Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Courting for the 21st Century Catholic
As some of you may know I am a single Catholic gentleman. So being of this species sometimes I am discerning the vocation of marriage. With this in the back of my mind I come across all types of advice from friends and colleagues. Of course I take my lead from God via the Church in discernment.
Sometimes though I come across a witty post that hits the nail on the head. I'm not saying that what follows is something set in stone, but what my separated brother in Christ, Anthony Esolen of Mere Comments posted caught my eye and struck a chord, a funny bone, and put a smile on my face. He dubs them the "Esolen Rules" [with my thoughts in bold & bracketed]*.
1. Don't marry a woman who likes cats but does not like dogs. You may marry a woman who doesn't like either, or whose reason for not liking dogs is that one of them bit her when she was a toddler. But a woman who likes cats but does not like dogs will be a Joan Crawford or Jane Wyman. Ronald Reagan married Jane Wyman, and look how sorry he was about that.
2. Don't marry a man who is neater than you are. You may, however, marry a man who polishes his tools and puts them away after use....
3. Don't marry anybody, man or woman, who says, "I'm going to call you at eight," and then leaves you waiting by the phone for an hour. Exceptions can be made for people who are kidnapped by Arabs, or who have epileptic seizures.
4. Don't marry anybody who insists on a separate bank account, bed, bathroom, vacation, or zip code. It makes no sense to be one flesh and two wallets.
5. Don't marry a woman who spends more on makeup than she does on food. In general, don't marry a woman who engages in the sin of reverse gluttony.
6. Don't marry a man who does not like dogs. Such men do not like children. Don't marry a man who does not like children. On the other hand, I have known at least one excellent man who thought he didn't like children, until he had some; seven, I think, at last count. Perhaps the rule may be rephrased: Don't marry a man whom you cannot imagine rolling on the ground in a wrestling hold, with a Labrador retriever or three children, or hollering on a ferris wheel, with a Labrador retriever or three children.
7. Don't marry a woman who exercises so frequently that you cannot tell if she is a woman or a very strange looking 13-year-old boy. I'm going out on a line here, but the real purpose of the rule is to determine whether she will mind getting fat, as happens when you are going to have a child. In other words, don't marry a woman whom you cannot imagine having a child. Do not marry a woman who does not like children.
8. Do not marry a man who treats his mother or his sisters discourteously. As he treats his mother, so will he treat you. But by all means do not marry a man who takes his direction from his mother, or who is ruled by his mother's ambitions. Mama's boys are unhappy, and they make their wives unhappy too. So are the mothers of mama's boys, come to think of it. Unhappy days are here again. [I agree on this one. If the guy doesn't treat his mother well, forget about him treating you well]
9. Do not marry a woman who sneers at innocent male pastimes, such as football. Such women do not really enjoy the company of men, and after a period soon reached, do not enjoy the company of their own husbands. They are also the most ignorant of what men are really like. You may marry a tomboy, so long as she's a girlish tomboy and doesn't take the sport with dreadful seriousness. You may marry a Daddy's girl, so long as she is not spoiled when it comes to money.
10. Never marry anyone who is secretive about money. Such people are also secretive about sex.
11. Never marry a man who lets you take the initiative in everything. You want a jellyfish, maybe? You want Burt Lancaster instead.
12. Never marry a woman who never lets you take the initiative in anything. You want a porcupine, maybe? You want Maureen O'Hara instead.
13. Never marry a woman who does not laugh at your jokes or your buffoonery. That is one of the nicest ways in which men "serve" women, and women respond by taking delight in the antics. That is why God made impersonators of Marlon Brando, Sean Connery, and Homer Simpson. It may in fact be the principal justification for the existence of Marlon Brando, Sean Connery, and Homer Simpson. This rule is simply an instance of the more general rule that you should never marry a woman who does not genuinely admire you, nor should a woman marry a man whom she does not admire. [This is one of the big ones for me, she needs to have a sense of humor and laugh with me (or at me)]
14. Never marry anyone who delights in "exposing" you in public. Teasing does not count; in fact, never marry a man who cannot be teased. You can marry a woman who cannot be teased.
15. Never marry a man who is not admired by respectable male friends. The people in the world who know a man best are the men he works and plays with. They know well if he is a cheat, a thug, a loser. You may marry a man who does not have female friends. If anything, you should be suspicious of a man whose friends are principally female. The men may be avoiding him, and there is a reason for that.
16. Never marry anyone who is not interested in looking at your fourth-grade yearbook. This means: never marry anyone who seems unaware that he or she is marrying also a family, a hometown, a past, silly friends, comedies and tragedies. Never marry anyone who does not want to meet your father and mother. If your sister doesn't like him, dump him. If your sister doesn't like her, dump her. That is why God created sisters. Their approval, however, is not a sufficient condition; they will occasionally like losers, but they almost never detest good marrying material.
17. Never marry a feminist of either sex. That would be as bad as marrying someone with the soul (not the occupation, but the soul) of a lawyer. [that eliminates most Vox Nova bloggers]
18. Never marry anyone whom you catch in a lie, even a little one. Trust us on this one. People in love are about the most gullible creatures on God's green earth. In fact, beside the dictionary entry on "gullible" there's a picture of a woman in love, eyes looking dreamily upward, hands holding her chin; and a picture of an indignant young man defending the honor of his beloved, who would never do such a thing, no sir!
19. Never marry a woman who does not like to feed people, or a man who does not like to help out with the removal of a junked car, regardless of how much he knows about junked cars. By all means marry a woman who enjoys seeing men eat, or a man who looks at a mudslide and says, "I can make a really fine wall out of that."
20. Never marry anyone, man or woman, who scoffs at virtue, who reduces "good" and "evil" to arbitrary counters in the war of all against all, whose humor is flippancy, who looks down upon janitors and maids, who cannot delight in making simple things (like a batting T or a thank-you note), who thinks tradition is old and shopworn (such people are followers of every fad that comes), and who is never, ever, just relaxed, grateful for a shady seat under the maple tree in fall. That is another way of saying that you should never marry anyone who does not know who God is.
And those are the Esolen Rules.
Now reading through the comments section of the above posting came another set of rules to marry by, again with [my thoughts in bold & bracketed]*.:
For men:
1) Always apologize. If there’s friction, it’s 99.9% likely that you did something wrong. So apologize for it. Do not be so proud as to think you are without fault. Word of warning: know what you’re apologizing for! [I'd have to agree on this one, it's a no-win situation]
2) (This rule omitted out of habit. It is "guy-exclusive"; in other words, it isn't supposed to be shared with women...go figure.)
3) Christ must be first in her life.
4) No close girlfriends. You will not associate exclusively and intimately with another female. It leads to suspicion and demeans your exclusivity with her. If you profess to be hers, then you better be able to be with her the same way you’re with another girl, and more.
5) Never lie. Really not complicated.
6) Give her an adventure. You will not be boring, you will have direction in life. You will give her something to support and enjoy.
7) Have a life. Get out with friends. She is not the sole reason for your existence. Never will be. Moreover, she may suck for you, no matter that you think differently. Your loving friends, objective third parties, will tell you as much.
8) You can’t both love and protect. This is a two-way rule. You can’t love and protect her because love is about freedom, and you can’t lock her up so she’ll never be hurt. On top of that, you cannot protect yourself, because love is about vulnerability. You might get hurt. Get over it. [huh?]
9) She must be your equal. Think your smarter, more attractive, cooler? If you don’t respect her as your peer, you will not foster a healthy relationship. Not to mention it means you don’t love her anyway.
10) Don’t be a wimp. Step up. Be bold. Embrace your male instincts to do things for her. Don’t let her whip you, et cetera, et cetera.
11) Take walks. Do not go anywhere. Do not intend to go anywhere. Just take a walk. This is time with her that fosters conversation and deeper intimacy.
12) Be a gentleman. Open doors, pull out chairs, say excuse me, put a napkin on your lap. It may seem archaic, but it shows you respect her enough to act with courtesy, even if it is a bit over-the-top. [this can never be underestimated]
13) Don’t strut. The desire to establish your "alpha" position with other males only reveals your own insecurity. Be secure with who you are, in life, in Christ, and in her.
14) Use poetry. Or songs. Or something. Be romantic, show that art matters and that you take the time to learn (or write) something beautiful for her. [being sensitive is what I think this guy is going for, not necessarily being effeminate]
For girls:
1) Do not expect or complain without first verbally communicating a desire. Yes, this seems wordy, but let's be frank: men do not read your mind, no matter how well they know you. They want to please you, so help them out. [my thoughts indeed]
2) Forgive and forget. Do not bring up an old mistake or fault during a disagreement three weeks later as emotional blackmail. Men aren't perfect; we never will be. So when we are genuinely sorry, know that we are genuinely sorry. [we mean it when we say it the first time]
3) (I do not know this rule. As number 2 is guy-exclusive, number 3 is apparently girl-exclusive.)
4) No close guy friends.
5) Never lie.
6) Christ must be first in his life.
7) Have a life.
8) Your relationship is between two people. You and him. Do not gossip with your friends about what you did. Share, have a life, yes. But the point of intimacy is also privacy.
9) Be proactive. Just as men want to please you (cf. #1), they also want to pursue you. But a gentleman will not court without permission--let him know, somehow, how you feel.
10) Do not attempt to control the relationship. Relationships evolve on their own time; to push something before it is time forces people into things they are not ready for. In the words of Solomon, "do not awaken love before it so desires."
11) Let him ride to your rescue. You ought not to be a damsel in distress, but when you need help with something, let him be that help. He wants to be your white knight--if he is in anyway worth it, he better be noble--give him a chance to do so.
12) Don't nag. Not every task is about the value of the relationship. When you ask him to do something, and he says he will, trust him. He will do it on his time. If it is important, tell him, but do not continually press an issue that is non-essential; it says you don't value you what he is doing for you.
13) Clothing communicates. So consider what you are wearing. An outfit doesn't just show him you're beautiful, but everyone else--what are you sharing with the passers-by that is exclusively his?
14) You cannot change a man. So don't try. [I hear this is common among some of the girls that my friends date, fortunately I haven't, and hope, not to date a girl such as this one]
* this coming from a gentleman who isn't married
(Biretta Tip: Mere Comments)
My Spiritual Journey
My spiritual journey has been an interesting one. I've been struggling with certain sins as well as material issues and I have a much clearer idea of what needs to be done. My journey to this point couldn't have been done without God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It's difficult to explain in so many words what has happened to me these past few weeks. God's graces has certainly helped me to reach this point in my life. Without His help, I don't know where I would be today.
We all have our struggles, yet each struggle is unique unto itself for each and everyone of use. My struggles have made me anxious, indolent, choleric, and despondent. Honestly, my spiritual journey these past few weeks have been arid. I don't know if it was because of me or Him. Though in the end, I have come to trust Him totally for my spiritual welfare.
He is great, He is all-knowing, and He is merciful.
Great in loving a pitiful soul as myself. All-knowing for applying the right remedy for what ills me. Merciful in forgiving me for my sins. Because of all of this He has taught me how to love my fellow man better and I am able to put my complete trust in Him and His plan for me.
Yes, it's difficult to understand what I just wrote. Suffice to say if I trust God completely, my anxiety, indolence, choleric behavior, and despondency will decrease and my love of God will increase.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him." The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
-- The Lamentations of Jeremiah 3:22-26
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Hurricane Ike's Aftermath in Houston
Hurricane Ike swept into Houston early Saturday morning a little after 1:00 am. Before it swept in, I taped up the windows and moved the furniture away from the windows in my home. I called up all of my friends to make sure they were prepared, gassed up the car, and made some last minute shopping for supplies.
That Friday evening I stayed over at a friends home which is approximately three miles from downtown Houston. So yes, we were in the direct path of Hurricane Ike, though not in the mandatory evacuation zones. My friend and I made some gumbo, had a couple of friends over and chatted up the evening until it got dark.
We then stayed up until the power went out at midnight. He crashed to his bed and I fell sound asleep on the couch in the living room.
3:00 am came around when I noticed my buddy was moving restlessly about in the living room looking out the window. I got up and stared out the window and noticed the neighbors tree splintered in two. It was very windy and the rain was everywhere. The whole neighborhood was without power.
It was an awesome display of force outside.
Eventually I moved to the hallway because I wasn't comfortable sleeping underneath the main window of the living room. I slept very well.
8:00 am came around as the neighbor next door was banging the walls of my buddy's home. That was enough to wake me up. I went outside and surveyed the damage. It was still a bit windy and drizzling just a little bit. We saw no significant damage anywhere. Lot's of torn tree branches and some metallic siding sprawling here and there, but nothing that couldn't be cleaned up by the end of the day.
Throughout the day we were texting all of our friends. With the exception of one friend, everyone reported that they made it through the night unscathed. The common denominator amongst all of us was that we had no power. Later we found out that 2.2 million (customers) Houstonians, or 99% of the city was without power.
After munching on a snack I went against the city advisory of driving around. I first returned to my home, put all the furniture back, and took off the tape from the windows. Then I visited all of my friends to see if they needed any assistance.
What I noticed as I was driving up and down the side streets of Houston were neighbor helping neighbor cleaning up the streets. Clearing the gutters of debris and chopping down half splintered trees. The most severe damage I saw was a van nearly crumpled into a ball by a fallen tree.
The news reports thus far have not reported any fatalities, but we were aware of the not so smart residents of Galveston that stayed behind. They were told of a mandatory evacuation at least 48 hours prior to Hurricane Ike hitting the island and surrounding Texas mainland coast. Even up until the power went out my buddy and I watched in disbelief as many Galveston residents were hamming it up for the television crews on the local news programs.
24 hours prior to landfall the waters were noticeably rising and still many residents, up to 40 % of Galveston residents, made a clear and conscious decision to remain at home.
I'm a Christian so this is difficult for me to say but that is a very foolish decision to make. To stay behind after the mayor tells you to leave. Even when the birds and land animals begin moving en mass further inland with rising waters 24 hours before landfall, you have got to be nuts for not moving out of Galveston prior to Hurricane Ike hitting.
Yes, they have their free will and own mind to decide to remain behind. But what about the lives of local, state, and federal emergency crews that risk their own lives to come in and save these foolish and obtuse residents of Galveston.
It is simply mind boggling.
None of my friends are with power and only one local news station, 740 AM, is broadcasting.
So far all I have heard is that many buildings in downtown Houston and the medical center near Rice are fully functioning and operational with electrical power.
The day was coming quickly to an end as my friends and I were sharing stories and cleaning up the yards of tree branches and other debris.
I decided to drive down to Corpus Christi to spend a day or two before returning back to Houston. That is why I am able to post tonight, I am in my friends home here in Corpus Christi, Texas (a four hour drive south of Houston). I am also breaking my month long silence to submit this special blog posting and will return to abstaining from blogging for the remainder of the month of September.
Please keep the residents, emergency workers, volunteers, and others that are in Houston and Galveston in your prayers as we begin cleaning up this great American city.
God bless us all.
In Jesus, Mary, & Joseph,
Tito
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Returning October 1st: Tito 2.0
My spiritual life has begun to take center stage in my life at the moment. So much so that I need to cut back on a few things until God's done molding me into the Christian He wants me to be. Which means that I will abstain from blogging, among other things, for the time being and return October 1st.
In the meantime what you all can do instead of reading my blog is to pray for me that I will follow God's will.
If you're still yearning to get your daily dose of Catholic news, analysis, and opinion I would suggest the following fine blogs located at the top left of my blog under the heading, Catholic Commentary: Catholic Report, Creative Minority Report, Pro Ecclesia, Inside Catholic, and The Inside Blog. And if that's still not enough to satisfy your appetite, just follow down on the left side of my blog all the excellent Catholic and news links for your reading pleasure. For my Houston Catholic readers I would suggest reading the list of all the Houston based Catholic and news links on the right hand of my blog.
When I return to my blog I'll continue posting the top 7-12 Catholic news stories of each day 4-7 times a week as I have done in the past. I may even pick up one or two more writers that will contribute original news stories concerning our Catholic faith and the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to my blog.
Just to reiterate, I will return October 1st.
God bless you all.
In Jesus, Mary, & Joseph,
Tito
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Catholic News-Saturday Afternoon, 8-16-2008 AD
CVSTOS FIDEI AFTERNOON EDITION
The Coptic Conundrum - Raymond Ibrahim, American Thinker
An Interview With A Crusader - Deborah Solomon, New York Times
Homeschool Victory - Wall Street Journal
We Want Real Catholic Schools to Help Form Saints - R. Kumpel, SJVB
Polyphonic Propers, Chanted Ordinary - Jeffrey Tucker, New Lit Mov
A Tale of Two Parties - Matthew Archbold, Creative Minority Report
In Communist China, Echoes of Nazi Berlin - Michael Barone, RCP
History's Back - Robert Kagan, The Weekly Standard
Colorado To Vote on 'Personhood' - Ted Holteen, Durango Herald
Bonus Video:
Chinese Christians Arrested in Beijing - Leticia, Cs Nstr Ltt
Bonus Commentary:
Ukrainian Orthodox Parish turns Greek Catholic - Carlos A. Palad, RC
Fr. Ernie Davis Sings Of His Conversion - Matthew Archbold, CMR
Friday Abstinence - A Simple Sinner, The Black Cordelias
$2M Award Against Planned Parenthood Doctor - T. Baklinski, LSN
Bonus News:
Christian Schools Demand College Credit - Susan D. James, ABC News
Robert Downey Jr. A Papist? - Thomas Peters, American Papist
Bonus Apologetics:
Hitler's Pope: The Urban Legend - BFHU, The Black Cordelias
Religious Commentary:
The Sham of Women's Rights Under Shari'a - D.L. Perry, Amrcn Thnkr
Secular Commentary:
Chinese Root, Root, Root for the Away Team - Francesco Sisci, WaPo
'Path to 9/11' Release Blocked by Clintons - Rick Moran, Amrcn Thnkr
Liberal Silence on Georgia - Jacky Kelly, Toledo Blade
Hawaiian Extremists Occupy Iolani Palace - Suzanne Roig, Hon Advtsr
(Biretta Tips: RealClearPolitics & Lucianne)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Catholic News-Wednesday Evening, 8-13-2008 AD
CVSTOS FIDEI EVENING EDITION
Shea Takes Aim At Traditionalists (Again) - Steve Skojec, Cogito Ergo
Mark Shea's Broad Brush - Patrick Archbold, Creative Minority Report
Those Angry Traditionalists - Mark Shea, Inside Catholic
Audibility of Prayers During TLM - Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, WDTPRS
No More "Pick and Choose" - Christopher Zender, California Cthlc Daily
Everything You Want To Know About Holy Days of Obligation - MfaCB
Serious Catholicism For A Serious Election - George Weigel, ArchDen
2008 LA Religious Education Conference (ARGH!!!) - Jeff Miller, TCJ
Huge Number of Clergy To Leave Over Women Bishops - Dly Tlgrph
Anglican Bitterness Over Converts To Rome - Fr. J, The Blck Crdls
Born, Breathing & Not a Person by Obama - Patrick McIlhern, Mlwk J-S
Obama's Abortion Distortion - Kevin Vance, The Daily Standard
Bonus Commentary:
NYC: 72 Abortions for Every 100 Babies Born! - Matt Archbold, CMR
New Mass Translation Accentuates Reverence & Awe - P. Lawler, OTR
Anglican Diocese In Conversion Talks - Damian Thompson, Holy Smoke
Bonus News:
Tip: Ignatius Press Blowout Sale! - Thomas Peters, American Papist
Secular Commentary:
The Return of Wendell Willkie - Stephen H. Webb, First Things
(Biretta Tips: Kevin Knight, PewSitter, & RealClearPolitics)
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Catholic News-Tuesday Evening, 8-12-2008 AD
CVSTOS FIDEI EVENING EDITION
"Shadow" Over the Marian Days - Rocco Palmo, Whispers in the Loggia
Revival & Traditional Creativity in Liturgy - Shawn Tribe, NLM
Solzhenitsyn & The Battle For The Soul - Robert Kraynak, First Things
Galileo, Science, & the Smirking Chimp - Thomas Woods, Insd Cthlc
Bp Refutes Article On Catholics Voting With Their Conscience - CNA
ACLU & PP Fight Against S. Dakota Prolife Bill - Elana Schor, Grdn
Catholic Magazine Accused of Hate Crime - P. Vere/J.H. Westen, LSN
Doug Kmiec Claims Dems Pro-Life - Jay Anderson, Pro Ecclesia
A Conversation With Bob Novak - Deal Hudson, The Inside Blog
National Catholic Register Interviews PZ Myers - Jeff Miller, Crt Jstr
A Catholic Case Against Obama - Pat Buchanan, Creators Syndicate
Map: Largest Non-Catholic Denominations by State - Fr. J, TBC
Bonus Commentary:
Henry VIII Couldn't Be Reached For Comment - Matt Archbold, CMR
Bonus News:
A Vote of No Confidence in 'Bishop Arthur' - Damian Thompson, HS
Catholic Pilgrims Seek Asylum in Australia - Reuters
Dems to Officially Oppose Defense of Marriage Act - J. Anderson, PE
Archbishop Chaput's New Book, "Render Unto Caesar..." - CITPS
Secular Commentary:
Russia, Putin, and Kosovo - Ellen Barry, New York Times
Obama Claims to Have Been Talking About S. Ossetia - Ed Lasky, AT
Meet Obama's Newest Middle East Advisor - Rick Moran, Am Thnkr
(Biretta Tips: Kevin Knight, Pro Ecclesia, & PewSitter)
Monday, August 11, 2008
When Dead Upon A Dead Language
I am fascinated by the language of Latin. I don't know it at all except when I attend the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite (Gregorian Rite). It is part of our Christian heritage and I plan (if time allows) to try to teach myself rudimentary Latin someday. Enough can be said that it is the sad state of the public (and Catholic) school system that Latin was eliminated as a core curriculum. Joseph Bottum, the editor of First Things, wrote about this fact in today's feature article of First Things:
Cum Mortuis in Lingua Mortua
If you took an opinion poll, you’d probably find that the large majority of America’s Latin professors are fairly standard-issue liberals, politically indistinguishable from the rest of the nation’s academics. But, somewhere along the line, the public praise of Latin seems to have become mostly the province of curmudgeons and grumblers. Of romantic conservatives and hopeless nostalgics. Of the fussy old men who stroll along the beach and conjugate, alone, stray tenses of the Latin verbs—amatus sim, amatus sis: I should have been loved, you would have been loved.
Amavi, tamen non amatus sum: I loved, but I was not loved. Ah, yes, there’s a picture that expresses the pointlessness of classical languages these days: Latinity as a consolation prize for Victorian bachelors whose unrequited loves are pressed, like faded violets, in one of those nineteenth-century copies of Catullus, bound in limp, purpureal leather. Except, of course, that some of the things that Catullus wrote about weren’t much talked about by the Victorians, unless they used such Latin phrases as peccatum illud horrible, inter Christianos non nominandum. And that’s to say nothing of the elegies of Ovid and even less of the epigrams of Martial.
In truth, the nineteenth-century translations of ancient writers were not as bad as twentieth-century caricature would paint them. Whenever the narrative of Petronius’ Satyricon got a little too racy, the book would simply switch to the untranslated text—on the principle, I suppose, that if your Latin were good enough to catch what was going on, you were too well educated to be corrupted by it. That’s a principle I wish were still imposed, when I see the magazines in the back rack at the convenience store. But, then, I find I am becoming more and more of a curmudgeon as the years go by. Besides, think of the increased enrollment in classics courses if all sex ads had to read something like tutela valui, the Latin phrase reportedly sported as a belly tattoo by the meretrix honesta with whom Eliot Spitzer recently passed some time in a Washington hotel room.
The decline and fall of Latin is so nearly complete that it’s hard to remember just what it is that we have lost. In a radio interview this spring, Silvio Berlusconi remarked, “My Latin is good enough that I believe I could even have a lunch with Julius Caesar.” It’s appropriate, I suppose, that the prime minister of Italy has luncheon-level Latin. The pope’s command of the language is pretty good, too, I hear, despite the fact that he started out life as a German. But outside of this pair in Rome, does anybody else still know the language of the Caesars? I mean, anybody on a prominent public stage?
There was a time, and not so long ago, when knowledge of Latin was taken as a fundamental mark of culture: that which distinguished genuinely educated people from, say, journalists and sociology professors. But those days are as gone as gone can be. When Rudyard Kipling published descriptions of Latin classes in his school stories, Stalky and Co., in 1899, he was writing of a time when the entrance exams for the British imperial service and officer corps still gave thousands of marks for the mandatory Latin section. Nobody is held back now for anything by a lack of classical languages.
Which is good, I suppose. And yet, Latin was dropped from Western culture’s picture of education for a number of reasons, none of which seem to have turned out particularly well. Thus, for example, practicality was often claimed as a reason to drop the Latin curriculum, but, in the end, concentrating solely on practical things turns out not to be particularly practical. Algebra isn’t practical for most people—when was the last time you were asked to derive the quadratic formula?—but without it in the notion of general education, we’d lose large swaths of the people who go on to higher math.
Latin was dismissed, as well, in the name of democracy and anti-elitism, though the objective standards of a classical education actually provided a path for social mobility. Latin was dismissed, for that matter, as unnecessary in the great advance of liberalism that would free us from the dead weight of the past. Something like this seems particularly to have infected Catholic schools, which preserved the Latin curriculum longer than the public schools—only to fling it overboard in the 1960s and 1970s with even greater abandon than some public schools.
There’s a superior command of English granted by the study of Latin, but even to make that argument is to admit that Latin requires some practical result. For that matter, there’s plenty to learn from the ancient world’s experience of politics, social life, and art, and yet, again, that’s not, in itself, a reason to demand that students study Latin. Translations will do as well, if that’s all we want, and the real argument for Latin runs deeper than mere practicality.
In fact, Latin was a measure of education, not a portion that could be added or dropped. Admittedly a somewhat arbitrary measure, though it kept us tied to the continuity of Western civilization. But without some such measure, the entire idea of education becomes vulnerable to the skeptic’s relativistic question of “Who’s to say?” Who’s to say what’s right or wrong? Who’s to say what’s true or false? Who’s to say what knowledge we should share?
Catholic News-Monday Morning, 8-11-2008 AD
CVSTOS FIDEI EARLY MORNING EDITION
17 Dead, 30 Hospitalized Heading to US Marian Festival - Hstn Chron
Let Us Pray in Latin, Priests Take on Libs - Damian Thompson, Times
...Fr. Zuhlsdorf comments on Damian's article...
N.C. Reporter's Shameful Article on Priestesses - Fr. Z, WDTPRS
...Jeff Miller comments on National Catholic Reporter's article...
The Compendium on Steroids - Rich Leonardi, Ten Reasons
More Benedictine Arrangements - Shawn Tribe, Nw Ltrgcl Mvmnt
Archdiocese Allows Controversial Religious Group - GM Corrigan, HE
Protestants Learning NFP - Eileen Flynn, American-Statesman
NOVA Magazine 1970’s - It Speaks For Itself - The Black Cordelias
Saints in Beijing Olympics - Matthew Archbold, Crtv Mnrty Rprt
The Betrayal of Loyal Catholics - Damian Thompson, Holy Smoke
Bonus Video:
HLI Video: Pro-Life Counselors Homosexually Assaulted - Fr. J, TBC
Book Review:
Jesus & 1st-Century Christianity in Jerusalem - Jeff Miller, Crt Jstr
Bonus Commentary:
California Court: Homeschooling Constitutional - Matt Archbold, CMR
The Underpopulation Problem - The Catholic World Report
Priest: Olympics are a Human Rights Disaster - Matt Archbold, CMR
Germany Declares War on Homeschoolers - Dale Hurd, CBN News
Bonus News:
Pope Benedict XVI Appeals for Peace in South Ossetia - Vatican Radio
...Catholic Relief Services Readying Response In Georgia...
Bonus Apologetics:
Why Does the Catholic Church Accept Traditions? - BFHU, TBC
Secular Commentary:
Is Amazon Deleting Conservative Book Reviews? - Warner Huston, NB
'Why Georgia Lost the War' - Rick Moran, American Thinker
Georgian Conflict Driven by Fear - Peter Wilson, The Australian
FNC Discusses NBC's Coverage of China - Brad Wilmouth, NewsBusters
Secular News:
Fears of Russian Advance Into Georgia Grow - The Telegraph
Cheney: Russian Action 'Must Not Go Unanswered' - Associated Press
(Biretta Tips: Kevin Knight & PewSitter)
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Catholic News-Thursday Evening, 8-7-2008 AD
CVSTOS FIDEI EVENING EDITION
I (Benedict) Was Once 'More Severe' Than Today - John Allen, ATC
San Francisco Homosexual Fest Features Public Sex - World Net Daily
Losing the Human Rights Olympics - John Nichols, The Nation
Mainstream Media Evidence of Bias - Matthew Archbold, Crtv Min Rep
Review: 'Population Controllers' by Steven Mosher - Dc. Fournier, CO
Casey Jr. at Dem Convention to Appease Catholics - Jay Anderson, PE
Fair to Say Obama Supports Infanticide? - Deal Hudson, Inside Cthlc
Obama: Premature Babies Aren't People - Human Events
Pelosi Insists Again That She’s "Catholic" - California Catholic Daily
Bonus Video:
Irena Sendler: Profile In Christian Courage - Matthew Archbold, CMR
Shameless Blog Plug of the Day:
The S.I.C.L.E. Cell (via Creative Minority Report)
Secular Commentary:
Liberals & Profanity, a Perfect Match? - Matthew Sheffield, NwsBstrs
(Biretta Tips: Pro Ecclesia, PewSitter, & RealClearPolitics)
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Catholic News-Wednesday Evening, 8-6-2008 AD
CVSTOS FIDEI EVENING EDITION
On Mediocre Liturgy - Mark Shea, Inside Catholic
"Men" is Back in the New Missal - Rich Leonardi, Ten Reasons
Bloggers Examine the New Missal - Dc. Greg Kandra, Deacon's Bench
...English Translation of The Order of Mass I...
Homosexuality & Societal Suicide - Robert Kumpel, St. John's Vldst Blg
Masses of Reparation - Jeff Miller, The Curt Jester
Quote Bible, Go To Jail - Patrick Archbold, Creative Minority Report
AIDs Progress: No Credit to Abstinence - Tom Blumer, NewsBusters
Obama's Heart of Darkness - Tito, Custos Fidei
Vatican: Benedict XVI and Alexy II Meeting Possible - Interfax
Coldplay is Anti-Catholic? - Margaret Cabaniss, The Inside Blog
Abp of Canterbury Adds to Misogyny - Damian Thompson, Hly Smk
A Christian at the Movies - Anthony Sacramone, First Things
Bonus Commentary:
Uncertain Economy? Blame the Babies - Patrick Archbold, CMR
Combox Trolls - Brian Saint-Paul, The Inside Blog
Transcending Anglicanism - David Mills, Inside Catholic
Priests Secrets - Fr. Erik Richsteig, Orthometer
The Theory of Anarchy - Zachary, Civics Geeks
Catholic Flashback:
1989 Empress Zita of Austria Passes Away - Feddie, Southern Appeal
Religious Commentary:
Publisher Drops Novel of Mohammed's Wife - Matthew Sheffield, NB
Secular Commentary:
'Saturday Night Live' Makes CNN Rethink - Scott Pierce, Deseret News
Secular News:
Mexican Soldiers Enter U.S., Hold Agent Briefly - Associated Press
Obama Campaign Blog is Hotbed of Anti-Semitism - Israel Today
(Biretta Tips: Kevin Knight, PewSitter, & Dale Price)
Obama's Heart of Darkness
The lack of coverage and investigative reporting of Barack Obama's public record by the mainstream media is austere to say the least. The record in question concerning Obama was while he was recently in the Illinois legislature in 2001. There the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, or BAIPA which a baby born alive after a botched abortion would be given medical treatment to live, was vigorously opposed by Obama. Basically Obama advocated that a baby die in the hospital room without being given medical attention.
This is in direct violation of the Fifth Commandment, You Shall Not Kill (Exodus 20:13). Our Christian duty is to help those in most need. Killing is not what a Christian does. Only a man without enough love of God in his heart would openly and blatantly advocate for the death of a precious young tiny human being. A man with possibly having a heart of darkness.
We should defend life at every turn. Why would God then pre-ordain each and every one of us to live?
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you...
-- Jeremiah1:5
my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.
-- Psalm 139:15
Each and every one of us were conceived and planned by God Himself.
Pope Benedict XVI has called abortion a crime against society and today's gravest injustice. Even with the admonition of those that promote abortion are subject to excommunication (see latae sententiae), even faithful Catholics fall prey to the devil's plea of voting for Obama.
The 1974 Declaration on Procured Abortion stated, "The first right of the human person is his life. He has other goods and some are more precious, but this one is fundamental - the condition of all the others." The preeminent issue above all others.
Furthermore in Pope John Paul II's 1988 apostolic exhortation, The Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World (Christifideles Laici), says:
"The inviolability of the person, which is a reflection of the absolute inviolability of God, finds its primary and fundamental expression in the inviolability of human life. Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights -- for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture -- is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition of all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination".
All other issues are mute if the right to life is not defended with maximum determination.
Children are a gift from God:
Lo, sons are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
-- Psalm 127:3-5
Who then does a Catholic vote for in the 2008 American presidential election? It's easy, definitely not Barack Obama, the man with possibly the heart of darkness.
Sources: Holy Bible and Priests for Life
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Catholic News-Tuesday Afternoon, 8-5-2008 AD
CVSTOS FIDEI AFTERNOON EDITION 
Double Standard Coverage of PB16 & Obama - Dave Hartline, Cth Rep
ICEL, Copyright, & the Core of the Problem - Jeffrey Tucker, NLM
'Peace and Justice' Catholics - Bill Donohue, Inside Catholic
Tomorrow: 30th Anniversary of Death of Paul VI - Fr. Z, WDTPRS
The Communication of Idioms & the Eucharist - Robert, Blck Crdls
Recycling the Myths of Abortion History - Joseph Dellapenna, FT
The Knights Templar of the Holy Hard Cash - Matthew Archbold, CMR
Glorifying Heresy - Robert Kumpel, St. John's Valdosta Blog
Bonus Commentary:
Raleigh Bishop Issues Diocesan Norms for Liturgy - Fr. Z, WDTPRS
Pout Like A Pope, Baby! - Matthew Archbold, Creative Minority Report
Waugh Answers the Culture Question - Sarah, Rcptrng Our Cth Ptrmny
Peaceful Pro-Lifers Arrested in Maryland - Jean Heimann, Cthlc Fire
Tolerance? Lesbians Gone Wild in San Diego - Robert Kumpel, SJVB
18 Tips For Being a Great Dad - Leo Babauta, The Art of Manliness
Bonus Video:
Do You Want Their Blood on YOUR Hands Too? - Robert Kumpel, SJVB
Religious Commentary:
Dawkins' Attack on Islamic Creationism - Damian Thompson, Hly Smk
Many Democrats are of Little Faith - Shaunti Feldhahn, Tucson Citizen
Tyson Plant Drops Labor Day for Muslim Holiday - Associated Press
Antichrist Accusations Abound for Obama - Ed Stoddard, FaithWorld
Secular Commentary:
Forgetting the Evils of Communism - Jonah Goldberg, LA Times
Political Power Flowing from the Pump - Timothy Birdnow, Am Thnkr
Anti-Obama Bloggers Say They Were Silenced - Anna Phillips, NY Sun
Terror Tactics of PETA Activists - John Cote, SF Chronicle
(Biretta Tips: Kevin Knight & Lucianne) (Pic: Jill Stanek on BAIPA)
Double Standard Coverage of PB16 & Obama - Dave Hartline, Cth Rep
ICEL, Copyright, & the Core of the Problem - Jeffrey Tucker, NLM
'Peace and Justice' Catholics - Bill Donohue, Inside Catholic
Tomorrow: 30th Anniversary of Death of Paul VI - Fr. Z, WDTPRS
The Communication of Idioms & the Eucharist - Robert, Blck Crdls
Recycling the Myths of Abortion History - Joseph Dellapenna, FT
The Knights Templar of the Holy Hard Cash - Matthew Archbold, CMR
Glorifying Heresy - Robert Kumpel, St. John's Valdosta Blog
Bonus Commentary:
Raleigh Bishop Issues Diocesan Norms for Liturgy - Fr. Z, WDTPRS
Pout Like A Pope, Baby! - Matthew Archbold, Creative Minority Report
Waugh Answers the Culture Question - Sarah, Rcptrng Our Cth Ptrmny
Peaceful Pro-Lifers Arrested in Maryland - Jean Heimann, Cthlc Fire
Tolerance? Lesbians Gone Wild in San Diego - Robert Kumpel, SJVB
18 Tips For Being a Great Dad - Leo Babauta, The Art of Manliness
Bonus Video:
Do You Want Their Blood on YOUR Hands Too? - Robert Kumpel, SJVB
Religious Commentary:
Dawkins' Attack on Islamic Creationism - Damian Thompson, Hly Smk
Many Democrats are of Little Faith - Shaunti Feldhahn, Tucson Citizen
Tyson Plant Drops Labor Day for Muslim Holiday - Associated Press
Antichrist Accusations Abound for Obama - Ed Stoddard, FaithWorld
Secular Commentary:
Forgetting the Evils of Communism - Jonah Goldberg, LA Times
Political Power Flowing from the Pump - Timothy Birdnow, Am Thnkr
Anti-Obama Bloggers Say They Were Silenced - Anna Phillips, NY Sun
Terror Tactics of PETA Activists - John Cote, SF Chronicle
(Biretta Tips: Kevin Knight & Lucianne) (Pic: Jill Stanek on BAIPA)
Monday, August 4, 2008
Catholic News-Monday Evening, 8-4-2008 AD
CVSTOS FIDEI EVENING EDITION
The Topic That Catholics Dare Not Speaketh - Patrick Archbold, CMR
ICEL vs. the Book of Common Prayer - Jeffrey Tucker, NLM
New Mass Translations: Reform of the reform - Hugh McNichol, PwSttr
The Death of a Giant: Alexander Solzhenitsyn - Bruce Walker, AT
AP Obit for Solzhenitsyn Ignores Christian Faith - Ken Sheperd, NB
Saint of the Day: St. John Mary Vianney - Jean Heimann, Catholic Fire
The Strange Case of Bishop Pelotte - Robert Kumpel, SJVB
Heaven's Song - Jeff Miller, The Curt Jester
Bonus Commentary:
TLM expansion in Mexico - Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, WDTPRS
Secular Commentary:
Robert Novak Retires, Prognosis 'Dire' - Johanna Neuman, LA Times
Murtha's Reckoning - Thomas Lifson, American Thinker
Evidence of Abortion & Infant Death Relationship
Washington, DC (04 August 2008) – New statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics are adding more evidence to the body of research surrounding the link between abortion and infant death.
"Here is another of the unseen consequences of abortion," said Leslie Tignor, director of American Life League's Associate Program. "We're seeing that abortion not only ends the life of a child; it also endangers the life of that child's future siblings.
"Tignor is project manager of "Baby Steps," a DVD that features detailed 4D ultrasound pictures of preborn babies from eight to 34 weeks throughout their 16 stages of development.
The NCHS' "Infant Mortality Statistics from the 2005 Period Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Set," (Vol. 57, No. 2) of the National Vital Statistics Report released July 30, shows that preterm births were responsible for over 36.5 percent of infant deaths in 2005.
The NCHS' findings affirm past studies that show women who have had abortions are more likely to give birth to preterm babies.
The 2007 Journal of Reproductive Medicine reported that nearly 32 percent of "very preterm" U.S. births – before 32 weeks gestation – are due to the mother's prior abortions.
"American Life League will continue to work to make women aware of abortion's ripple effect," Tignor said. "Not only does abortion hurt women, preborn babies and their families, but it could also risk the life of future children. Abortion leads to death, not only for the preborn child killed by abortion, but also for the many children susceptible to preterm birth and infant death.
American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death. For more information or media inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
LifeSiteNews: Abortion Linked Condition Contributes to Growing Number of Infant Deaths
(30 July 2008)
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jul/08073009.html
National Center for Health Statistics: Infant Mortality Rates from the 2005 Period
(30 July 2008)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr57/nvsr57_02.pdf
LifeSiteNews: Previous Abortion Linked with Preterm Birth and Cerebral Palsy
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/oct/07102602.html
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