Tag Archives: sacrament

Spiritual Snobbery

The next time I’m tempted to turn my nose up at mass that contradicts Redemptionis
Sacramentum
, I’ll try to think of this quote. (Thanks, Being! Or Nothingness)

I can recommend this as an exercise: make your Communion in circumstances
that affront your taste. Choose a snuffling or gabbling priest or a proud and vulgar
friar; and a church full of the usual bourgeois crowd, ill-behaved children — from
those who yell to those products of Catholic schools who the moment the tabernacle
is opened sit back and yawn — open necked and dirty youths, women in trousers and
often with hair both unkempt and uncovered. Go to Communion with them (and pray
for them). It will be just the same as a Mass said beautifully by a visibly holy
man, and shared by a few devout and decorous people. (It could not be worse than
the mess of the feeding of the Five Thousand — after which our Lord propounded
the feeding that was to come.) – J.R.R. Tolkien in a letter to Michael Tolkien, November 1,
1963

That Bwessed Awwangement

One of the groomsmen at Jerry’s Wedding, Way Jeng, wrote a hilarious account of some of his Pittsburgh experiences this weekend. His blog has other interesting reads as well.

On a more serious note, here are some research survey results.

Born Again Adults Less Likely to Co-Habit, Just as Likely to Divorce
Family Background Affects Marriage Views

Mawwage

"Mawwage. Mawwage is what bwings us togethew today. Mawwage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam. And wove, twue wove, wiww fowwow you fowevah…So tweasuwe youw wove,…" – The Impressive Clergyman

Today I watched a beautiful Ukrainian Catholic Divine Liturgy in which my friend, and occasional cohort in blogging crime, Jerry Nora, entered into the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. I wish him and his wife, Krystia, all the happiness in the world. May God bless them with a marriage that sanctifies them, unifies them, and provides them with many children.

Due to in part to this blessed event, I have a mildly polemical point to make. Continue reading

Taking Sides

So, the bishops of Atlanta, Charlotte and Charleston have joined
the rank
s of those who refuse Communion to pro-abortion Catholic public figures.
Again, I wonder aloud how many are for, against, or on the fence. I’m sure someone
in the vast horde of Catholic geeks on the Net has taken the trouble to keep a tally.
I suppose I might have to get off my lazy butt and do it myself. *sigh*

Sacramental Marriage

Steven Kesslar, a friend of mine
and future priest, has cobbled together a treatise
on “Whether a marriage which is not consummated can, this fact notwithstanding,
be valid and sacramental.”

It was conceived as the result of a nerdy theological discussion we and some other
folks had after a bible study. Since such discussions are a common occurrence, I
wouldn’t be surprised if Steve writes some more monographs. 😉