Young Adult Spirituality: Help Is On the Way!!!!

I am so excited to announce that my friend Fr. Mark Mossa SJ has a book on spirituality for young adults that he has been working on for a long time that is available for pre-order from Amazon.   I can assure you that this book will be worth the cost, and a great help to any young adult and anyone who works with young adults. I read a few of the chapters very early in the process and was very impressed.

Please consider placing your pre-order now for delivery in August for all the young adults and young adults ministers you know.

While you are waiting for the book to arrive, Fr. Mark has a website set up:

Spoiler Alert  filled with fun posts and extra links that you can use while you are waiting.  btw: I added the website to my blogroll on my sidebar.

Pax

One To Watch

My last year at St Meinrad I had the misfortune of taking philosophy classes with a young man who was a Glenmary Missionary preparing to enter the seminary. Where I was ending my gradual school time, he was collecting enough philosophy credits so that he would be allowed to enter the seminary in the fall.

Well, a year and a half ago Aaron Wessman did just that. He now isnot only a Glenmary Missionary but also a Seminarian at St. Meinrad School of Theology and has begun to share his reflections on his seminary time and his missionary work in a blog.

You can find it here:

Cognition of a Roman Catholic Missioner

I think if you want an interesting and refreshing look at what goes on in a semianry through the eyes of a Missionary seminarian you should be reading this blog. I have added it to my sidebar.

Shhhhhh!

I finally found the perfect Christmas gift for my friends at Korrektiv, but don't tell them. I would hate to spoil the surprise.



Pax

For my pals at Korrektiv

Pax

Movie Festival for Year of the Priest

So Rufus from Korrektiv and I have been tweeting all day about the idea of watching a movie a week that includes or is about a priest for the year of the priest. We came up with a pretty good list to begin. Here are the ones I came up with, you can add more as you think of them or remember ones you have seen.

BTW: I know that Francis of Assisi wasn't a priest, but there are priests in his story, and his story is worth seeing so that is why I have included two versions of his story in my list.


1. Going My Way 1944
2. The Bells of St Mary's 1945
3. Keeping the Faith 2000
4. Sleepers 1996
5. Hoodlum Priest 1961
6. The Keys of the Kingdom 1944
7. The Mission 1986
8. The Scarlet and the Black 1983
9. The Assisi Underground 1985
10. The Massacre in Rome 1973
11. Becket 1964
12 . The Third Miracle 1999
13. The Novice (aka Crossroads) 2006
14. The Exorcist 1973
15. The Shoes of the Fisherman 1968
16. Molokai: The Story of Fr. Damian 1999
17. The Left Hand of God 1955
18. Diary of a Country Priest 1951
19. The Fugitive 1947
20. The Confessor (The Good Shepherd) 2004
21. Black Robe 1991
22. Mass Appeal 1984
23. Angels with Dirty Faces 1938
24. Fighting Father Dunne 1948
25. Boys Town 1938
26. On the Waterfront 1954
27. The Fr. Clements Story 1987
28. The Cardinal 1963
29. I Confess 1953
30. Doubt 2008
31. Miracle of the Bells 1948
32. Gran Torino 2008
33. Seven Cities of Gold 1955
34. Saint Ralph 2004
35. Don Bosco 1988
36. The Devil at 4 O'clock 1961
37. The Fighting 69th 1940
38. San Francisco 1938
39. Francesco 1989
40. Francis of Assisi 1961
41. Zycie za Zycie (Life for Life) 1991 Polish Maximillian Kolbe film
42. Pope John Paul II 2005
43. Karol: The Man Who Became Pope 2005
44. The Miracle of Marcelino 1955
45. Hounds of Notre Dame 1980
46. Jesus of Montreal 1989
47. Monsieur Vincent 1947
48. Nazarin 1959
49. Au Revoir les Enfant 1987
50. Papa Giovanni John XXIII 2002
51. The Reluctant Saint 1962
52. The Exorcism of Emily Rose 2005


Other Options

Stigmata 1999
St. Patrick: The Irish Legend 2000
The Order 2003
Brother Sun Sister Moon 1972
True Confessions 1981
Father Brown 1954
The Prisoner 1955

Television Series
Father Ted 1995
Father Dowling Mysteries
Bless Me Father
Nothing Sacred

If you have any favorites that I missed please add them in the comment box. I purposely didn't include The Thornbirds or the Exorcist sequels, which I probably should have, but I just didn't like them.

Pax

Would You Like to Become a Saint?

do you think it is possible to become a saint? There is a young man that thinks it is possible and through his Sainthood Project is willing to help anyone who wants to give it a try .

His prescription is simple, pray every day and surrender to the will of God in all things. (I said it was simple, I didn't say anything about it being easy, those are two different things.)

If you feel as though you are brave enough to take up the challenge you can find out more at his website:

Sainthood and Surrender

Are You Really What you Say You Are?

I just reas an interesting take on the idea that your life must mirror what you profess to believe.


You can read it by following this link.


All I can add is this is what I believe with every fiber of my being.

Pax

Blessed JH?

The Rector of my Gradual School will be over the moon at the report from the Vatican that the way has been cleared for Cardinal John Henry Newman, the esteemed educator and man of letters to be declared Blessed.

You can read the article here.

Fr. Denis quoted JH Newman often in class (which was an amazing feet since the class I was taking was the History of the Early Church, but he managed). I was also lucky enough to be present at a lecture Fr. Denis did on Cardinal Newman and faith formation. It was evident that he was a devotee of the esteemed Cardinal.

I also had a spiritual director a few years before I went to Gradual School that loved Cardinal Newman. He practically had a shrine to Newman in his office.

I have read Newman, both on my own and for classes in Gradual School. While I found his writing to be complicated and very dense. I didn't have much difficulty understanding it after the second time I read it. I had to read Ratzinger three or four times before I understood what he wrote.

Anyway. I am glad this is moving forward. He deserves sainthood eventually and this is all part of the process.

Pax

Who Knew I Had Such a Competitive Streak?

My old friend Mark is having a contest on his blog and I want to win and I need your help!!!!


Click on this link and leave a comment saying

angelmeg sent me to Oldman's.

If three people do this for me before three people do for anyone else I will win.

I can't believe I want this so much (well, not so much The Tuxedo, but the signed print I would love to have because I love his cartoons).

So, come one you guys, I only need three of you to go right over there and leave a message.


I WON!!!!! THANKS TO ALL MY WONDERFUL FRIENDS I HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH COMMENTS . I RECOMMEND THAT THOSE OF YOU WHO WENT THERE TO LEAVE THE ONE COMMENT BOOKMARK HIS SIGHT AND VISIT OCCASIONALLY. NOT ONLY ARE HIS CARTOONS HILARIOUS, BUT YOU CAN LEARN A THING OR TWO ABOUT MARTIAL ARTS AS WELL.
Pax

Cast Not These Pearls . . .

Last summer during our self imposed exile in Florida we fell in love with a comic strip called Pearls Before Swine that was a daily fixture in the local paper. Our plucky youngest child (the angelbaby) has missed it so that she not only found it in book form at our local library and has read every compilation in print, but she also found it on the net, and now can read each new strip as they are published since we don't get it in our local paper.

It is awesome in the most politically satirical, lowbrow humor kind of way that really tickles my funny bone and makes me laugh until I, well, embarrass myself in ways only women will understand.

Then, through the website we found out that Stephan Patis, the creator of this awesome strip actually has a blog!! You have to check this out! It is absolutely hilarious. Just as funny as the strip, and very informative about his process, which is great for someone who is a total geek about that kind of thing (the creative process I mean).

It has also given me the most awesome idea for the angelbaby's next birthday cake; I can't wait to order that Shalom Stan cake with a Menorah on it in the middle of May!!!!!! Don't tell her though, I want it to be a surprise.

I am adding his blog to my blogroll. A word of warning; don't be drinking any liquids while you read his entries. Trust me on this one.

Pax

Please Join Us.

My dear friend John, who has battled Multiple Myeloma now for over two years and had been in remission since late last fall has had a setback and is battling Poindexter again. You can follow his battle at the weblog Me and Poindexter.

We have begun a prayer petition to Blessed Pope John XXIII that he might intercede on John's behalf that John might be cured of this illness, but also that there might be a cure found for the disease alltogether so that all who suffer from it might be cured. To that end I have added a picture and petition on my sidebar that links directly to John's blog. Please consider praying with us for a cure to this horrible disease.

Pax

Friday Fun?

In an effort to "warn" everyone about the disturbing web content that is out there I bring you this-- I am not sure what to call it.







I found it disturbingly funny. Which either shows that I have some serious mental issues or a very miss-spent youth. I think I will leave that to my loving and compassionate God to untangle.

h/t to a newly reconnected childhood friend Mark at Oldman's Boobishi for the link.

Pax

I Feel So Much Better Now!

In my Calculus class in high school I wasn't stupid at all;

according to Calvin and Hobbes I was just a math atheist.

My rights were being descriminated against. Where was the ACLU when I really needed them?

h/t to Adoro for the link.

Gonna Party Like it's My Birthday . . .

because it is!!!

I am outing myself a bit here but I am so pleased that I am going to admit that

Rufus wrote me a Birthday Limerick using my real first name!!!

Thanks Rufus, I can't tell you how pleased I am to have one of my very own. I may have to print it out and frame it or something.

Everyone kept asking me all day what great Irish Delicacy we were having at the angelmeg household in honor of St. Patrick's Day and my birthday. They all looked a bit stunned when I told them that we were actually having Mexican take-out from Bahio, one of my favorite little grills just on the way home.

Oh well, Patrick would have loved Mexican food if he hadn't been so fond of pig slop I am sure.

Now I am going to spend the rest of the evening relaxing here at home, sipping port and eating nice dark chocolates (I got some wonderful home made dark chocolate truffles from one of my classmates) and wait for my scheduled web-cam date with mrangelmeg. Gotta get that face time!!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes, you guys all mean so much to me.

Pax

Introducing Two New Young Voices

A young man from my parish, Mike Keucher, (whom I have known all of his life coincidentally) who will be attending St. Meinarad (my gradual school) in the fall because he has been accepted as a seminarian for our Archdiocese.

Anyway he has a blog, and it is quite a well written one. I would like to introduce all of my eight loyal readers to it. You can find it at:

The Long Journey into Light

In his blog, you will find reflections on the church year and on what he is experiencing as he prepares for his journey as a seminarian. He has a wonderful take on life as a Catholic and I think you all will enjoy reading it.


The other voice is that of Teresa, the daughter of my very close friend Suzanne. I haven't known Teresa her entire life, but very close. I think she was eight or nine when our families met for the first time. She is a beautiful young woman working full time and going to school to get an Eearly Childhood Education degree.

Her blog chronicles her work and her faith life and all the wonderful things she is thinking and learning along the way. You can find it here:

Taking it One Step at a Time

I have added both of them to my sidebar.


Pax

The Five Most Pathetic Words A Catholic can Utter . . .

I am a Pro-Choice Catholic

Follow the above link to read Patrick Madrid's response to Kate Child Graham's article.

Again Pat hits exactly the point when he says:


It’s not necessary to explain here what St. Thomas actually said about man’s duty to follow his conscience in observing the commandments and teachings of the Church, as that would simply be piling on and would be a further cause of embarrassment for Ms. Childs Graham. So it will suffice to simply read the above statements from the Catechism about conscience in light of this other statement:

“Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: ‘You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.’ ‘God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes’” (CCC 2271).

I am praying that some day (and I hope it is soon) she comes to see the truth of what her church really teaches and believes about the dignity and sanctity of all human life and will again believe that abortion is evil and goes back to working to make it unnecessary.

Pax

What Are You Doing For Lent?

Maybe it is because I am influenced by their close proximity, and I spend time with them each week, but I am not the least bit ashamed to tell you that I have become quite the Dominican groupie over the past few years. So it is with great delight although a bit of sadness that I came a day late to this site, that I present to you this wonderful treat for lent:

Click on the poster to link to the British OP website.


Each day is a short reflection based on the daily mass readings, with a slightly longer one for Sunday. So far they have been quite probing and as I have come to know the Domincan charism, true to form.

I hope this will help some of you to have a productive and meaningful lent.

h/t to Fr.Phillip for the link.

Pax

Somebody Likes Me!

I unexpectedly got an award today.

My blog has been given The Lemonade Award by Ironic Catholic:

"The Lemonade Award is given to 10 others who show good attitude (the good kind!) or gratitude."

I strive to live with a good attitude, and gratitude, because nobody likes a sour puss (as my mom used to always say when I was growing up). I guess it shows in my writing.

Now I get to pick ten other blogs that I think deserve this award.

The problem is IC used up some of the ones I would have chosen, so I am going to have to really think about this one.

1. Suzanne for sure

2. Alexa

3. Rosemary at A Catholic Mother's Thoughts

4. Mimi at Bigger than a Breadbox

5. Deacon John's Homilies at the Speakin' Deacon

6. Ebeth at A Catholic Mom Climbing the Pillars

7. Karen at Some Have Hats

8. Chased by Children

9. Say Anything

10. and last but not least Hal at A Wildcat in Hoosierville

Okay guys, pay this one forward and let others know that you appreciate their good attitude.

Pax

Just the Good Part?

women playing with fake babies? spending thousands of dollars on something called Reborns? This all sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, but no this is really happening.

Women of a certain age and obviously socioeconomic level have begun to take up a new "hobby" called Reborns. These are almost realistic baby dolls that they can "mother".

There is something slightly creapy about this that I just can't grasp and I think it is in the statement from one of the women that goes:

"What's so wonderful about Reborns is that, um, they're forever babies," said Moore, who has grown children and grandchildren. "There's no college tuition, no dirty diapers... just the good part of motherhood," she added.

I remember saying once that there is nothing nicer than holding a newborn, and if someone could come up with a doll that felt as warm and smelled as nice they could rake in the bucks, but I think this trend is way too far out there. These women take their Reborns on day trips to the park for heaven sake!! There has to be something psychologically wrong with that.

You can read the entire story here (oh and don't forget to watch the even creapier video).

h/t to Korrectiv for the link.

Pax

Quiet? Me? Ha!

ISFP - The Artists

The gentle and compassionate type. They are especially attuned their inner values and what other people need. They are not friends of many words and tend to take the worries of the world on their shoulders. They tend to follow the path of least resistance and have to look out not to be taken advantage of.

They often prefer working quietly, behind the scene as a part of a team. They tend to value their friends and family above what they do for a living.

My only comment is ask anyone who knows me and quiet is not the first thing that will come to mind about me. Hmm, curious.

Other than that it pretty much sums up what I am trying to learn and become in my new program, and still trying to be the arsty "type" person creating things with my hands and with my words.




Find out what "type" your blog is here.

h/t to that floozy blog Ironic Catholic

Pax