She is Amazing! We Should all See This Clearly

She tore Matt a new one and left him whistling through it!





h/t to my sister Ann for the link.


Pax

I AM SO THERE!

Teaser from DMW on Vimeo.

Pax

The Myth of Overpopulation

I have always thought that there was something fundamentally wrong with the scare tactic mentality behind the way that population figures have been discussed most of my lifetime. To be perfectly honest I don't like to be bullied into anything and it always felt like those who believe that the world is on track to extreme overpopulation were trying to bully me into their way of thinking, which has the exact opposite effect. I tend to think they must be wrong and seek out facts to prove the other side of the argument just out of spite.

this video (and the linked website) is very interesting because it doesn't use bully tactics, These people just simply want you to "do the math" and make the decision on your own that overpopulation is a myth.



Now if everyone would just work together to assure that the world's resources are being used in an equitable manner, we could erradicate famine as well.

h/t to Fr. Eric Mueller a fellow Alumni of St Meinrad (via Facebook) for the link.

Pax

Newer Simpler Health Care Plan . . .

So I have became a fan of Mike Pence, who is a Representative (sadly not ours) from Indiana and have been following him on Facebook for about four months now. He keeps me abreast of what is going on in Congress and helps to maneuver the political minefields so that I can understand and get a grip on what is going on in the Obama White House and the Hallowed Halls of Congress.

Today on Facebook he revealed this Organizational Chart for the Democrats' new Health Care Plan: (as soon as one of you guys figure this out please let me know because it makes no sense at all to me) which is probably why they have forbidden it from being mailed out to constituents.

Pax

Everything Has its Proper Place

I love Cardinal Arinze!




This is a man who knows how to teach.

h/t to holycanoli via twitter for the link

Pax

Mystic Monday: Vacation Edition Part II Gerard Manley Hopkins

Today dear children since I am on vacation -- although I had a workout this morning and did laundry and read two chapters of homework, so it doesn't feel much like vacation at this very moment -- I have decided that I can take a little detour from our regular visits with the mystics and branch out a bit. Last week we explored a bit of wisdom from Karl Rahner, and this week I want to share with you this beautiful bit of poetry from my favorite poet Gerard Manley Hopkins who might be considered a mystic, but probably doesn't qualify, but this is my blog and my vacation, so there.

So, here is one of my favorite Hopkins poems.

I Wake and Feel the Fell of Dark, Not Day
by Gerard Manley Hopkins

I wake and feel the fell of dark, not day.
What hours, O what black hours we have spent
This night! what sights you, heart, saw; ways you went!
And more must, in yet longer light's delay.

With witness I speak this. But where I say
Hours I mean years, mean life. And my lament
Is cries countless, cries like dead letters sent
To dearest him that lives alas! away.

I am gall, I am heartburn. God's most deep decree
Bitter would have me taste: my taste was me;
Bones built in me, flesh filled, blood brimmed the curse.

Selfyeast of spirit a dull dough sours. I see

the lost are like this, and their scourge to be
As I am mine, their sweating selves, but worse.

Pax

Some Closure isn't What You Hope it Will Be

I wrote a few weeks ago about our friend Brayton who died of cancer on July 3rd. That same evening, his father walked out of the nursing home where he had been living and disappeared into the night. There was great hope that Brayton (the father) would be found alive and they had been searching Las Cruces and as far away as El Paso Texas for him ever since.

Today came news that Brayton's (the father) body has been found in an undeveloped area of Las Cruces. The police do not expect foul play in his death and considering the amount of time since he went missing it is more likely that he simply died of exposure.

Please keep this family in your prayers. They have had to deal with so much in such a short time and this will add to their already stressful lives. June (the mother) was recovering from a heart attack when her son died and her husband went missing. I can't imagine what she must be feeling now.

May Our Lord grant both Braytons eternal rest and peace and healing to their family.

Pax

Will it Never End?

CNN reported that the Taco Bell Dog Died!


Next we will have to endure speculation from "Gidget's" family that her death was not natural causes but she was in fact murdered by her"handlers" who were after her estate.

And then there will be endless stories about the fate of her children.

There will be speculation about whether or not Congress will vote on a proclamation citing Gidget for her worldwide caninitarian efforts to make the world a better place.

And of course there will be endless speculation about the whole female dog with a male voice over controversy.

Will it never end?

Pax

Seeing the Sights in the California Heat

So we drove north from Lancaster today up through Kernville and then along the Kern River toward Bakersfield and saw some of the most beautiful, breathtaking countryside I have ever seen. I really thought it looked like something out of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. One could imagine the fellowship moving along the high ridge above us as we drove between the peaks of the heavily bouldered mountain pass. At one point the Kern river looked just like the stretch of river upon which Boromir is sent to his watery grave.

It was absolutely a stunning drive, and one I am glad we got to take in a nicely air conditioned car and not in a covered wagon or on horseback.

When I get the pictures downloaded (the few we remembered to take) I will post them so that you all can see (or maybe not) what I saw.

Pax

Archdiocese of Los Angeles Prayer for Priests

This was also printed in the Sacred Heart bulletin and will be their prayer for the Year for Priests. I really love this prayer and wanted to share it with all of you. If everyone said this prayer how amazing that would be for all our priests:


Dear Lord we pray that the Blessed Mother wrap her mantle around your priests and through her intercession strengthen them for their ministry. We pray that Mary will guide your priests to follow her words "Do whatever He tells you" (John 2:5) May your priests have the heart of St. Joseph, Mary's most chaste spouse. May the Blessed Mother's pierced heart inspire them to embrace all who suffer at the foot of the cross. May your priests be holy, filled with the fire of your love, seeking nothing but your glory and the salvation of souls. Amen

St. John Vianney pray for us.

Pax

Mystic Monday: Theological Detour: Karl Rahner

I am writing to you from my vacation here in beautiful Landisastercaster California, where we are staying. It's not so bad here, except for the temperature being in the 100's during the daylight hours, and not much to do or see.

Did I tell you that mrangelmeg is on a campaign to get us to go to the Borax museum? I rest my case)

Today for Mystic Monday I would like to take you to visit with a dear friend of mine from Gradual School, Dr Karl Rahner. I realize dear children that Karl Rahner, strictly speaking doesn't qualify as a mystic, but:

a) I am on vacation, and
b) this is my blog and I get to do what I want and
c) this being the year for priests I wanted to share with you something that was printed in the bulletin from Sacred Heart, the parish we are attending out here, which we really love.

Anyway, I have been a fan of Rahner ever since I had to read him in my Intro to Theology class. His theological writings are elegant and easy to understand, and at times border on poetic language, which is a great accomplishment for someone who first wrote in German one would think. The piece I want to share with you is a bit about the men who are called to the vocation of priest:


"The priest is not an angel sent from heaven, he is a man chosen from among men, a member of the Church, a Christian. Remaining man and Christian, he begins to speak to you the word of God. This word is not his won, no, he speaks because God has told him to proclaim His word. Perhaps he has not entirely understood it himself, perhaps he communicates it poorly, but hie believes and despite his fears, he knows that he must communicate God's word to you . For must not someone say something about God, about eternal life, about the majesty of grace in our sanctified being; must not someone speak of sin, of judgement and of the mercy of God? So my dear friends, pray for him. Carry him so that he might be able to sustain others by bringing to them the mystery of God's love revealed in Christ Jesus."


Pax

Engineers Who Think too much . . .

come up with stuff like this:





We drove down it twice yesterday. Because my husband is an engineer, and we didn't have our cameras the first time.

Pax

Did Obama Lie to the Pope? Does He Care?

In President Obama's meeting with the Pope Benedict XVI he promised a commitment to "reduce the number of abortions". This week though, as part of his sweeping "Obamacare" health care package is funding for abortions for abortions which will in fact increase the number of abortions across the board.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Rep. Chris Smith said, "Obamacare is the greatest threat ever to the lives and wellness of unborn children and their mothers since Roe v. Wade was rendered in 1973."


Read the rest of the article here.

Pretty soon the most dangerous place in the United States for a child to live will be in a mother's womb. How sad is that?

Pax

Mystic Monday; Travel Edition

This week dear children I am "leaving on a jet plane." The angelbaby and I will be accompanying mrangelmeg on a business trip to the west coast for a few weeks while he does some work. We will have some free time to commune with nature, and if we get up the nerve, we may even take the train into Hollywood and do the whole tourist thing.

Oh, sorry I digress. Anyway in honor of my little trip, I thought we might revisit a friend who knew a bit about travel: Dag Hammarskjold:

Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road.

The longest journey is the journey inward. Of him who has chosen his destiny, Who has started upon his quest for the source of his being.

The more faithfully you listen to the voices within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside.

The more we do, the more we can do; the more busy we are, the more leisure we have.

Time always seems long to the child who is waiting - for Christmas, for next summer, for becoming a grownup: long also when he surrenders his whole soul to each moment of a happy day.

I will continue to post while I am on vacation. Maybe I will even post some pictures.

Have happy travels through your own life.

Pax

Update:

We spoke with Sally, the wife of our friend who died and Jim, his brother. They still haven't found their dad, but he has been spotted in El Paso TX. There is a full blown Silver Alert out on him, and they are very hopeful that he will be found. They have even contacted the police in the town here in Indiana where they lived before they moved to New Mexico, in case somehow he gets all the way here.



Please keep them in your prayers. As soon as I know something I will let you all know. Hopefully it will all end well, this family can't take much more bad news.

Pax

Sad News

Mrangelemg is dealing with the sad news that his college roommate who also happens to be our beautiful autistic daughter's Godfather, died Friday. He found out by email this morning. Then in an effort to get more information he did what any self respecting engineer would do, he Googled the obituary only to find that on the same day that our friend died, his father, who is suffering from alzheimer's disease went missing.

There was no further report to be found after that, so we don't know as yet if they have found him or not. Please keep this family in your prayers. What poor June must be going through: having her son die and her husband go missing in the same day. We are hoping to get an update soon.

Pax

Important News:

That doesn't involve dead celebrities.

Today was the date upon which Benedict XVI promulgated his newest Encyclical

Caritas in veritate

On integral human development in Charity and Truth.

Too bad the 24 hour News outlets were otherwise engaged showing wall to wall coverage of homage to "the gloved one".

I encourage you to click on the link above and read the encyclical.

If you prefer, Curt Jester has done us all a solid and converted the text to ereader and kindle format. Check that out here.

I am printing out my copy now.

Pax

Is is Really Mystic Monday Again?:

Today dear children I want to revisit our dear friend John of the Cross.


I want to with you something very simple today but something deeply profound. Something I have been meditating upon for the last week concerning my own life situation:

Deny your desires and you will find what your heart longs for.

For how do you know if any desire of yours is according to God?

John believed that the only way for true grace to enter into one's soul was for all other earthly desires to be banished. ' Nada, nada, nada' was his credo. Want nothing, save for God alone and God will give you all you really need.

Unfortunately for me, in the last few weeks I have been indulging in my earthly desires for good food and rest, and entertainment, when my mind should be occupied with other things. So dear children today's visit with our mystical brother was more for me than for the rest of you. A little denial might do me a lot of good.

Pax

The Myth of Independence

Today is the 4th of July. This is the day we celebrate our Independence as a Nation. The problem is, true Independence is a myth. We are all dependent upon others for everything unless we live in the woods and grow all our own foods and live on wind power.

Even then we have a need for community. There are very few of us who are called to be true hermits.

And now we have proof that even the "self help" programs that have been all the rage since the sixties don't really help. We all need somebody else.

It makes sense theologically. We were created by a Trinitarian God eternally in relationship: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the beginning we were created man and woman together as equals and helpmates.

Even when you look at this day we are celebrating we did not achieve Independence alone, we had help from France, Spain and the Dutch Republic.

We are interdependent upon each other, and totally dependent upon God. These are the truths we are actually celebrating on this day. That is why we gather with family and friends to celebrate. In most Catholic churches we have prayers for the country today because we know that our country needs God's protection and loving care.

Happy 4th of July everyone. Happy Interdependence day.

Pax

This Bill is in Committee . . .

H j 111-5 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President.


but is worth keeping an eye on. Although as mrangelmeg says if you look at the map, even after the last election there are far too many "red states" for the amendment to ever be repealed.

Does anyone find it at all strange that this has flown so far under the radar that no one seems to have even known that this bill even existed?

Pax