Prayer in a Time of Tragedy

It has been difficult today not to think about the shooting last night at a gym outside of Bridgeville, PA. For readers of this blog not from the Pittsburgh area: the location of the shooting is about a 10-minute drive from my hometown.

One of my best friends was in the gym at the time of the shooting. Thanks be to God that he was never in harm's way.

This morning, I read the on-line writings of the shooter. But, I am not going to link to these writing or repeat the name of the shooter. In the writings, he makes it clear that attention is what he wanted. While his soul requires prayer, his earthly violence should not earn him posthumous celebrity.

Three women were killed in the shooting: Elizabeth "Betsy" Gannon, Heidi Overmier and Jody Billingsley. These are names to remember -- as are the names of those who were injured.

A prayer:

Dear God,

We pray that your Holy Spirit may be in us -- and all that we say and do -- in the aftermath of this act of violence against innocents.

We pray for those who have died. May their souls now be with you, in the warm embrace of your love that is beyond all understanding.

We pray for the family members and friends of those who have died. Console them in their grief, O God. May they know your love. May they come to again know peace in their hearts and minds.

We pray for anyone who may be contemplating an act of violence such as we have witnessed. God, your people plead for the strength and knowledge to reach out to these troubled souls. Help us to be your instruments in bringing them back from the brink of hate, despair and violence.

We pray for an end to all violence in all its forms everywhere upon the Earth. God, grant us peace in our time.

Amen.

See also: The Bread Line Blog here and here.

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

Yesterday afternoon, my old college buddy, Greg, and his wife, Mary, welcomed a new addition to their family:

Welcome to the party, Olivia Mary! May the Holy Spirit always be your guide.

If you are counting, this is the fifth birth of a baby girl this year to one of my friends or family members. Little Olivia joins Nora, Ann, Olive and Mariah. (There actually was a sixth but I have yet to get a photo of the little one born some months back to the wife of my old Western PA buddy Mike Carberry.)

I have one more college friend who is expecting in 2009. But, this time, it looks like the Y chromosome has prevailed. My cousin, Luke, is slated to become a dad in January, 2010. Too early to tell there.

There's an old song that may be appropriate for the entry of all these little ladies into our midst:

Scolding by the Public Editor

When I was a newspaper reporter, I had nightmares that something like this would come out of one of my articles.

From the NYT Public Editor Clark Hoyt:

The short answer is that a television critic with a history of errors wrote hastily and failed to double-check her work, and editors who should have been vigilant were not.

But a more nuanced answer is that even a newspaper like The Times, with layers of editing to ensure accuracy, can go off the rails when communication is poor, individuals do not bear down hard enough, and they make assumptions about what others have done. Five editors read the article at different times, but none subjected it to rigorous fact-checking, even after catching two other errors in it. And three editors combined to cause one of the errors themselves.

Hat-tip: Andrew Sullivan: "Poor Cronkite"

Never Hunger, Never Thirst

In this Sunday's Gospel at Mass, we find the crowd getting restless -- and asking many questions.

From John Chapter 6:

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”

So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'”

So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Deacon Greg has a thought-provoking homily for this Sunday.

A Concord Pastor has background for this Sunday's Mass readings here, here and here. (The image above is shamelessly cribbed from one of these posts by the CP.)

A Heavenly Cause

Yesterday, in his eulogy at the Memorial Mass for Louisa Kirchner, her son Joe recalled that his mom used Cervantes' novel "Don Quixote" in her Spanish classes at the University of Connecticut.

Joe added that, while his parents were not "theater people," they repeatedly attended performances of "Man of La Mancha," the Broadway treatment of "Don Quixote."

So, for this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," below is a Brian Stokes Mitchell recording of a ballad from that show: "Dulcinea."

Pax:



And, of course, that's hardly the only famous tune from "Man of La Mancha":

In Memoriam: Louisa Kirchner, 1915-2009

In the summer of 1997, I was working as a resident assistant at Goddard Hall, one of NYU's traditional residence halls on Washington Square in New York City. The summer position brought with it free room and board as well as a "triple" room all to myself.

That summer, I had hoped to get an internship at GQ magazine. But, due to my lack of formal design and layout experience, my application was rejected. This left my evening job at the NYU alumni phonathon as my only cash-generating employment for June, July and August.

So, I slept in many mornings. I helped to plan Goddard Hall's fall orientation schedule. I planned (and executed) my blow-out of a 21st birthday party on July 26.

And, that hazy summer, I had my first communication with Louisa Kirchner.

It was Sarah LaPlante, in a telephone call from Milwaukee, who made the connection.

Sarah was then serving as the executive director of the National Catholic Student Coalition (NCSC), an association of Catholic college and university students who are active in campus ministry programs around the United States. In 1997, I was chair of NCSC's Northeast Regional Team.

Sarah had been asked to recruit a new Catholic college student or two to go to the United Nations headquarters in New York to attend briefings for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on behalf of the International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS). Thanks to the luck of geography, yours truly was one of the students to get the nod.

Waiting for me at the U.N. was Louisa.

By the time I met her in mid-1997, Dr. Louisa Byles Kirchner, age 82, a retired professor of Spanish at the University of Connecticut, had been laboring on behalf of IMCS and its professional / academic sister organization (called "Pax Romana") for the better part of 60 years. In fact, Louisa was one of the founders of one of NCSC's predecessor organizations, the National Federation of Catholic College Students.

Louisa, and her husband, Ed Kirchner (then aged 85 years), took me and the other Catholic student representatives under their wing. The couple would come to the U.N. multiple times a month from their home in Stamford, CT. They would take the train into Grand Central and then walk over to the U.N. buildings by the East River.

The Kirchners were with us as we sat through NGO briefings, meetings of the various U.N. NGO committees as well as events at the International Catholic Organizations Center on 47th Street upstairs of Holy Family Church. And, Ed and Louisa were sitting behind me in June, 1998, when I made a statement to the U.N. General Assembly Committee of the Whole during the Special Session on the World Drug Problem.

With her small stature, white-gray hair and pants suits of muted colors, Louisa did not immediately strike fear in the hearts of the U.N. bureaucrats. But, she had a strong presence. She was never afraid to ask a hard question in a briefing or remind someone of a proverbial elephant in the room.

After a briefing or meeting, I would love to go to lunch with Louisa and Ed. Often over sandwiches in the cafeteria of the Engineering Societies Building (now the site of the Trump World Tower), we would talk about the Church, international affairs and politics. I remember the day I told Louisa I was a Republican. The feisty proponent of the preferential option for the poor was not amused!

In July, 1998, I moved home to Western Pennsylvania to work in newspapers and politics. But, I stayed in touch with Louisa and Ed for as many years as Louisa was able to e-mail. And, in 2000, we spent a week together in Paris for an international conference of Catholic academics and professionals. (The photos in this post are from that trip.)

Ed died in 2003. Louisa passed away on June 28 of this year. A child of 1915, she would have turned 94 on August 29.

Friday morning, I took that New Haven-line train from Grand Central to Stamford to attend a memorial Mass for Louisa at the Kirchners' old parish, Our Lady Star of the Sea, where she once served as a lector.

At the Mass, it was recalled that Louisa was a great-granddaughter of Peter Delmonico, one of the brothers who founded the famous Delmonico's restaurant, and that she was a niece of Father Thomas Byles, the priest who went down on the Titantic.

Also remembered was Louisa and Ed's wedding in the Lady Chapel of St. Patrick's Cathedral in May, 1946. The New York Times report of the nuptials indicated that the wedding ceremony was performed by Paulist Father Joseph McSorley while the Mass was celebrated (and a Papal blessing bestowed) by the Jesuit theologian Father John Courtney Murray.

Joe Kirchner, the youngest of Louisa and Ed's three children, recalled the years his parents spent in Europe after WWII. Ed ran a displaced persons camp while Louisa worked with students and helped to secure scholarships for many of them.

Joe also reported how, in Louisa's final years, she continued to inspire others just by her presence at Sunday Mass. From his eulogy:

"Louisa may have been frail, but she did not want anyone coming down the aisle to bring her communion. She inched her way up, navigating her walker around musical instruments where the aisle narrowed next to the choir to receive God from both the Eucharist and the cup. When people held the door for her or made room in the pew, you could detect a sense of awe in their faces. She may not have been able to articulate it, but people were inspired by the strength of her conviction, every Sunday, inching her way to communion. ... at her core, was her faith."

Awake

Quote of the day:

“The goal is to be awake in your own life. ... Sometimes you have to leave the country to jar yourself awake, and sometimes you have to just go more deeply into your own life.”

- Melanie Gideon, in a feature on her memoir, “The Slippery Year,” in today's New York Times

"They Saw The Signs"

The Gospel at Mass today is the well-known passage on Christ's miraculous feeding of the 5,000 with the boy's five loaves and two fish.

From John Chapter 6:

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.

Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near.

When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”

He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.”

One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?”

Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”

Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.

When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”

So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.

When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”

Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

For good homilies on this passage, check out Cardinal Newman and A Concord Pastor and Deacon Greg and the Parish Blog of St. Edward the Confessor.

Flashbacks: This miracle has been described in this space before as it occurs in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

And, a video with this week's Gospel:

Victim of A Selfish Kind of Love

For this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," here is NYC-based singer-songwriter Jay Brannan with his chill take on "Man in the Mirror."

Peace:

If John Allen had $10 billion ...

... he would put a nurse in every U.S. parish.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Kind of reminds you of the BNL song, huh?:

"Him Whom My Heart Loves"

For many Christian traditions, today (July 22) is the feast day or memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene. She was the first evangelist of Christ's Resurrection.

One of the options for the first reading at Mass today is a beautiful passage from Chapter 3 of the Song of Songs that may evoke what Mary Magdalene felt in the garden on Easter Sunday morning:

... I sought him but I did not find him.

I will rise then and go about the city;
in the streets and crossings I will seek
Him whom my heart loves.
I sought him but I did not find him.

The watchmen came upon me
as they made their rounds of the city:
Have you seen him whom my heart loves?

I had hardly left them
when I found him whom my heart loves.

The Anchoress and Fr. Aquinas also have posts for today's memorial.

Regarding the image above: The name of the artist who created the image may be Jesus Martinez Gordo. However, as the Website where I found it is down, I cannot confirm this.

R.I.P. Frank McCourt

In a press release Monday, NYU marked the passing of one of the university's great alums: teacher and author Frank McCourt (NYU School of Education Class of 1957). McCourt died Sunday at the age of 78.

The release included this interesting video with some great old images of NYU and the Village:

Frank McCourt: The Journey of an Ordinary Teacher from NYU Steinhardt on Vimeo.

An aside: When I read McCourt's second book "'Tis", I was tickled by his passing reference to the NYU Newman Club.

See also: "St. Frank of Limerick" at Googling God

No POTUS Fear?

Speaking of good lines in the NYT, columnist David Brooks provided this one today in a piece entitled "Liberal Suicide March":

Machiavelli said a leader should be feared as well as loved. Obama is loved by the Democratic chairmen, but he is not feared. On health care, Obama has emphasized cost control. The chairmen flouted his priorities because they don’t fear him. On cap and trade, Obama campaigned against giving away pollution offsets. The chairmen wrote their bill to do precisely that because they don’t fear him. On taxes, Obama promised that top tax rates would not go above Clinton-era levels. The chairmen flouted that promise because they don’t fear him.

"A World That No Longer Exists"

The editorial page of Sunday's New York Times included an "Appreciation" of Walter Cronkite, the famed television news broadcaster who died Friday at the age of 92.

I liked this line from the piece:

Some deaths end only a life. Some end a generation. Walter Cronkite’s death ends something larger and more profound. He stood for a world, a century, that no longer exists. His death is like losing the last veteran of a world-changing war, one of those men who saw too much but was never embittered by it.

He Began to Teach Them

Like several other places in the New Testament, the Gospel at Mass today leads us to think of Jesus as a "shepherd." The passage also speaks to the importance of going away, sometimes, to "a deserted place and rest a while."

From Mark Chapter 6:

The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught.

He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."

People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat.

So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

Flashbacks: Previous "shepherd" passages on Good Shepherd Sundays in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Deacon Greg has posted his homily for this Sunday. Good bit:

One of the lessons of this Sunday’s gospel is that after the apostles have done their amazing work – we heard last week about the miracles they performed – they returned to Christ, who reminded them that the job of being a faithful Christian isn’t all work. It’s rest. It’s prayer. It is seeking out a deserted place to find peace.

In the chaos of daily life, each of us needs to return to Christ, and to find a deserted place to rest, a sea of tranquility for prayer.

Like the River Jordon

For this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," I tried to locate a high-quality a capella version of Michael Jackson's early 1990s hit "Will You Be There." Below are three versions that aren't too bad.

Pax:







Jennifer Hudson, of course, was the inspiration:

A Front-Row Seat for Miracles

The July 20 edition of America magazine includes a good essay from Deacon Greg with observations from his two years as a permanent deacon in the Church.

These two items in his list of seven caught my eye:

4. Never, ever, under any circumstances, tell people in a homily that it might be spiritually enriching to pray for our enemies and then suggest a name. I did that once, mentioning Osama bin Laden, and the congregation actually gasped. I never heard the end of it.

...

7. But despite all that, no amount of preparation can prepare you for the miraculous. The first time I baptized a baby, I made a mental note to check out my eyeglass prescription, until I realized I was having trouble seeing because my eyes were blurred by my own tears. Ministerial life has been like that. I have been moved and inspired by the boundless joy of a couple on their wedding day, the giddiness of a mother and father dabbing the water from their baby’s brow on the day of his baptism and the heartfelt handshake of a man who was grateful for something I mentioned in the pulpit. I have dried tears at funerals (sometimes my own) and smiled at small children who trot around the aisles during my homilies. I have been reminded, week after week, at wakes and weddings, at fundraisers and first Communions, that I am a part of something that is, like the mysteries of the rosary, joyous, luminous, sorrowful and glorious.

I have had a front-row seat for the great milestones of life and have shared in the worries and wonders and hopes of the people in the pews. I do not know most of their names, but they know me, and they know my wife, and they wave at us in the supermarket or stop us on the subway and go out of their way to say hello or how are you or thank you. I have been doing this for only two years, but already I’ve witnessed more miracles than I can count.

Lizard Poisons Spock

I've been thinking that rock-paper-scissors needed an update:

Mockümentary

Friday night, we caught a late showing of "Brüno" at Destinta Theaters in Bridgeville, PA.

"Brüno" is the latest gotcha comedy or "mockumentary" from Sacha Baron Cohen, the creator of "Borat."

The film was offensive and shocking, especially the Ron Paul scene. But, admittedly, I laughed a lot -- although probably not $9.50 worth of laughs.

I just was not as interested in the outcome of Brüno's travels and trials as much as I was in Borat's American adventure.

Even if you're a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen, "Brüno" can wait for Netflix.

As of this writing, "Brüno" has a 69 percent rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

Take Nothing

This morning, my maternal grandmother and I went to the 8:30 a.m. Mass at my hometown parish, St. Alphonsus Church in McDonald, PA.

The Gospel at Mass included a commissioning by Christ of his apostles -- with some interesting instructions.

From Mark Chapter 6:

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick — no food, no sack, no money in their belts.

They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.

He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them."

So they went off and preached repentance.

The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

A Concord Pastor and Deacon Greg have posted their homilies on this Sunday's readings.

Powerful quote from Deacon Greg:

The gospel is meant to be lived on its feet -- taken to others, one foot in front of the other, one step at a time. It is to be taken beyond places that are flat, and safe and comfortable, to deserts and mountains and plains, to places where you may find yourself tired, trudging, where the terrain may be rough and the hills steep. The trip won’t necessarily be easy.

But it is one we all are asked to take. It is the great adventure of living the Catholic Christian faith, and taking it into the world.

All you need are sandals. And a walking stick. And someone else to share the journey. Take nothing else. It is the journey itself, and the willingness to make that journey, that matters.

Need Look No More

I am on the road this week. On Tuesday, I left NYC for Las Vegas where one of my younger brothers, Cliff, got married on Wednesday. (Cliff is the proprietor of Big Shot Bob's -- be sure to stop by if you're ever west of the Pittsburgh and hungry for some excellent wings.)

The wedding was at the Luxor, which had very poor wifi access (hence the lack of blogging mid-week).

On Thursday, I flew from Las Vegas to Pittsburgh. This leg of the trip was for the wedding of my cousin, Ben, yesterday at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Burgettstown, PA.

While here in wonderful Western Pennsylvania, I've been staying at my mom's house in the village of Primrose, west of McDonald Borough. The house is situated in a spot with lots of trees and a small creek ("crick") abutting the back yard. Early Friday morning, I was pleasantly surprised by a symphony of birds out back.

But, while the nature is nice and all, mi madre has neither wifi nor standard Internet (hence the lack of blogging late-week).

So, tonight, I come to you live from Crazy Mocha on Pittsburgh's South Side. (They have wifi ... whew.)

I'm pleased to report that, in addition to Ben's wedding, this visit to PA afforded me the opportunity to meet Nora Louise, as well as catch up with Mariah Paige.

On Tuesday morning, the Delta flight to Vegas included personal television sets with satellite TV. Like many others on the flight, I watched nearly the entire CNN coverage of the Michael Jackson memorial.

I know, I know. The coverage has been too much. MJ should not be seen as a role model. I agree. But, indulge me. For this week's rather late "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," I have chosen another MJ song: "Ben." (It fits rather well with the nuptials theme of this post.)

I actually had forgotten about "Ben." Dual hat-tip to my old high school buddy, Ed, and my cousin, Amy, for mentioning it.

There are YouTube clips of MJ himelf singing "Ben." But I think I prefer this newer, in-concert version by another vocalist (song starts after 0:19).

Peace:

Course-Correct

An essay in the technology section of Saturday's New York Times ended with this quote from Scott D. Anthony, president of Innosight, a consulting firm:

“You see again and again the companies that succeed are not the ones that have the brilliant strategy,” he said, “but the ones that course-correct along the way.”

Perhaps true for life in general, actually.

Baby Boom

The baby boom continues.

Late Sunday afternoon, my friends John and Allison Welch of Houston, PA, became parents to their second daughter.

Nora Louise Welch is pictured at right. She was born at Washington Hospital.

Welcome to the party, little Nora! May the Holy Spirit always be your guide.

Nora is a little sister for Molly, who was born exactly two-and-a-half years ago today.

Photo hat-tip: Grandpa Jack

His Native Place

Unlike last Sunday's Gospel, with its two great examples of faith and healing, Jesus has a more difficult time in this week's Gospel at Mass. And, in his hometown nonetheless.

From Mark Chapter 6:

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.

When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished.

They said, "Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?"

And they took offense at him.

Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house."

So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.

He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Deacon Greg has a very good homily for this Sunday.

The image above is from A Concord Pastor.

A City Baby

Tonight, as I was walking into my apartment after watching the great fireworks display over the Hudson River, my cell phone rang.

The call brought the wonderful news of the the birth of a daughter to my friends Melissa and Tim. Ann was born at 2 a.m. on July 3.

Check her out:

Welcome to the party, little Ann! May the Holy Spirit always be your guide.

Melissa, who also grew up outside of Pittsburgh, told me that Ann is a true city baby. As Ann needed some coaxing to make her big entrance, Melissa and Tim were able to calmly take the N-W subway from Queens to the hospital in Manhattan for the birth.

Photo hat-tip: Waldie's World

Liberty at Night

A very happy Independence Day to all!

For this Fourth of July, I thought I would give a brief report from an outpost of America's favorite pastime.

Tuesday evening, I went a game of the Staten Island Yankees minor league baseball team.

It was my first exposure to this Single-A franchise of the New York Yankees -- thanks to an invite from Mike and his friend Donna. We went to the game as part of a group from Regis High School.

The S.I. Yanks play in a great little stadium at the northeastern tip of Staten Island, conveniently located next to the ferry terminal. The stadium boasts beautiful views of the New York harbor and the Manhattan skyline.

It was great to be in a ballpark where you could see the action up close. And, I was very glad to see so many families with children there.

Watching the S.I. Yanks reminded me of the Washington Wild Things, the Frontier League team in Washington, PA, as well as some of the campaign events we held there. A lot of things on Staten Island actually remind me of Pennsylvania. Parts of the island have quite a small town or suburban feel.

We took the Staten Island Ferry back to Manhattan after the game. It may have been my first time in the harbor at night. The clear nighttime view of the Statue of Liberty from the ferry was beautiful:

Flashbacks: Independence Day posts for 2008 and 2006.

Bring Salvation Back

I can't deny that my inner-soundtrack this week has been dominated by the music of Michael Jackson.

An MJ-related song that I particularly like is "I'll Be There," a hit of The Jackson 5 from 1970.

So, for this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," here is a great take on that piece by the ACM Gospel Choir.

Peace:

"A Religious Man"

Sister Rose has recalled another instance when Karl Malden (1912-2009) portrayed a priest -- in what sources say was his last appearance on screen.

A scene from an episode of "The West Wing" called "Take this Sabbath Day":

"It's a Crucifixion!"

The Academy Award-winning actor Karl Malden died today at the age of 97.

Over at In All Things, America magazine's blog, Jesuit Father Jim Martin has the goods on one of Malden's most memorable roles -- Father Pete Barry, the priest in the 1954 film "On The Waterfront." The character was was inspired by the real-life "Waterfront Priest" Jesuit Father John Corridan.

Here are two clips from that classic starring Malden and Marlon Brando:



Here is another famous scene (without Malden) from "On The Waterfront" with the oft-quoted line "I coulda been a contender":

Hat-tip: Deacon Greg

Cardinal Newman on Theology

Food for thought -- on theology:

"Theology cannot always have its own way; it is too hard, too intellectual, too exact, to be always equitable, or to be always compassionate; and it sometimes has a conflict or overthrow, or has to consent to a truce or a compromise, in consequence of the rival force of religious sentiment or ecclesiastical interests; and that, sometimes in great matters, sometimes in unimportant."

-- John Henry Newman from here.

Flashback: Kindly Light

Sophia Would Be Pleased

The great blogger Amy Welborn and her family have been vacationing in Sicily. It's made for quite enjoyable reading.

Picture it ...

Flashback: Tipici Siciliani

"A Deeply Painful Process"

Bad news last week from my one-time employer of fond memory:

Observer Publishing Co. eliminated 12 positions at its newspapers Wednesday.

Most of the jobs eliminated were from the editorial department of the Observer-Reporter, which serves Washington and Greene counties daily. One position was dropped at The Almanac, the weekly newspaper serving the South Hills.

"The economic downturn has resulted in lower advertising revenue, and we - like most other newspapers - have had to adjust," said Observer-Reporter editor Park Burroughs. "This is a deeply painful process, but we have an obligation to remain this area's main source of local news."

Observer Publishing Co. employees 184 people at its offices in Washington, Waynesburg and McMurray.

Park Burroughs elaborates further on the cuts at his blog.

Mike Jones, one of the O-R staff writers to get a pink slip, has started "The Bread Line Blog." His goal: "I hope this blog will explain the story of unemployment and the journey of finding a new job in this environment."

Memo to my family members and friends in Washington County: now would be an excellent time to begin home delivery of the O-R.

That 201-year-old newspaper needs your support. Without a daily newspaper, the county would be a weaker place politically, economically and culturally.

"Do Not Be Afraid; Just Have Faith"

This weekend, my parish here in NYC -- the Church of St. Paul the Apostle on Manhattan's West Side -- has been celebrating the final days of the Catholic Church's "Special Jubilee Year to the Apostle Paul."

Friday evening, the celebration at St. Paul's included a reading of the entire text of Saint Paul's Letters to the Colossians. Saturday (really Sunday) at midnight, the parish began an all-night Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Along with other young adults, fellow parishioners and guests, I attended the adoration from midnight to 2 a.m. Fr. Stan Fortuna, C.F.R., led us during those hours with song and reflections.

Today, St. Paul's is having special Masses at 11 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. -- both to be followed by parish socials. I'm assuming that the Gospel readings proclaimed at these Masses may be the passage designated for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (which falls on Monday).

Most Catholics, however, will hear proclaimed this Sunday at Mass a very powerful Gospel passage in which two Jewish women are healed through the power of Christ. It's such an important passage I did not want to miss the opportunity to post it here.

From Mark Chapter 5:

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.

One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, "My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live."

He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.

She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."

Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"

But his disciples said to Jesus, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"

And he looked around to see who had done it.

The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.

He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith."

He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.

So he went in and said to them, "Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep."

And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out.

He took along the child's father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was.

He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"

The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded.

He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

Fran has an excellent reflection on this passage at the Parish Blog of St. Edward the Confessor.

The image above depicts St. Paul prior to his beheading by sword. It is a detail of "The Martyrdom of St. Paul" by the American impressionist Robert Reid (1862-1929). The painting is on the wall at southwest end of the nave of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in NYC. St. Paul's is the mother church of the Paulist Fathers.

McSummerfest 2009

I have noticed an increase in blog traffic in the last day from folks searching for information on McSummerfest, the week-long concert series and carnival held in my hometown of McDonald, PA. The annual event is organized by the McDonald Volunteer Fire Department.

This blog is coming up high in the Google and AOL search results due to this post from last year as well as some campaign posts from 2006.

So, as a very, very small bit of a community service, I am pleased to provide a link to the schedule for McSummerfest 2009. Looks like a great line-up!

I regret I won't be able to make it back home for the festivities this week as I already have a trip planned to Western PA July 9 to 13 for a cousin's wedding.

I'm especially sorry to be missing the performance tonight at McSummerfest by The Clarks. (I had a great time at the band's December concert here in NYC.)

But, in honor of the occasion, here is a great live performance (recorded at Mr. Small's in Millvale) of The Clarks with "Born Too Late":


And, for good measure, here is the video for The Clarks' tune "Better Off Without You":

Man in the Mirror

In 1988, I turned 12 years old. It was a big year for my pre-teen self -- I transitioned from 6th Grade at McDonald Elementary School to 7th Grade at Fort Cherry Jr./Sr. High School.

In that final full year of the Reagan administration, I lived with my mother, brother and sister in the upstairs apartment of a little yellow-siding house on Grant Avenue. My favorite pastime was going to the library just down the block.

And, hands down, my favorite song of 1988 was the Michael Jackson hit "Man in the Mirror." If memory serves, I even had a black t-shirt with the King of Pop's face on the front.

I couldn't helping thinking of that tune today following the news of M.J.'s death at age 50.

So, for old times sake, here is "Man in the Mirror" for this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend." May the voice behind it rest in peace.

Peace:

e-Thought Bubbles

Quote of the Day:

“You’ll have half the participants BlackBerrying each other as a submeeting, with a running commentary on the primary meeting ... BlackBerrys have become like cartoon thought bubbles.”

-- Philippe Reines of the U.S. State Department in "Mind Your BlackBerry or Mind Your Manners" in today's New York Times

Even Wind and Sea

In the liturgical year, today is a Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today's Gosepl at Mass is a passage about trusting in God.

From Mark Chapter 4:

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: "Let us cross to the other side."

Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him.

A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up.

Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"

He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!"

The wind ceased and there was great calm.

Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?"

They were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?"

The image above is from A Concord Pastor who has a good homily on today's Gospel. Deacon Greg has a good one for this Sunday, too.

An aside: Happy Father's Day today to all fathers, grandfathers and Godfathers! A special greeting to my friends who are becoming fathers this coming year. God bless you.

Wordplay

Today, before the matinee performance of "Next Fall," one of the songs playing in the theater was "Wordplay" by Jason Mraz. Here it is for this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend."

Peace:



6/21 aside: "Word Play" is the name of my friend Heather's blog.

Staycation

Since Tuesday evening, I have been on a staycation ("stay-cation?" "stacation?") here in NYC.

Staycations, "a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips to area attractions," have been much in the news this recession.

My staycation was prompted by the coinciding visits of Mischa, an old college comrade who lives in Los Angeles, and Ed, an old high school buddy from Pittsburgh. Both have been crashing here at the ole' pad in Little Italy.

Mischa is in NYC for the wedding this weekend of Sarah and Jesse.

Ed's motivation to visit the Empire State was the USGA's U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park on Long Island.

I joined Ed at the U.S. Open (thanks to some affordable tickets from StubHub). We attended the practice round on Wednesday as well as the competitive round on Friday. I had an excellent time -- I find watching golf to be very relaxing -- even if I do have a sunburn to show for it.

Thursday, we also journeyed north on the 4 train to the new Yankee Stadium only to be disappointed by the rain delay. After about an hour of checking out the Yankees' new digs, we decided to head back into Manhattan and spent the rainy afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Lots of walking around the city, dinners with other assorted friends and bar-hopping also have been on the agenda. Tomorrow, we're catching a matinee performance of the new Broadway play "Next Fall."

So, no, I'm not on a sunny beach or visiting a glittering European capital. But, I'm ruling my staycation a success.

Prayer Request

Today, a cousin of mine is having a serious investigative surgery to determine the nature of a large growth in her chest.

Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

6/20 Update: My cousin came through the surgery well, two hours less in duration than expected. The growth was removed and the doctor's initial reaction was that it was not cancerous. Thanks to all for your prayers!

Iranian Green

Sully, who has been providing excellent coverage of the situation in Iran, has gone green in solidarity with the protesters there:

Here, here.

Could now be a historical turning point in Iran?

Like The Anchoress, I'm praying for the people there -- prayers for freedom, liberty, democracy and peace.

Most Holy

For English-speaking Catholics, the proper name of today's Corpus Christi feast is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. It's a day set aside to celebrate our belief in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist (the bread and wine used during Communion).

The Gospel at Mass today was from Mark Chapter 14:

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"

He sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"' Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there."

The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body."

Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

For good homilies today, be sure to check out A Concord Pastor and Deacon Greg.

I especially appreciated the beginning of Deacon Greg's homily, in which he remembered Dorothy Day's devotion to the Eucharist:

Back in the 1970s, when there was a lot of liturgical innovation going on, Dorothy Day invited a young priest to celebrate mass at the Catholic Worker. He decided to do something that he thought was relevant and hip. He asked Dorothy if she had a coffee cup he could borrow. She found one in the kitchen and brought it to him. And, he took that cup and used it as the chalice to celebrate mass.

When it was over, Dorothy picked up the cup, found a small gardening tool, and went to the backyard. She knelt down, dug a hole, kissed the coffee cup, and buried it in the earth.

With that simple gesture, Dorothy Day showed that she understood something that so many of us today don’t: she knew that Christ was truly present in something as ordinary as a ceramic cup. And that it could never be just a coffee cup again.

She understood the power and reality of His presence in the blessed sacrament.

The photo above shows the 1648 painting "Chalice and Host surrounded by garlands of flowers" by Jan Davidsz de Heem (1606-c. 1683). I found this photo at Idle Specuations.

One Bread, One Body

I know it's already Sunday evening but, for good measure, I thought I would still post a "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend."

Since today is the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, here is "One Bread, One Body" by John Foley, S.J., as sung by John Michael Talbot.

Pax:

As Grain Once Scattered

I'm coming to you live from the airport in Atlanta, GA, while waiting for a flight back to LaGuardia.

I was here this weekend exhibiting for my gig at the Archdiocese of Atlanta Eucharistic Congress.

It's been a good visit. The Congress drew a very large and diverse crowd both in terms of ethnic background and age. I was especially impressed by the young adult gathering on Friday night.

But, with much respect for a Eucharistic Congress held on the vigil of Corpus Christi, a part of me did wish I could have been in Pittsburgh Friday night for the celebrations after the Penguins won the Stanley Cup championship in Game 7.

Congrats to the Penguins and everyone back in the City of Champions. Superbowl and Stanley Cup wins in the same year -- good news for a great city.

Any Club That'll Have Her

From the cool new blogs file:

"Clubs are Trump"

It's subtitled "The Club Sandwich Tour of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas."

Panned today: Gullifty's

Hat-tip: Heidi (who I wish was still blogging herself and who, coincidentally, once worked at Gullifty's).

What is in the Water?

Sam (a buddy from church) and his family welcomed a new baby a few days ago:


Welcome to the party, Olive Sophia! May the Holy Spirit always be your guide.

I have at least six other friends expecting babies this year. This is in addition to the birth of my sister's daughter in April.

What is in the water? (I'm jealous, if you can't tell. Can men have biological clocks?)

Scenes from a Retreat

Some scenes from the weekend retreat at St. Mary's on the Lake:



Created by: Christine C.

Behold

For Catholics, today was the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.

I went to Mass while on a relaxing retreat at Lake George. We had Mass at the lakeside with the Adirondack Mountains in the background. It was beautiful -- and seemed to fit well with today's readings.

The Gospel at Mass was from Matthew Chapter 28:

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.

When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.

Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

The photo above is again shamelessly cribbed from an archived post by Gashwin. I'm using it again because these beautiful morning scenes from the bedroom windows remain such a dominant memory of a trip to the Paulist Fathers' house on the lake.

Merciful and Mighty

This weekend, I'm heading to Lake George, NY, for a retreat with the young adult group from the Church of St. Paul the Apostle. We'll be staying at St. Mary's on the Lake owned by the Paulist Fathers.

This will be my second visit to Lake George. I went to a "movies retreat" there last summer.

Tomorrow, as part of morning prayer, we plan to open with "Holy, Holy, Holy" in the style of Sufjan Stevens. So, for this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," here is that tune. It's fits perfectly for the eve of Trinity Sunday and also isn't a bad retreat song.

Peace:



Please pray for us!

The Spirit of Truth

I have been remiss this week in posting the Gospel from Mass for Pentecost Sunday. I attended the 10 a.m. liturgy at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle on Manhattan’s West Side followed by a party to mark the end of the parish’s R.C.I.A. program for the year.

Leaving St. Paul’s, wowed by the sunshine and warm temperatures, I decided to scrap the indoor plans I had for the day. This led to unexpectedly seeing a bit of the Israel Day parade on Fifth Avenue and a beautiful walk around Central Park.

Good for the body and soul – but bad for the prospect of some new posts on the ole’ blog.

So, playing some catch-up:

The First Reading at Sunday Mass contained the story of the Pentecost itself -- the coming of the Holy Spirit 50 days after the Resurrection.

Parishes had two Gospel passages from which to choose for Mass. In one of the passages, Jesus speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit.

From John Chapters 15 and 16:

Jesus said to his disciples:

"When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.

“He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

“Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you."