Midwest Weather Ridiculousness.

Let's take a look at the weather conditions I've seen in the past week since I've been home (6 days to be exact):

• Sub-zero temps
• Snow & ice-covered roads
• Delightfully cold (15-32) temps
• Crazy snow storms where you can hardly see and shouldn't be driving
• Massive FOG -- seriously no visibility. Scary to drive in.
• Unseasonably warm weather (55ish)
• Rainy day that washes away the 1ft+ of snow on the ground and causes major flooding

Gotta love the Midwest! I heard someone say Mother Nature is going through menopause. Hilarious. Apparently she and I have something in common! (Sorry... inside joke-ish with SPFL.)

And current temps in St. Pete are in the mid-70s...

blogging drought

only proves that we all only blog when we are wasting time at work. Go Echo.

P.S. Pope's Christmas address kicks.
P.S.S. Merry Christmas to everyone!

Let the record show

On this day, Milwaukee house has officially switched over to toilet paper that we bought. Up to this day, Saturday, December 20th, 2008, we lived off of toilet paper donated during our move in, some four months ago.

Oh, and we also got 13 inches of snow from Thursday to Friday in a twelve hour time span.

Sweet T-Shirt Man

Tonight one of my lifelong friends hosted his new clothing/T-Shirt line's Launch party. It is called PAL Campaign. Here is the Company's "About Me"

Paz y Amor! Our line of ultra stylish and attractive T-Shirts are made to help promote the ideas of Peace and Love. We derive inspiration from Christianity, Art & Music, Urban Street Culture, Worldwide Sports, and from people like you.

As our brand continues to grow and develop, we plan on adding more wardrobe elements for the peace lover in all of us. Founded in February 2008, our company strongly believes that Peace and Love practiced and spread can have a dramatic and profound effect in our world.

Holding firm to this philosophy, we hope to make this campaign a Universal affair!

If you have a youth group or young adult ministry group and are looking to get some T-Shirts then Check out some of the designs at www.palcampaign.com

I really like the St. Peter shirt.

'Twas the Night before Christmas

What a busy season!

Oh my, I don't know if anyone else is experiencing this, but let me share with you how busy this time of year is at the parish...

Today I strolled into the pastoral center from the gray, foggy weather at about 9:30 am and discovered another gift in my office. I strolled downstairs to fix myself a cup of coffee (which still hasn't kicked in). Then I looked up where some Goodwill stores are around my parish so I can go get my ugly Christmas sweater for a party this weekend. After that I checked my email several times, looked around my office and thought of something to do! I grabbed my *Nsync Christmas CD, popped that in, and started to work on Christmas cards for the parish staff here. I finished one and decided to blog about this eventful morning. How I managed to squeeze this time into the morning I have no idea. I am just so swamped!

Now take some time out of your hard working parish life and enjoy these winter cartoons:

Now it all makes sense...

Ya see, when I was little, I didn't really buy the whole Santa thing after a certain age. I was a pretty scientifically-minded kid and just couldn't understand how this single person could travel around the entire planet over one 24 hour period visiting every home on it. Back then in terms of theory, all we had was S+M=PuT, where S=Santa Claus, M=Magic, and PuT=Presents under Tree. Now, one Dr. Larry Silverberg of North Carolina State University, has finally explained it all. If only they had this when I was growing up...

Echo Word Fugitives

In The Atlantic magazine, Barbara Wallraff writes a column called "Word Fugitives."

The idea is pretty simple. Wallraff writes, "A word fugitive is a wanted word or expression, one that someone has been unable to call to mind. Quite probably no exactly apt term exists -- but maybe one should."

Readers write in with particular situations that seem happen to everyone, but have no word that precisely describes the given circumstance.

And so I bring you: Echo word fugitives, situations that happen to all of us that the English language has failed to capture. Until now.

Our first scenario: working with kind, well-intentioned volunteers who have no idea what's going on, and the desire to take over while yelling, "JUST LET ME DO IT."

Post your ideas in the comments, and I'll select a winner and run it in the next installment of the series. Winners will receive a prize yet to be determined.

Also, if you have an EWF of your own, feel free to get it out there.

Happy neologizing.

New Bioethics Document

FYI: The Vatican (CDF) yesterday released the most conclusive document on bioethics in over 20 years.

We Lost Nothing Less than a Hero

Cardinal Avery Dulles died today at the age of 90. NYT obituary

I look forward to read more of his work. I am sad that I have not read much.

There is a thought provoking and inspiring quote in the article: "His task as a theologian, the Cardinal often said, was to honor diversity and dissent but ultimately to articulate the traditions of the church and to preserve Catholic unity."

I hope that we can all be open to different theological strands, appreciating and incorporating the good they have to offer, while at the same time always maintaining and promoting the unity of the Church.

Eternal rest grant to him O Lord...

The Dark Knight of the Soul

So tonight D-House watched The Dark Knight (it arrived in the mail from Amazon two days ago. obviously i pre-ordered it two months ago.) for our community activity and I am jazzed up about it as I was several months ago after the midnight activity. After watching it, we had an insightful and opinionated discussion after the movie-what other superhero movie does that? I have been thinking for a long time about how The Dark Knight could be used for catechesis and I came up with 3 things.

1) LECTURE: "I have seen now what I would have to become to stop men like him."-Bruce Wayne/Batman. A major theme of The Dark Knight is escalation. Batman had stopped organized crime as it existed for decades and they in turn resort to a man who calls himself an "agent of chaos". The Joker has no code or motive except wanting to watch the burn and kill for kicks. Can/Should Batman stop him by killing the Joker which seems to be the only way possible? It's a discussion of Virtue Ethics. Can we resort to the lowest mean possible in order to achieve a "greater good"? An example of this would be political campaigns that do anything possible to get people to vote not the other guy or another would bombing abortion clinics to stop abortionists.

2) ACTIVITY: The Prisoner's Dilemma. I had my 8th grade CRE act this one out. Two boats. One with citizens and the other criminals. Bombs on both boats. Blow the other up or both blow up. See what happens when people decide. You can mix it up by adding different incentives/punishments for each side like ($1 million for the criminals if they go through with it, jail time for the citizens if they do). Or you can put the bomb on the boat of whoever decides to blow up the other-Tricky tricky.

3) PERSONAL: Who doesn't want to be Batman? Seriously. He's selfless, badass, brilliant, jacked, has the best toys and spiritual director in Alfred, rich, etc. etc. He sacrifices himself and his own desires for Gotham. What a hero.

And always remember, "the night is darkest just before the dawn. I promise you the dawn is coming" and "Why so serious?"

For those of you who are slackers like SPFL...

KEEP GOING!! YOU CAN DO IT!!! :)

For those of you who had no paper to turn in today...

No paper!

For those who had a paper to turn in today...

Praying to our gas-guzzling gods...

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0746551320081207

I know I've been a slacker and haven't posted a single blog post, and maybe this is a sad initial one to make, but here goes. This was way too crazy of an article to not send out. Things have gotten so bad with the auto industry that apparently at one church, SUVs were brought in and literally placed in front of the altar and became a central part of the service. The pastor prayed that Congress would bail out the auto industry and then literally annointed the cars with oil. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about sacramentality and the importance of the physical world and also think that it's important to discuss how we can assist those who are suffering in our economic climate, but this struck me as just a little odd.

More on Rob Bell

Yes. 3 of the last 4 posts are by me. Oh well.

I was interested on Rob Bell (the dude from the Nooma videos). I ran across this article on Rob Bell. Sounds like he's a pretty cool dude.

Just wanted to pass it on.

We could only be so lucky.

If only we could do this. Think of how much less time we'd spend eating? Less time eating = more time catechizing.

Get it. Get it.

Maybe she will join ECHO!

"I've been contemplating a college course in religion. I love religion. I remember whenever the book ‘The Da Vinci Code’ came out, the Discovery Channel did this three-night piece on it that I TiVoed and then watched eight times.”- Jessica Simpson

Note, however, that Jessica once thought that buffalo wings were actually made of buffalo and she also has pretty much cursed Jonathan's favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys.

The "Right Kind" of Catholic

I chanced upon a blog that had a post called The Right Kind of Catholic. Before you scroll up and down or decide not to click the link because of the title, she doesn't really mention what the "right kind" of Catholic is. It's more a post about Catholicism in America. I think it's a pretty good read about divisions within the Church. Just wanted to pass it on to you.

To comment on it, one of the comments mention that in America we, as a culture, have an attitude of winning. Not just winning, but a want for our opponents to suffer. I can't count the number of times I've heard people say (and sadly I sometimes join in), "I'm glad Michigan lost again". Or so many other people say, "I'm glad Notre Dame sucks at football". I think this permeates into our faith, this victorious attitude. We, as American Catholics (as a whole), sometimes want to push a certain part of Catholicism when, in fact, it doesn't work like that.

At Notre Dame, some people would refer to the "Campus Ministry Catholics" and the "Center for Social Concerns Catholics". I think the distinction is ridiculous. The Eucharist dismisses us to "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord". AKA Matthew 25. And service can never be seperated from our personal relationship with Christ.

Both. And.

I think the diversity is great. And I'm glad that each of us has a different personal point of emphasis. I do caution against heresy -- in the Chestertonian definition of the word. That is, heresy is when someone holds one particular truth (be it the divinity of Christ, humanity of Christ, or any other thing we as Catholics believe as true) so close to their face that it blinds you from the other truths.

There are legitimate differences. And there is a certain hierarchy of truths. But only one Jesus Christ. Let's prepare His way; make straight His paths.

The BA Archdiocese of MKE

I just downloaded a document from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's website called "Resources and Guidelines for Adult Confirmation." Just wanted to say that it is legit. Thanks, Milwaukee.

Procrastination...

So we've got this 20-page paper to write... that was technically due approximately 3 days ago... and I still have less than a page. Oops! What better way to procrastinate than to write on the blog! Duh.

Here are some of the things I've done to keep from writing my paper:

Clean my room.

Do laundry.

Watch Pushing Daisies on abc.com.

Read the blog.

Catch up on my Facebook stalking.

Keep busy at work.

G-chat.

Update my Google calendar.

Online Christmas shopping.

Put music on my iPod.

Make chili.

Keep track of the Marquette basketball team.

Take a nap.

Paint my nails.

Clean the coffee pot.

Send text messages.

Return phone calls.

Go grocery shopping.

Reorganize the refrigerator.

Spend 10 minutes trying to think of other things I've done to procrastinate...

I'm running out of things, and I'm actually starting to write my paper! Ut oh.

What have YOU been doing?? :)

A Nice Quote

I'm doing my research paper for class on the Imitation of Christ and I keep coming upon this fabulous line a Kempis has in Chapter 2:

"Behold, You are the Holy of holies, and I the scum of sinners!"

An Advent Poem

My mentor chose this reflection for our staff meeting today. I thought I'd share it with you.


The Many Disguises of Emmanuel

Emmanuel, God-with-us,
long awaited, eagerly anticipated,
delicious dreams of royal robes,
a messiah enthroned with elegance.

False notions and easily accepted illusions.

A few open ones, full of surprise,
heard the fresh, full cry of life
echoed in the uninhabited haven,
the only place ready for a birth that was ripe.

Shepherds, sages, and scribes,
drawn by angels and stars,
discovered this divine simplicity,
then hurried from the hillside
with news that amazed them all.

But many years later the cry goes unheard,
stifled in the roar of unyielding opinions,
submerged in the noise of hasty judgments,
masked in the false folds of cultural glitter.

The Surprising One continues to come,
entering the world in endless disguise,
concealed in those we have never forgiven,
secreted in the hearts of people we despise,
found in the rejected and unacceptable,
hidden in the ones we ignore and criticize.

-Joyce Rupp

Wee Believers - New Toy, Just for Boys!

If you don't know what to get young catholic nephews, brothers or cousins for Christmas this year, don't worry: Wee Believers, a Catholic toy company, has you covered. They've just introduced a plush Mass kit, allowing small children to have a hands-on experience during Mass. It even includes a set of foam wafers.

Of course, we wouldn't want young girls to get the wrong idea- this is not for them! The website makes it clear that it's intended for boys. Let's encourage Vocations, not heresy. Indeed, only kids with a Y chromosome should be engaged in "first-hand interaction" at Mass. It's not as though we rely on women to be Sacristans, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist and ministers to the homebound.

Silence

We're doing an Advent workshop deal for the middle and high schoolers in our Christian Formation here at St. James next Sunday. I wrote an introduction to this video that we're going to watch in conjunction with the workshop. The video will be linked below the reflection.
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We are here to be silent. Why silence? I thought we were here to do some sort of Advent-y prayer. Yes. We are. Silence can be a type of prayer. Meditation is prayer. We’ll be doing some of both. But it’s important to have a purpose when we are silence, when we meditate. The purpose is Advent. It’s a confusing word that we hear this time of year and sometimes push it aside, knowing that it means the time before Christmas. But Advent is a time of preparation—preparation for God entering into our lives, both in Bethlehem 2000 years ago and this very day, here and now. “The message of Advent is that God has not abandoned you. God is with you.” And so in preparation for Jesus entrance into the world, the Church gives Advent as time to prepare.

This seems crazy, but one way of preparation is silence, purposeful silence. Think about it. When we’re about to tell someone something important, we often take a pause before speaking. Silence. When we’re faced with a big decision in our lives, we take a moment—or many moments—to reflect before deciding. Silence. When we’re studying for that big test, we gather our notes, homework, and quizzes, and get busy studying. Hopefully, in silence. Silence removes the distractions, removes the noise, removes the busyness of our daily lives. Silence gives us time to think, time to prepare, time to be. Silence.

And so, I invite you to take this time out of your busy schedule to enter into silence. Well, it’s a guided meditation on silence, so there will be some talking. I invite you to think about what he has to say, think about how this applies to your life. There is paper and a pencil for you to write down anything that comes into your head. Afterward, we will discuss. Until then—silence.
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And here's the video. Yes, we bought it. We're not going to show this version of it with the translation on the bottom, though that would be awesome.

Thoughts?