mary was without sin - and without the broken-ness that comes from being born with Original Sin on one's soul, does this mean that she, too, had a perfect intellect, as Eve did before the Fall?

If you know, please, point me towards some information on this. It's fascinating to me that Mary might have had the same perfect intellect that our First Parents had!

Anniversaries and Times and Seasons and Prayers

This Saturday is our anniversary: 17 years! My sweet husband likes to add, "16 of them happy," with a wink, making a reference to my two agonizing pregnancies.

It's hard to believe we've really been married for 17 years now. December will mark 20 years of being together as a couple. That is half my life.

Time is a funny thing. When we're young, it crawls by so slowly, you wish for Superman to come along and speed things up a bit. A school year to a first grader is an eternity. And that's not surprising since one year is 1/5 of his life! As a child in elementary school, going from Christmas to Christmas takes forever (especially when the purple and pink candles come out - it's doubly slow then!), but as adults, it seems to sneak up on us a little faster each year. My anniversary seems to be just a few weeks back, but here it is, mid-August again!

If we think back on our lives as children, we see how hard it was to wait for anything we

wanted. We looked forward to being older, getting to do more things, and those years of waiting were dreadfully long. Big Girl, for example, is one of the few children in her age group at church who doesn't have a cell phone. She's been asking again and again when she can get one. Now this is a topic Travel Man and I talked about when we first started seeing teens with cell phones. We had decided that until the girls are working, they don't need one. Scratch that. Make it this: Until they are DRIVING, they don't need one. Period. And even then, maybe they only need to borrow it sometimes.

So our answer was this, "When you turn 16, we'll start talking about it." (Notice that independent clause: start talking about it.)

This elicited the following reaction:

"WHAT????!!!!????" (Please imagine it starting at a high pitch and rising as the one-syllable word becomes something more like a long note sung.)

See, Big Girl is nearly 12, and four years before the discussion even starts is 1/4 of her life. To us, it seems like it's just around the corner. To her, it's NEVER GOING TO GET HERE.

About the only way that helps me understand this idea of time when I'm dealing with little girls - or, really, not-so-little girls - is to think about being with my husband.

It's been 20 years since we started dating. Half my life. And, frankly, I barely remember what it was like without him. A little bit, but not a lot.

Basically, it's like ... forever. It's as though he's never not been such an intregal part of my life.

Imagine how much more our little annoyances with waiting amuse God, who is Eternal. No beginning, no end. A day is like a thousand years. How He must chuckle at our indignant answer when He tells us to wait before He answers a prayer.

"WHAT????!!!!????"

I'm sure that Him asking us to wait for something is in our best interest, but we are like children: we can't see it.

When I pray, I must remember that there are three answers to my prayers:

1. Yes. We like this best. It is when we pray for something that is beneficial to us - to our souls, especially - that we get this answer. Of course, being our Father in Heaven, God also likes to give good gifts to His children. Not all "Yes" answers are purely for our spiritual benefit. Some are just because we're getting a nice present from Daddy.
2. Wait. We like this, but not nearly as much as "Yes." After all, we're like our own children, who when they are told they must wait until Christmas morning to open presents Grandma sent last week (and Christmas is three weeks away), sit and stare longingly at the presents under the tree, occasionally begging again to open it now. But sometimes, the wait is worth it. And sometimes, we aren't really ready for that "Yes." Oh, we think we are. We're very grown-up, you know. But what we are, sometimes, is that 12 year old asking for permission to drive the car. The 12 year old thinks she's a great driver. We happen to know a bit better.
3. No. This is the answer that so few people like to talk about, and none of us really like. Oh, sure, deep down we understand that God has other things in store for us. Better things. But no child likes being told no. Even if you're asking for a pony and you live in the middle of suburbia. Even if you're asking if you can bring home the baby bear you found rummaging in the trashcan outside your rural mountain home. But God, being a Good Father, knows what's best for us. He has to tell us "No" sometimes.

What's really tough for us, as His children, is seeing the difference between God's "Wait," and His "No." Sometimes we are certain that He's said no. And we whine about it. We cease actually praying for our intention, but instead complain. Now, if it's a "wait," often there is a reason, like Christ perfecting the Samaritan woman's request, testing her motives and faith. As a mother, I do this sometimes, making sure that my children have good intentions behind a request, or even that they really do want the thing they're asking for.

God is the perfect Father! He will do the same for us. However, just as I will know the girls really want what they're asking for by listening to them ask (politely) again, God will also allow us to ask him repeatedly for our intentions.

However, if instead of polite requests I get whining and complaints, I am WAY less inclined to give in. Ever. Can our reaction to our children be that vastly different than God's?

So, I remind myself here that I must approach my petitions to God with reverence. I must always remember to take a good look at my own motivation for asking. Is it for good reasons? Am I asking for something that will be spiritually beneficial, or am I asking for the equivalent of a pet bear cub?

And, when God's answer seems to be "no," I must also re-evaluate and see if my petition is, indeed, appropriate. If I'm asking Jesus for a pony while I'm living in an apartment or for a pet cat that I'm terribly allergic to, I need to accept His "no" and move on. But if it is, I should do as Jesus instructed and persist, purifying my motivations and faith along the way. And I need to remember that just like it's 1/4 of Big Girl's life before we even begin discussing a cell phone, God's time is not my time, and His ways are not my ways. I might have a bit of a wait until I hear "Yes" from my Father in Heaven.

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Saint Patrick's Breastplate

New Advent has a lot of information on Saint Patrick, as well as this prayer.  I love the entire thing.  What a beautiful way to pray!

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God's Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity

The Creator of the Universe.

Misc.

~Class is nearly over, homework had lightened up, and now I need to do roleplaying calls with class members for two hours each day so I can get familiar enough with the system that I don't freak out and mess up next week. (Next week is certification week on the phone - real customers placing real orders.) I am a wreck about it.

~Big Girl's soccer team is having team pictures today (God willing, if the weather holds out). I found this out last night at 8:45 p.m. Her shirt is in the laundry right now. And then I'll have to wash it again by Friday. That goes great with the above-mentioned item, huh?

~I feel like I need to be cloistered with all the prayers I've been asked to send up. (And I am happy to pray for everyone, mind you!) For instance:

• Today, my friend is back in court with her husband, who is pushing for custody. And making her go to work to support him. And putting their heretofore homeschooled children in public school. I am praying that the judge can make a right decision, for God's will, and that God's will be that my friend retain custody of her children. Oh, and that the children are protected in body, mind, and soul during this horrible ordeal.



• Another friend is buying her first home this week, and has asked for prayers that all goes well. Her husband has been working like mad since they moved here, and he's got a bad cold. It'd be nice if he wasn't sick when the start actually moving at the end of the week!



• Another friend is entering the third year since she and her husband started adoption proceedings. Their son is in Guatamala, and we all pray that he will be allowed to come home (meaning here) soon. (I've seen pictures - what a cutie!)



• Another of my friends has asked for prayers for her unborn baby, who doesn't seem to be doing well. I have been praying fervently for her child, especially since she lost a baby last summer. Lord, please allow the baby to grow healthy and to live with her family here on earth!



• Of course, there's my aunt, whose tumor has shrunk a little but who is now running a high fever and has a respiratory infection. (Yikes!)



• And then there's the usual stuff: that Soccer Dad is safe when he transforms to Travel Man on Sunday morning in the wee hours, that the girls are safe at their activities, that I am able to accomplish what I need to in this class while still performing my duties as a wife and mother, etc. Plus those prayers for the Holy Father: that he is safe during his journey here to America, that the Church listens - really listens - to him and heeds his message. (And that includes me, my friends.)

Sometimes I see the attraction of cloistered life: time to pray for everyone, give each prayer the time it deserves, and really focus on God. I know that God called me to be a wife and mother, but that stop-all-things-and-pray is so attractive. If I could just discipline myself to do this in my own life (like some people have done)...

~On a lighter note, though, I finally got word of my high school reunion. (20 years!) Toms River High School South's graduating class of 1988 will be having a reunion on November 29. (Hooray!) I'm relatively sure I will need to work for Apple on Black Friday, so it's probably going to be a very quick trip up and back for the reunion. I'll be sure to make time this summer to visit with my Nana (same town) this summer and go swimming at IBSP while I'm there.

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A Prayer for Priests

O Jesus,
I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests;

for Your unfaithful and tepid priests;

for Your priests labouring at home
or abroad in distant mission fields;

for Your tempted priests;

for Your lonely and desolate priest;

for Your young priests;

for Your dying priests;

for the souls of Your priests in purgatory.

But above all I recommend to You the priests dearest to me;

the priest who baptized me;

the priests who absolved me from my sins;

the priests at whose Masses I assisted
and who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy communion;

the priests who taught and instructed me;

all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way.

O Jesus, keep them all close to Your heart,

and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity.



Amen.

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A Prayer for My Friend and Her Family

A mutual friend passed this on and suggested that our co-op pray it on behalf of the family for whom I've been requesting prayers. Please pray it with me now.

PRAYER TO DEFEAT THE WORK OF SATAN

O Divine Eternal Father, in union with your Divine Son and the Holy Spirit, and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg you to destroy the power of Your greatest enemy-the evil spirits.

Cast them into the deepest recesses of hell and chain them there forever! Take possession of Your kingdom which You have created and which is rightfully Yours.

Heavenly Father, give us the reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

I repeat this prayer out of pure love for You, with every beat of my heart and with every breath I take, Amen.

She then wrote (emphasis mine):

This is a prayer we pray every night and I think it would do good if we all said it for the *********** family, now more than ever. As I write this I have felt the presence of the devil just trying to keep me from doing this, his power is very strong and we need to join together now more than ever just to put him in his place!

Please keep my friend and her children in your prayers. I beg you, please pray for them!

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Forty Hours Devotion

Tonight, beginning immediately after the vigil Mass for the Immaculate Conception, our parish will have forty hours of Adoration, with intentions for the Pro Life movement. It's an annual event at our parish, and our whole family is participating this year. The first shift is only about half an hour, lasting from the end of Mass until 9:00, and the girls and I will stay for that. Tonight, when Soccer Dad gets back from his business trip, he'll stay in adoration from midnight until 1:30. (The usual shift is one hour, but the Knights have asked for volunteers because there's been trouble filling those early morning slots between midnight and four.) Tomorrow night, after Little Girl is finished dancing and both girls are on their way to dreamland, I'll go back to the church for another hour alone.

I cannot even say just how very much I need this time. How totally desperate I am right now. It's unreal, and I'm hoping that I don't just sit there for an hour and cry.

I'll try to remember the intentions I've been given tonight, and tomorrow, I'll especially remember my aunt, who has only been given "a handful of months" to live. (Thank you to those who have promised to help me with the spiritual bouquet. Even my mother-in-law, who is Methodist, has sent me a lovely note with what she'll do in prayer.)

One last thing: In preparation for tonight, I purchased this book at our parish bookstore.


You can get those at Aquinas and More, if you don't have one. It's really handy, and has a whole section on prayers before the Blessed Sacrament. And I'll tell you what, it's awfully nice to have prayers that say just what you want to say when you are having trouble praying. It's a relief to know that our prayers are not new, and that we don't have to pray extemporaneously. We can use these pre-written prayers.

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Christ is Present in the Storm

I wrote last week that I'd been feeling overwhelmed. I just know a lot of people who are going through very difficult times, and it weighs heavily on my mind, especially when I know I can't do much but pray and let God handle the rest.

Friday I had a revelation that gave me great comfort.

Each week, usually on Fridays, my husband and I sit with our girls and say a Rosary together. We begin by reading the list of intentions that our homeschool co-op has asked for prayers about, as well as our own intentions, and when we are finished, we read a litany of saints that include patrons for the various intentions on the co-op list. (I put the intentions list together and link to this site, which is where I learn which saints are patrons for which causes.) This week during the Rosary, I concentrated very hard on certain intentions, especially my friend who is now in danger of losing her family and for our friends who are mourning the loss of their unborn son.

Once again, I got an image in my mind of being in a small rowboat that is being pounded time and again by huge waves in a storming sea. I mentally cried out to Jesus, thinking of the woman with the hemorrhage that was healed by touching the hem of His robes. I mentally grabbed the hem of His robe and hung on tight, eyes closed.

Suddenly, I remembered another boat that was tossed in a storm on the sea. And how the men in the boat were certain that Jesus wasn't paying attention to them; they were frightened and woke Him up, crying out, "Master, doth it not concern Thee that we perish?" Wasn't I asking the same thing? Wasn't I crying out to God, "Master, does it not concern You that my friends suffer so greatly?"

And just then, I knew that God, in His own time, would settle things. Peace would come when the Master is ready to declare it, just as He declared it on that boat. When He is ready, Jesus will say to my friends and family, "Peace. Be still."

And it will be so.

What I find interesting about this is that the mere knowledge that He will do this for them at some time gives me incredible comfort. It isn't done now, and I don't know when He will choose to do so, but I know that His peace and comfort will come to those who need it.

And just knowing that is what gives me strength and helps me to continue to pray for them all.

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Kaddish, Pagans, Catholics, and Cavemen

I logged on yesterday - very briefly, because we were doing some necessary work - to see if my uncle had sent an update out on my aunt. (He did, and I'll post it later today.) Imagine my surprise to find the following comment attached to my last update:

When anyone prays to the Creator of all things, they are praying to God. So, yes. These prayers are valid in the sense that God hears them and knows they are really talking to Him, even if they cannot see it.

That is one of the stupidest things I've ever read. So you do adhere to pagan prayers. I thought so. Obviously, you seem to forget a little something called the 1st Commandment. I also couldn't help but notice that there wasn't a snide remark from you when I pointed out to you how absurd your notion was concerning Jesus praying the Kaddish. Why would God pray to God for the salvation of souls? You didn't bring that up with over at Tickle-Fight, did you? Nor did you bring up anything else that I had corrected you on, did you?

I can just see the stunned look on your face as you try to reconcile that with your unbelievably weak Catholicism. But you just keep taking your ques from that Episcopalin-Lite buffoon Toni. You know, if you wanted to disagree with me, fine. But you had to make snotty comments towards me personally on someone elses blog? Not that this really bothers me... I'm just suprized. I've even linked you to my blog. If you disagreed with me, I always thought that you would leave it at that.... we'd disagree, period.

Never did I think that you would jump on the "I Hate The Caveman" bandwagon. Are you that weak-minded or have that weak a character? BTW, in case you missed it, I never went to Toni's blog initially and started to toss around the insults... he came to mine. I never initially came to your blog and started tossing around the insults, you saw fit to go to someone elses and do such towards me. But like I said, you aren't the first one, and you certainly won't be the last. At least now I know the caliber person you are. One bit of advice... don't let Toni do your thinking for you. Have a nice day.

And so I will take this opportunity to answer the Catholic Caveman. The biggest reason I do so is because I want Kevin (the Caveman in question) to understand that I am not shirking from this. At the same time, though, comments on this post will close after a day or two. After that, the topic is closed. Period. I will not have this blog hijacked and descend into some angry exchange back and forth over nitpicky things. Up until yesterday, I had never had a problem with rudeness in the com boxes.

First, of all, I did not make a final decision on whether or not to post my comment (in bold) above. Of course, if you were there at Tony's blog (Catholic Pillow Fight), it seems to me that you could have commented there. I actually hadn't read your blog in a very long time, but decided to read the post that Tony pointed out. Lest anyone wonder if I was merely gossipping about you at Tony's blog, they can go and see that I left very specific comments, was quite polite and civil about it, at your blog, as well, and hadn't shrunk from discussing it with you at all. I appreciated that you put up my opposing comments. After the third comment, I had that one phrase pop into my head, but didn't want to merely post that at your blog without further thought on the other things you said. Plus, you can add to this that it was the weekend and I was busy with the usual weekend duties (to which you can add "staining a 1000 sq. ft. deck"). So I didn't craft a response. I'm not one who flies off the handle easily, and I prefer to think out my answers and be sure I'm not saying something I will regret later. Hence, I did not answer you immediately on Friday, the last time I commented. (You can see the comments at the link to the post on Tony's blog for the time I last commented.)

Secondly, to go from "I recognize that God hears the prayers of those who seek Him, even if they don't know His name" to "I pray pagan prayers" is quite the leap, don't you think? You've gone from "I linked to your blog" to "You aren't a real Catholic" in one fell swoop without giving my comment much thought at all.

Do you honestly believe that God checks someone's church membership before He listens to a prayer to the Creator of the Universe? Is He not the Creator? If someone specifically addresses Him, even though the do not realize exactly Whom they address, do you think that God will say, "Nope, not praying through Jesus. Not a Christian. Not a Catholic. Not listening. lalalalalalala." (This is the mental image I get here, mind you.) So in your mind, because I believe what the Church teaches - that there are portions of the Truth to be found in other religions, though incomplete and "defective" (the pope's word) they might be - I am not "Catholic enough" for your liking. Because you don't like that part of what the Church teaches. Much of the world rejects Jesus in part because we do not present Him in a way they can understand. Not everyone has been blessed to be raised Catholic, or even Christian, and the search for God is a tough one if you aren't. The search for the Truth that the Catholic Church holds is difficult, at best, and that, my friend, includes the search that those of us who are Catholic must make. But when someone prays to the Creator of all things, even if they do not pray through Jesus, they are still praying to God. Because that is Who God is. Creator of all things. Understanding that God isn't plugging His ears (metaphor, here, God the Father is not a physical Being) when someone doesn't use the name of Jesus doesn't make me a pagan, or even less Catholic. (Here, the story of the Samaritan woman at the well springs to mind. Jesus did not shun her or dismiss her because she was a Samaritan, but told her that she worshipped that which she did not understand. I see our separated brethren, as well as Jews, in much the same light. They do not have the full revelation of the Truth as contained within the Catholic Church. It doesn't mean that they cannot access God at all, or that they prayers are not heard.)

Now, believing that God listens to people who call on Him - pagan, Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, whatever - and adhering to pagan prayers are two very different things. This is quite an accusation you make. Not one I particularly care for, either. I absolutely do NOT adhere to pagan prayers. This is, to be frank, an insult. And a big one, too.

Now, for the part about bringing up whatever else you "corrected" me on: I know that anyone who wants to see what you said has the ability to go and look. Tony did. As a matter of fact, if you read the first few comments at his blog, I actually asked him what he thought of the comments box. Since you banned him there, he can only comment at his own blog. Which he did. Honestly, he's got a right to defend what he said; he's only doing it in the one place he can do so: his own blog. If you want him to fight the battle where your readers can see (since you don't always provide a link to his blog in your posts on him), then un-ban him from the com boxes. Preventing him from commenting there only exacerbates the situation. You have the control to make it easier. But it's a decision you have to make: are you brave enough to debate him on your own turf, or is this all bluster on your part?

Backing up a bit...you asked why God would pray to God for the salvation of souls. Here is the full text of the Kaddish:

"May His great Name grow exalted and sanctified/in the world that He created as He willed./May He give reign to His kingship in your lifetimes and in your days,/and in the lifetimes of the entire Family of Israel,/swiftly and soon. Now say:/(Amen. May His great Name be blessed forever and ever.)/Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled,/mighty, upraised, and lauded be the Name of the Holy One/Blessed is He./beyond any blessing and song,/praise and consolation that are uttered in the world. Now say:/Amen/May there be abundant peace from Heaven/and life upon us and upon all Israel. Now say:/Amen/He Who makes peace in His heights, may He make peace,/upon us and upon all Israel. Now say:/Amen."

Actually, this prayer asks God for peace, blessings on Israel (remember that Christians are the new Israel, not necessarily just the Jews, to use a general term; in reality, only the tribe of Judah are Jews), and for the reign of His kingship to be soon. This third request is one that we echo in the Lord's Prayer. The rest of the prayer concentrates on glorifying God and praising His holy name. So, yes, I think that there is a good possibility that Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Apostles, etc. all prayed a Kaddish. The Kaddish might very well have been slightly different in those ancient of days (many prayers do change very slightly), but the basics would still be there. (I make this assumption based on the information that my very good friend and her family gave me. When she got married in a synagogue - bride and groom are both Jewish - I asked how different this ceremony was from one done, say, 2000 or so years ago. Everyone assured me that it was basically the same, with very few changes. This was a wonderful way for my daughter - then 4 - to "see" how Mary and Saint Joseph were married. The whole experience was wonderfully instructive for both of us, and much of what I learned that day has made its way in some fashion into our religious education since then.)

Back to Jesus' prayers. He prayed all the time. To God the Father. The Bible talks frequently about Jesus being in prayer. So we know He prayed. We also know that he prayed in the Temple, that He was an observant Jew (coming from an observant family, you see). Mary, even though she was without sin, even made the offering after Christ's birth. The family participated in the Passover. They made their sacrifices as proscribed by the Law. (The one Jesus did not come to abolish.) They followed the customs, etc. of Judaism. One of the customs is to pray a Kaddish. Could be that it's from Maccabees. Honestly, that's something we could easily look on an apologetics site for.

Here, you leave off any arguments in favor of your opinions at your blog. I'll deal with the personal attacks you've decided to make.

I can just see the stunned look on your face as you try to reconcile that with your unbelievably weak Catholicism. But you just keep taking your ques from that Episcopalin-Lite buffoon Toni. You know, if you wanted to disagree with me, fine. But you had to make snotty comments towards me personally on someone elses blog? Not that this really bothers me... I'm just suprized. I've even linked you to my blog. If you disagreed with me, I always thought that you would leave it at that.... we'd disagree, period.

No stunned look. Well, okay, maybe. But only because I am stunned that you continue to harp on this point. The cardinal requested this prayer. (One of your fellow cavemen said so.) If he himself did this, what position are you in to say it is wrong? He outranks you, to use a crude term. I happen to think that the cardinals (all of them) know better than we do. And this cardinal asked that this prayer be said for him after his death. I think he knew what he was asking, and I would question the judgement of someone who says that the cardinal adheres to pagan prayers because of it.

I will, though, apologize for the "head exploding" part. It was made in jest, but apparently, you did not take it as such. However, I actually had the intention of answering (with that comment) at your blog. You could have discussed the matter right there, and since you weren't commenting at Tony's blog, I made the assumption that you weren't reading all the comments posted there. It was probably an unwise assumption on my part.

In regards to agreeing to disagree, I actually had left it at that. I actually had removed you from my blogroll. I didn't mention why, or mention you specifically, but I was basically removing a lot of blogs that, when I read them, wound up filling me with anger. I don't want to be an angry person. I don't want to be an angry Catholic. I don't want to lose the JOY I have in being a part of the Body of Christ and the Church He founded. But reading some blogs was doing that. Again, until this moment, I did not mention your blog by name in regards to this. But the anger in your posts was running over into mine, and it was stealing the joy I have for the Faith.

Now, if this didn't bother you, then why did you see fit to make the above comment at this post? (If you haven't already done it - and I pray that you didn't before you left that diatribe there - go and read it. Also follow the links. And look for the update that I'll be posting later today.) Seriously, on this point, I would really like an apology. I've been forwarding the links to my aunt and uncle so that they might read any well-wishes people have for them. Imagine if they read the above when they were looking for something to lift their spirits during this difficult time! I've decided to forgive you, by the way, no matter what your reaction. Not because I'm better than you or anyone, but because I know that carrying around anger in my heart like that just eats away at a person. Even over little stuff.

Never did I think that you would jump on the "I Hate The Caveman" bandwagon. Are you that weak-minded or have that weak a character? BTW, in case you missed it, I never went to Toni's blog initially and started to toss around the insults... he came to mine. I never initially came to your blog and started tossing around the insults, you saw fit to go to someone elses and do such towards me. But like I said, you aren't the first one, and you certainly won't be the last. At least now I know the caliber person you are. One bit of advice... don't let Toni do your thinking for you. Have a nice day.

You know what? I wasn't on any bandwagon. I don't hate you. One single post that I commented on (in the two places it was being discussed) where I disagree - and make one stupid comment - and you tear into me like this? I notice you didn't go to Tony's blog initially, but you have the freedom to go and comment there like anyone else. And as far as this sentence:

I never initially came to your blog and started tossing around the insults, you saw fit to go to someone elses and do such towards me.

I made a single comment at Tony's blog; I commented consistently at your blog, as well, and made no secret of my identity or my comments. I wasn't discussing the point here. YOU are the one who brought it here. It wasn't something I felt I had much to contribute to, but one that I was discussing where others commented. But you did come here to toss insults. Here, where I wasn't discussing the topic at all. I did not insult you at all, though I joked about what I thought your reaction might be if I made a particular comment. And though I don't have a justification for my decision to delay responding at your blog at that moment, I must say that your reaction to that one, single comment is more than a bit overblown.

When you judge the caliber of someone, it surprises me that you only want to take into account so little. You said in the beginning of your comment that you linked to me. I can only guess that you read things I'd posted occasionally. And yet when you wish to judge my character, you will take into account only one unguarded comment: not the hundreds of posts I've made here, or the more than 1,000 posts at my other blog. I think that your actions will speak for themselves.

And let's get to that penultimate comment of yours. No one does my thinking for me. I just happened to agree with Tony's point of view on the situation.

And I will certainly try to have a nice day. It took a while after the stress of finding that comment, though. You might want to think about the kinds of things you decide to post on the Lord's Day.

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

NOTE TO POTENTIAL COMMENTERS:

Any comments here need to remain civil. Period. I don't care who you agree with more.



Christine

"What Percent of the Rosary is Gospel?" and Other Questions

Red Neck Woman. Such a name makes you want to sing. Today, she tackles the Rosary, and explains why, even though we have ten Hail Mary's for each Our Father, it's not Mary-worship.

Super-duper post! Thumbs up! Gold star! Move to the head of the class! Stickers all around!

(See how public school teaching warped my brain?)

Here's a sampling:

... The origins of the practice are traced to the early days of the church when very devout religious (monks, priests, nuns) made it a practice to recite all 150 Psalms daily. Many laypeople wanted to imitate that practice but memorizing all 150 Psalms without being able to afford a copy of them, much less find the time to say them daily was simply beyond reach. What evolved was the practice of saying simple prayers 150 times instead…usually the “Our Father” or a “Hail Mary”. In order to keep track, rocks or stones were placed in one pocket and moved to the other throughout the day as the prayers were said. Eventually, this lead to the knotting of cords, or stringing of beads and of course, some figured out that one needn’t have all 150 on a cord just say 10 (a decade) 15 times etc. Things from other sources also converged to make the Rosary what it is today as well. Many theologians, particularly in the Middle Ages believed that each of the 150 Psalms was reflective of particular events in the life of Jesus and his mother. So underlying the discipline of saying all 150 Psalms daily was the idea that it was a meditation on the life of Jesus and the path to Salvation. Now tie in St. Dominic, who was a primary figure in fighting some of the heresies that were particularly troublesome in the late 12th century and early 13th century. He had a vision that one of the ways to strengthen the church against these heresies was to teach people to meditate on the life of Jesus and his mother so what was once just an underlying idea became the principal idea. ...

Now go read the rest.

Divine Mercy Novena, Day 9

The final day for the Divine Mercy Novena is here.

Intention: The souls who have become lukewarm.

Divine Mercy Novena, Day 8

The eighth day for the Divine Mercy Novena can be found here.

Intention: The souls who are detained in purgatory.

Divine Mercy Novena, Day 7

The seventh day of the Divine Mercy Novena can be found here.

Intention: The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus' mercy.

Divine Mercy Novena, Day 6

Day six of the novena can be found here.

Intention: The meek and humble souls and the souls of children.

Divine Mercy Novena, Day 5

Day five is here.

Intention: The souls of separated brethren.

Divine Mercy Novena, Day 4

Day four of the novena is here.

Intention: Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him.

Divine Mercy Novena, Day 3

Day three of the novena is here.

Intention: All devout and faithful souls.

Divine Mercy Novena, Day 2

Day two of the novena is here.

Intention: The souls of priests and religious.

Divine Mercy Novena, Day 1

Esther has reminded us that the Divine Mercy Novena begins today, Good Friday.

Follow along with the novena here.

Today's intention: All mankind, especially sinners.

This is not a long prayer, and it is a good thing for us all to ask for God's mercy on the entire world.

Devotion

Found at Mark Shea's blog.



[CONTENT WARNING: THIS CONTAINS CLIPS FROM THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST!!]