The ones that got away

The "Touchdown Jesus" mural on the side of the (13 story) library and the famous Golden Dome! For all the rest of the pictures, see my Xanga.

This book totally rocks!

"Then again I asked him: 'Supposing the Pope looked up and saw a cloud and said "It's going to rain," would that be bound to happen?' 'Oh, yes, Father.' 'But supposing it didn't?' He thought a moment and said, 'I suppose it would be sort of raining spiritually, only we were too sinful to see it.

Lady Marchmain, he doesn't correspond to any degree of paganism known to the missionaries."

Father Mowbray in Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh

Heh.

“There ought to be an Inquisition especially set up to burn her.”

Anthony Blanche in Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh

Public service announcement

Do NOT mess with the Pope. We don't call him our German Shepherd for nothing.

Neato Mosquito

Okay, so get this. I totally downloaded this thing so that I can type up things in Word and publish them to this blog. That’s what I was testing! This is pretty spiffy.

Just a little test

Testing, testing.

I Want That Shirt

Okay, so walking about in Carlisle I totally saw a house with a Vatican City flag, but today I saw something to trump even that. It was a Vatican City flag shirt. But not just any Vatican City flag shirt. Not just an average shirt with a Vatican Flag on there for good measure.

It was a baseball jersey style shirt with yellow sleeves and the Vatican coat of arms on the white bit in the front. It was amazing.

It was on a reality-style TV show called "God or the Girl?", which was actually pretty sweet. It's about four guys discerning whether or not they're being called to be Catholic priests. The one guy has a girlfriend, but other than that the title is pretty misleading. It's almost more like a documentary than a reality show. So, the title sucks majorly, but I guess if it gets people to watch...

Y'all might want to check it out, especially if you're Catholic or discerning some sort of calling or are just interested in a show that actually has guys talking about why lusting after girls is "sick" and "disgusting."

From the linked article:

"Another participant, Dan DeMatte, said he hoped the people who watched "Temptation Island" will watch the five-part series "because it will blow their minds.

"You have this world of sin and lust, giving over to your body, versus the world of dying to yourself and serving the Lord every second," he continued. "So, if they tune in, then . . . reality TV has served its purpose and God's triumphant again. It's funny how that works.""

That guy was my personal "favorite" and the guy with the rockin' awesome Vatican flag shirt. Go awesome Catholic guys!

Hallelujah!

He is Risen!

Truly, this was the Son of God

Good Friday of Our Lord's Passion

"Once you're saved, there's no going back..."

Last year, Kristine, Povs, and I did a project in which we went to a bunch of different churches in the area and checked out the services and learned a bit about their faith. I was reading over some of our old journal entries, and basically just decided that we're ridiculous, so I thought I'd share some of the ridiculous things we ended up writing down and actually turning in...

“Thesis: To explore and develop a greater understanding of and appreciation for the religious and liturgical traditions of major world religions which happen to be within reasonable driving distance of our homes.”

Methodist

“At least Catholic clergy have the courtesy to distinguish themselves by wearing Roman collars and all black or robes, depending on their state of affairs.”

“A few other people came up and cheerfully greeted us, obviously recognizing us as foreigners/tourists/Catholics/heathens.”

“No offense, St. Katharine Drexel Church, but you have no groove.”

Methodist Contemporary

“At one point in the service, there was a baptism… and the “holy” water was in a plastic pitcher that looked like it had come right off the snack table…”

Lutheran

“It had a coat rack!”

“Steph and I totally nailed ‘For Thine is the kingdom…’ this time. Woot, woot.”

“They were going to have a children’s message before the sermon, but… there weren’t any children. (Leading us to scientifically conclude that LUTHERANS EAT CHILDREN.)”

“He was big on peace and happiness and getting along and ecumenism and that sort of thing.”

“Luther said something like “with in under below near about above across after against along among aboard” the host…”

Baptist

“Once you’re saved, there’s no going back.”

Episcopalian

“Why are the Anglicans such bad chess players? They can’t tell their bishops from their queen!”

Mormon

“It has a gym!!”

“They lyrics were rather Mormon… ‘follow the Prophet’ and that sort of thing…”

Jewish

“Judie made a joke when we said how pretty the [Hebrew] was… ‘Yeah, it sure beats Latin.’ Ooooooh.”

“Also, the coolest word in the world: tzitzit.”

Hindu

“We stood out like white people in the midst of a lot of Indian people. Yeah, analogies.”

“Then another lady handed out something that can only be described as ‘holy Hindu trail mix’ (and I mean that as reverently as possible).”

“We went downstairs… and got some awesome Indian food. Some of it was a bit spicy. My nose was running like a madman.”

“Binita then asked her cousin Bonsari and a friend to show us a traditional Indian dance. IT WAS SOOOOOO COOL. I WANT TO DANCE LIKE THAT!!!!”

Greek Orthodox

“The priest, after saying some hefty Greek prayers, took the baby and processed all around the church, with the parents following. It rather looked like a game of keep-away.”

Evangelical Free

“People were packed in there like religious sardines.”

Heh

Heh, so... I fell headfirst into my greatest pet peeve... being vague! So I'll clarify that I wasn't ranting against life or happiness or normalcy or anything of that sort. It were a very specific ramble, and not a serious matter at all, any evidence to the contrary. Again, my apologies for doing exactly what bugs me so badly!

Frustration Sets In Randomly

God, if we're both strangers trying to convince little children that our candy can be trusted, it doesn't help that I have to wear the ghoul mask. And although my candy isn't poisoned, that doesn't help right now.

And you know little kids don't care about lab tests. But maybe when they're older? My candy'll never go bad, but I personally am an impatient sort. Still, the important thing is that the good candy gets to the children, not that I necessarily see it happen.

Grumble, grumble, grumble. Fight the good fight.

Clashing cymbal, clashing cymbal, clashing cymbal -- is that all I am anymore? Where's all the charity? How'd I think I had it if I didn't? Which way do I move if everytime I try I fall right into the cymbal heap? BANG! Where're my flutes? Where's my guitar? Soon as I find it I swear I'll be under your window playing a serenade. Oh, but I've got to learn the notes, first. Cause right now I've just got these two big pieces of metal. I try to touch them nicely together, but it never works, I guess. BANG!

I feel like I'm playing chess in the dark. I can make my moves, but I don't know what the other person's doing. Or if they've got someone else on their team. Or two people. I don't know when they've made their move, much less what they're thinking. As far as I know they've changed it around and we're playing chutes and ladders now. I'm not sure they're even still here. But gotta keep going... pawn forward, queen back, protect the king, up the ladder... C'mon, just tell me where you moved! BANG!

Why isn't it working like you said it would? It's me, I know it. I know it and I try and change it, but it doesn't seem to work.

It's like when you're the little second grader and you've got this friend who only wants to hang out with the fifth grader. You've got a really cool marble and potentially a love note from the boy two desks down, but face it... a fifth grader. No contest.

I'm not supposed to be boxing, so I put down the gloves. But hey, wait, I didn't realize we were waltzing, either! And hey, you guys, waltzing doesn't work with three people so well. Hey, I'm over here! Don't you think we could just find something better? Hey, we could play chess, at least! Then I'll be able to try. Yeah, I don't care, we can play with the lights off, and you can be a twosome.

I can't find my guitar, but I can't make any noise without the cymbals. Is it just the cymbals that are so bad, or is it my singing, too? Cause I only know this one song, and I know it's supposed to be softer, but I get so carried away and I just want you to hear the song like it should be played. But I'm not a very good singer, I guess.

Bang.

Lord, please. Am I not supposed to be involved? I thought that was what you told us to do. So you've got to be my voice. And more than that, because I'm up against a Goliath and I'm really too dizzy to see where I'm standing.

Hosanna in the Highest!

Frohliche Palm Sunday, everyone!

I got to see the bishop!

And St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is gorgeous!

Although it was like a knife through the heart when I saw them with guitars and a drum set in that beautiful building. I know, I know. I'm a young curmudgeon and it's a matter of taste. I guess. And we saw Father Rothan again, for the third time in like... a week!

I'm working on a primer on confession, because I'm super in love with it right now.

Again, happy Palm Sunday!
Hosanna, hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

"Pfffft... various..."

Retreat: Surprisingly wonderful. First of all, our mission trip group is going to rock. Second of all, the speakers were both really good! There was Scott Anthony, a youth-guy from St. Joseph's in York, who was a good speaker and a funny chap, and Father Rothan from Good Shepherd in Camp Hill, who was also really cool. 'Twas a nice, nice day, with lots of good food!

Confession: Unsurprisingly wonderful (it always is). Me, Manda, and Povs ended up being the last people there. I ended up with Father Weitzal, and even though he'd been there for two hours already, he was really nice and let me say or ask whatever I felt like. I got the weirdest penance in the world, though...

Whoa, though, Fr. Weitzal apparently knows a lot more about me than I thought! He was like naming off all my friends...

"You know you're a Catholic nerd when intstead of comparing Confession to a shower, you find yourself comparing a shower to Confession." (I forget where exactly I read this, but I liked it.)

I really think that post-Confession is just about the nicest time in the whole wide world. Disregarding everything about it that is theological in nature, I think it might just be the most refreshing, relieving, and super experience in the world, even when it's embarrassing or painful or whatever else. It makes me love being Catholic, and I do pity other religions. You know guys, while you may think that it's just an extra hassle and embarassing to spill all the beans... really, you guys are missing out! And again, I'm not even talking theologically right now, just psychologically and emotionally...

Father Rothan was there, too, and I think I (or me and Povs and Mandy) should email him to see if he'd be willing to be a spiritual advisor. A bit again I talked to a seminarian from Mt. St. Mary's, and he said that one of the best things you can do for yourself is to get a spiritual advisor. (He also said I should study theology in Rome at the Angelicum... but one is more practical than the other! Gosh, though, wouldn't that rock? The Angelicum [aka the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas] is where the late John Paul the Great studied for his doctorate.)

Whoo God! Whoo Catholicism! Whoo God again!