That Way

I need a Web cam:



Hat-tip: Deacon Greg

The Slave of All

I'm writing tonight from Gate B9 of Chicago's O'Hare Airport while waiting for a flight back to LaGuardia.

I've been in the vicinity of O'Hare since Thursday afternoon. I was here exhibiting for my gig at the Archdiocese of Chicago's Catholic Festival of Faith (held nearby at the convention center in Rosemont, Illinois).

I went to "Sunday" Mass this evening at the festival.

In the Gospel passage, the apostles James and John, the sons of Zebedee, didn't look so good. But, their jostling for position provided an important teaching moment for Christ.

From Mark Chapter 10:

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."

He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?"

They answered him, "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."

Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"

They said to him, "We can."

Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared."

When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.

Jesus summoned them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.

"For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Deacon Greg has a very powerful homily for this Sunday. In it, he recalls how Maryknoll Sister Ita Ford and three other Catholic women were living this Gospel message when they were brutally murdered in El Salvador in December, 1980.

The icon of James and John above is from here.

Gonna Be OK

It's total bubblegum -- but admittedly catchy.

"Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus for the "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend"? Could it really happen?

I first came across "Party" during the summer. But, hearing it a few nights ago in the grocery store convinced me it might work here. It's cheesy but joyful.

And, who doesn't need some additional joy as the air chills and the nights grow longer? I know I do.

Peace:

Sell The Vatican, Feed the World?

Disclaimer: By posting the clip below, I am not endorsing some of the language used (see: f-bomb) or the rather shocking concluding statement. If you are easily offended by off-color humor, please do not hit play.

But, somehow, Sarah Silverman heard about Jesus' message in last Sunday's Gospel:



P.S. I would't sell the whole Vatican, maybe just some paintings and sculpture.

Back in the 'Burgh, Bishop Zubik has already done something similar.

Macbar

A few weeks ago, a tiny take out/eat in joint called Macbar opened a few blocks north of my apartment in Little Italy.

Located in a sliver of a storefront on Prince Street between Lafayette and Mulberry streets (catty corner from Old St. Pat's), Macbar can be identified by it distinctive yellow decor and signage -- fitting for a place that only serves macaroni and cheese dishes.

Tonight, I paid visit #3 to Macbar. I took out a small "margarita mac." It was excellent.

On visit #1, I took out "the classic." On visit #2, when my friend Jenni and I ate in, I had the "Mayan chipolte." These were both so good I wanted to lick the containers.

Before too long, I understand Macbar that will no longer be the new kid on its block. Two Sundays ago, I read in Monsignor Sakano's column in Old St. Pat's bulletin that a Shake Shack is going to open in the vacant lot at the northwest corner of Prince and Mulberry.

All good stuff for the neighborhood. Bad news for my diet.

The photo above is from NY1.

"Obama's War"

Tonight, while on the elliptical on the gym, I watched the PBS program "Frontline." This week's report, called "Obama's War," was about our eight-year war in Afghanistan.

The report was good food for thought. It was certainly good to learn more about how the U.S. troops interact with the Afghan people.

My only immediate criticism of "Obama's War" was the lack of mention of the current status of women in Afghanistan -- and what the U.S. troop presence means for those women.

For your consideration:

A Nobel for Neda?

Another thought regarding President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize:

Perhaps the deadline for this year's Nobel nominations came before the protests in Iran -- but the citizens there who earlier this year took to the streets seeking freedom would have been worthy recipients.

Sully said it first:

... I'm happy Obama got it, but it is quite obvious who I would have picked in his stead: Neda, the murdered Iranian who died defending her own freedom and democracy. If not Neda, then Mousavi and Karroubi. Obama has set the stage for peace, and changed the global dynamic. But these people are heroes, displaying the courage of their convictions, putting their lives on the line for freedom.

Can you imagine how much more impact it would have had to have given them this prize? How big a blow it would have delivered to those vile torturers and thugs, Ahmadinejad and Khamenei? Oh, well. Maybe they missed the deadline for nominations. But history will remember them. I hope it one day remembers Obama for similar courage.

For He Had Many Possessions

This weekend, I have been dog-sitting in Woodside, Queens.

To be specific, I've been chillaxin' with the famous blogging chihuahua while the God Googler and wife are in Buffalo.

This morning, I went to the well-attended 10:30 a.m. Mass in English at Saint Sebastian's, the huge church in the shadow of the 7 train elevated line.

The Gospel at Mass made me feel good about my lackluster credit rating.

From Mark Chapter 10:

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother."

He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!"

The disciples were amazed at his words.

So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."

Peter began to say to him, "We have given up everything and followed you."

Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

Deacon Greg, another Queens resident, has posted his excellent homily for this Sunday. In the homily, he notes the canonizations this morning in Rome of Little Sisters of the Poor foundress Jeanne Jugan and Father Damien of Molokai.

Fran has a post on this Gospel passage, too.

The "eye of the needle" image above is from A Concord Pastor.

In TR's Footsteps?

In 1906, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Some background:

In 1902 President Roosevelt took the initiative in opening the international Court of Arbitration at The Hague, which, though founded in 1899, had not been called upon by any power in its first three years of existence. The United States and Mexico agreed to lay an old difference of theirs, concerning the Pious Foundations of California, before the Hague Tribunal. When this example was followed by other powers, the arbitration machinery created in 1899 was finally called into operation. Roosevelt also played a prominent part in extending the use of arbitration to international problems in the Western Hemisphere, concluding several arbitration treaties with European powers too, although the Senate refused to ratify them.

In 1904 the Interparliamentary Union, meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, requested Roosevelt to call another international conference to continue the work begun at The Hague in 1899. Roosevelt responded immediately, and in the autumn of 1904 Secretary of State John Hay invited the powers to meet at The Hague. Russia, however, refused to participate in a conference while engaged in hostilities with Japan. After the peace of 1905, the matter was placed in the hands of the Russian government, which had taken the initiative in convening the first Hague Conference.

In June, 1905, President Roosevelt offered his good offices as mediator between Russia and Japan, asking the belligerents to nominate plenipotentiaries to negotiate on the conditions of peace. In August they met at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and after some weeks of difficult negotiations concluded a peace treaty in September, 1905.

On Friday morning, President Obama awoke to the news that he too will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Nine months into his presidency.

Without settling any international disputes -- or yet achieving any of the (very worthwhile) goals he has articulated in the areas of diplomacy and disarmament.

And, on the day he considered sending 40,000 additional U.S. troops into a war zone almost eight years to the day of the start of said war.

Um. Yeah ...

Note to the Norwegian Nobel Committee: Need some fresh suggestions?

Might I recommend another deserving nominee?:

Broadway Barbershop

To my mind, one of the best tunes to come out Broadway in the 1980s was "Stars" from "Les Misérables". It's less famous than some of the other songs from the show but, in my humble opinion, superior.

So, for this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," I give you "Stars." But, not just any rendition.

Ladies and gentlemen, below is "Stars" as done by a barbershop quartet.

Paix:



And, a concert performance of "Stars" by Philip Quast:

No Train

This happens sometimes:



LOL. "I'm not even from Manhattan ..."

"You, sittin' there on the bench ... yeah, you!"

Cincinnati Redux

I arrived this afternoon in Cincinnati, OH. It's my second time here, exhibiting for my gig at the Ohio Catholic Education Association conference.

After setting up our booth, we walked around Downtown Cincinnati a bit. The surrounding hillsides and the mixed-20th Century architectural styles (some old, some new) again reminded me of Downtown Pittsburgh.

Cincinnati, however, seems to have more large hotels located within two or three blocks of its convention center. And, these hotels and the other nearby buildings are well-connected by a series of sky bridges.

We had dinner this evening at a cool Mexican joint called Nada. I had the yummy mahi mahi tacos:

Pachelbel & The Cellist

I'm always surprised when I stumble across a video clip on YouTube that's been viewed by millions but is totally new to me.

Case in point: Rob Paravonian's comedic rant on Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D." Check it out:



Since this was posted in November, 2006, it has been viewed more than seven million times (!).

Just in case you'd like to hear the original:



Flashback: "Canon in D" was a "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend" in November, 2008.

Politically Speaking

Another discussion on our political discourse:

"What's the End Game?"

On Sunday, the crew on Meet the Press went back and forth on the state of our nation's political discourse:

Bambino

In early August, I mentioned in this space that five baby girls had been born this year to some of my friends and family members.

But, in that post, I noted that I did know of at least one y chromosome that had prevailed.

Saturday morning, that little man joined the party:

Welcome to our world, Carter Desrochers Moore! May the Holy Spirit always be your guide.

Carter is the son of my old college friend, Theresa, and her husband, Chris.

No, He Loves Ugly

Thursday night, I went to the very well-attended opening reception for "God Doesn't Like Ugly." It's a new exhibition by Openings, a group of visual artists based at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle on Manhattan's West Side.

My friends, Anthony Santella and J.P. Regalado, were among the featured artists.

It's an interesting, thought-provoking show. If life takes you to the corner of 9th Avenue and 60th Street in the next few weeks, be sure to stop in the church and check it out. (The pieces are mostly in the side chapels.)

Here's a video backgrounder:

They Were Testing Him

In the Gospel at Mass today, Jesus addresses the question of divorce. In short, he gives it a definitive thumbs down. He also admonishes the disciples for being fuddy-duddies about kids.

From Mark Chapter 10:

The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked, "Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?"

They were testing him.

He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?"

They replied, "Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her."

But Jesus told them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate."

In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.

He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.

When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it."

Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them.

The image above is called "Yesus Memberkati Anak-anak." It is credited here to an artist named Komang Wahyu. Artist's statement:

I was most impressed to read in Matthew 19 that Jesus said: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as them." Adults often want to constrain children, Jesus wants to welcome them, to talk to them, to bless them. This inspired me to put it down on canvas, using a decorative style. The colours I have chosen are bright to reflect the bright and colourful mood when Jesus called the children. The aim was to represent the happy loving mood of Jesus when he was blessing the children who were witnessing to their parents and the disciples. Jesus has been placed symmetrically in the centre to become the focus. The message is that the love and grace of Jesus is for all people, from babies to old people, and that those who are disciples must regularly rethink their attitudes that Jesus is selective.

A Concord Pastor has background on today's readings.

At his new home at Beliefnet, Deacon Greg has posted his homily for this Sunday.

And, over at Googling God, Mike, who just got a nice plug from the National Catholic Reporter, has some reflections of his own for today.

"Daily Agitating Barrage"

In today's Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan has a column that lines up with Thomas Friedman's thoughts from earlier this week about the sorry state of political discourse in the United States.

Notably, she echoes Friedman's concern that the tenor of our discourse could lead to violence.

One quote:

It is not new to call this kind of thing destructive, though it is. It is a daily agitating barrage that coarsens and inflames. It tears the national fabric. But it could wind up doing worse than that.

The image above is from the blog of Don Coker.

Alive Again

For a while now, I've wanted to post a tune by Matt Maher for the "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend." It's been difficult to find a high-quality clip that isn't cheesy.

But, I think I may have found one -- a radio show taping of "Alive Again." (Let me know if you think it passes the test.)

Peace:



Below is a clip of Matt Maher in concert. The quality isn't quite there and those who are not religious or spiritual could understandably think it's hokey.

But, I think a person of faith may get something out of this combination of Maher's "Empty and Beautiful," some prayer and the refrain of "Here I Am Lord":

No More "We"?

I know that several of my Republican friends are tired of hearing me say it -- but I think we have a serious problem with the level of political discourse in American society today.

Thomas Friedman devoted his column in today's New York Times to this topic.

For your consideration:

... Our leaders, even the president, can no longer utter the word “we” with a straight face. There is no more “we” in American politics at a time when “we” have these huge problems — the deficit, the recession, health care, climate change and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — that “we” can only manage, let alone fix, if there is a collective “we” at work.

Sometimes I wonder whether George H.W. Bush, president “41,” will be remembered as our last “legitimate” president. The right impeached Bill Clinton and hounded him from Day 1 with the bogus Whitewater “scandal.” George W. Bush was elected under a cloud because of the Florida voting mess, and his critics on the left never let him forget it.

And Mr. Obama is now having his legitimacy attacked by a concerted campaign from the right fringe. They are using everything from smears that he is a closet “socialist” to calling him a “liar” in the middle of a joint session of Congress to fabricating doubts about his birth in America and whether he is even a citizen. And these attacks are not just coming from the fringe. Now they come from Lou Dobbs on CNN and from members of the House of Representatives.

Again, hack away at the man’s policies and even his character all you want. I know politics is a tough business. But if we destroy the legitimacy of another president to lead or to pull the country together for what most Americans want most right now — nation-building at home — we are in serious trouble. We can’t go 24 years without a legitimate president — not without being swamped by the problems that we will end up postponing because we can’t address them rationally.

The American political system was, as the saying goes, “designed by geniuses so it could be run by idiots.” But a cocktail of political and technological trends have converged in the last decade that are making it possible for the idiots of all political stripes to overwhelm and paralyze the genius of our system.

Those factors are: the wild excess of money in politics; the gerrymandering of political districts, making them permanently Republican or Democratic and erasing the political middle; a 24/7 cable news cycle that makes all politics a daily battle of tactics that overwhelm strategic thinking; and a blogosphere that at its best enriches our debates, adding new checks on the establishment, and at its worst coarsens our debates to a whole new level, giving a new power to anonymous slanderers to send lies around the world. Finally, on top of it all, we now have a permanent presidential campaign that encourages all partisanship, all the time among our leading politicians.

I would argue that together these changes add up to a difference of degree that is a difference in kind — a different kind of American political scene that makes me wonder whether we can seriously discuss serious issues any longer and make decisions on the basis of the national interest.

We can’t change this overnight, but what we can change, and must change, is people crossing the line between criticizing the president and tacitly encouraging the unthinkable and the unforgivable.

In Your Name

Sunday afternoon, I headed out to Immaculate Conception Church in Astoria, Queens, for the baptism of Ann Lopata McAree, baby daughter of my college friends Tim and Melissa.

Four other young ones were baptized alongside Ann. This was second multi-baby baptism I attended in as many weeks. (Last week in Canonsburg, there were six babies!)

The post-sacrament brunch was held at Mojave, a Southwestern-Mexican restaurant just a few blocks from I.C. on 31st Street. (Great location for such a gathering if you ask me.) We filled an entire table at Mojave with the old crew from the Newman Club at NYU.

After brunch, I headed back into the city to find a Sunday evening Mass. (I had missed morning Mass due to an unexpected hangover stemming from just one tasty martini Saturday night at Veloce in Soho.)

I ended up at the new 7 p.m. Mass in English at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. The turnout was respectable for a Mass time only in its third week. Mostly attended by young adults, the liturgy was celebrated by Fr. Jonathan Morris.

The Gospel at Mass provided much food for thought.

From Mark Chapter 9:

At that time, John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."

Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"

For homilies on this passage, go to A Concord Pastor and Fr. Jim Schmitmeyer.

A hat-tip to Deacon Greg for Fr. Jim's homily. BTW, Deacon Greg has found a new home at Beliefnet. Congrats, Deacon!

The image above shows one of the stained-glass windows at I.C. in Astoria.

The Autumn Mist

I've been remiss this week in the prompt posting of a "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend." Is Sunday night too late for another installment? I hope not.

Below is an acoustic guitar version of "Puff the Magic Dragon." The famous tune has been on the brain since the September 16 death of Mary Travers. She was one third of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary. They released "Puff" in 1963.

Peace:



And, PP&M in concert:

The End of An Etymologist Extraordinaire

I was saddened tonight to learn that New York Times columnist and wordsmith William Safire died today at the age of 79 from pancreatic cancer.

Safire's NYT Magazine column "On Language," in which he examined the history and use of words, was one of my favorite parts of the Sunday paper.

Rest in peace, etymologist extraordinaire. You will be missed.

The photo above is from here.

On The Road

I'm writing this morning from Jacksonville, Florida. I've been here since Wednesday exhibiting for my gig at the National Council of Catholic Women conference.

The past week has been both busy and hazy (thanks to a first cold of autumn '09). Here's a little round-up:

Last Friday morning, we had a very enjoyable "bloggers breakfast" at The Flame diner on 9th Avenue at 58th Street. Here's a shot of yours truly with Mike and Fran:

It was great to meet Fran in person!

That evening, I flew home to Western Pennsylvania for a quick weekend visit. On Saturday, we went to the Pitt game at Heinz Field. Courtesy of Ed, here's how Downtown Pittsburgh looked from our seats:

There were post-game fireworks:

On Sunday, at St. Patrick Church in Canonsburg, PA, I was blessed to serve as the Godfather at the baptism of Nora Louise Welch. Here's a shot of yours truly with Nora and her dad, my old high school buddy, John:

Had it not been for all of the travel and cold medicine, I would have blogged about the G-20 in Pittsburgh this week.

Yesterday's New York Times had an article about how the summit is a mixed blessing for the Steel City.

The Greatest

The disciples of Christ don't look good in today's Gospel at Mass.

From Mark Chapter 9:

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it.

He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”

But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”

But they remained silent.

They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

A Concord Pastor has some background on today's readings.

Two

For this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," here is the tune "Two" from the Brooklyn-based band The Antlers. It's from the new album "Hospice."

Peace:



Hat-tip: Dave (who has the lyrics for this one)

Pharaoh High

LOL: This was posted to YouTube in 2006 but I just saw it for the first time:

"A comedy 3,000 years in the making ... "



Hat-tip: Kellybelle at Ephphatha

In Innocence and Love

Bit of verse for a Wednesday morning:

And so it is that clothed in innocence and love
I moved forward each day mapping out my work
Praying to God and believing in the beauty of things

-- from "Le Laboratoire Central" (1921) by French poet and painter Max Jacob (1876 - 1944).

The verse was quoted by Harold Bordwell in an essay entitled "The Perfect Sinner" in the February 27 issue of Commonweal. Born Jewish, Max Jacob became a Catholic in 1915, according to Bordwell. In 1944, Jacob was taken by the Gestapo and died a month later at the camp in Drancy.

The photo above is by my cousin Sara. Her caption: "Brookline Blvd. I like my neighborhood."

Octogenarian Gold

A few years back, while on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania, I had the opportunity to meet Jack and Margaret Eckenrode of Cecil Township, PA.

Today's Observer-Reporter caught up with this amazing couple (pictured above, ages 81 and 82) after a victorious trip to the Senior Olympics.

Congrats!

"The Dime Standard"

If you have been following the health care reform debate, it likely would be helpful to read this NYT column from last week by David Brooks.

Important graphs:

Obama rested the credibility of his presidency on what you might call the Dime Standard. He was flexible about many things, but not this: “I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits — either now or in the future. Period.”

This sound bite kills the House health care bill. That bill would add $220 billion (that’s 2.2 trillion dimes) to the deficit over the first 10 years and another $1 trillion (10 trillion dimes) to the deficit over the next 10 years.

There is no way to get from the House bill to deficit neutrality. The president’s speech guarantees that the more moderate Senate Finance Committee bill will be the basis for the negotiations to come.

The Dime Standard also sets off a political cascade. Since the Congressional Budget Office is the universally accepted arbiter in such matters, the Democrats have to produce a bill that the C.B.O. says is deficit-neutral, now and forever. That means there will be a seller’s market for any member of Congress, Republican or Democrat, who has a credible amendment to cut costs. It also means the Democrats will have to scale back coverage and subsidy levels to reach the fiscal targets.

Second, the president accepted the principle of capping the tax exemption on employer-provided health benefits. The specific proposal he embraced is a backdoor and indirect version of the cap. But what’s important here is the movement and the concession on principle. Soon moderates and Republicans will produce amendments to impose a cap directly. These amendments will credibly raise revenue and reduce costs. The administration will now have no principled argument to reject them.

Third, the president accepted the principle of tort reform to reduce the costs of defensive medicine. Once again, the specific proposal Obama mentioned is trivial. The important thing was the concession on principle. There are already amendments being drawn up to create separate malpractice courts and to otherwise reform the insane malpractice system. The president is going to have a hard time rejecting these amendments just because they might reduce campaign donations from tort lawyers to the Democratic National Committee.

Hat-tip: Sully

The image above is from here.

Rebuke

I went to "Sunday" Mass yesterday evening at the conference in Houston, Texas. The principal celebrant of the Mass was the Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the archbishop of Galveston-Houston. (I'm proud to point out that the cardinal grew up in Castle Shannon, PA, near Pittsburgh.)

The Gospel at Mass was a passage from the Gospel of Mark in which Saint Peter does not fare well. In his lively homily, Cardinal DiNardo spoke of how such blunt descriptions are a defining characteristic of Mark's Gospel.

From Mark Chapter 8:

Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.

Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”

They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.”

And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Christ.”

Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly.

Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”

For a homily on this passage, check out A Concord Pastor. Brother Patrick has a reflection, too.

The image of Saint Peter above is from here.

"Mindless Meanness"

A commentary this morning from CBS' Bob Schieffer:

That was not a State of the Union speech we heard the other night, but it had all the trappings - and when that Congressman hollered "You lie!" at the President, we did get a snapshot of the nation's state.

It was not a pretty picture.

The country is in an angry mood - people are frustrated, tempers are short, congressmen are being shouted down at town hall meetings (where constituents sometimes show up with guns), and at rallies like the one yesterday in Washington where people carried signs such as "Bury Health Care with Kennedy."

The irony of a congressman trying to heckle a president in the midst of a speech that was, among other things, about the need for civility is just one ugly sign of the mindless meanness that has settled over our politics.

How different it was in the aftermath of a far more difficult time, those days after 9/11, whose anniversary we marked on Friday.

I remember watching then, not far from where that congressman hurled his insult, as Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott put his hand on the shoulder of his Democratic counterpart Tom Daschle to announce the Senate had passed a $40 billion emergency appropriations bill, and passed it unanimously.

That day the country came together as it had not done since World War II. It made us proud to know what we could do when we had to. It brought out our best.

Put aside for the moment who is right and who is wrong in the current debate, and ask yourself: Can anyone really be proud of the side of America this argument is bringing out?

Here, here. We've got to be better than this.

Poor South Carolina

LOL:



Confidential to South Carolina voters: Ya'll just can't catch a break, can you?

Sam and Katie, what's in that Palmetto State water these days?

Dona Nobis Pacem

I'm writing this from Houston, Texas. I'm here through Sunday morning exhibiting at a conference for my gig.

It's that time in the week when I usually post a "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend." Choosing a song this week has been difficult as Friday is the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. No ordinary tune will do.

Perhaps like many, I'm still trying to sort out what 9-11 means. Should it be a day for mourning or a day for patriotism? Should it be a day for celebrating freedom or a day of praying for peace?

Certainty evades.

I have been watching a documentary about the life of Fr. Mychal Judge, O.F.M., the NYFD chaplain who died at the World Trade Center. In the years since I've learned his story, Fr. Mychal has been an inspiration to me.

So, in remembrance of this yet-to-be-canonized saint and all those who died on September 11, 2001, below is a Bach setting of "Dona Nobis Pacem" (Latin for "God, grant us peace").

Peace:

Merton on "Praise"

Today's food for thought:

"Do we know what it means to praise? To adore? To give glory?

Praise is cheap today. Everything is praised. Soap, beer, toothpaste, clothing, mouthwash, movie stars, all the latest gadgets which are supposed to make life more comfortable -- everything is constantly being "praised." Praise is now so overdone that everybody is sick of it, and since everything is "praised" with the official hollow enthusiasm of the radio announcer, it turns out in the end that nothing is praised. Praise has become empty. Nobody really wants to use it.

Are there any superlatives left for God? ... "

-- Thomas Merton, 1956, from "Praying the Psalms" published by The Liturgical Press of Collegeville, MN.

Sully: "The Catholic Thing"

Andrew Sullivan reacting to the POTUS' address:

I'm a complicated person as readers well know. And I'm suspicious of government healthcare and also a fan of the drug companies for saving my life. But I am also a Catholic and I was brought up to know and believe that we do have an obligation to care for the sick. It is a non-negotiable demand of my faith, although, of course, how we do it is up for debate. Right now, our conscience is appeased by emergency room care. That's obviously dumb, expensive and horribly unjust.

I don't find Obama's fundamentally private reform measure socialist; I find it pragmatic in an age in which technology has transformed both our ability to be healthy and the expense of it. But the moral case is what got through to me tonight, and as someone who has lived very closely with illness and medicine, I know that in real life I cannot easily walk past someone who is sick and cannot get treatment. A reader sees the Catholic angle as well:

"I am so glad he spoke about abortion. Interestingly, I just received my Florida Catholic newspaper in the mail last week. It comes from the bishops. It had an entire section about the importance of reform. One article spoke about Obama's religious leader conference call that over 140,000 signed in for. They also mentioned that Obama said that abortion would not be federally funded. The article not only called for reform it called for universal healthcare as a basic human right. I think this proves people wrong who were skeptical of Obama reaching out to religious folks specifically Catholics. He gets the social justice aspect of our religion. He just gets it."

Yes, he does. And if the theocons would let go of their partisanship and remember the faith they are allegedly representing, they would too.

Reminder: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has a Website dedicated to the topic of health care reform.

"The Character of Our Country"

Tonight, President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress in regard to reforming the nation's health care system.

Regardless of where one currently stands on the reform proposals, it can't be denied that the POTUS' remarks will have an effect on the debate in the days and weeks ahead.

So, in case you missed it, I am embedding the address below.

For your consideration:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Go West, Young Man!

Mike Hayes, the “God Googler” and a friend of this space, announced today that he’s headed west – to western New York State that is.

Mike is completing his full-time duties at Busted Halo to serve as a campus minister for students at SUNY Buffalo.

Congrats, Mike! Prayerful best wishes as you begin this new phase of your ministry to young adults.

Back here in Gotham, we’ll miss Mike, his wife Marion (the matchmaker) and their pup Haze (a.k.a. the famous blogging chihuahua).

It’s a bittersweet situation that calls for song:



(Here's guessing that may be the first time "Go West!" has been used in relation to Buffalo.)

"Our Silence Cries Out"

Quote of the day (second of two on prayer):

"True prayer is found not in the sound of the voice, but in the desire of the heart. Not our words, but our desires give power and meaning to our prayers. If we ask for eternal life with our lips without desiring it from the bottom of our hearts, our cry is silence. If without speaking, we desire it from the bottom of our heart, our silence cries out."

-- Saint Bonaventure, also quoted by Fr. Flavian Walsh, O.F.M., in a pamphlet published by the Franciscan Friars' Holy Name Province.

The photo above is from here.

"As Much As We Love"

Quote of the day (first of two on prayer):

"We pray as much as we desire. And we desire as much as we love."

-- Saint Anthony, quoted by Fr. Flavian Walsh, O.F.M., in a pamphlet published by the Franciscan Friars' Holy Name Province.

Rain Choir

How about a little something relaxing for a Tuesday morning after a long weekend?:

Hit play, close your eyes and just listen:



Here's a longer version of the same performance with some song after the storm:



FYI: This group is Perpetuum Jazzile from Slovenia. The song is "Africa," a hit in 1982-83 from the band Toto.

Hat-tip: Deacon Greg

Happy Labor Day!

Speaking of historic photos, Deacon Greg has featured this old shot in honor of Labor Day 2009:

Recognize the worker in the middle?

Here's a quote as a hint:

"I come from your midst. I come from the quarries of Zakrzowek, from the Solvay furnaces in Borek Falecki, and then from Nowa Huta. Through all these surroundings, through my own experience of work, I boldly say that I learned the gospel anew."

New O-R Blog: "The Picture Box"

Another blogger has changed venues.

The Grumpy Old Editor, a.k.a. editor Park Burroughs of the Observer-Reporter, has moved to The Picture Box. The new blog is slated to feature historic photos "too good not to be shared."

Park has already featured an old-time picture from McDonald, PA, hometown of yours truly:

The creator of this photo was shooting slightly northwest while standing on South McDonald Street. In the photo, it says "Hotel Valentor" on the building. The structure still stands although changes were made early its history to that front balcony. Most current-day McDonald natives would call this building "The Pitt Hotel."

Speaking of the Observer-Reporter, some of the paper's recent castaways are doing some fine writing over The Bread Line Blog.

Joined Together

Saturday, at the Church of St. Anastasia in Teaneck, NJ, I was very honored to read the prayers of the faithful and serve as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at the beautiful wedding Mass of my friends Anthony and Heather.

Congratulations to the newlyweds!

Here's a glimpse of Anthony and Heather during the reception:

A & H, you are in my prayers for a long and happy life together. You are an inspiration to me!

Photo hat-tip: Ann Marie at FB

Be Opened!

It's a miracle!

After weeks of Gospel passages in which the message of Christ could be hard to comprehend and accept, today's Gospel at Mass brings an account of healing that the people proclaimed even against Jesus' wishes.

From Mark Chapter 7:

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis.

And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him.

He took him off by himself away from the crowd.

He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” — And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.

He ordered them not to tell anyone.

But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it.

They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

For homilies and reflections on today's Gospel, visit A Concord Pastor, Deacon Greg, Fran, Missy and Fr. James.

In Memoriam: Bea Browand, 1948 - 2009

Word has come of the death yesterday of Bea Browand, a wonderful woman and political dynamo from the South Hills of Pittsburgh.

Bea was a grassroots political activist in the very best sense of the term. She understood at her core that all politics is local -- and worked hard locally for candidates and causes at the municipal, county, state and federal levels.

Door-to-door outreach, speaking at public meetings, serving on committees, circulating nominating petitions, organizing events, raising funds, making phone calls, recruiting candidates, training volunteers -- Bea did it all and she did it well.

When I ran for the PA House of Representatives, Bea and her husband, Tom, were generous supporters of my campaigns and did not even live in my district.

Bea died far too young from cancer at the age of 61. Bea, her family and friends are in my prayers.

From the words at end of the funeral Mass:

Bea,

May the angels lead you into paradise,

may the martyrs come to welcome you,

and take you to the holy city,

the new and eternal Jerusalem.

A 5'7'' Steeler?

Apparently ... Stefan Logan is his name. Check out this photo from the Post-Gazette credited to Peter Diana:

Caption: "Steelers' Stefan Logan is greeted by Brett Keisel after scoring a touchdown on a punt return in the first quarter."

From the Trib: "Stefan Logan dazzles with a punt return TD"

From the P-G: "Logan has earned roster spot with Steelers"

Go Steelers '09!

A Final Long Taste

For this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," below is the tune "A Final Long Taste" by Dan Schreck.

Dan is a native of Bethel Park, PA, who lives here in NYC. He recently completed a tour-of-duty as director of young adult outreach for the Archdiocese of New York. This Sunday evening, he's slated to perform at Catholic Thrive.

Pax:

"If We Change People’s Hearts"

Cardinal Seán O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston, has been criticized in some quarters for his presence Saturday at the funeral Mass of Senator Edward Kennedy -- due to the senator’s support for abortion rights.

Some of these critics have stated that Senator Kennedy’s pro-abortion stand should have even ruled out his having a Catholic funeral Mass.

Yesterday, Cardinal Seán responded to these criticisms on his blog.

Some quotes:

" ... We are people of faith and we believe in a loving and forgiving God from whom we seek mercy.

...

... the pro-life movement is best characterized by what it is for, not against. We are for the precious gift of life, and our task is to build a civilization of love. We must show those who do not share our belief about life that we care about them. We will stop the practice of abortion by changing the law, and we will be successful in changing the law if we change people’s hearts. We will not change hearts by turning away from people in their time of need and when they are experiencing grief and loss.

At times, even in the Church, zeal can lead people to issue harsh judgments and impute the worst motives to one another. These attitudes and practices do irreparable damage to the communion of the Church. If any cause is motivated by judgment, anger or vindictiveness, it will be doomed to marginalization and failure. Jesus’ words to us were that we must love one another as He loves us. Jesus loves us while we are still in sin. He loves each of us first, and He loves us to the end. Our ability to change people’s hearts and help them to grasp the dignity of each and every life, from the first moment of conception to the last moment of natural death, is directly related to our ability to increase love and unity in the Church, for our proclamation of the Truth is hindered when we are divided and fighting with each other."

...

Amen.

From the Gospel of Mark 2:16:

Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Jesus heard this and said to them (that), "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

The photo above is from Cardinal Seán's Blog.

"His Sister’s Qualms"

In a recent NYT column, Ross Douthat contrasted the differing positions of Senator Ted Kennedy and his sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver (pictured above, center), on abortion.

Some graphs:

... Along with her husband, Sargent Shriver, Eunice belonged to America’s dwindling population of outspoken pro-life liberals. Like her church, she saw a continuity, rather than a contradiction, between championing the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed and protecting unborn human life.

...

In 1992, Eunice participated in the last significant effort to push the Democratic Party away from abortion on demand, petitioning her party’s convention to consider “a new understanding” of the issue, “one that does not pit mother against child,” but instead seeks “policies that responsibly protect and advance the interest of mothers and their children, both before and after birth.”

...

It’s worth pondering how the politics of abortion might have been different had Ted shared even some of his sister’s qualms about the practice. One could imagine a world in which America’s leading liberal Catholic had found a way to make liberalism less absolutist on the issue, and a world where a man who became famous for reaching across the aisle had reached across, even occasionally, in search of compromise on the country’s most divisive issue.

That was not to be. And it’s entirely fitting, given his record, that Kennedy’s immediate legacy is a draft of health-care legislation that pursues an eminently Catholic goal — expanding access to medical care — through a system that seems likely, in its present design, to subsidize abortion.

But his sister would have written it a different way.

Hat-tip: The Anchoress

The Boston Globe photo above is from here. It is credited to Bill Brett.