David Ancell / Monday, October 14, 2002 / Comments(0)
I have finally installed the software I’ve been waiting for. This will give me a lot more functionality. Please be patient while I try to get all of my old blogger stuff transferred.
I’ll put the links back up as I learn to use this software better as well.
Category: Posts imported from Danger! Falling Brainwaves, Uncategorized
David Ancell / Sunday, October 13, 2002 / Comments(0)
Interesting . . . . very interesting . . . . I was reading the HMS blog, and one member cited this article about the development of an American catechism. According to the article:
“The national adult catechism for the United States will be a work that will address both the ways in which the Catholic faith reflects and respects the various cultural traditions and their manifestations in the United States and the ways in which the faith challenges our modern, highly secular culture,” Bishop Wuerl told his Vatican audience.
Also in the article is a mention that it will target young adults who “form so much of the focus of the new evangelization today.”
On the one hand, I applaud this. First of all, Bishop Donald W. Wuerl is the man for the job. I say team him up with Chaput and Bruskewitz, and you’ll have the basis for the best formation that has ever been found in the United States. Also, as one reader has stated, there is a lot of the American culture that needs to be addressed in a catechism. I would add to this things like modesty in dress and the purchasing of explicit-lyric music and other immoral entertainment. It would be great to have a catechism that says “I’m talking to you.” and helps us to live this Christian life that we are so fortunate as to be called to live.
On the other hand, my fear is the same as the post referenced above. Will we get something that will truly show us the love of God and our need to reform our lives to conform to the Gospel? Or will we be stuck with something that already conforms to our lives? I hope that this catechism has to have Vatican approval, and I hope that they scrutinize it carefully and give the people involved a swift, charitable kick in the real estate if they stall this thing because they don’t want to have to publish something containing orthodox Catholic doctrine.
Category: Posts imported from Danger! Falling Brainwaves, Uncategorized
David Ancell / Friday, October 11, 2002 / Comments(0)
By now, you may have read that Tim Drake has decided to quit blogging. Tom Abbott proceeded to comtemplate quitting but then decided to stay with it but without an overriding concern for the number of hits he got.
Of course, I wish to continue blogging because I have a pretty good time with it. Pretty soon I’ll be changing software if my host gets my account changed to that UNIX server. Everything will be hosted here, including the comments. This means that it won’t go down too often, and it will allow me to provide better quality content. If my project in Nashville ever gets finished, I should be back to daily blogging.
A good day for me would be 10 hits. While I’d really like to have more hits, I don’t want to start acting in an uncharitable manner in an attempt to improve my count on Site Meter. Sometimes I feel that others have done so in an attempt to get cheers from others. I started this blog both in an attempt to preach the Gospel and because I like to share my thoughts. I have plenty of ego. However, I am aware that if motives were a college course, it would be a graded course. If I really try to preach the Gospel, but there is that side of me that wants the HMS blog to quote me, I could still get a B. I’d rather have an A, but at least I did some good. Rarely are anyone’s motives pure, especially mine. If there is any good that I can do, I need to go ahead and do it.
Category: Posts imported from Danger! Falling Brainwaves, Uncategorized
David Ancell / Friday, October 11, 2002 / Comments(0)
I was in awe earlier today when I read the second reading from today’s Office of Readings by St. Vincent of Lerins. Here are some excerpts:
Development means that each thing expands to be itself, while alteration means that a thing is changed from one thing into another.
In ancient times our ancestors sowed the good seed in the harvest field of the Church. It would be very wrong and unfitting if we, their descendants, were to reap, not the genuine wheat of truth but the intrusive growth of error.
I need not say that the present crisis in the Church is the result of many having reaped error. It is sad to see that many (e.g. early benefactors of Catholic schools) planted good seed only to find their children prefer the weeds instead of the true harvest. Yet, those of us who can find the harvest will reap abundantly. We can nourish the seeds to continue to grow for the next generation. The scandals of today may even make a greater call to holiness than anything else would.
Category: Posts imported from Danger! Falling Brainwaves, Uncategorized
David Ancell / Friday, October 11, 2002 / Comments(0)
Mark Shea takes on the Fr. Thomas Rausch critique of the new apologists. Of course, I haven’t read the full article, and I’m not about to subscribe to America magazine. My table top by my couch has a glass surface, so I don’t need any more coasters.
Bottom line: what is needed is the teaching of the real Catholic faith rather than the cheap substitute that his order bears some responsibility for presenting. There is truth, and it is up to us to proclaim it. Just in the small Frassati Society in my parish, I’ve been amazed at the people who are being turned on to true Catholic teachings.
There’s a good blog on the blog from John Schultz. In reading his post, I’m reminded of the irony of these ivory-tower intellectuals who talk about how the Magisterium is “totally oblivious to the way people live.” It seems as though they are the ones who are oblivious to the real needs of the people. If the teachings of the Church are far from how we live, then it just might be that our lives are filled with sin.
Category: Posts imported from Danger! Falling Brainwaves, Uncategorized
David Ancell / Friday, October 11, 2002 / Comments(0)
Here is the traditional version of the Memorare on the HMS blog.
Here is the ICEL version of the same prayer. One must wonder what someone smoked, snorted, or otherwise ingested before attempting this translation.
Category: Posts imported from Danger! Falling Brainwaves, Uncategorized
David Ancell / Friday, October 11, 2002 / Comments(0)
Of course, it’s on Catholic Exchange. This is one lesson that I still need to learn.
Category: Posts imported from Danger! Falling Brainwaves, Uncategorized
David Ancell / Thursday, October 10, 2002 / Comments(0)
I just found this in my e-mail about a site that identifies pro-life candidates. This is very useful indeed. Unfortunately, I haven’t really learned much about Tennessee politics even though I’ve been here for three years. I do, however, have a solid commitment to choose the most pro-life candidate regarless of the “other issues.”
Category: Posts imported from Danger! Falling Brainwaves, Uncategorized
David Ancell / Thursday, October 10, 2002 / Comments(0)
Check out this post from Gerard Serafin about Ave Maria University. Thomas Monaghan sold Domino’s Pizza and used the proceeds (after providing for his family) for the Ave Maria Foundation. Would that all business men like him be concerned with the salvation of souls? Yet, it is so difficult to make it if you are committed to Christ because sooner or later someone is going to want you to do something that isn’t compatible with your faith. How good it is to see the success of someone so concerned with souls!
Category: Posts imported from Danger! Falling Brainwaves, Uncategorized
David Ancell / Wednesday, October 09, 2002 / Comments(0)
While away on business, I’ve had a chance to check out the local Catholic bookstore. Quite a sight it is. I was able to pick up the new Suprised by Truth 3, and I noticed that there are some stories of people whom I recognize and am ready to read.
This store contained a lot of stuff from Sophia Institute Press, Ignatius Press, and some things from TAN. There were some solid resources by John Hardon, Benedict Groeschel, etc available. However, what struck me was that often, right near the good stuff, there was a lot of stuff that I wouldn’t touch with a 1,232,634,987,275 foot pole. They featured Fr. Richard Rohr, Fr. Richard McBrien, Monika Helwig (complete with false teaching on the Eucharist), and Fr. Andrew Greeley (I am not joking.). There were also books on the Enneagram.
I’m glad that at least there were good resources available, but why put those dissident books (e.g. Christ Among Us) in there as well? I have to wonder if these people (They were nice people.) realize what they are doing. They could use someone with a bit more discriminatory tastes.
Category: Posts imported from Danger! Falling Brainwaves, Uncategorized