It's likely I won't get to blog much tommorow.
Fr. Drew has requested that a group of volunteers help with the books over at the soon-to-be-officially-established National Newman Library tommorow, and there is, of course, no way I'd miss that. I'll probably be helping to catalog from right after the 10 am Mass until about 3 pm or longer, which means no library time and no computer time. Sorry the blogging has been so spotty this week !

Forget Daytona Beach
Fr. Joseph and Fr. Michael are away . Why ? They are leading a bunch of the students on the Spring Break Pilgrimage to Rome. Eight days, including day trips to Assisi and Florence.
Now I don't grudge the kids their opportunity, but why, oh why did the first of these happen years after I graduated ? ....sigh....

Silly quiz time...




What's Your Movie Dream Car?

by Auto Glass America

I admit, I was gunning for this result. I saw the original movie about five times when it came out in theaters. The sequels, however, ...shudder...

Thanks to Michelle for the link.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him....
Since I was ill, I did not get to post on the death of Fred Rogers yesterday. I'm a Pittsburgher, which means my local newspapers have lots of coverage here and here . The link to the official website for Fred McFeely Rogers is here .
My favorite characters from the show as a child ? Henrietta Pussycat and X the Owl .

No, I didn't drop off the face of the earth....
I just got sick. Stuffiness, slight fever, coughing, and a total lack of energy kept me home, and thus away from the library computers, since Monday. I'm still not feeling great, but at least now I've got enough energy to get out of the apartment.

I hold no brief for PETA
but it is discouraging that a network is trying to boost its ratings by subjecting animals to unnecessary degradation . At least when people degrade themselves on television, it's usually with their own consent.
I also resent the fact that Fear Factor made picking up domestic rats a test of courage, as if they were some type of dangerous wild beast. Even worse, apparently a lot of these ill-informed contestants picked up the baby rats by the tip of the tail. This is painful, and can lead to 'skinning' , in which the skin rips off of the tail, leaving it a bloody mess which has to be amputated to prevent infection. One of my rats accidentally injured her tail, and about half of it had to be amputated. It was traumatic for both of us, and ever since then hearing about people who pick up rats by the tail makes me angry.
Now if we were talking, say, puppies or kittens, it never would have happened....

I would ask for prayers...
for our newest priest, Fr. Michael, since this is his 30th birthday. I normally note only namedays and ordination anniversaries, but since hitting 30 is generally considered to be something of a milestone, I thought I would mention it. Ad multos annos !

Lane Core
once again has a great set of links to sermons by the Venerable.

Went to a talk last night after Vespers...
given by Fr. Mark Gruber, O.S.B. I've mentioned him before, and blogged a column he wrote some years back. Fr. Gruber is, obviously, a Benedictine monk and priest. He is also an anthropologist. Yes, I know that sounds like an odd combination, but it works very well. The topic was "The Role of Complementary Sexuality in the Revelation of Christian Faith."
I can't give a proper summary here, but I must say, if anybody has a chance to hear this priest speak, do. Here's a few highlights from Fr.'s talk. These are, of course, subject to my less-than-perfect memory, and any screw-ups are most probably mine.
"Since God has become man, one could look at anthropology as a branch of divine science."
"The secular West treats sexuality as something trival and incidental, and thus has no qualms about trying to flatten out the differences. Thus we give males Ritalin at a certain age, to get rid of masculine rambunctiousness, and females contraceptives at a certain age, to get rid of feminine fertility."
" The biblical account does not say He made them rational and intelligent. It does not say He made them free and spontaneous, or emotional and expressive. All of those things are important, but they are not stressed in that first account of Creation. What the biblical account does say is that He made them, male and female. "

Afraid I've got to disagree a bit on this one
The blogger over at Aliens in This World posted a list of people who should be made saints . (Direct link not working-some scrolling may be necessary) I have no quarrel with the beati, and I wouldn't mind Chesterton . I know very little about Mr. Lafferty, so I have no opinion on him. However, much as love the Professor, I seriously doubt he'd be in the canonizable category.

Ok, what gives ?
My archives for 2/02 through 2/15 are not working. I tried republishing, and it did not help. Anybody have a suggestion ?

Music at noon Mass
Processional Hymn: "Holy, Holy, Holy"
Offertory: "Lord, We Beseech Thee" - Adrian Batten (1591-1637)
Communion: "O Sacrum Convivium" - Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)
Recessional Hymn: "Father, We Thank Thee Who Has Planted"