Overheard in the Sacristy

Sr Joan Chittister OSB

U.S. Sisters in Crisis after Embracing “Secular Culture”: Vatican Cardinal By Hilary White

ROME, February 5, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Some religious orders in the U.S. and most western countries are in a state of “modern crisis” because the members of the order have embraced “secular culture” and abandoned traditional religious practices, the head of the Vatican’s office for religious life has said. …

Anybody got some chicken guts?

Foot hurts.

Saw orthopedic surgeon this morning.

Foot hurts.

Had another x-ray.

Foot hurts.

Waiting for insurance to authorize an “orthopedic appliance.” (Full-contact cast)

“You will be notified of the authorization status within 3-5 business days.”

Foot hurts.

Waiting for insurance to authorize a “specific procedure.” (CT scan)

“Please allow up to 7-10 working days for your procedure to be scheduled, as this can often be a lengthy process.”

Foot still hurts.

Somebody get me a bullet to bite, a shot of whiskey, and a sharp knife. Stat!

Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, may God preserve you from any disease or illness of the throat. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Blaise, who had studied philosophy in his youth, was a doctor in Sebaste in Armenia, the city of his birth, who exercised his art with miraculous ability, good-will, and piety. When the bishop of the city died, he was chosen to succeed him, with the acclamation of all the people. His holiness was manifest through many miracles: from all around, people came to him to find cures for their spirit and their body; even wild animals came in herds to receive his blessing. In 316, Agricola, the governor of Cappadocia and of Lesser Armenia, having arrived in Sebastia at the order of the emperor Licinius to kill the Christians, arrested the bishop. As he was being led to prison, a mother set her only son, choking to death of a fish-bone, at his feet, and the child was cured straight away. Regardless, the governor, unable to make Blaise renounce his faith, beat him with a stick, ripped his flesh with iron combs, and beheaded him. – E.-H. Vollet, Grande Encyclopédie

I’ve received the referral to an orthopedic surgeon. Headed to him a.s.a.p.

Pope Benedict XVI at Vespers for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican February 2, 2010.

NFL Football Players Support Tim Tebow, Pro-Life Super Bowl Ad With Mom

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) – Current and former football players are weighing in and they support the college football superstar and his family in their television commercial that will run during the Super Bowl. Focus on the Family has purchased time for an ad that will focus on how Tebow’s mother Pam refused to have an abortion.

Pam Tebow was pregnant with Tim Tebow when she was on a missions trip to the Philippines and when she took heavy medication after getting dysentery her doctor suggested an abortion because the drugs could harm the baby.

She refused and Tebow has gone on to win the Heisman Trophy and lead the Florida Gators to a national championship.

As Baptist Press indicates, Christian players interviewed at the Pro Bowl expressed strong support for Tebow’s family and the ad.

David Garrard, quarterback for the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars, applauded Tebow for standing up for his convictions.

“I applaud him for standing up for what he believes,” he said. “More people, more athletes should do the same.”

David Akers, a kicker for the Philadelphia Eagles, added that he is “definitely pro-life,” had adopted a child and he supports the ad and its support for unborn children.

“They have a life,” Akers said according to BP, “and if you take that away, that’s pretty cruel. If you get into the politics of what should and shouldn’t happen, I’m definitely biblically based. I think that’s creation and we shouldn’t harm it.”

Heath Miller, a tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers said he appreciates how the ad, which will have the tag Celebrating Life, Celebrating Family, encourages people.

“I think Tim has every right to use every stage to tell people what he believes,” Miller said, according to BP. “He’s a football player, he can relay what he believes just as much as anyone else can.”

Seeing football players supporting the pro-life cause is nothing new.

More than two decades ago, members of the New York Giants recorded a video called Champions for Life and players on the 1987 Super Bowl champion team Phil Simms and Mark Bavaro stood up for life.

And pro-life Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner taped a television commercial for pro-life advocates in Missouri who were fighting a ballot initiative to promote killing unborn children for their stem cells for dubious research.

Oreo had a very nice bath several weeks ago. He has mellowed a bit in his old age, so he no longer tries to climb out of the bathtub as I scrub the dirt off him. He usually huffs and puffs, but this time not a sound was heard. Well, this morning he got his revenge after 10 years worth of baths. In a hurry I picked up his shampoo by mistake and lathered up. “Hmmm,” I thought. “This is different,” I said to myself. [Duh.] Well, at least now I’m flea and tick free!

I think I need to go for a walk.

“Priests can rightly be expected to be present in the world of digital communications as faithful witnesses to the Gospel, exercising their proper role as leaders of communities which increasingly express themselves with the different ‘voices’ provided by the digital marketplace. Priests are thus challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources (images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites) which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue, evangelization and catechesis.” – Pope Benedict XVI | January 23, 2010

VATICAN CITY, 1 FEB 2010 (VIS) – Pope Benedict’s general prayer intention for February is: “That by means of sincere search for the truth scholars and intellectuals may arrive at an understanding of the one true God”.

His mission intention is: “That the Church, aware of her own missionary identity, may strive to follow Christ faithfully and to proclaim His Gospel to all peoples”.

Benedict XVI has met with the judges and lawyers from the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, the Vatican tribunal that decides marriage annulments. The pope has asked to encourage couples to stay married and seek reconciliation.

The pope has also recalled the judgments of invalidity must respect the truth and justice of the facts and that they shouldn’t summit to societal pressure.
In particular, he said that all marriages are valid until proven otherwise. And that marital difficulties are not reasons to seek an annulment.
Apart from the grounds of marriage annulments, the Rota is the highest court of appeal for the Holy See. It is also responsible for judging the Church directly under the pope, like bishops and superiors of religious orders.

Pope Benedict XVI poses with judges to mark the start of the judiciary year of the Sacra Rota at the Vatican January 29, 2010.

The Apostolic Tribunal of the Roman Rota (in Latin, Tribunal Apostolicum Rotae Romanae), for hundreds of years also called the Sacred Roman Rota, is the highest appellate tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church, with respect to the vast majority of its Latin Rite members and several of the Eastern Catholic Churches and is the second-highest ecclesiastical court constituted by the Holy See. The Catholic Church has a complete legal system, which is the oldest legal system still in use today. The court is named Rota (wheel) because the judges, called auditors, originally met in a round room to hear cases.

I took a giant leap of faith today. I submitted my deposit for a pilgrimage to Rome to celebrate the conclusion of the Year for Priests with the Holy Father on June 11, 2010. It is a leap of faith because I have cracked open my piggy bank for the $800 needed to reserve a place not knowing from where the balance will come. Many thanks to those who have contributed to this effort via the Paypal button on the sidebar, and those who have clicked the Google advertisements. The total cost will be about $3000.

The itinerary begins by leaving Chicago, IL on Monday, June 7, arriving in Rome on Tuesday with accommodations at Hotel Cardinal. We will concelebrate Holy Mass with Cardinal Leveda before a welcome dinner at the hotel.

On Wednesday, June 9 after Morning Prayer at the hotel, we will gather at St. Paul Outside the Walls for Vatican-sponsored prayer, conference, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Penance and Holy Mass. The theme for the day is “Conversion and Mission.” Organized sightseeing trips* are planned for the afternoon.

The theme for Thursday, June 10 is “The Cenacle: the invocation of the Holy Spirit in union with Mary and fraternal communion.” The venue will be St. Mary Major. The day will follow the same as schedule as Wednesday morning.

That evening we will join Pope Benedict XVI at St. Peter’s Basilica for Vespers.

On Friday, June 11 we will again gather at St. Peter’s for the culminating event, “With Peter, In Ecclesial Communion” where will concelebrate the Mass with the Holy Father.

Organized sightseeing trips* are planned after Morning Prayer on Saturday, June 12. In the early afternoon, we will concelebrate the Eucharist with Cardinal Foley, then on to the Via Appia Antica for a banquet celebrating the Year for Priests.

*I hope to make it to the Scavi Tour under St. Peter’s and the excavations at the Basilica of San Clemente

Sunday, June 13: time to head back to the States.

Whew! I’m tired. A “good” tired!

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