Monthly Archives: October 2010

St. Hubert

Posted on October 30, 2010 by DN

Last night, the Newman Center had their annual All Saints Day party. I wanted to go as a Saint that few people knew much about, so I picked St. Hubert. He has an interesting story, so I decided I would share it with you.

St. Hubert was born around 656 as the heir to the Duchy of Aquitaine. As a youth he was sent to the Neustrian Court in Paris, where his charisma led him to be invested as “count of the palace.” He, like many nobles of the time, became addicted to the chase in hunting. He eventually married Floribanne, the daughter of the the Count of Leuven. Their son, Floribert, would later become Bishop of Liege. Unfortunately, Floribanne died while giving birth, and the distraught Hubert withdrew from the court and retreated into the forest of the Ardennes and gave himself up entirely to hunting. On Good Friday, while the faithful were crowding the Churches, Hubert decided to go hunting and was chasing a stag, a stag that would change his life.

As Hubert was about to shoot the stag, it turned and looked at him. Hubert was astounded at what he saw, a crucifix standing between the stag’s horns. The stag then opened its mouth and spoke: Hubert, unless thou turnest to the Lord, and leadest an holy life, thou shalt quickly go down into hell. Hubert prostrated himself and asked the stag what he should do, and he was directed to go seek Lambert, Bishop of Maastricht. Lambert became Hubert’s spiritual director, and Hubert sold all he had, gave up his birthright to the duchy of Aquitaine to his younger brother, also appointing him guardian of his infant son. Hubert studied for the priesthood and was ordained. He succeeded Lambert to the episcopal see of Maastricht upon the latter’s assassination. He distributed his income from the episcopacy to the poor and he is said to have converted many to the faith, especially the pagans of the Ardennes and the surrounding areas. He died around 727 and was widely venerated in the Middle Ages. He is the patron of archers; dog; forest workers; hunters; Liege, Belgium; mathematicians; metal workers; Saint-Lamberge, Belgium; smelters; and trappers. His feast day is November 3.

Categories: Miscellanea | Tags:

Zero

Posted on October 27, 2010 by DN

Is it possible to have zero motivation? More importantly is it possible to really have no conscious desire for your life? If it is, should that be an alarming warning? If you have the answers, could you let me know.

Categories: Miscellanea

Why So Angry?

Posted on October 26, 2010 by DN

I’ve never been an “activist” before, but I’ve been consistent in being a public witness against abortion during this 40 Days For Life. The thing about 40 Days is that its not so much a protest but a call to prayer, which will, in turn lead to a change if heart that will lead to the illegalization of the most heinous crime in American history.

If there is one thing I’ve noticed about the opponent during this time is that they definitely are less peaceful than we, they are louder, more vulgar, and just full of anger. Where this anger comes from, I do not know. Perhaps its frustrating to know you fell for the diabolical lie that abortion is not murder and you have a right to kill babies. Perhaps it comes from being told to man up and face the consequences of your choices. Maybe your afraid to surrender to fate. Maybe its guilt from a past abortion or being accessory to one.

Whatever it is, it is a definite sign of the conflict that exists on the other side, the struggle between individual conscience and Satan, as he fights for Souls to drag with him to eternal damnation. That struggle can be so despairing. It can manifest itself in middle fingers, cussing out opponents and nonsensical theories on abortion.

There is hope though. As long as you are breathing, you have a chance. You are never too far gone for Christ to help you. You can take all that makes you weary to him and he will take care of it. He will heal your pains if only you let him. It may not feel good at first, but in time it will. He cares (and so do we) about your life just as much as he cares about the unborn. He wants you to have a full life. So leave your anger and surrender your life to Christ, to truth and goodness.

Categories: America | Tags: , , ,

Collective Or Emergent

Posted on October 21, 2010 by DN

I was walking through Steven’s Hall today and I started thinking about my Physiological Ecology course I took last semester and began mulling over the idea of collective and emergent properties. Collective properties are physiological things that add together and that’s it. You get what you expect. For instance, if you take five fingers and some palm bones, you can put them together like a puzzle and get something that looks like a hand. You expect that from the pieces you have. Emergent properties are physiological properties that are more than the collection that is its make up. For instance, thought is an emergent property. If you look at nerves, and the way that electrical signals are triggered and sent, you would expect an electrical signal powerhouse to be what the brain can do. But in reality, you put those nerves together, you get rational thought, creativity, feelings, emotions, the ability to communicate with other beings.

I started thinking that Catholic theology is much like an emergent property, and many other Christian theologies tend to fall closer to being collective. For instance, if you took all of the verses in Scripture separately and laid them out on the table, you wouldn’t really be able to see the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. However, once you put the basics together, you build up to it, its an emergent property. When you piece together what is required to atone for sins, when you piece together where we receive our human nature from, when you piece together who Jesus would need to be in order to atone for our sins, when you think about where Jesus received his human nature from, when you think about how his human nature would need to be perfect, you see that the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin is not only possible, but is the only logical conclusion. The property emerges and is greater than the sum of the parts.

This is where the depth of the Catholic Faith comes from. It’s not a simple, “accept Jesus” now you’re “saved forever” deal. Faith and Truth goes much deeper than what one sees at first glance. Our Faith is more than the sum of the parts. Water + “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” becomes regeneration of the Soul. A man and a woman professing vows and commitment become an image, an icon, of the love of the Most Holy Trinity. Simple bread and wine with a specific prayer said by a priest becomes the Flesh and Blood of Christ. The parts are all there, the Truths and beliefs are founded solidly on these individual parts, but if you take the parts separately and at their face value, you will not see the wonderful reality behind them when its all put together.

 

Categories: Miscellanea | Tags:

Jericho

Posted on October 20, 2010 by DN

Now Jericho was shut up from within and from without because of the sons of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given into your hand Jericho, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets or rams’ horns before the ark; and on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout  with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man before him.” So Joshua, the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets or rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.” And he said to the people, “Go forward; march around the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.”

On the seventh day they rose early at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times; it was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout; for the Lord has given you the city. And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction.”

Joshua 6:1-7, 15-17a

While praying at the abortion mill tonight I was present in the birth of a new plan, a plan that was actually tried, and succeeding in closing three other abortion mills in North Dakota. The idea is to have a Jericho march, in which we will march around the block seven times, or something to that effect, and let God do the rest. This has been tried at all the other abortion facilities in North Dakota, and none of them exist any longer. It’s never been tried at the one remaining facility. Nobody seemed to know why. The excitement that quickly grew among the few of us there was unbelievable. We have eleven days to organize this march, which will take place on October 31, the last day of 40 Days for Life. When I say we, I mean that I kind of got thrust into the position of gathering students to take part from the Newman Center. As far as I know it will be me, Fr. LaCroix, and a woman from another parish kind of piecing this thing together.

You have no idea how excited I am for this, and we pray really hard that God will use this weak little, last ditch effort to work through us, to end this disgusting, vile, barbaric, uncivilized, brutal, inhumane, degrading, horrific, genocidal, slaughter of innocents that is taking place in the supposed land of the free, the United States of America.

Categories: America, Miscellanea | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

That One Where I’m Sad

Posted on October 19, 2010 by DN

So I have a friend who was raised Catholic, went to Catholic high school, and then got to college. At about the same time I was on the upward hill to the Truth, my friend began his exit and assimilation into the same group from which I came. It’s sad and disappointing for me to say the least, but its not a foreign or strange event, it happens all the time.

I’ve tried so many times to bring him home. I’ve stopped short at nothing. I’ve given him every resource, I’ve explained every theological issue to the best of my ability. I’ve shared my testimony, my reasoning, and plain logic. I’ve had him on the threshold of the Church, within arm’s length of the Confessional and Holy Communion, only to seem to lose all my ground. I’ve had him gung-ho for my Bible Study only to decide he’d rather spend his time at the trendy, recently planted, non-denominational church downtown. I’ve prayed countless rosaries for him, holy hours, our fathers, memorares, simple on-my-knees prayers for him. Still, no committed move to return to the Truth.

Tonight was my chance, I thought. We had Mass on campus, and it was scheduled right next door to Cru and scheduled to begin right after Cru was done. How much more convenient could it have gotten for him to come. I invited him, and he said he would do all he could to be there. I offered my Holy Hour for him today. He didn’t come. I guess in my heart of hearts I knew he wouldn’t. I’ve come to accept that I can’t do anything for him. The only thing I have left is prayer. I have to lay his heart in God’s hands and hope he does something. In my human estate, its hard to see him returning because he’s been close and seems to be walking away. I don’t get it, when I look at the sound theology and when I look at the testimony of the lives of the Saints and the Martyrs. When I see the wealth of spiritual treasures the Church has, I cannot fathom what is going through his mind. And that’s why I’m sad.I didn’t fail, but I feel like I did. And that makes me sad.

Categories: Miscellanea

@#!& H8

Posted on October 18, 2010 by DN

This video was so well done, so factually based, that I couldn’t resist the arguments. I mean if the Catholics had put together a video like this about 5 years ago, I’d become Catholic so much sooner!

Beware, this video contains a lot of bleeps, a lot of angry people who are not mature enough to put together a cohesive thought unless the F-Bomb is in it, at least two gay make-outs, and lots of intelligent reasoning.

P.S. I was being sarcastic. This did nothing to change my mind, but only reinforced that the other side has no real argument, and so must resort to emotional cussing because the have a vendetta against the world and those of us who believe that morality and truth are not relative to feelings, desires, and hormones.

Thanks to The American Catholic for this video.

Categories: America | Tags: , , , , ,

Quieted is My Soul

Posted on October 18, 2010 by DN

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a child quieted at its mother’s breast;
like a child that is quieted is my soul.

O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and for evermore.

Psalm 131

This is the attitude I think I need to have with discernment. I can’t figure this out on my own. Only God can figure out my life, and only God can tell me the answer. I am sick of all the logical thinking, the reasoning. I can’t piece it together. I need God to tell me and I need him to tell me in his time, not mine. All I can do is offer it to the Lord and let him tell me. I’ll keep my eyes focused on what I can do, and leave the rest to him.

Categories: Miscellanea | Tags: ,

In Her Are All Our Hopes and Dreams

Posted on October 18, 2010 by DN

Mary. Mary. Quite Contrary.

Mary is contrary to the typical human being, for in her, from the moment of her first existence, she embodies all of our hopes and fears. Hopes for happiness, for blessing, for perfection, for sinlessness. Fears that God has more in store for us than we could ever desire, fears that he might ask us to be different, to be great, to be unique.

In her is a gentleness, a compassion that can only come from God. In her is perfect motherly love, for she was the perfect mother to the perfect child. This love is available to Christians today. In her is a warrior. She alone among mere men is a complete and total enemy of Satan. She alone can look into the eyes of Satan and have no fear. She walked in the shadow of death, the shadow of her Son’s Cross and she felt no fear. She is more than willing and able to protect us in our moments of tribulation and trial. In her is a will so caught up in the divine that it is impossible to distinguish the two. She desires what Jesus desires. Jesus desires your salvation. Mary desires your salvation. Jesus desires for you to be one with him. Mary desires that you be one with him. Jesus desires your purity, your obedience, your love. Mary desires your purity, your obedience, your love.

Mary was the first to experience the coming of the Kingdom when Jesus first kicked in his womb. All the waiting and expecting came first to Mary, then to us. She was the first shoulder he laid his head on. Hers were the lips that kissed his scrapes and bruises. Hers were tears that were shed at loosing track of him at the Temple. Her hands were the hands that were folded in prayer over him day and night. She shared in his burden, knowing what must take place for only Son.

And this is why Mary is a fitting woman, a gracious and wonderful intercessor, guide, and counselor. Christ is only closer to the other two Persons of the Trinity. After that, it is Mary, from whom he received his human nature. And so we can pray with confidence to her, that she will hear us, pray for us, and do anything that she can to help us, her people, Christ’s people.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Categories: Miscellanea | Tags: ,

About Love

Posted on October 15, 2010 by DN

I’m going back over some stuff I wrote a LONG time ago, sophomore year to be exact. What I wrote here was originally written with a certain girl in mind. That girl is long gone from my life, and is married, actually. But the words seem to re-echo in my life, as they seem to apply now to the Church, the Bride, and my relationship with her.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is what inspired this:

I need to be patient. We won’t always be on the same page.
I need to be kind to her.
I need to not be jealous, for she will be mind and I will be hers.
I need not boast because I can do nothing to bring us together. It is the Lord who does that.
I need not be proud, for what we have is not built by us, but by God.
I need not be rude. Disagreements can be solved peaceably and kindly.
I need not be self-seeking. It is not what I can give her or what I can get from her, but what we can do to glorify God.
I need to get angered. We are both human and we will make mistakes.
I will keep no record of wrongs.
I will not delight in evil. I will respect her in all decency.
I will protect her, trust her, hope in her, and persevere through troubles.

It is amazing to me at how this really does speak about my relationship to the people of God and the imagery of the Church being a Bride, a woman. I will love the Church as Christ loves her.

Categories: Miscellanea | Tags:

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