Habemus Papem!

Woohoooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Oh I love it! The smoke, the bells, the eager anticipation... then the name Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Oh that man is so precious! And, did I mention brilliant?!?!? Praise Jesus, He gave us a new Shepherd in a very short period of time, one that we know was close to JPII and is absolutely faithful to Christ's word.

In case you watched CNN with a terrible translator (even I could pick out some words she missed) here's what he said:

Dear Brothers and Sisters: After the great Pope, John Paul II, the Lord Cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble worker in the Lord's vineyard. I am consoled by the fact that the Lord is able to work and act with insufficient instruments and, above all, I rely on your prayers. In the joy of the risen Lord, confident of his permanent help, let us go forward. The Lord will help us. Mary, his Most Holy Mother, is on our side. Thank you. * * * [Translation by ZENIT]

Alleluia!

Viva il Papa!

You don't become a saint...

on your own.

Very simple statement, right? Very "duh"... and yet, it was so important that I was reminded of that. It can be easy to just get caught up in your own life, especially when you're young, single, and in school. You have to study- alone- and you're not really accountable to anyone as far as the rest of your time goes. At JPII, we have awesome students but it seems sometimes that our minds are so tired from studying God that we don't take the time out to talk about Him personally with each other.

Last monday, I sat with two CUA wretches for a long while and just talked. It brought such life back into my heart, and gave me profound peace and joy. We need each other! There was not a word said about how long any of us spend in prayer with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, but I left convicted to spend more. Not a word about people we struggle to love, yet I left knowing I wanted to love them better. An hour or 2 with a couple holy girls, and they reminded me that I want to be a saint! Do not settle for mediocrity!!!! Our HF always said that. That's a real choice, right there. Do you want to go to church, pray, attempt to love and serve, or do you want to be fully present at mass, pray without ceasing and without counting minutes, love and serve your neighbor next to you and your brother on the street equally? I fail at this every single day. I will probably fail every day of my life. But Jesus wants us to be saints, and He will not leave us on our own. We can choose to shut Him out, but He will always be calling us to "become what you are."

We all need a community... If religious, it has to be an order that you can entrust your soul to! If married, the man you marry has to be able to guide your soul to heaven! These are not small details. While the wretches are waiting, we should be establishing these criteria. Be careful with your heart! Keep your eyes on the future- the eschatological future- and see all things as they are in eternity. Our lives go by in the blink of an eye, and in the end, what matters? Were you faithful? Did you love? To be granted the grace to gaze forever at the face of God, to be at the wedding feast of the Lamb and united in love to all who came before or after you who loved... what else could possibly matter? (except bringing as many souls with you as possible!)

I don't know if anyone reads this, but if anyone out there has any advice for the wretches, in terms of waiting, discernment, patience, or qualities to look for before marriage, please post it!

Wow.

Ignoring the imperfections of others, preserving silence and a continual communion with God will eradicate great imperfections from the soul and make it the possessor of great virtues.
~San Juan de la Cruz

St. Joe Novena

Interrupting this Lenten sacrifice for an important announcement:

All of the wretches are called to join in a novena to St. Joseph, beginning on March 10th to end on his feast day, March 19th. On the feast day, perhaps we could all meet at the Shrine for mass and celebrate after!

Here's the one we used last year:
St. Joseph Novena

It's our first anniversary!!! Happily wretched for one year and counting...

What's in a Name?

"I've heard it said that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I never could bring myself to believe it. A rose simply couldn't smell as sweet if it were called a thistle or a skunk-cabbage." ~Anne of Green Gables

After a teensy bit of reflection, I have come to the brilliant conclusion (which I'm sure is clear to most people much earlier) that names are crucial. One is bound to start thinking about this when she knows a couple of expectant mothers and fathers. They are all "picking out names" for the child, trying them out with their last names, looking up saints and etymology and Greek roots and obscure fireflies. I've heard of a family who never picks any names until the child is born. The mother looks down at the child and says, "She looks like an Amanda." and that is that. Or the child may stay in the hospital for four days because he needs a name. And of course there is the question of whether they know if the baby is a boy or a girl, because if they don't, they're thinking of names for two very different realities.

A name forms us, challenges us, and gives us the first way to identify ourselves. There is a reason that oppressors assign numbers to people rather than names. A name expresses our humanity. It says that we have a history, family, and friends. If we go by a nickname, we probably take ourselves less seriously, or have a great-grandmother sort of name we do not think fits us. Some people "hate" their names and even go to lengths to change them. I wonder about the implications of that. Was it just a wrong fit from the start? How did the name become unrelated to the person it refers to? We also know people who, perhaps because we associate them with someone else, we always call the wrong name. "But he looks like a Brian to me," we say. If we want someone to feel at home, we use their name. There is something about hearing your own name that touches you. Whether it is in anger, fear, or joy, someone calling your name immediately has your attention. When you hear it in a crowd, even if you're sure you don't know anyone there, you turn around and search just in case. When you see the other person being greeted, you laugh and sheepishly think, "I thought she was talking to me."

Names have significance in the Sacraments as well. At Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, and Holy Orders, your name, or a name you have chosen, is used. In marriage, the couple uses their names in the vows. "I, ___, take you, ___" In the religious life, they receive new names, which show that they no longer belong to the world. There is a reason this change is hard to get used to... I still call them Caitlin, KellySue, Lindsay, Terry, Andy, and Natalie in my head, but they are now Faith, Lumen Christi, Divino Amore, Alexandra, Anna, and Regina Marie. I wonder when their names will really be them to me. I wonder if Peter's family still thought of him as Simon for a few years. Or if John Paul II is still Karol to anyone.

So while I'm waxing poetical here, might as well think about my own name and how I fail to live up to it!

Sara: Yeah, Old Testament! Here she is, faithful wife of Abraham who is sadly far gone past child-bearing years. Maybe starting to believe the neighbors who say this is a curse from God. But she was just doing her thing and granted that great desire. (yes, I'm skipping much)

Ann: St. Ann... a Jewish saint, when you consider that she probably died before Christ's public ministry. Ann and Joachim conceived the child God favored with singular grace and freedom from original sin. Ann must have known that her daughter was extraordinary. When Mary was pregnant, I do not think her mother ever doubted her.

Both of my names are Fiat-ish. Let it be done! Each of these women trusted completely in the Lord, and were steadfast in faith. Every day I should attempt to live up to my name, and trust more completely, pray unceasingly, and love with a more pure heart.

St. Ann, find me a man? haha. Just kidding. Maybe.

And now, to end, here's the reason I didn't like my middle name:

"If you will call me Anne, be sure to spell it with an E... It makes all the difference in the world! Write Ann without an E and it looks simply dreadful, but Anne with an E is quite distinguished."

Litany of St. Joseph!

Perhaps the best penance ever given. Wretches, check out the line I put in bold....

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, hear us. Jesus, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us. pray for us.
Holy Mary, pray for us (continue saying this after each name for St. Joseph)
St. Joseph,
Renowned offspring of David,
Light of Patriarchs,
Spouse of the Mother of God,
Chaste guardian of the Virgin,
Foster father of the Son of God,
Diligent protector of Christ,
Head of the Holy Family,
Joseph most just,
Joseph most chaste,
Joseph most prudent,
Joseph most strong,
Joseph most obedient,
Joseph most faithful,
Mirror of patience,
Lover of poverty,
Model of artisans,
Glory of home life,
Guardian of virgins,
Pillar of families,
Solace of the wretched,
Hope of the sick,
Patron of the dying,
Terror of demons,
Protector of Holy Church,
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world. have mercy on us.
He made him the lord of his household. And prince over all his possessions.
Let us pray. O God, in your ineffable providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector: You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Sigh

I'm tired, ok? Tired of arguing with people just like me. That's the problem with the world: me and all the people out there just like me.

We mean well, of course. We are prideful, we think we're right about everything. "No, no, of course I'm not right about everything, I'm human!" That's what we all say. And we really do believe it in our minds, and when we go to confession, we really feel it and know it in our hearts as well. But we sure don't act like it. We can find fault with most people we encounter, although we very easily overlook not only our own faults but those of the people we love the most. They can do no wrong, or rather, we know that when they do wrong, they don't mean it.

Join with me now, let's say the litany of humility (abridged to the parts I have memorized):

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me.

From the desire to be loved, Jesus deliver me
From the desire to be esteemed,
From the desire to be admired,
From the desire to be praised,
From the desire to be noticed,
From the desire of being preferred to others,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,

From the fear of being humiliated,
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebuke,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being calumniated,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being suspected,

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it
That others may be esteemed more than I,
That in the opinion of the world others may increase and I may decrease,
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
That others may become holier than I, provided I become as holy as I should,

Warning: Praying this daily leads to countless humiliations and realizations of your WRETCHEDNESS! Be brave. Be wretches.

OH NO!

Don't look at me yet!! eeeeeek!!! I just "applied" to join a webring of awesome Catholics but I'm unprepared! I didn't realize... forgive me... I will have to think of something witty and devout to write about in the next hour. And figure out some HTML! eeeeeeeeee! Just ignore me, nice stranger who is now reading this, because I need to avoid becoming addicted to this, and there's just still something strange about this whole thing, even though I enjoy reading them....

I guess being a JPII-er is really soaking in... this technology itself is kind of an evil. Like a miniature structure of sin.

So since you, dear stranger, will probably be the only stranger to read this, I will tell you a bit of what we have been discussing in classes here, and you can ponder it.

(For further reading: George Grant, Wendell Berry, David S. Schindler)

What is technology?

In America, we say that all this stuff we have is just that: Stuff. It's how you use it that can make it a problem. We have television: It's fine, even great (history channel!) but it can be used in the wrong way, we say. We have computers and the internet, which are wonderful, but again can be used in the wrong way.

"Technology is the ontology of our age." (Grant) It is everything to us. It is our mode of being. Ever since that crazy Enlightenment, we've been out to mess with the world, control it, make it do our bidding, rather than to see it as a gift. Yes, it is a gift we can work with. But that should not be our first thought. When many people see trees, they see paper... firewood... money. They do not think, "Wow, this tree is beautiful for its own sake" if there would be a material advantage to getting rid of it.

So what is our world of technology teaching us?

• If you want to learn about anything, just type it into Google. In other words: The acquisition of information should be instantaneous. You do not have to work to know. You do not have to go to the library and use your body, smell the dusty volumes of the encyclopedia, and get glorious paper cuts. In fact, our bodies have nothing to do with learning or thinking.
• I should always be entertained. I do not need a long attention span, either. In fact, it's better if I don't because the commercial breaks won't be so annoying.
• Communication has nothing to do with the body. Someone can really and truly know me by reading my blog, if all I am is my thoughts... but I'm not a ghost in a machine. There is something really important in actually being in the presence of the other.
• I should be connected to everyone, anytime, anywhere. How many of us have felt cut off from the world because we were away from our email for a week, or even less? Who feel suddenly vulnerable to car accidents if we discover we do not have our cell phone with us? I'm guilty, here, people, I'm just saying... it's not good. We're addicted.
• I can get anything I want without any human interaction. I don't have to speak to anyone. I don't have to make small talk with the clerk as my credit gets approved. A few clicks and a couple days, and what I want will be delivered to my own home. I can even track it online. No more is there an element of adventure, unpredictability. Everything goes just as I plan it.
• Silence is bad. There is noise everywhere... the radio is on in the car, the tv goes on as soon as we get home; we wake up in the morning to harsh beeping. But God speaks to us in the silence. I don't think silence has ever been the easiest thing, but our culture certainly cultivates noise. Kids seem get antsy after about 2.5 minutes of silence in a chapel.

There are more, but I'm tired. That's another thing- these things are bad for your eyes... now all I have to do is figure out how to kick the addiction.

Good Books

Well, I guess a good place to start would be listing my most-recently-read books:

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
The story of a small-town barber, who remains faithful to a woman he never marries, and witnesses the changing agriculture with sadness. Well there's a lot more to it, but I pick out what I liked best, of course. Berry is a very interesting author, who does not use a computer to do his work and lives on a farm in Kentucky. He knows farming and he knows people.

The Miracle Detective by Randall Sullivan
Excellent piece of work by a contributing editor to Rolling Stone who undergoes a conversion while investigating the apparitions in Medjugorje. He gives a lot of the history of the area and tells the story of the children's visions and all the tests they have undergone. He also goes to the Vatican to look into how they determine a miracle has taken place for beatifications. It's all very well written and interesting!

Padre Pio: Man of Hope
Ok, so this man was a saint. ha. Reminder to us all that saints are lights for us, not the only way to become holy-- I didn't start seeing the Virgin Mary when I was 5! (or ever for that matter)

The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
How could you not love anything by Chesterton?

Prayer: The Great Conversation by Peter Kreeft
Also a big fan of his. The most important thing about prayer is to do it. Amen!