Celebrate in Song, a look-again

A comment on my post about the Celebrate in Song from the CCB, from joflynn says....

          With all do respect, Fr Angeles has a VERY small parish in Manitoba, organist, guitarist and 6 voices and they were able to learn it; modifications can be made, be a little more open minded. Remember, in order for the church to have a future, the youth have to become interested and I believe this will work to draw more people to mass!

I didn't know the Fr Angeles had a small Parish, and I appreciated this comment, as when I re-read the post I realised I sounded like a snotty little brat. No seriously! Although I dislike the new settings of the Mass which are published in CiS, I do think I was too harsh and snotty. I think they are mostly unsuitable for the Mass, but as I have now learnt from my own diocese, Parishes have no other choice but to use Celebrate in Song, well in my diocese anyways.

Truth is, I was expecting something different and more "sway around the fire-like" from the CCCB. Instead, we received one with electric guitars, which is most CERTAINLY not suitably for the Holy Sacrifice. And, we got two good ones.

The one by Michael Guimont, admittedly is my favourite, but re-listening, next in line is the one by Fr Angeles. I do not dislike the setting by Fr Angeles, it's just I fail to see how a parish with an organ and not a piano would be able to play it?

The Mass is the unbloody re-enactment of Calvary, and I think, as do most, that electric guitars, drums and synthesizers are unacceptable.

WHY can't we just use the ICEL chants? They're easy to sing in a parish setting, and they are Mass - appropriate!

Abolish heterosexism!

Next I am changing my header. But, don't you think the blog is more readable now? I am completely Amish when it comes to computers, so please forgive any spits and scats it will make the next few days.

Ah, well on a more sad note, I have this depressing and quite sickening news from Ontario....

LifeSiteNews.com has obtained a copy of a letter signed by Chris D’Souza, director of Harmony Movement, which was apparently sent to all of Ontario’s Catholic school trustees at the beginning of September. The letter promotes Harmony Movement’s brand of “diversity education” that aims to equip students and teachers in the “fight” against “heterosexism.”
The Harmony Movement program, he said, is a tool for promoting “equity and inclusive education,” “student leadership,” and “youth empowerment.”
“Your support in passing on this program information to your schools, principals, and other interested parties would be greatly appreciated,” wrote D’Souza in the letter.
D’Souza shocked Catholics and pro-family activists earlier this year when he openly proclaimed his support for same-sex “marriage” as an invited speaker for a consultation meeting with parents of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), on the topic of the board’s Equity & Inclusive Education policy.
At the meeting, D’Souza told parents and ratepayers that if one of his children turned out to be “gay,” he would “proudly walk them down the aisle and put their hand in the hand of whoever they fall in love with.”
It was also at this meeting that he interpreted gay ‘marriage’ as a “law” enforced by the human rights commission to protect sexual orientation against discrimination, saying that those who objected to this should “move to another country.”

Rest of the article is here on LifeSite
How ridiculous. This is pure stupidity!

A new look

How do you like the new look?

Abortion debate REOPENED!

Laddies and lassies! The House of Commons has decided to reopen the abortion debate!
 This, from the CBC....

The Conservative government has been apathetic about abortion and should be more moderate, Conservative MP Brad Trost {Remember him? He was the one who spearheaded the movement to defund PP} says.
On Wednesday, he said the government's decision to provide funding to the International Planned Parenthood Federation for sex education and contraception programs has reopened the abortion debate. The Saskatchewan MP is opposed to abortion and opposes funding for Planned Parenthood because the group provides abortions where the service is legal.
Speaking to CBC's Evan Solomon, host of Power & Politics, Trost said the government should "take a position that's at least moderate, rather than the extreme left position that we're taking."
"I don't think the government takes an actively left-wing position, but the government has taken an apathetic position toward it, and I don't feel that's appropriate. I feel that it's a civil rights issue that needs to be addressed," Trost said.
......{skipped a bit}

"Prime Minister Harper is always very fair. While he probably won't be exactly thrilled with what I'm saying, they do understand there's differences of opinion in the caucus on this issue," he said. {The Conservative Party, in itself, is pro-family and pro-life. It's leader and certain MP's though, well.....you get the point}

NDP International Co-operation critic Hélène Laverdière said there isn't a huge debate in Canada over abortion, but the debate seems to be raging inside the Conservative Party.
"The Tories have to tell us if they're ready to respect ... a woman's right to choose," she said. {A womans right to choose to kill a human being?}
"In Canada right now, women have the right to choose and we still don't understand why we would say that women in less developed countries wouldn't have the same right to choose as Canadian women," Laverdière added. {The NDP is official opposition. They are staunchly socialist, and staunchly pro-choice. They're the equivalent to the Labour Party}
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has consistently said he doesn't want to re-open the debate over abortion in Canada. {Well TOO BAD about it. He's going to have to listen and debate and he can fuss all he wants}
The issue arose last year when Harper announced maternal and child health would be a focus of the Canadian-hosted G8 meeting in Muskoka, and again last April when Trost said Planned Parenthood had been "de-funded" as a result of petitions by anti-abortion groups.
Last week, CBC News reported the Conservative government would give Planned Parenthood $6 million for sex education and contraception projects in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Mali, Sudan and Tanzania.
The group's funding ran out in 2009, and the Canadian International Development Agency didn't respond to its 2009 or 2010 requests for financial support.

In a statement posted on his website Wednesday afternoon, Trost says Canada's anti-abortion movement must be more aggressive.
"Many, many Conservative MPs pressed the [prime minister's office] to stop the funds from flowing," Trost wrote on his website. "Federal funding did stop for a time. Funds allocated to IPPF were considerably reduced. Furthermore, federal grants for IPPF also had more strings attached. {The Conservative Party has more pro-life MP's than any other party in the House of Commons.}
"This only happened because of the pressure applied. This was a real victory.
"Pro-life politicians have been taught a lesson. The government only responds to pro-life issues and concerns when we take an aggressive stance. We will apply this lesson."
MPs started asking quietly in 2006 for the funding to be pulled, Trost writes, but they were ignored because they asked politely behind closed doors. Trost says the campaign went public in 2009 and that's when they saw results.
In April, International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda said Planned Parenthood was eligible for funding as long as they fit the criteria her agency had set out. The government said the money allotted for maternal and child health projects was not to be used for abortion funding.

Full story here...
It's about bloody time! This legal slaughter has been going on for too long, one day is too long. But all these years?

Canada traditionally has been a conservative country, focussed on the family. Well, ever since the 60's and 70's, even the conservatives (small-c) have liberalised.

PRAY! St Joseph is Canada's Patron Saint.

On Sinead O'Connor

So, Sinead O'Connor wants the Pope to be shot should he go to the lovely land of Ireland?

Excuse, but despite what's going on does she realise she's living in a Catholic country?

Need I also mention she thinks that she is "ordained" in the Irish Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church, which is an utterly heretical group, but which does not advocate murder?

She calls herself a pacifist, so why would she want ANYONE shot, regardless of who they are?

She has also stated that she believes everyone goes to Heaven, which we know is false, but if she believes this then why does she call the Pope and the Cardinals and Bishops and the Hierarchy in the Vatican a "nest of devils"?

She just contradicted herself.

Thanks to Fr Z

And his interesting observation!

His Holiness wore a stole with the Papal Tiara atop his coat of arms into the Lutheran cathedral in Germany. Luther despised the authority of Peter.

He also wore a stole belonging to Pope Leo XIII, who condemned and proclaimed that Anglican orders were null and absolutely invalid, when he visited Westminster Abbey.

I love the Holy Father's silent way of telling them they're wrong and that we are right!

So much for Conservative

Here we see a fine example of how Harper has abandoned his own party. He, is a member of the Conservative party, whose actual platform is pro-family, and truly conservative (High Tory). Well, Harper is not pro-family, nor are the better half of the party's Members of Parliament. Today I have this little jewel for you.

LifeSiteNews.com - After a leaked report Thursday morning indicated that Canada was about to refund the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the Canadian government has confirmed that they awarded a grant late Thursday to the abortion organization, the world’s largest abortion provider.

[...]

“Late yesterday, International Planned Parenthood Federation was informed that its application for funding has been approved under the Maternal, Newborns and Child Health commitment,”[imagine, under the Maternal, Newborns and Child Health commitment. Isn't this was IPPG is against?] Justin Broekema, press secretary for the Minister of International Cooperation Bev Oda, told LifeSiteNews Friday.

The statement confirms a CBC report from Thursday morning, which revealed that IPPF will receive $6 million over the next three years towards work related to sex education and contraception in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Mali, Sudan, and Tanzania. [what a malicious intent!]

IPPF had not received funding from Canada since the end of 2009 after a petition campaign by Saskatchewan MP Brad Trost.

Trost told LifeSiteNews Friday that he stands by his previous statements on the issue and will be releasing a more detailed statement sometime next week.  “My views, my position, my stance has not wavered one inch,” he said.

During the election season in April, Trost publicly announced that Planned Parenthood was “defunded,” and said it was an “absolute disgrace” that Planned Parenthood would get even “one penny of Canadian taxpayers dollars.” [how very true!]

International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda responded by saying that IPPF would receive funding if the application met their criteria under the government’s G8 maternal and child health initiative.  

“If Planned Parenthood submits an application that falls within the government’s parameters for the G8 Muskoka Initiative, there will be funding,” she said in a statement.

The Pope in Germany

The importance of Priests

It is a Priests duty, and it should be his honour to preach the gospel of Christ, unto all people. It is a Priests privilege, duty, and honour to transform  ordinary bread and wine into the very Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our dear Saviour. It is a Priests duty to let the teachings of God's only church known unto the world. Every Priest knows this, for it's what is taught in seminaries. Not only is this a privilege, honour and duty, but a great JOY!

It is not a Priests job to intentionally misinterpret a passage in the Sacred Scriptures, so to not offend his Parishioners, and if his parishioners are angry at him for saying homosexual acts gravely sinful, well then I think the parish better get a new catechesis director, or go join the United Church of Canada's praise group down the road.

Priests have to put up with a lot. Most every day, some anti-Catholic [tries to] reigns terror over the holy Agents of God. For an orthodox, good Priest to go to a new, liberal parish and try to explain and preach the Truths revealed to us by God without Miss Bra-burner at the back pew giving him a hypothetical slap across the face for saying abortion is a sin and can result in excommunication. It is a grace for the Priest to correct this.

My point is, PRAY FOR PRIESTS! Our Blessed Mother rejoices when one of her children decides to enter the Holy Priesthood. Her Immaculate Heart triumphs over the evils of Satan, as another fine lad leaves the world. Mary, Mother of the Church weeps when one of her Priests leaves the Church teaching at the parish footstep, and preaches the "there is no truth" sermon a lot of us have to bear through every Sunday.

Pray to Our Lady, and pray a alot.

Pray to your patron Saint, and pray to St John Vianney patron of Priests, as he also weeps to hear one of his spiritual children preach a straw homily.

Pray, for God's Priests!

A thought for today!

We have often heard the term "what they don't know, won't hurt them". I hate it! It's not true. Doing something behind someones back, is will hurt them. First of all, it hurts you, because more than likely, what you've done is sinful, and you have offended God most High. Second of all it's gossip, so there's another sin to add to your list. Thirdly, the person of which you've went behind will eventually find out.


Just a though for today....

How to make a mistake...

I don't understand how some "Christians" can misinterpret passages in the Sacred Scriptures, so twisted just to suit their own beliefs. How could you misinterpret the civil law against stealing, to just mean stealing candy?

Feast of Our Lady of LaSalette

Dana Scallon for Ireland

Big news! Dana Scallon, the singer, is returning to politics to run for the President of St Patrick's dear land. I have this for you, from RTE:

Dana Rosemary Scallon has announced her intention to seek a nomination for the Presidential election.
Speaking in Dublin she said she was asking the members of the Oireachtas to run as an independent candidate.
She would not divulge who was backing her but said she had some backers.
Speaking on RTÉ's Six One News, the former MEP said it would be very, very important to get the support of Fianna Fáil TDs and Senators in order for her to secure a nomination for the Presidency.
She said she has the support of more than one independent Oireachtas member at this stage, but did not reveal how many supporters she had.
She said she has until 28 September to get the support and that while it was always difficult for an independent, the Oireachtas should open up the process for the Presidential election.

Dana is a good Catholic, more than willing to defend her faith. Bring back more Catholicity.

Read more here: http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0919/president.html

Common courtesy!

As you may know, I am on CAF (Catholic Answers Forum). It's a great place, the moderators are excellent. It's a nice place to have discussions and debates, or just a little fun here and there.

Though, since we have the "great advantage" of annonymity, that "great advantage" is often misused and abused. You can sign up, pick your username, and then post. Ah, every now and again, you get that one person who likes to go about parading as if they were the perfect sinless human!

I often see, so-called Catholics being rude to other members because they have done such-and-such a thing (innocently), and didn't know it was wrong or a sin, and then they're spit and screamed at for not knowing what they did was wrong.
Also, how much criticism of the Church do I see on it, by non-Catholic members. Usually, member as such as that get banned, and good for that. But, sometimes, repeat offenders go unnoticed.

My main point, is that if you wouldn't say something to someones face, DO NOT SAY IT ONLINE.

The Sorrows

Today is the feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.  The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, grants seven Graces to those who recite seven Hail Mary's, while meditation on her most precious tears and dolours.

Here is what she revealed to St Bridget of Sweden

1. I will grant peace to their families.
2. They will be enlightened about the divine mysteries.
3. I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work.
4. I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.
5. I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.
6. I will visibly help them at the moment of their death, they will see the face of their Mother.
7. I have obtained from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolours, will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son and I will be their eternal consolation and joy.

Here is a website, that shall help you meditate on the Sorrows

The future of Sacred Music

You all know how much I, and most others hate the contemporary "praise songs" and "hymns" which composers think is suitable for the Holy Mass. Like Carey Landry, Haas, Haugen, etc... well, hopefully with the new translation, that shall disappear. No, it won't. Haugen has composed the Storrington Mass, which is an utter musical and liturgical disaster which I wouldn't want to even hear in an evangelical United Church evening service. Well, it seems that there ARE good contemporary composers of sacred music. Why wouldn't there be? Well, I would like to spread notice of the opening of the Blessed John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music, at none other than the Birmingham Oratory. I firmly believe, we shall see nothing but good, sacred, beautiful music, which is extremely appropriate for the Mass, surface.
http://www.oratorymusic.org.uk/

Preamble

 

PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!

Interview of Archbishop Fellay after his meeting with the CDF 

An Honour upon the Archbishop of Westminster

God Bless Him, he deserves it.

 

"In case you hadn't noticed..."

Pyjama Mass

If you're going out to a fancy dinner, or to a fancy party, you wouldn't normally go ABC (anything but clothes). A nice evening suit for the gentlemen and the lads, and a nice pretty dress for the ladies and lasses. Right? You wouldn't go in just your bare essentials, or your pyjamas. You wouldn't go to the supermarket in those either. So why would you go to Mass in them!

I am so sad at the state of attire that people come to Mass in. I have seen young ladies and lads wearing pyjama-pants and a t-shirt. Then, going up to receive Our Lord, they text the whole way up, and then they just take Him in one hand and throw him in their mouth, and continue to text. I honestly can't figure out how fast they can move their fingers.

In the summer months especially, I have seen young ladies, wearing the most awful short-shorts and those tops without sleeves, and just strings. I have seen young men wearing  straggly-looking tore jeans, which are half-way down their legs, with a sleeveless t-shirt.

Who do I blame? Their parents. In most cases, children come to Mass with their parents, (because if they go on their own, in most cases they are dressed properly and know why they're there.). If parents let their children come before God himself veiled in that glorious host, what does that say about that family's understanding of the Holy Eucharist. What does that say for the family's catechesis? A lot. It says they have none.

Parents ARE in charge of what their children wear, they are the ones who buy them. Even if children buy their own clothes, a Mother of Father should be with them to make sure the clothes they choose are proper and modest. That they cover up the body, and aren't too flashy.

But, we must remember the Mass is the Mass. It's not a social interaction time, or time to dance. Nor is it a party. It's the greatest form of prayer upon Earth. It's when we receive the most glorious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our dear a blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ. It's a solemn (or should be) occasion (could it be called that.) It's the unbloody re-enactment of Calvary! Why wouldn't we dress in our best for that! If you were to meed God face-to-face, would you wear pyjamas? No, so why would you when you meet him in the Eucharist, which is his very flesh and body.

The Highest Priest after Christ

Swimming the royal Tibre!

My favourite, non-Catholic, but Catholic protestant, ecclesial community in Canada, is coming into full communion with the one and only true Church!
Here is a message from the bishop of the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada!

The College of Bishops of the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada [ACCC] has submitted a short petition to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith [CDF], requesting that we proceed to the next step in setting up an Ordinariate in Canada.

As we stated in an accompanying message to our clergy, "Several compelling reasons have encouraged us to do so, even before Synod: "the Primate's tour across Canada enabled him to meet with some 4 to 5 times as many people as we might anticipate would be in attendance at Synod; and, his presentations have essentially accomplished that which we promised three years ago - that any response from Rome would be presented to the national churches of the Traditional Anglican Communion [TAC];

Hurrah! Please say a big, and long prayer for our soon-to-be brethren! 

Here's the full thing, with a picture of their petition to the CDF!   http://anglicancatholic.ca/bishlett/message.htm

Pray for Us, St Brother Andre!

Pray for Us, Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman!

 

Nativity of Mary

AVE MARIA! Today is the feast of the Nativity of the most Blessed Mother of God, the Mother of Salvation, Mother of the Church, the Queen of Heaven, Queen of the World. The Nativity of the spouse of the Holy Ghost. SALVE REGINA!

Great news!

The Visit of Pope Benedict XVI evoked for many people the spiritual reality of life and rekindled hope and faith: hope in the goodness that is within people and in our society, and faith in God. Even if it is not easily articulated, a spiritual yearning is to be found within most people. This yearning is found also among Catholics who have lost touch with their faith or whose faith was never deeply rooted in a personal relationship with Christ. Wishing to respond to this yearning but perhaps lacking in confidence in talking about their own spiritual life, many Catholics are asking how they can witness to their faith; what can they do to help introduce their faith in Christ to others in simple and straightforward ways?
The Bishops of England and Wales recognise that simple acts of witness, accompanied by sincere prayer, can be a powerful call to faith. Traditional Catholic devotions such as making the sign of the cross with care and reverence, praying the Angelus, saying a prayer before and after our meals, to name only a few, are straightforward actions which both dedicate certain moments in our daily lives to Almighty God and demonstrate our love and trust in His goodness and providence. If these devotions have been lost or even forgotten, particularly in our homes and schools, we have much to gain from learning and living them again.
The Bishops have looked again at the role of devotions and the practice of penance, both of which can help to weave the Catholic faith into the fabric of everyday life. Our regular worship at Holy Mass on Sunday, the day of the Lord’s resurrection, is the most powerful outward sign and witness of our faith in Jesus Christ to our family, friends and neighbours. Sunday must always remain at the heart of our lives as Catholics.
The Bishops also wish to remind us that every Friday is set aside as a special day of penitence, as it is the day of the suffering and death of the Lord. They believe it is important that all the faithful again be united in a common, identifiable act of Friday penance because they recognise that the virtue of penitence is best acquired as part of a common resolve and common witness.
The law of the Church requires Catholics on Fridays to abstain from meat, or some other form of food, or to observe some other form of penance laid down by the Bishops’ Conference. The Bishops have decided to re-establish the practice that this penance should be fulfilled simply by abstaining from meat and by uniting this to prayer. Those who cannot or choose not to eat meat as part of their normal diet should abstain from some other food of which they regularly partake.
This decision will come into effect from Friday 16 September 2011.

Emphasis mine, but this is wonderful news!


All read here :http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/Catholic-Church/Media-Centre/Press-Releases/Press-Releases-2011/Friday-Penance

Whenever you're in the mood...

http://www.sondanceministry.com/index.htm

High and Might Tones

I hate news articles, where the author is writing in a way, where they express their "logical" tone, you know, that strand of moral relativism? The "ain't I just so right?" sanctimonius discipline which has snuck into the piece. Well, here's an article just as such


I was at first surprised at the controversy and also by the use of the word “new” since to someone of my generation it seemed mostly a return to the old, pre-Vatican II form, which, though archaic, had a certain poetry. For instance, I welcome the return of the reply to the priest’s greeting “The Lord be with you .” {Clap clap clap clap!]
The reply “And with your spirit” has much more resonance than the post-Vatican II “And also with you.” – which sounds more like something you would say to a friend in the street. But there are plenty of other places where a return to the older phrasing is literally a step backward.
In the Creed, for instance, is “consubstantial with the Father” any better than “one in being”? It’s just less understandable. And “incarnate of the Virgin Mary”. Why not “born of”? It means exactly the same and means more to most people. Similarly, in the Sanctus, the phrase “Lord God of hosts” became “God of power and might” – a loose translation of the Hebrew “sabaoth” maybe,

Here's the full thing http://www.ucanews.com/2011/09/06/new-translation-muddies-linguistic-waters/ 

Liturgical hitmen...