Wednesday, December 05, 2012

More about Reconciliation for the person with Poor Memory

A while back I posted a formula for going to Roman Catholic Confession (to a priest) for people with memory impairment. I spoke to the Archbishop of Santa Fe, Michael J, Sheehan, a few weeks ago and he told me that even if a person cannot remember beyond the current moment, they can and should go to confession with a priest if only to ask for the graces of a good confession. So, I am reprinting the formula below:



Sacrament of Reconciliation

Opening:

Bless me father for I have sinned. It has 
been ____ months since my last 
confession.

I am not aware of any grave sin since then.  
But I want to acknowledge again my sorrow 
for all my sins of my past life.

For these and any sins I do not remember, I 
am truly sorry.
                    
Act of Contrition:

O, my God, I am heartily sorry for having 
offended you.

I detest all my sins because of your just 
punishment, but most of all because they 
offend you, my God, who are all-good and 
deserving of all my love.

I firmly resolve, with the help of Your 
grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near 
occasion of sin.

Amen

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Avery Lynn Canahuati's 1st birthday

Today would have been little Avery Lynn Canahuati's 1st birthday here on earth. You might want to go check out the post that her dad put at  her blogger website. It is beautiful. You can find it by going to http://averycan.blogspot.com/2012/11/happy-1st-birthday.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AverysBucketList+%28Avery%27s+Bucket+List%29 or by clicking on the link at the upper left hand side of the page.



Monday, September 03, 2012

Prayer for Writers

 

 

Prayer for Writers

via the intercession of

St. Francis de Sales

(Patron Saint of Writers)

May the Lord guide me and all those who write for a living. Through your prayers, St. Frances de Sales, I ask for your intercession as I attempt to bring the written word to the world. Let us pray that God takes me in the palm of His hand and inspires my creativity and inspires my success. St. Francis de Sales, you understand the dedication required in this profession. Pray for God to inspire and allow ideas to flow. In His name, let my words reflect my faith for others to read. Amen.

From: Saintly Support: A Prayer for Every Problem by The Philip Lief Group, Inc.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Avery's Bucket List Accomplishment

On August 18th, 111 days after Avery passed away, her parents were informed that the goal of accumulating one million dollars to fully fund the Phase 1 clinical trials of Dr. Kaspar's Gene Therapy program to cure those with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA-- also remembered as 'Shoulda missed Avery'). It is thought that the trials will begin in the beginning of 2013.

Avery's bucket list noted that after the one mill mark was met, she wanted to do it again and again. So, please, when you get a chance, do not for get to give a little something to the SMA Gene Therapy Program. You can find a link to it at Avery's Bucket List blog (see the link on the left side of this page).

Thank you for anything you can give to eradicate this horrible disease which has taken such beautiful children from us too soon.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Life according to the Queen is Big in Russia!

I just looked at the stats for this site. The most readers come from Russia. They are followed closely by the United States, and then there is a tie between Germany and South Korea. I looked up Russian Queens. After I got past the music group QUEEN, the first entry was about Catherine, Queen of Russia. That is, Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna (Екатерина Павловна) of Russia. She was the fourth daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia and Princess Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. Then, did you know that she became the Queen of Württemberg upon her marriage to her first cousin Crown Prince William who eventually became King William I of Württemberg in 1816?

Okay, I find this all pretty cool because Württemberg is in Germany, so she is tied to both the Russian and the German readership of this blog. Do not confuse Württemberg with Wittenburg. Wittenburg is the town with the door on which Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses for disputation on Halloween some 500 years ago. And Württemberg?

Well Württemberg has Queen Catherine and....me!  Many generations ago, some of my family hailed from Württemberg. They left to avoid German conscription into the army, as did so many other Germans. So, as a current resident of the US, we now have a Queen to whom we can tie the Americans who read this blog. Now what to do about the South Koreans? Is Queen Catherine somehow related to them? Do they have their own Queen? Hmmm. We will have to do more research on this subject.

Queeb Catherine of Württemberg

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Just one more idea on this topic

In my first Blog Post, I wrote that I am not Queen of the Internet. Well that has not changed. Because of my blowup with my Mormon friend, I want to add that I am NOT Queen of Anti-Mormonism. (In fact, I do not see anything wrong with the faith. It is not for me, but that does not mean it is fine for another person and I will stand up for that person to the bitter end so he or she can be LDS if he or she is calld to that style of a fiath life.) I found a site that lists a couple as the King & Queen of anti-Mormons. Their names are Jerald & Sandra Tanner. I do not know them, but apparently they have written some very nasty texts.

Magic and Mysticism

Just FYI, in my definition of mysticism, it does not refer to magic. Again that is because the literary version of magic is ritual without faith. Illusionists are hard working people who use the word "magic," but they are not doing anything mystical, they are doing a good job of distracting people in order to change something on stage.

Also, for me, the word "mystic" refers to a person not to a thing or to a verb.

Harry Potter and Mormon Mysticism

I have been doing some studying and talking with another friend to try and figure out why my Mormon friend blew up at me recently when I mentioned as an example of mysticism that Joseph Smith was a mystic. You can read MY definition of the meaning of mystic in the previous post. There you can see that the problem arose when my Mormon friend got angry but would not tell me what her definition of a "mystic" is.

Another friend and I recalled that our Mormon friend is a serious fan of the Harry Potter series of novels and movies. She stayed up late at a bookstore to get some copy of one of the novels in the series when it was released. Personally, I have never read any of the Harry Potter books and I have trouble sitting thru the movies when they are on TV. This is not to say I think they are good or bad. I just do not know much about them and certainly not enough to use information from them as cultural referents.

Doing some research, it appears that a concept called "mystic" appears in the Harry Potter novels, but that it refers to magic (not my definition of "mystic"). That could be why my friend yelled "Joseph Smith is real and they killed him!!!!!!!" Perhaps she thought that I had blatantly called Mormonism magic. I do not know.  (I did not ever make that claim to her.) As far as I am concerned, you have trained illusionists and the literary concept of magic which is the performance of a ritual WITHOUT faith. Otherwise, magc does not exist IMHO.

I have also stumbled upon a Blogger site called Mormon Mysticism. Now I am not Mormon and cannot really follow what he is talking about, though he does explain ideas and how he sees mysticism within the Latter Day Saints (the name Mormons use to describe themselves) as a possibility. There are some interesting discussions on his first page. There I learned that there are some Mormons who were thrown out of the Mormon religion because they were "apostate." Apparently these folks discuss Mormon Mysticism, but I still do not know what their definition of mystic is. The fellow who runs the MormonMysticism Blog does explain his understanding of mysticism and says that it is consistent with and supportive of the Mormon faith.

This does not really do anything for my friendship with my Mormon friend, but it gives me a clue as to how she was thinking in order to become so terribly irate in a public place when I had not said anything to be mean. The whole thing could have blown over if she would have answered my simple question "How do you define the word mystic?"

Please dear reader, before you get upset with someone, be rational and find out how you and the other person are defining something. Many arguments have ocurred because people were not giving words the same meaning. (That was a big problem in the Protestant Reformation 500+ years ago.)

Friday, July 13, 2012

Joseph Smith as a Mystic

I suppose that this falls in the category of the Queen's family.

To continue following my line of thought with this post, you first have to assume that Christian Mysticism is real and not to be confused with Jewish Mysticism or mysticism in other religions such as Hindu mysticism. To follow my reasoing, you have to agree that a mystic really is somoene who encounters  the Divine in a way not fathomable to most people.

If you can follow that premise, then the next thing you need to "accept" to follow my dialectic is the Google Dictionary definition of a mystic which is: "A person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect" That is currently at  https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+a+mystic&rlz=1I7ADFA_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7#hl=en&rlz=1I7ADFA_en&q=mystic&tbs=dfn:1&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=5J4AUJrLMMTi2QWzxtSbBA&ved=0CE8QkQ4&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=20426e73fad65345&biw=1280&bih=490

So, we are not talking about the occult or magic. This is a real experience of God in a way that is not readily observable by all people.

So, the next thing you need to agree (only) for now in order to follow my train of thought is that Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism (Latter Day Saints) really saw God the Father and God the Son (Jesus Christ) as well as an angel named Moroni once upon a time while praying in New York. Even if you do not agree with that Mormon belief, for my point, let us say that is true, just for now

With all of my assumptions being understood, then I believe that it is fair to say that Joseph Smith was a mystic. He said he saw God during prayer. He was absorbed into God, apprehending something not seen by others. If you understand my understanding of the word mystic, I think you will see why I think that it can be said that Joseph Smith was a mystic, at least according to those who believe that what he claimed was true.

This all seems pretty minor, but I think a great friendship that I had with someone may have been lost over this very issue. That saddens me. I think my friend, who is Mormon, sees mysticism as quackery and so becomes very angry if Smith is described as a mystic,

We had not established the meaning of the word mystic before a lunch conversation took us down this path. I thought that her definition was different from mine; so, I asked her what she meant when she used the word "mystic." Her reply, made in another very angry voice and curt tone, was "Well apparently not the same as yours!!!!!"

I could not figure out why she was so angry or why she would presume what my definition of "mystic" is since she had never asked. I explained to my friend what my definition of "mystic" is and how that made Smith a "mystic." I never said his claims were false. I only accounted his claims as true (it did not matter if I believe them or not, because that was not the point of the pleasant lunch that tuned into an angry outburst).

She calmed down a bit and I asked her what word she used to describe Joseph Smith and his vision in New York. She said, simply, "manifestation." I said okay and left it at that. To you dear reader, I want to say that that word describes the vision. That is, if one believes it to be true, a "manifestation of God." That still does not describe Joseph Smith. It seems to me that if one still wants to accept what he claims he saw, then he is a mystic. (Perhaps she should have used the word "prophet" in the way that Mormons use that term. It would have made more sense.) As I explored the Internet, I did find some definitions of "mystic," like at the Merriam Webster site, that called mysticism "magic." Maybe my friend thought that is what mysticism is. I do not know. I wish she had asked me what I was talking about before making assumptions and flying into a rage as if I had attacked the core of her being.

So, dear reader, I think I have lost a dear friend. It is hard to go back to surface pleasantries after such an event. What I would like to suggest to you all is that if somebody uses a word that does not gel with your understanding of the word that you ask the person what they mean rather than searching all over the Internet and assuming what the speaker meant by the word. What you find may not be what the speaker meant at all.

Avery's song

There is a new song about Avery available for download. Check out Avery's Bucket List and search the June 2012 posts to find to links about where you can download the song. Half of each download's purchase price will be donnated to SMA research for a cure.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Princess Avery Canahuati

I found a new little princess last month. Sadly, she passed away one week after I discovered her. Her name is Avery Canahuati and today is the 6-month anniversary of her birth (she passed on April 20, 2012). Avery had Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) which causes one to lose all muscular function. In infants, it has also been known as Werdnig-Hoffman disease. Avery's dad, Mike, created a blog about Avery after she was diagnosed with SMA in the beginning of April (on Good Friday, April 6th) this year. It is a beautiful and well written account of life even in the midst of great stress. Avery and her parents encourage everyone to donate to Dr. Kasper's Gene Therapy through Sophia's Cure to help other's with SMA. You can go to this URL to get there: http://www.the200forsma.com/?p=557 . I have only known one other child in my life with SMA and it is a cruel disease. As it says at Avery's blog, if we all work to bring this terrible disease to an end, someday SMA will stand for "Shoulda Missed Avery." I have attached a link to Avery's Bucket List on the left side of this page if you would like to read about this little princess and her life.

Friday, April 20, 2012

My Easter Shoes weren't "good enough"

I bet the Queen of England has a wonderful closet full of shoes. We know that Imelda Marcos, though not the Queen of the Philippines, had over a 100 pairs of shoes in her closet. The Queen of Swords was only supposed to wear one pair of high heeled boots, but anybody who paid attention to the show could see that the stunt doubles wore flat-soled boots for their scenes. So, really, the Queen of Swords had two pairs of shoes in that persona.

As long as they are clean and respectable, one would not think that it does not make any difference what one's shoes look like as one works as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at the Roman Catholic mass.With the new priests running my parish, apparently it does. My spiritual director, today, commented that one would think that it matters more what one is like on the inside than what one's shoes look like to give the body and blood of the Lord to others.

On Holy Saturday Mass this year at Queen of Heaven parish, none-the-less, I was scheduled to be an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. I wore my best flat shoes to help. As I was leaving the sacristy, after signing in, the assistant priest called out to nobody in particular as my back was turned "Those are athletic shoes." Now, he is from the Philippines, so I should have countered with "Well, I am not Imelda Marcos," but I didn't. Having manners, I just returned to my place in the pew. When it was time to help at the altar, the wife of one of the deacons at mass told me to sit down. Then they had somebody come up to the altar and substitute for me. This past Sunday, the same priest said mass and a similar thing happened.

So, I asked not to be scheduled to help because there are only certain shoes I can wear. According to Reebock, what I wear (the Princess Wide) is called a Women's casual shoe appropriate for smart-casual and business/informal occasions. I don't think the priest should have made himself an expert in women's fashions.

The lay leaders have asked me to reconsider and still help out, but the idea that what my shoes look like as opposed to my soul eats at me so much that I have trouble stealing myself against the possibility of being told to sit down again because my shoes "aren't good enough."


Sunday, March 25, 2012

Sacrament of Reconciliation when Memory Loss hits

I discovered an act of devotion that can be used at Roman Catholic Confession and is referred to at the Franciscan St. Anthony Messenger site. It looks like it would be good for those who want to receive the graces of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but have great trouble recalling the recent past, including any sins committed. If one has the great fortune of going to confession with a priest who helps prompt the person with memory impairment, then that is so much better. It seems a few more priests are kind enough to do that these days (an example being Fr. Jonas Romea at Queen of Heaven Catholic Parish). If you are interested in the act of devotion as it could be used in confession, it is as follows (I added the Act of Contrition so one has the two bits of info in one location):

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Opening:

Bless me father for I have sinned. It has been 3 months since my last confession.
I am not aware of any grave sin since then. But I want to acknowledge again my sorrow for all my sins of my past life.
For these and any sins I do not remember, I am truly sorry.
                    
Act of Contrition:
O, my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you.
I detest all my sins because of your just punishment, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.
Amen

Wish my LiveScribe pen would work

Well, I have finished the vast majority of classes for my MTS program. I diligently used my LiveScribe Smartpen in all classes to take notes. Now I need to figure out how to access all that information so that I can study for the final comprehensive exam. I am still trying to get LiveScribe to reply to my questions. The information I can find on the subject at their website does not answer my questions. We will see what emailing customer support does for me. I once called their customer support number and the fellow who answered told me that he had to hang up, because the company would not allow him to assist other customers past a certain time of day. Too bad they do not have customer support on weekends. If I could get the product to do what it says that it is supposed to do, it would be a useful item. I wonder if they would more readily reply to the Queen of England if she had questions about her Smartpen? Hmmmm......

IRamat2