Most Holy Redeemer Church vrs. the authority of the Church personified by their pastor and new Archbishop. How this is an example of the virtue of Tolerance being used to counter the Virtue of Chastity.
What is happening in San Francisco, and our culture as a whole, is that we are being distracted from the cardinal Virtues by the pushing forward of other good behaviors. As a child I remember hearing that certain religious were "gay" and thus learning the meaning of "sexual preference." I promptly said I didn't understand why it was a problem, because the same religous had taken vows of celibacy. Ergo, whatever their orientation, they had renounced its practice, therefore it didn't matter.
Instead of using the principles of the Church, which are difficult to explain in this age of moral relativism, I propose we drop down to the basic Virtues of our faith to explain how a Christian is supposed to live. How many of the people promoting tolerance of the homosexual lifestyle are practicing the virtue of Chastity?
Let's start with that, and explain that all men and women should be chaste, except those who are joined in the Sacrament of Matrimony. Let's push Chastity.
The devil will have a fit.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Something interesting, and rather sad:
I started this blog while I was still employed by a major corporation, and felt a strong need to separate my personal life from my work life. That is one reason I used a pen-name in social media situations, and used my maiden name on Facebook.
Two years ago I was laid off. Fortunately I was ready, with time to prepare, and I received a nice severance package. Given that the work environment had become almost openly hostile, in a cold silent sort of way, I was happy to go.
While I had nothing positive to say about upper management, I did consider the people I worked directly with, and those I managed, to be friends. We talked about more than work, we enjoyed conversations about our kids and families, in general we 'hung out' together while working. I worked hard to make a team environment among my direct reports, and they did seem to work that way.
When the news got out that I was leaving, I was flooded with good wishes and requests to keep in touch. I shared my personal email address with everyone, and looked forward to being able to develop actual friendships with some. In fact, one of my former direct reports invited me to stay at her house with my family while we traveled on vacation that summer. I accepted joyfully, telling her "It is such a joy to be able to be friends at last!"
Our family circumstances had changed, and while we still needed me to contribute to the family finances, I no longer had to provide the bulk of the income and the health benefits. I decided to start over in a new field, one that is personally more appealing to me. In effect, I retired.
That is when the sad part began: of the people I knew from my former job, they all dropped the connection. A couple continued to respond to greetings through instant messenger, but even they did not initiate conversations. The rest ignored me. And in this day of online communication and connectivity, it is possible to be quite pointed about ignoring someone. Because the people I managed and worked with were spread across the US, we used Yahoo IM continuously to keep projects moving. With Yahoo, when someone on your contact list logs in, a popup message tells you so. We would check in, say 'hello,' whenever one of us logged in, just to keep in touch.
Suddenly, not only did no-one say hello, most never responded even to a direct greeting from me. I had become invisible.
The terribly sad part is that I don't think it's me. There are just too many people involved, unless there was a threat made to them about connecting to me. Which would be interesting, but just not plausible.
A simpler explanation is that in the modern world of work, where the lines between personal and professional time have dissolved, people have no time anymore for relationships outside of their professional life. The younger generation may be better with relationships. But my generation, my secular colleagues, have no one besides their immediate family with whom to share their lives.
What an empty space they live in.
Two years ago I was laid off. Fortunately I was ready, with time to prepare, and I received a nice severance package. Given that the work environment had become almost openly hostile, in a cold silent sort of way, I was happy to go.
While I had nothing positive to say about upper management, I did consider the people I worked directly with, and those I managed, to be friends. We talked about more than work, we enjoyed conversations about our kids and families, in general we 'hung out' together while working. I worked hard to make a team environment among my direct reports, and they did seem to work that way.
When the news got out that I was leaving, I was flooded with good wishes and requests to keep in touch. I shared my personal email address with everyone, and looked forward to being able to develop actual friendships with some. In fact, one of my former direct reports invited me to stay at her house with my family while we traveled on vacation that summer. I accepted joyfully, telling her "It is such a joy to be able to be friends at last!"
Our family circumstances had changed, and while we still needed me to contribute to the family finances, I no longer had to provide the bulk of the income and the health benefits. I decided to start over in a new field, one that is personally more appealing to me. In effect, I retired.
That is when the sad part began: of the people I knew from my former job, they all dropped the connection. A couple continued to respond to greetings through instant messenger, but even they did not initiate conversations. The rest ignored me. And in this day of online communication and connectivity, it is possible to be quite pointed about ignoring someone. Because the people I managed and worked with were spread across the US, we used Yahoo IM continuously to keep projects moving. With Yahoo, when someone on your contact list logs in, a popup message tells you so. We would check in, say 'hello,' whenever one of us logged in, just to keep in touch.
Suddenly, not only did no-one say hello, most never responded even to a direct greeting from me. I had become invisible.
The terribly sad part is that I don't think it's me. There are just too many people involved, unless there was a threat made to them about connecting to me. Which would be interesting, but just not plausible.
A simpler explanation is that in the modern world of work, where the lines between personal and professional time have dissolved, people have no time anymore for relationships outside of their professional life. The younger generation may be better with relationships. But my generation, my secular colleagues, have no one besides their immediate family with whom to share their lives.
What an empty space they live in.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Blogger's Corner
Two weeks ago I cleaned out the corner desk in the living room to make it my writing space. I off-loaded the desktop computer to my husband to take to his work, cleaned, dusted and vacuumed under and around. I've installed my laptop with an external monitor, mouse, and keyboard, and now am carefully positioning important or attractively-covered books onto the shelves.
I moved the carved Mary statue that Aunt Carol gave me from the bedroom cabinet to one of the shelves, I have also acquired a new fountain pen.
What I have NOT done much of, except when all else fails, is write.
In fact, I am not going to write any more now, I've found my copy of The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul and I'm going to read that instead.
I moved the carved Mary statue that Aunt Carol gave me from the bedroom cabinet to one of the shelves, I have also acquired a new fountain pen.
What I have NOT done much of, except when all else fails, is write.
In fact, I am not going to write any more now, I've found my copy of The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul and I'm going to read that instead.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Fifty
My birthday was yesterday - I turned 50 on a Thursday. I should have realized it would be a difficult day, I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Robert Frost - What Fifty Said
When I was young my teachers were the old.
I gave up fire for form till I was cold.
I suffered like a metal being cast.
I went to school to age to learn the past.
Now when I am old my teachers are the young.
What can't be molded must be cracked and sprung.
I strain at lessons fit to start a suture.
I go to school to youth to learn the future.
I gave up fire for form till I was cold.
I suffered like a metal being cast.
I went to school to age to learn the past.
Now when I am old my teachers are the young.
What can't be molded must be cracked and sprung.
I strain at lessons fit to start a suture.
I go to school to youth to learn the future.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
This fits
Leaves Compared with Flowers -- Robert Frost
A tree's leaves may be ever so good,
So may its bark, so may its wood;
But unless you put the right thing to its root
It never will show much flower or fruit.
But I may be one who does not care
Ever to have tree bloom or bear.
Leaves for smooth and bark for rough,
Leaves and bark may be tree enough.
Some giant trees have bloom so small
They might as well have none at all.
Late in life I have come on fern.
Now lichens are due to have their turn.
I bade men tell me which in brief,
Which is fairer, flower or leaf.
They did not have the wit to say,
Leaves by night and flowers by day.
Leaves and bar, leaves and bark,
To lean against and hear in the dark.
Petals I may have once pursued.
Leaves are all my darker mood.
A tree's leaves may be ever so good,
So may its bark, so may its wood;
But unless you put the right thing to its root
It never will show much flower or fruit.
But I may be one who does not care
Ever to have tree bloom or bear.
Leaves for smooth and bark for rough,
Leaves and bark may be tree enough.
Some giant trees have bloom so small
They might as well have none at all.
Late in life I have come on fern.
Now lichens are due to have their turn.
I bade men tell me which in brief,
Which is fairer, flower or leaf.
They did not have the wit to say,
Leaves by night and flowers by day.
Leaves and bar, leaves and bark,
To lean against and hear in the dark.
Petals I may have once pursued.
Leaves are all my darker mood.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Early Autumn
It's only the first week of August, but there are signs. The giant Gingko tree is less green, the maples have a touch of fire on their crowns. We have heat in the day, but the shadows hold on to a chill.
The chestnuts have started falling. In years past chestnut season coincided with the beginning of school, and signaled the true end of summer. This year we don't seem to have had a summer at all.
I don't suffer as much from winter depression, thanks to modern medications and full-spectrum lights. I do have a sense of something, a whistful feeling perhaps. I miss. . .something.
I don't suffer as much from winter depression, thanks to modern medications and full-spectrum lights. I do have a sense of something, a whistful feeling perhaps. I miss. . .something.
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