I know, I know, you have probably already read this...

since some of us out there are very interested in the "goings-on" in the Catholic happenings in the world, you have already read and discussed our Archbishop's talk on Monday (Feb. 24th, the Feast of St. Polycarp)evening. For the rest of us, perhaps a very important and foundational talk was recently given by our own Archbishop Chaput this last week on Monday. If you have not read his brilliant book, perhaps this may inspire you.

This talk may, hopefully, begin a collective re-thinking of the American Catholic mind, for it is high time that we American Catholics rediscover the basics of our divinely revealed religion.

Lent & Apples

We are one day into Lent. You know, I don't mind Lent... it's just that I don't like being hungry all the time. :)

Of course I am hoping to provide a little levity to your Lenten observances. Perhaps, I should just leave it to the professional though, hunh?

Well, I don't have much to write today, unfortunately. But I was up late last night with my wife finally watching "Iron Man" together. I think that is another great movie, though my wife had her doubts until she saw it. After Iron Man, I wasn't very tired and I stayed up a little later. Because of this I saw Conan O'Brien for the first time in long time on the "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." I have to admit he is still just as funny as always, if you like his awkward humor.

This morning I found this link to one of his many adventures. As an adult who grew up in the 80's I have to say, I really did love the A-Team show. So this came as a happy reminder of the lovable Mr. T:


The truth be known, though, the reason I stayed up late last night was to wait for midnight because I was starving after Ash Wednesday...

For what it is worth...

I thought I was going crazy when the President of the United States tonight gave his economic plan talk, or whatever, to joint houses of congress and, when speaking of the ingenuity of America, he said that America was the country that built the first car...

Does that sound right to you? It didn't to me. I know that America first utilized the assembly line for a mass produced car, by means of the person of Henry Ford. However, after a quick Google search, I realized that our President of the United States - according to the Library of Congress - spoke a mistruth in a public address of serious impact. Check this out!

As someone in my biblical school class said, you would think that someone would have caught that...but apparently they didn't want to be as precise as the library of Congress. Oh well... just thought I would point it out, after all we are all human and make mistakes, but I thought I was going crazy.

Update: According to the Fox News transcripts, he said, "And I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it."

If you want to see what he says, its at the end of this.

Sherman... but not the tank...

For my birthday last year, my mother-in-law was very generous in getting me a Borders gift certificate. Unfortunately, I had been trying to keep myself from books lately because our shelves are overflowing right now. However, this afforded me the opportunity to purchase some things that I wouldn't normally buy, which at the end of the day is a great gift for me. Namely, I bought some DVD's of one of my favorite TV shows... I don't supposed you guessed which one it is have you?

In fact, that is the cover there above. I love the Rocky and Bullwinkle show. It is such well written silliness that as a child I remember laughing at the Fractured Fairy tales, and Bullwinkle's incessant quest to pull a rabbit out of his hat, and one of my favorite segments was "Mr. Peabody's Improbable History." In fact, I wonder if that is where I received part of my impetus to get a minor in History (which I also wouldn't mind studying further some day).

I don't know if I could articulate the joy that I received in sharing this with my son. Especially, after an unfortunate attempt to watch the animated Underdog show with him (he found some of the villians a bit too scary).

But what surprised me most (so far) in watching season one was the background story about Mr. Peabody and Sherman that is revealed in the very first episode of the first show of the first season. For those of you who aren't familiar, the premise is quite simple. Mr. Peabody is a dog with excessive, it seems, intelligence (for a dog), and at a certain point he decides that he would like to adopt a boy. I believe the line was, "If every boy deserves a dog, then every dog deserves a boy."
In fact, in order to adopt Sherman, Mr. Peabody goes to court to attain the right to adopt a boy, though he is only a dog, but at least a wealthy one at that. I still am unsure how I feel about this. I am trying to consider the implications of all of this in my mind. Nevertheless, Mr. Peabody begins to take Sherman throughout history in a time machine he has created called the "Way-bac machine."


Now don't get me wrong, I realize it is only a cartoon, but something about this is just disturbing. In later episodes, which I never picked up as a child, Mr. Peabody will say to Sherman, "Speak Sherman," to which Sherman replies, "Hello everybody." The response of Mr. Peabody is "Good boy." Now, understand that Mr. Peabody does save Sherman from an orphange as his adopted boy. But why is a dog seen to be adopting a child, not as his father - which somehow (to me) wouldn't seem so bad - but as his owner, as if the boy were a dog himself. Gosh, is this what happens when Theologians watch cartoons? On the one hand I want to argue for the dignity of the human person over an animal. But on the other, it is pretty darn funny; it is only a cartoon; and I love their adventures in which Mr. Peabody schools the boy in history lessons by means of the "way-bac machine," albeit slightly altered from actual history.

Again, don't get me wrong, I won't lose sleep over any of this, but it is sort of fun in my mind to consider the weight of this perspective of this segment of this cartoon show. Somehow I don't think I will be able to bring my son up to speed on the philosophical implications of Mr. Peabody and Sherman for quite some time, nevertheless I love that I have the beginnings of a great philosophical conversation in my possession now thanks to my mother-in-law and my 34th birthday. Hooray for birthday gifts!

Real Hope doesn't come from a sinner...

After the Knights of Columbus breakfast this morning at the parish and talking with a few people about it, I think it is appropos to mention how the possibility of a job that I am applying for came into being. It all began sometime before the end of Novemeber. A friend of mine has consistently, every year, promoted a devotion to Our Blessed Mother Mary under her title of the "The Mystical Rose." Apparently, there was a nun in Italy in 1946-1947 to whom our Blessed Mother appeared. You can find the whole story here.

My birthday is also Dec. 8th, which is the day this devotion is to take place. During the Noon hour the blessed mother asked that devotees pray the 51st Psalm and to confidently ask the Father for whatever one desires and, if it is in the will of God the Father, it would be granted. 2008 was the first time I actually remembered about this before 1:00pm (usually I am left slapping my forehead with my palm saying "D'oh" alla Homer Simpson).

Well, in this liturgical year I turned to the Blessed Mother about what was to become of me. I have had yearnings in the last year to revisit my Doctoral dissertation topic and to engage academia again. However, I have loved my time at St. Jude and love teaching the children and adults who have been willing to hear the knowledge I have been blessed to gather in studying the Faith academically for seven years.

Moreover, my class that I taught at the the Seminary in the Spring of 2008 left me with further yearnings. As well, this last year I have had the rare opportunity to teach for the Catholic Biblical School (on the Synoptic Gospels and St. Paul's letters), which has further stirred up the fire that I think is within me about completing my doctorate.

During this time of prayer on Dec. 8th in the noon hour I had felt a call to consider that the (then) new head of the Catholic Biblical School was leaving Christendom to come to Denver. As I was praying for many things, I was struck by this reality, especially the fact that this gentleman was coming from heading Christendom College's study abroad program in Rome.

Unfortunately, as I just recently wrote to all the parents at the parish, I have been laid off as of Jan. 6th, but not effective April 30th, 2009. Again, I thank Christ our Lord for the pastoral generosity and mercy of his priest and my pastor, Fr. Schaffer, in affording me this time to find a new place of employment - especially for the sake of my two children and their insurance. However, when I was told in this meeting about this unfortunate reality, it almost became immediately clear to me that this could be for God's plan, especially as offered through the prayers of our Blessed Mother, the Mystical Rose. Now, I don't have the job yet, but my wife and I are going to Virginia this Friday to receive our 2nd interview for this position. "All I know is that there is a God, and I am not him," so said some famous person. I agree. But I would add, his(and now our) mother is very good at offering us hope since she bore real Hope in her womb.

I wondered at whether I should post about this or not on my blog, but in the economic times in which we live, I think this story of hope is one that I myself may need to remember, should employment continue to elude me after this upcoming 2nd interview. So often in our lives it is easy to prepare with hope, but sometimes harder to actually see the deeper hope that comes beyond things not turning out the way we thought they were going to. The danger, of course, is that like Job in today's (5th Sunday in Ordinary Time) first reading we might find ourselves struggling with despair or at even a defeatist attitude. I will admit here and now, that I am filled with joy at the hope of returning to Rome, though I do have some wonders about how it will practically work out with two small children. Nevertheless, the joy in that is knowing that if this is by the Blessed Mother's doing she will assist us with grace to accomplish the will of her Holy Son and our Lord.

If you happen to remember, please keep my wife and I in prayer this Friday Feb. 13th as we go to this interview. Moreover, and perhaps more poignantly, please keep my parents in prayer as they care for our two kids for the first time that both of them have been away from us for two days.



Oh... and Hi Deacon Chuck!

The Miracle Man.

Its funny how at times we never know what God is doing in our lives. Why funny? Well because it is like a great game of hide and seek. God hides and we are supposed to seek him in the situation. This sort of unplanned for exploration often leads into some great adventure, or some great deterrance to our joy.

I am struck by the Movie "St. John Bosco: Mission to Love" which was a movie we recently watched here at St. Jude for the St. Jude Night at the Movies. If you are familiar with St. John Bosco he dealt with some pretty unjust treatment, and yet continued to find the joy of serving his family - which he understood was really Christ's family. St. John Bosco took in thousands of young boys who no one else would take in, and offered the world a teaching philosophy that still has value even today, regardless of the work situations have changed.

Our next St. Jude Night at the Movies will take place on Mar. 15th at 5:00pm. We usually provide a Subway sub and chips and drinks for merely $3. Our last movie night brought in about 30 people. I hope to continue to build this for last last three months that I am here at the parish. I think it is great way for us to consider the lives of the Saints and to contemplate the love of God even within our own lives. The title of our next movie is "Padre Pio: Miracle Man."


For all those who read this blog in Denver, please consider yourself invited to come join with us! Tickets will go on sale on Mar. 1st at the front desk at the parish here, or they will be available the night of the movie. However, if we know numbers before hand then we can plan our food a little better, so that we don't run out. Email me or add a comment to this post, if you have any questions.

How could I help it...

Now please note, I realize that I have been laid off from St. Jude recently, but that has absolutely NOTHING to do with why I like this Superbowl 2009 commercial. It is just TOO Funny! I thought, if I put it on here, I will always be able to find it! Please enjoy: