Church naming and creativity

Just about every church in my area is named St. Mary's. Now, while no human being is more deserving of the honor of having a church named for her, and setting aside the occasional conversational confusion it brings about, this custom shows little imagination.

Now, New York's patron saint is Our Lady, help of Christians, but never have I seen this name. Further, the USA's patron is The Immaculate Conception of Mary and Our Lady of Victory, which I have both seen, thankfully, but also Our Lady of Milk and Happy Delivery. Okay, that would make for a silly parish.

Mary's universality is the meat of the problem. While all saints in some sense belong to the whole Catholic Church, Mary in her primary role as the Mother of God and intercessor remove the aesthetic particularity of the parish name. Churches named for St. Cyril, St. George, St. Joan, or St. Kazimir give you an immediate idea of the history of the parish. It gives the priest and parishioners several opportunities to express their faith with local flavor, from choice of stained glass and statuary to celebrations on the saint's feast day.

Further, cities with a heavy population of certain occupations could find inspiration in St. Joseph or St. Isidore, to name just two examples.

Any of these ideas add to the fullness of the faith by providing that much more education for the faithful in Catholic history and culture.

Blessed Virgin Mary, please pray for us.

Girls'n'Guns

As a side note to the post below, modern females' fear of guns is irrational. As the weaker sex, they can rarely stand toe-to-toe with a man and expect to win, be it a mugger, rapist, or abusive husband. Guns put us all on the same playing field. A gun doesn't care if you're bigger, stronger, or meaner.

Take all the defense classes you want; ladies, I hope they make you feel better. But you would be better off packing heat.

Violence discrimination

Our culture puts too heavy a stigma on physical violence. It's the great equalizer.

When physical violence is overly penalized, other forms are allowed to take root and thrive, doing much more damage. Verbal, legal, emotional and other types of violence are given free play. Those without the intellect or money are prone to much more harrowing abuse. Unfortunately, in our fallen world, physical violence does solve just about anything. Let's take a look at a few examples.

A woman is being verbally harrassed by her husband. Constant put-downs and mind games are breaking her. The man is smart enough to avoid being liable legally, and the wife depends on his income. The children depend on both of them; she has no way out. At some point, this man needs to be straightened out. This may come in the form of a frying pan.

A man relies on his job to feed his family. Political machinations of his co-workers continue to put his livelihood in jeopardy. The boss won't listen, there is no legal route, but a well-organized sack party thrown for one of the ringleaders might make sure his kids don't sleep on the street tonight.

A small child is bullied mercilessly at school. The administration never wants to get involved. The incidents begin the spread to his neighborhood, and the parents of the offenders turn a blind eye. The child's grades are suffering deeply, and never wants to leave his room. Schedule-40 pipe can solve this problem.

Just an "an armed society is a polite society," so too is one where retribution can be given physically to non-physical acts. Of course, if possible, it should not permanently injure someone. Now, in our feminized America, the rich, the lawyers, the well-connected, and the smarter among us can run roughshod over anyone they choose, because a good healthy beating is considered the worst abuse out there. Morally, is it worse to break someone arm, or to break their spirit?

In more sane times, when a nobleman oppressed peasants, the masses tarred and feathered him, and the oppression stopped. This principle holds true for the smaller tyrannies in our life.

Some shocking sanity

from the Church leadership:

Vatican condemns liturgical abuse.

Cardinal Arinze says abortionist politicians can't receive communion.

Where have all the mead halls gone?

Norway, land of the Vikings, is once again cracking down on beer.



Chesterton was right again; Protestantism and/or agnosticism always lead to this anti-happiness nonsense. Some folks just can't appreciate the simple pleasures.

Happy St. George's Day!

Tomorrow is St. George the Victory Bringer's Day, patron saint of: Aragon, agricultural workers, archers, armourers, Beirut, Lebanon, Boy Scouts, butchers, Canada, Cappadocia, Catalonia, cavalry, chivalry, Constantinople, Crusaders, England, equestrians, farmers, Ferrara Italy, field hands, field workers, Genoa Italy, Georgia, Germany, Gozo, Greece, herpes, horsemen, horses, husbandmen, Istanbul, knights, lepers, leprosy, Lithuania, Malta, Moscow, Order of the Garter, Palestine, Palestinian Christians, plague, Portugal, riders, saddle makers, saddlers, skin diseases, skin rashes, soldiers, syphilis, Teutonic Knights, Venice... and Throne and Altar.

The Liturgy of St. Hans Kung

I've never told anyone this, it's a secret between you and I. I have a time machine. Just this morning, I was able to obtain a copy of the Novus Novus Ordo Missae from Vatican III dated June, 2066. The Council Fathers decided the NOM needed revision, and I have the pleasure of revealing to you, for the first time anywhere, the mass our grandchildren will be attending. Directions for the faithful are in italics, spoken words are bold.

• Five-minute warm-up act (clowns on weekdays, balloon animals on Sunday).
• Stand
• Parish Council enters, females first.
• Applaud
• Council president, upon reaching the Sacred Card Table, turns to the Holy Fishbowl and picks a number.
• During this, the folk group leader performs an acoustic guitar solo.
• President: God has chosen (seat number) to lead us today.
• The chosen attendee (celebrant) rises.
• Applaud
• Celebrant: Let us hear the Good News.
• Celebrant reads the day's reading, which is always Matthew 7:1-5, every day.
• Celebrant: Praise be to us, for we have no judgement. Let us congratulate ourselves.
• Faithful: Give us the love we deserve.
• Hug at least three people.
• Celebrant must hug everyone in the room.
• During hugs, folk group plays the National Anthem, and liturgical dancers do an interpretive performance of a scene from the Koran.
• Celebrant: Let us proclaim the mystery of our goodness.
• Parish Council present gifts, pumpernickel and grape juice.
• Celebrant places his hands on the gifts.
• Celebrant: Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub ...
• Faithful: ... Yay, God!
• Entire congregation retires to tables in the back of the room, and partakes. Kids Meals should be on hand, with infant-safe toys.
• Celebrant rises.
• Celebrant: The fellowship is ended. Go in peace to love and serve your sports addictions.
• Folk group plays recessionary song, "Imagine," by John Lennon.

Well, there it is. I hope you are as excited as I am for this revolutionary, focus-group approved liturgy!

A recent picture of Islamic tolerance

Another of the Religion of Peace's "Greatest Hits."

You probably didn't even hear about this, but that poor guy is an American civilian in Iraq. That's what they'll do to your family some day, unless you bow down on a prayer rug to Mecca. This sickening, deadly, corruptive, brutish, backward, oppressive, demon worship that passes for religion has to be obliterated. Now, I'd rather see them converted, to be sure, to anything else in fact, but as long as Islam draws breath, Christ's Church on Earth (and everyone else) is in constant mortal danger.

And it is demon worship. They don't pray to the same God that we do. "Allah" was the name of a pagan moon god in Arab society that Mohammed appropriated for his purposes. And he used to believe in the divinity of some of Allah's offspring, to curry favor with people, which he then changed his mind about. He then said that a devil has whispered in his ear and misled him, when he changed his mind. What kind person follows a man who admits that his spirituality has been tainted by demons? Could you imagine Christ making the same statement? Or Abraham?

If you pray to Apollo, or Odin, or Osiris, and your prayers are answered, who's answering them? Yahweh? I doubt it. So when you pray to Allah, who or what is answering your prayers?

Germans, up to no good again

I started reading The Rhine Flows into the Tiber, a firsthand account of Vatican II, concentrating how primarily the German Council Fathers (thus the Rhine) set about to destroy everything good about the Roman (Tiber) Church. It makes for creepy reading.



But even some of the things Pope John XXIII said were astonishing. Ancient truth needs a new packaging? VII will be known more for "norms" than "rules?" This sounds like a mental disorder. And he was one of the more conservative.