In case you couldn't get enough...

I know not everybody likes the Muppets. Fair enough. But I just couldn't stop myself from sharing this:


OH MY GOSH!!! I have been giggling myself silly about this. Thank God that at some point in the History of America we used to have shows like this were the modern vices of our day never really seemed to raise their ugly heads (or at least too often). I remember enjoying the Muppet show so much as a little kid. Please God may we one day soon return to such creative and hilariously silly shows for the good of our society and our families.

***UPDATE: I can't help it, I promise that I will consider not doing another Muppet Show post, but I will need some feedback either way from you all. I hope you enjoy it either way!

In these economic times...

With so much bad news in our economic situation, one must not think that the world is coming to an end. A business cycle, possibly, but our world definitely not... yet. Only Jesus, Our Lord, will come to end this world of sin. But in the meantime, this too shall pass. The Church will persevere even through this.

I am struck by the fact that when the depression hit, one would think things had gotten bad, but do you realize it was during the depression that Swing Dancing was born? That great American Tradition that carries forward to this day. In fact, I just went Swing Dancing on Sunday at the Mercury Cafe, here in Denver (on 22nd and California downtown). It is clear that times are bad, economically, but for those of us whose first concern is not treasure in this world, as Jesus recommends to us, then we may still find joy!


Take for example, this little ditty:


For the younger folks, you might enjoy this one:


Yes. I have turned to the muppet Beaker for levity in this midst of our economic times. But hey! ALL THINGS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD... even the Muppets.

Especially since, if you don't like Beaker, there is always Gonzo:


Ok... so you don't like Beaker, and singing chickens are just silly... I can appreciate that, thus for something at the heart of all Americans:

What do you remember?

I have recently reconnected over the internet with my 1st grade teacher! What a blessing it is to have met her again, and to talk with her who was "mythically," for me anyway, the paradigm of all beloved teachers.

As I began to think about it, I started thinking about my earliest days that I remember on this planet earth. Remember these shows, I barely do?










Just wondered...

Remember, these are supposed to be "the good guys!"

One of the parents here at St. Jude on Wednesday night asked me to repost my article about Der Krumpus. Who you may ask?

Well, you probably are aware that Santa Claus has become a syrupy sweet icon of Christmas in our modern American Society (see picture above). It is important to know that this is a, excuse the term, "bastardization" of who Santa Claus really was.

In fact, we celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas this Saturday, and the story of St. Nicholas is far more real and far more human and far more focused on Christ. St. Nicholas, of course, was a Bishop who lived in Myra in the 4th century. His relics are now located in Bari, so he is sometimes referred to as St. Nicholas of Bari. It is the same guy. He was a man filled with passion for the Lord Jesus Christ, and because of this he has become a model of charity and care for others.

Nevertheless, other cultures have not taken to, as some would say, the "sickening-sweet-candy-cane-and-button-nose" take on the 4th Century Bishop that we have in America. Others are a little more realisitic with what it means to celebrate Christmas. Take the Austrians for example...

At the risk of boring those of you who may not have seen this post last year, I hope you enjoy this Austrian Tradition that to our eyes and ears may seem a bit odd - but as you can imagine this is all in good fun for Austrian families... somehow...

Here is the link to my December 2007 posting.

If you are in, you get it...

As I have mentioned before, I am teaching at the Catholic Biblical School of the Archdiocese of Denver, but only part-time. I was preparing my lecture for tomorrow and came across this quote by St. Ambrose of Milan. I thought it was quite beautiful to think about the Sacred Scripture where Jesus was admonishing his disciples to be attentive to their own life of faith. He then speaks of "two women grinding together [I am not sure he is referring to Snowboarding or skateboarding, if you are wondering!]; one will be taken and the other left." Then the Gospel goes on saying, "And [the disciples] said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together." At first I wondered about whether this was referring to the fact that the Eagle at one point symbolized Rome, but it turns out that apparently, that became the case after the time of Jesus! So what could it mean? Well, I found this from St. Ambrose of Milan:

Let us first speculate what the eagles are, so we may determine what the body is. Those souls of the righteous are compared with eagles, because they seek the heights, leave the depths behind, and reportedly reach great age. If we understood about the eagles, we cannot doubt concerning the body, particularly if we remember that Joseph received the body of Christ from Pilate. Does it not seem to you that the eagles around the body are Mary of Cleopas, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the Mother of the Lord and the assembly of the apostles around the Lord's tomb?

I may not know you, but if you have a propensity to the Revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, then I hope you find that as beautiful as I do. If not, perhaps this further quote of St. Ambrose will do it for you:

He says concering this body, 'My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.' Around this body, eagles fly spiritual wings. Around the body, eagles believe that Jesus has come in the flesh, because every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. Where faith is, there is the sacrament and the dwelling place of holiness. The body is also the Church, in which we are renewed in the spirit through the grace of baptism, and the frailities of old age are restored for ages of new life.

I don't know about you, dear reader, but I love the wisdom of the saints. They just put things so beautifully in their wisdom cultivated from their love for Jesus Christ, the only Son of God!

If only you knew him...

then you can appreciate the full beauty of this video:


Nevertheless, I think it shows the beauty of the papacy on so many different levels. This is no greater hope than the Vicar of Christ to unite humanity, if humanity can see that there is someone outside themselves who can bring peace into their life - name who the bible calls "The Prince of Peace." It is so worth every penny to make a pilgrimmage to Rome, if you are a Catholic, to see the Successor of St. Peter.

This comes to us from a Vatican distributor who is now promoting a 5 DVD disc set that follows the life of Pope John Paul II.

So... if anyone was looking for a Christmas gift for me... just kidding. Nevertheless, I would love to see this as I am sure it covers so many things that the world will never hear about since the world seems as if it could care less about the man who was instrumental in bringing down Communist Russia. Let us hope history will give Pope John Paul II his just place.

How serious will it be?

I know some people have difficulty with my previous post from the singer in Canada. Nevertheless, I think the issue should be kept at the forefront. ANd it appears the Major Pentitentiary of the Church is not opposed. This article came out today and it is one worth considering. Nevertheless, I think it is important to see just where President Obama will place his efforts. One wonders as one hears about more Clinton appointees being appointed to President Obama's cabinent whether he will be as radical as he made himself out to be.

Nevertheless, as posted before, I think one must take President-elect Obama's speech to Planned Parenthood seriously, until he proves it otherwise.

Let us hope that cooler heads prevail on the FOCA issue, for life should be defended, and some good men actually know and understand that.

Pray for our country...please...

I have never heard of this guy, but someone sent this to me on Facebook. I hope you can watch this with an objective eye and we might call a spade a spade, before we go the way of Germany in 1933, with regards to the devaluing of human life:


The Hour of Decision from Mark Mallett on Vimeo.

Let us hope he responds positively...

This was published today:

Dear President-elect Obama,

I write to you, in my capacity as President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, to express our congratulations on your historic election as President of the United States. The people of our country have entrusted you with a great responsibility. As Catholic Bishops, we offer our prayers that God give you strength and wisdom to meet the coming challenges.

Our country is confronting many uncertainties. We pray that you will use the powers of your office to meet them with a special concern to defend the most vulnerable among us and heal the divisions in our country and our world. We stand ready to work with you in defense and support of the life and dignity of every human person.

May God bless you and Vice President-elect Biden as you prepare to assume your duties in service to our country and its citizens.

Sincerely yours,

Francis Cardinal George, OMI
Archbishop of Chicago
President

Let us hope that President-elect Obama listens to our shepherds, though one wonders what his position is, as a Protestant, regarding the Catholic Church.

Let us hope he is not being prophetic!

Does anybody want to discuss what this man is speaking about? Could it be that it is worth something we should be looking at, as opposed to what the two-party system has pushed forward as worthy of discussion?



I don't know... but to me it sounds like something we Catholics should be concerned about, as well as all of us Americans, as those who think about what might be best for our country.