Lisa, sfo said...

Ummm ... do we get an explanation for this pic? :-P

1:01 PM

Lisa, sfo said...

Wow, that's a lovely picture, Dan -- thanks for sharing! Where was it taken?

May 19, 2008 9:50 AM

aconservativeblogforpeace

17 May, 2008 at 7:14 am

That being said, if some true enthusiasts wanted to gather at 8:10 to recite it before Divine Praises, I would have trouble telling them not to pray that way. If they are really intent on rising at 6am on Sunday to be to church - which is a 30 min+ drive for most of them! - than I think I would think twice about stifling their desire to gather so early to say prayers.

That's why.

asimplesinner

17 May, 2008 at 3:42 pm

Of all the battles to pick and choose you would be bothered by the laity coming almost two hours before DL and an hour before matins to say these prayers as a private group?

aconservativeblogforpeace

18 May, 2008 at 1:13 am

The answer of course is to be pastoral and part of that is not only being tactful but to teach.

'I'd like half a pound of lean ground beef, please.'

'Er, this is a car-repair shop.'

'You're so mean!'

Saying the rosary in an Eastern church is the same kind of thing.

Rite controls what goes on in church: the arrangement of the furniture, the prayers said, the saints commemorated. (Which is not necesarily a negative comment on other people's saints.)

A Byzantine Rite place offers the Liturgy, the hours, pannichidi, akathists and molebny. Teach and do those things.

Besides that Father's answer should be: 'Like all-natural meat with only 8 per cent fat the rosary is wonderful. Pray it in at home, even in groups there if you like.

'But not here.'

asimplesinner

18 May, 2008 at 6:46 am

The World According To Fogey

All well and good and well and rightly reasoned… But ultimately somewhat arbitrary and/or proprietary to your personal vision of the ecclesial lay of land and "how things out to do."

Simpler still - works well on paper… (or in pixels)…

In this hypothetical situation (which is a far cry from the realities I have dealt with, my fellow hunkies and I usually piously saunter in a minute or two after the royal doors are opened), I am not able to bring myself to say that these folks who make an effort and want to pray that way well before the liturgican prayers begin in an empty church should be turned away or discouraged. In a house of prayer, I can't quite subscribe to your mechanic-shop analogy as analagous.

Of course as mentioned, this is strictly an "angels on the head of a pin" question in my mind and in my experience… It isn't happening at any of the three parishes I called home and they have altogether all shed their institutionalized latinizations. As a matter of fact, where I am now represents one of the BCC parishes that is "outside the homeland" (ie. the Pyrohy Belt from Pittsburgh to Cleveland) and established by second & third gen BCC that migrated to this corner of the magnificent state of Ohio in the late 60s early 70s. When we were built, it was by a forward thinking priest who did things by the book - unless you were examining every single icon to notice the smallest icon of Saint Francis on the back wall which is part of a set of 3 dozen (the rest Biblical and Eastern) just to see the place you would not know it was not OCA, ROCOR or anotherSlavic Orthodox Jurisdiction. Though even Our Seraphic Father Among the Saints might not be the biggest giveaway.

The same was true of my parish back home which was a suburban re-rebuild after "our good people" left "Hunky Hill" - the priest who built it was a stickler for details. The Infant of Prague got donated to the Latin Rite parish in the old neighborhood and the old church was sold to the Black Baptist congregation which kept all the stained-glass windows… Perhaps the only Baptist church in America with stainglass windows of Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Stephen of Hungary. I am guessing it is at least.

But as vostochnik as my parochial situations have been, and as true to native tradition as we tried to be, I am still loathe to get on board with a world-view that goes to the opposite end of the old Ruthenian "First communion and monsignori spectrum which draws lines in the sand and makes us into a museum. This Greek Catholic will leave that to the self-appointed Orthodox police in the various and sundry jurisdictions that are shaking their head and "tsk-tsking" those pesky pews and stained glass windows.

In other words if some especially pious folks realized the doors were unlocked every sunday by 8am (some probably aren't even aware that there is an 8am on weekends!) and came to quietly, without disturbing, disrupting or displacing anyone or anything, a rosary for 15 minutes by themselves, on their own, with no institutional encouragement… I just don't have it in me to poo-poo the idea on idealogical grounds of how they are supposed to think now.

Maybe it was my Latin-rite parochial school upbringing with too many pants-suit wearing short haired religous sisters going out of their way to make sure we "thought correctly" about "how we think now".

asimplesinner

18 May, 2008 at 7:10 am

Post-post correction: At my parish we do have another non-Byzantine accoutrament now that I think about it… down the back wall from Saint Francis we have a lovely Coptic icon gifted to one of our former priests by Coptic Pope Shenouda III. Not very Byzantine, I grant, but we are fiercely proud of it!

1 Lisa, sfo

May 15, 2008 at 1:04 pm

And hey, what about polygamists? What about their "rights" to have multiple spouses, eh? Unfair! Unconstitutional! How dare the state limit marriage to just two people. And why limit it to people why we're at it? I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there who want the "right" to marry their cats and cows.

Truly a sad day for California, Rob. Prayers definitely needed.

asimplesinner

14 May, 2008 at 11:28 pm

Why?

Why?!?!

Because they need cable, they need granite countertops, they need to live in a bigger home than they can afford, they need for the wife to work (especially to pay for day care and the second car that takes her to work), they need to have fewer children to afford a 3K trip to Disney World, they need to have fewer children to be able to afford the two they have going to Harvard (their kids WILL go to Harvard, you know!)

My cousin is now cohabitating with a fella and putting her daughter in daycare. Running the numbers for her she is away from home to pay for being away from home. She can't afford to have more kids because she is - right now - working for (after expenses of child care, transportation in an SUV, a second car payment, work clothes, and carry-out food) about $1.66 an hour.

A second child with $9K more in childcare for someone else to raise the child would bankrupt them.

Would you work a job that costs you so much after expenses you make less than 25% of the state min wage?

I would not.

But one day the promotion will come and her ship will come in!

Rob

15 May, 2008 at 6:59 am

-Would you work a job that costs you so much after expenses you make less than 25% of the state min wage?-

No, that's why I quit teaching at a Catholic school!

Hahahahahahaha!

asimplesinner

15 May, 2008 at 1:13 pm

"No, that's why I quit teaching at a Catholic school!

Hahahahahahaha!"

ba-dump-bump!

Thanks folks, I'll be here all week - tip those bartenders and waitresses working so hard for you!

Lisa, sfo

16 May, 2008 at 3:32 am

>>>So I wonder: what percentage of Catholics do not follow the teaching of the Church on birth-control? And WHY?

I've seen percentages floating around out there; too lazy to go a-huntin' for 'em now. But, I believe it's over half of all Catholics of childbearing age. :-( I think the "why" boils down to one thing: Pathetic catechesis.

If people don't know the "why" for what the Church teaches on contraception, they ignore the "what". Once they really understand theology of the body, you can almost see the lightbulb go on over their heads in regards to contraception and all other matters sexual.

Ttony

18 May, 2008 at 1:17 am

If you think that it was bad before, it's just got worse. Look here.

asimplesinner

13 May, 2008 at 7:11 am

Give em heaven, BC!

Rob

13 May, 2008 at 9:43 am

Wow, I wish that guy had sent me an e-mail a long time ago.

I'm starting my own home-bible church right now!

Bob Catholic

13 May, 2008 at 10:36 am

Alas, David, no email per se. Only a line of debate (Facebook, Twitter, email, blog, discussion boards, etc) that always starts with What must a man do to be saved?

I forgot to mention that when I was received into the Church I was asked to check my brain in at the door! I heard a Midnight Oil song on the radio this morning that states it well:

We carry in our hearts the true country

And that cannot be stolen

We follow in the steps of our ancestry

And that cannot be broken

We don't serve your country

We don't serve your King

Rupe

13 May, 2008 at 11:32 pm

Hey. Like your blog. I just have a quick question. Whom are you describing when you say "Traddies?" Is it people who support and prefer the Tridentine Mass? If so, I'm one. I was disheartened by the guitars, protestant hymns, and other foolishness, so I sought out the Extraordinary Form of the Mass and haven't looked back. It's not really so much a theological position for me as a liturgical preference. I can't stand how lame the New Mass is in some parishes.

No offense intended, just asking for some clarification.

Philothea

14 May, 2008 at 4:19 am

So very true! I loved this:

"You showed me the error of my ways without ever wrestling with your own identity and the open contradictions within your thoughts."

This is so common amongst those who refuse to take an honest look at their ideas, why they believe what they believe and if their beliefs make any sense at all. They spew out selected bible verses with impunity, in their minds proof positive of their belief system and when challenged they are either "offended" or "hurt" by one's audacity to even question said beliefs! You get nowhere with this sort! Indeed, they prefer the "evangelical ghetto!" As a prof I highly respect and admire said, they would rather " 'the comforting noise,' catch-phrases and shibboleths you have to utter to 'pass' with people" as opposed to faith coupled with reason.

Lisa, sfo said...

Thanks for sharing the tip! (I somehow missed that one; I also follow Lifehacker.)

We don't really do any impulse-buying, though, but it's a handy trick to keep in mind should we find ourselves tempted in the future. :-)

05 May 2008 18:52

Mark said...

Thanks, Lisa. I didn't know Lifehacker was on twitter!

05 May 2008 19:07

Lisa, sfo said...

Yer welcome! And hey, didn't you know that all the cool folks are on Twitter? ;-P

05 May 2008 19:57

Red Neck Woman said...

I am certain....very certain....that no rule designed to prevent impulse spending was ever meant to apply to books!! Paperbacks, cheap or otherwise, could never be considered an impulse buy. Unless of course, they have "Harlequin" stamped on the cover. My husband's grandmother used to read those wretched things and then pass them on to me because she knew I was such a big reader. Shudder!

05 May 2008 22:44

Ma Beck said...

I am an obsessive planner. I raaaarely make impulse buys.

I research for days before buying something big.

I recently splurged bigtime and bought a $600 camera. BUT - I researched it for a long time, talked to someone who owned one, AND, God willing, within the next year or so we'll be traveling to the Holy Land (I've already set up a vacation account), so I really needed a good camera.

Oh, plus, I have the cutest kid in the world.

;)

06 May 2008 13:45

Lisa, sfo said...

LOL! Ya big goober. :-P

1:35 PM

Lisa, sfo on April 29th, 2008 10:20 pm

Hey, that *does* sound neat! I think the requirement of taking one picture a day for a whole year is bound to bring out some creativity - while you said you're not an "artistic" person, artistry more often than not comes outta Just Doing It.

Good luck, and looking forward to your pictures!

Mary: But then again, you may just want to use Twitter to say, "Someone just gave me a bottle of Ridge 2003 California Montebello as a gift!

Oh… yes! I will certainly let people know about that!

Comment by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf - 27 April 2008 @ 8:18 pm

>>>Christopher Humphries: It's a valuable resource. It is low effort social networking, yet highly flexible for adding content.

Yes, everything that Christopher said! At first, I was extremely skeptical of Twitter-looked like a lot of boring chatter. And who would possibly be interested in anything I had to "tweet" about, anyway?

Then after a friend strong-armed me into giving it a try (I'm on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/franciscat ), I became hooked. I now use Twitter more than site feeds to see what's new, and it's given me the opportunity to meet and get to know bunches of wonderful folks I otherwise wouldn't have. (Christopher being one of 'em! :::waves hello:::) And for folks I already knew, it enabled me to get to know them even better.

For some really splendid explanations of just what in heck Twitter is all about and why it's worth using, see the following:

Common Craft: Twitter in Plain English

Wired magazine: Clive Thompson on How Twitter Creates a Social Sixth Sense

Comment by Lisa, sfo - 27 April 2008 @ 11:24 pm

Twitter is even usual for a housebound person such as myself. It keeps me in contact with my many online friends, it keeps me up on events (such as live uStream shows), and even allows me to request prayers anonymously (http://twitter.com/prayers). It has proved quite a blessing.

Comment by Mike Kuypers - 27 April 2008 @ 11:36 pm

I've been using Twitter for about a year now even though I resisted at first. First, to clear up one misconception: You don't need a cell phone. While it works great with one, many people use one of the many Twitter computer programs.

Second, Twitter is not like CB radio and you don't have to put up with filthy language because you only read the tweets of people you specifically follow. If you don't like what they're saying, then unfollow.

Third, you don't need a widget to put your tweets on your blog. It's a simple bit of javascript, not unlike the Amazon search box.

Twitter is what you make of it. It doesn't have to be just "I'm eating a cheese sandwich." You can make it as substantive as 140 characters will allow (tweets can only be up to 140 characters.) It does encourage brevity, which we know is the soul of wit.

You can use it as a headline service like CNN does. You can use it to post links to interesting stories you come across that don't deserve a full blog post. You can post live comments from events as you experience them (like I do when I tweet among friends as we watch sporting events together, separated by many miles).

You can even follow the Pope on his journey to the US, if someone decides to post headlines during the trip, a la "Pope Benedict XVI".

Comment by Domenico Bettinelli - 28 April 2008 @ 7:04 am

Oh! I forgot to mention another helpful article about Twitter:

Scobleizer: The secret to Twitter

"[T]he secret to Twitter isn't how many followers you have, but how many people you are following."

Comment by Lisa, sfo - 29 April 2008 @ 2:41 pm

paul brennan said...

DEAR FR.TRIGILIO

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU SAFE, WE NEED PRIESTS LIKE YOU ON THIS PLANET OF HIS.

AND THANK GOD FOR POPE BENEDICT XVI

3 YEARS TODAY..

WITH MY DEEP REPECTS AND PRAYERS

PAUL BRENNAN

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

AN EWTN FAN .

11:17 AM

Adrienne said...

Excellent, Padre. I'm going to link to this on my blog.

12:46 PM

Mrs Jackie Parkes MJ said...

Thanks for visiting...will add you to my links..

1:49 AM

Joe of St. Thérèse said...

excellent

1:53 PM

Kit Brookside said...

Hi Fr. Trigilio!

Thanks for this post. Many of my blog acquaintances and I have been wondering what will happen here. Your thoughts (as always) are insightful and give me hope.

Found your blog via Adrienne, and was so happy - what a treat!

My girls and I met you in Hanceville kneeling at vespers in August of 2006, my faithful but under-catechised husband of 15 years delcares that you and your book (which I had you autograph for him) have taught him more than CCD ever did, and so I just wanted to say HI and THANK YOU!!! I've linked to you on my blog.

God continue to bless you and your precious vocation.

-Kit

11:40 AM

Anonymous said...

May God bless you richly on your Jubilee!

California Girl

11:58 PM

Esther said...

Happy Anniversary Father S.!

BTW, It just so happens to be the anniversary of St. Augustine's conversion too (according to a blog post I read).

12:15 AM

Anonymous said...

God has blessed us with your vocation.

- Bob Farrell

9:54 AM

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Father Stephanos. In a time when society is trying to stamp out belief in anything more substantial than the newsest cell phone, or the newset "this or that", your dedication to God and His Church through the contemplative life is a shining light in a fractured world.

May God continue to bless you and your community.

-Michael

1:09 PM

Michael Fudge said...

Congratulations on the 25th anniversary of your vows. Your vocation has truly been a gift to us all.

I look forward to your next 25 years.

7:06 PM

Diane K said...

Excellent article and it mirrors my reflections on vocations in the internet age.

Communities need to have an "electronic extern".

While a community website is good, I feel strongly that a community blog along with that website is very important. It can give those who are exploring religious life a little more to go on.

While on the one hand it removes the element of "mystery" surrounding community life, that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I'll have to make a separate post on this article later, but have linked to it for now.

6:07 AM

Dunstan said...

This is a very good article. Congratulations.

1:28 PM

Lisa, sfo said...

I agree with the others -- excellent article! I absolutely love being able to read (and see, thanks to photos/videos) about the lives our religious brothers and sisters lead.

Thank you for giving us a little window on your world, sisters. :-)

10:57 PM

Stina said...

I'm so excited for your new "adventure." I'm also very excited to read what you have to share!

God Bless!

April 22, 2008 9:47 PM

Lisa, sfo said...

Nice new blog, Melissa! Looking forward to reading more of your posts over here. :-) Subscribed to your new feed!

Oh, hey, I have to scroll way down here in order to read the actual posts 'cause the heading graphic (which is lovely!) is really large. Could you consider possibly shrinking it a teeny bit?

Purrs 'n' pax!

April 24, 2008 3:23 PM

Lisa, sfo said...

Thank you so much for taking the time to recount your your experience and share pictures, Fr. Washburn! My husband and I finished watching the recording on EWTN.com about an hour ago and it was so splendid.

Even over a broadcast, you could sense the excitement and joy. :-)

April 20, 2008 12:08 AM

Fr. Phil said...

It truly has been quite an experience to have our Holy Father in our country. Just watching it on television I get goosebumps and I can't imagine how it must be in person. Please keep in prayer at the Yankees Mass!

April 20, 2008 9:35 AM

japhy said...

Someone needs to pray for her immortal soul, and for the souls of the children she murdered. STAT.

Dear God, it makes me sick.

9:52 AM

Johanna Holmes said...

I tend to look at situations like this and be grateful for Purgatory. As wretched as these acts are, I do not want this woman in Hell, nor do I want her to be able to avoid confronting the evil of what she's done.

The level of arrogance is absolutely astounding, and I think this sort of thing is exactly what happens when you have man as idol instead of icon. She is "god" and therefore her "truth" is supreme and uncontested. To be a mystic demands the humility to recognize oneself as the messenger, not the message. The only truth this art contains is that one young woman would create and destroy her own children to have the most edgy exhibit in the art department this year.

Also, can I just ask where on earth her faculty advisor was on this one? This seems more like Stanford or Berkeley lunacy than Yale.

-Jana

10:00 AM

Lisa, sfo said...

Astoundingly, utterly horrific. I'm at a loss for words.

12:54 PM

1 Lisa, sfo

Apr 14th, 2008 at 9:28 am

Aww, geez, Rob, I totally feel your pain. I've been in a few job situations with craptastical bosses, too, and it makes life utterly miserable. (Hey, you're spending at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week of your life at work, so it by default has a mighty big impact on your well-being.)

Prayers for you that you'll soon find new, better employment!

2 Lavona

Apr 14th, 2008 at 11:51 am

<p>Rob,</p>

<p>yes, get out there and find a new job… in the mean time</p>

<p>a) pray for your boss and others that have to work for/with him. I've found that it helps me when I pray for troublesome people. I learned this when I had a particularly awful boss many years back.</p>

<p>b) Remember, that when you have work to do, that it is not the boss that you ultimately work for. Do your job in a way that you can take pride in from your own perspective. When it all comes down to the end, the only important person is God and HE knows what you do and how hard you work at whatever it is.</p>

<p>I'll keep you in my prayers … also, sounds like you could use a good dose of Belief in you as God made you to be … check out www.beliefbusters.com you will not regret that. It's uplifting and helps you align yourself with the Love that God has put in your soul.</p>

<p>…Lavona</p>

Lisa, sfo said...

Hrrmmm ... could ya be any more vague? :-P :-P

Do we get details on just why they're the bane of your existence? And did the brownie help your stomach?

10:16 PM

1 Lisa, sfo

Apr 1st, 2008 at 11:40 am

Ah, you underestimate the power of denial, Rob.

nancy (aka money coach) said...

ok, that was really funny. And undid some of my stereotypes about americans having a hate-on for cuba, to boot.

1:32 PM

Lisa, sfo said...

Great, now I'm craving some coffee, but it's too late in the evening for it ...

:-P

10:58 PM

Lisa, sfo said...

Dang, the clip's not workin' for me. :-(

10:53 PM