I hate Reformed theology.

There, I've said it. And I feel so much better. There is no love between John Calvin and I.

Day of Prayer and Penance

Tomorrow. Prayer and penance for the situation in the Middle East. Be there or be square. Officialness: http://www.zenit.org/english/. (Scroll down to "Vatican Statement...")

In other news, we're getting a youth minister!! Straight from Monsignor's mouth! I mean, we heard it straight from his mouth... that's not the origin of the minister...

Also, the dangers of typing in the wrong web ending... instead of getting the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (.org), you might get the United States Crane Certification Bureau (.com). Despite popular belief, there's an awful big difference between the two.

Scatterbrained and time-deprived

Evening, all.

So, in the words of Jack Black in Orange County ... "I got so many ideas burning through my skull!"

Like, there's all sorts of stuff I'd like to research and write about and post and dicuss and cherish and love until death do us part -- like, a whole crapload of stuff -- but I just don't have the time this summer, as I have done almost no summer homework and I have to start doing it like... a lot. But, all work and no theology makes Amy a dull girl, so I would like to pick some stuff and write about it.

Thus, it's all-request night. I can't make decisions for myself, so I need help. Anything that you have ever wondered about, ask. Anything relating to doctrine, religious philosophy, morality and ethics, cultural religious practice, ecclesiastical history, or really anything even vaguely religious. Anything you think is stupid/evil/silly that you want explained, defended, or denounced (though you don't necessarily get to pick which one I do!). Anything awesome/supercool/ridiculously awesome that you want celebrated. No matter how simple, stupid, weird, or suspicious. Aaaaanything. I crave a topic.

I will research the crap out of it and write something really long-winded, I promise! I can't promise "interesting," but you can't ask too much from me.

Thank you in advance.

** PS: If no one suggests anything, I will be writing something up on the Inquisition, with special first-hand evidence acquired from TURNING YOU OVER TO THE INQUISITION AND HAVING YOU BURNED!! :) Thanks. Have a nice night.

Welcome home, Casey!

In honor of your return, a little entertainment.

In the first corner, we have Mark S. Hanson, bishop of the ELCA. Mark, you ready?

"If by ready, you mean READY TO DESTROY... then yes."

In the other corner, none other than the Pope himself! Ready, Papa?

"Bring it."

Weapons of choice, gentleman?

"See this little toothpick I've got?"

"I can take him with my bare hands."

Bishop Hanson, would you like to begin?

"Take this, Ratzi!"

"My eyes! Are you honestly wearing a purple shirt? Aaargh!"

"You think that's bad! Well try this on for size!"

"Must, not, look... pastel stole... will never try it on... growing weak..."

Come on, Papa! You can do it! Viva il Papa! Viva il Papa!

"Push!"

"Even I never realized how dangerous these hands can be!"

"Who's your daddy?"

But it's all cool; it just means that the Pope gets to pick the music next time he and Bishop Hanson get together (and I can tell you right now, it won't be "R U Glad 2 B Christian?" by contemporary Christian band "Hair Longer Than Jesus"). They're buds. Here's the bishop right now, presenting His Holiness with a gift!

"Oh, a framed copy of Luther's morning prayer... gee, how nice... I'm sure this will look nice in... in... the papal... broom cupboard... of holiness..."

Saint of the Day

Valentine and Patrick get all the attention. What about those more obscure saints who still rock and yet don't get major, now-secular holidays? Today I honor one.

There were some runners up in my decision making process. There were about 60 saints to pick from today. There was the man who helped reunite Armenia with the Church. There was a man martyred for cutting down a tree. There was a group of French martyr nuns, and a group of African martyrs. There was a Greek Catholic priest who died in a Czechoslovakian prison after refusing to renounce Rome. There was a guy who raised a drowned boy. A consecrated virgin. A pope!

In other words, there were a lot of good folk to choose from. But I chose the guy who slept under his parent's staircase until he died. His name was Alexius.

Joke

Karl Rahner, Hans Kung and Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger all die on the same day, and go to meet St. Peter to know their fate.

St. Peter approaches the three of them, and tells them that he will interview each of them to discuss their views on various issues.

He then points at Rahner and says "Karl! In my office..." After 4 hours, the door opens, and Rahner comes stumbling out of St. Peter's office. He is highly distraught, and is mumbling things like "Oh God, that was the hardest thing I've ever done! How could I have been so wrong! So sorry...never knew..." He stumbles off into Heaven, a testament to the mercy of Our God.

St. Peter follows him out, and sticks his finger in Kung's direction and "Hans! You're next..." After 8 hours, the door opens, and Kung comes out, barely able to stand. He is near collapse with weakness and a crushed spirit. He , too, is mumbling things like "Oh God, that was the hardest thing I've ever done! How could I have been so wrong! So sorry...never knew..." He stumbles off into Heaven, a testament to the mercy of Our God.

Lastly, St. Peter, emerging from his office, says to Cardinal Ratzinger, "Joseph, your turn." TWELVE HOURS LATER, St. Peter stumbles out the door, apparently exhausted, saying "Oh God, that's the hardest thing I've ever done..."

Heh. The Pope rocks so much.

Random outpouring of pope love

I just can't help myself, sometimes. I love the Pope.

Old Pope: I miss him.

New Pope: He rocks way too much to comprehend. Like, don't even try to out-rock the pope. You'll probably just end up hurting yourself.

Chalk one up for God

Okay, one more thought, that I think deserves it's own post.

So, I was a-ponderin' and I got this thought.

When you're wondering where God is in your life, think about this. All that your friends do for you -- the support and comfort and everything else that the give you. D'ya think that's just them? Now, although I think I could, I'm not going to go talking for everyone else, but I'll tell you this outright:

Anything that I have ever done that has helped you, that has made you feel better, that has made you thankful to have friends to care for you (and I'm not saying it's been a lot, just whenever)... it wasn't me. It was God. I swear to God (seriously, not in a bad way)... there is no way I could have ever been there for any of you in even the smallest situation if it weren't for Him. You'd be on your own without hope of help from me.

You might be saying, "Well, you've done pretty suckily, all things considered, so just don't talk," and that's probably true. I'm not saying that we don't have to say yes to God when he makes us these offers, and I don't do the best job of saying yes to Him very often. I don't even listen to what He's trying to say so much. But I just wanted you to know that when I do, it's all Him, not me, so if I've ever helped you in even the smallest way, chalk that one up to God and don't feel completely abandoned.

It's like something an old friend told me a LONG time ago... She was depressed and thinking about killing herself, so she prayed really hard to God to save her. Her brother came and found out and pretty much saved her from herself... but you know what? She was mad at God for not helping, for not being there. She wanted the angels descending from clouds in chariots and beams of light. But really, how often does He go that route in the Bible? Rather, how often does he take us crazy sinful creatures of His and use us and work through us?

Don't wait for the chariots, guys. God is waaay bigger than just chariots.

*Gasps for breath*

Okay, break from the churches. I dunno, there were a lot more churches we saw than I remembered, and I wanted to post a few others things, maybe. Who knows. I'm unreliable, at best.

First of all, since I know y'all've been having some difficult times here and again, or constantly, I thought I'd do a little cheerleading. So you all know, I would do anything for any of you if I knew exactly what to do, but there's a lot of times I just don't know what to say or do, and I'm very sorry because at times like that I can only offer the same stuff you've been hearing time and again and I know it all gets to sound repetitive. But... keep listening... Who knows when it might start to mean a bit more?

So, my cheerleading for today comes from a verse that I found last night in Romans, which I think could be a pretty good life-guide for every single one of us right now:

"Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer" (Romans 12:12).

Since y'all aren't stupid, I'm not offering commently except for this: I'll think you'll find that the first point and the last point are the key for the one in the middle.

You guys CAN get through all this. You've got friends who love you imperfectly, and a God who loves you waaay better.

So, in conclusion: rah, rah, shishkumbah! (How the heck do you spell that?)

Part VII

Random church inside the Kremlin.

Part VI

Another church in Red Square. The name escapes me.

Part V

The most famous: St. Basil's in Red Square, Moscow.

Part IV

A little wooden church in a village near Moscow.

Part III

Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Petersburg

Part II

The Cathedral of the Savior on the Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg

(Site of Tzar Alexander II's assassination)

Russian Churches Part I

Since this is my official religion blog, I present to you the glories of Russian churches (in a series format)! All these pictures are mine or Steph's.

St. Isaac's Cathedral, St. Petersburg