David Ancell's Virtual Home

Ok, from the title you might think that I’m about to complain about what others have done. Quite the contrary. It’s just that I’ve spent time these past couple of days reading others’ stuff and passing it along rather than writing my own rants. Here’s what I’ve read today on Catholic Exchange:

I missed this book review by Amy Welborn on The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Catholicism the first time around. I’m glad I found the link. She confirmed what I thought about the book when I perused it in a local bookstore. The book used my favorite pet peeve of a statement that goes something like “Don’t get too caught up in the rules; it’s love that matters. It also said that Vatican II allowed you to dissent from Church teachings among other things. I’ve only had one RCIA meeting this year, and I’ve already told people to avoid this book because it contains false teaching. Now I have a resource to use.

Onward to this Dear Grace column on self-communication. I like how she mentions that communion is not taken, but received. Christ is the initiator of the giving of the gifts of grace, not us. I am often blind to this fact and act as though everything depended on me.

In addition to reading the aforementioned How to Resist Temptation book, I’ve done a little web site reading.

For those who may not be aware of the controversy behind the English-language translation of our Liturgy, there’s a site called What Does the Prayer Really Say? It reveals how our Liturgy has been translated in a way that sacrifices beauty and elevates our minds and spirit in favor of a “friendly” translation. Let’s pray that we get a better translation of the new Roman Missal.

Gregory Popcak posted a great blog on how to pick our battles. This is something that I need help with.

I’m still not ready to send out my comments on the aforementioned Dreher article. However, once again I wish to turn your attention to Gregory Popcak. My comments will likely contain something along similar lines.

Finally, the Rod Dreher article that has been the talk of St. Blog’s Parish is available on line. I haven’t read it yet, but I hope to have a response to it up within the next week. I doubt it will be today because I’ve fallen behind on my Catechism reading.

Another article that appears insightful is this March 7 article by Dave Armstrong. I haven’t read this yet, either. It’s quite a bit longer than the Dreher article.

I have, however, read this insightful response to the Dreher article by Fr. Rob Johansen. Be sure to scroll up the page after reading it for further responses.

I was baptized almost four months before my sixteenth birthday on March 30, 1991. Just before Pentecost Sunday of that same year, I received a Jack T. Chick tract. I knew right then that this guy didn’t know squat about the true teachings and practice of the Catholic Church. Now, we see that he has been republished with some alterations:

Here’s a judgement day scene.

How about some beer.

The latest argument against Sola Scriptura.

I just looked again at Nihil Obstat’s blog. It’s time to have fun. Notice that Dr. Obstat doesn’t provide the opportunity to comment, nor does Dr. Obstat provide an e-mail address. I wonder what would the comments would be if he/she did.

Now, all I have to do is get his/her attention by making a simple spelling misteak or too.

I got tired of my comments server being down half the time, so I’m switching to Haloscan to see if it is any better. Unfortunately, this means that previously posted comments are erased. Haloscan gives me the power to delete comments, but I won’t delete your comment just because you blast me.

LATER NOTE FROM 10/18/02: I now use Movable Type for my blog, so the comments are now built in. I still recommend Haloscan for blogger users.

I figured this would happen sooner or later. I’ve been discovered by Nihil Obstat. Oh well, am I really going to be concerned with someone who doesn’t even attach his/her real name to the blog? Besides, I can edit the blogs, and those errors won’t even be there anymore. HA HA HA!! Actually, this will work just as well for me.

I see that Gerald Serafin has listed me on his list of Catholic blogs. I need to return some favors here and get some links on my template. Maybe this weekend . . .

This one may get me in some real trouble, but I must speak. The excerpt below is from Casti Connubii, the encyclical letter of Pope Pius XI on Christian Marriage written in 1930.

I was speaking with a couple of friends in my Frassati Society. How many times have we heard a homily preached on the teaching against contraception? In 11 years as a Catholic, I’ve only heard it mentioned twice. One of those was at a daily Mass. Now, I’m not suggesting that it be mentioned every Sunday, but it is a known fact that this teaching is widely misunderstood and widely ignored. It is also a known fact that artificial contraception is an objective mortal sin. I’m aware that there are children in the church during Sunday Mass, but one can mention that people take medicine to prevent children from being born without explaining how they got there. Children are aware that women get pregnant and have babies. Anyway, note what paragraph 57 has to say about the matter.

56. Since, therefore, openly departing from the uninterrupted Christian tradition some recently have judged it possible solemnly to declare another doctrine regarding this question, the Catholic Church, to whom God has entrusted the defense of the integrity and purity of morals, standing erect in the midst of the moral ruin which surrounds her, in order that she may preserve the chastity of the nuptial union from being defiled by this foul stain, raises her voice in token of her divine ambassadorship and through Our mouth proclaims anew: any use whatsoever of matrimony exercised in such a way that the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life is an offense against the law of God and of nature, and those who indulge in such are branded with the guilt of a grave sin.

57. We admonish, therefore, priests who hear confessions and others who have the care of souls, in virtue of Our supreme authority and in Our solicitude for the salvation of souls, not to allow the faithful entrusted to them to err regarding this most grave law of God; much more, that they keep themselves immune from such false opinions, in no way conniving in them. If any confessor or pastor of souls, which may God forbid, lead the faithful entrusted to him into these errors or should at least confirm them by approval or by guilty silence, let him be mindful of the fact that he must render a strict account to God, the Supreme Judge, for the betrayal of his sacred trust, and let him take to himself the words of Christ: “They are blind and leaders of the blind: and if the blind lead the blind, both fall into the pit.[46]

NOTE: I’m aware of at least one (and I’m sure there are more) instance where this encyclical was used against Natural Family Planning. This is not meant as an endorsement to that view, which is contrary to Humanae Vitae.

Lately, I’ve been reading How to Resist Temptation, by Fr. Francis J. Remler. It’s book like these that remind me of Important Stuff We Don’t Hear in Homilies Today. I’m about a third of the way through the book, and I’m learning about the difference between temptation and sin, stages or parts of temptation, and causes of temptation. The book is worth reading just for the basic catechesis on temptation and sin.

If only the content of Sophia Institute Press materials would be preached in homiles and taught in our religion classes on spirituality, then we the laity would be on our way to a true spiritual renewal. Indeed, I’ve leared much of the true depth of Catholic spirituality from their books. No cheap contemporary substitute or counterfeith Catholicism here, but they are still loyal to the Church as she stands today as well.