Church Fathers 'n' Zombies
(Yeah, let's see what kinds of search results
that title will show up in!)
It's been ages since I've last posted here thanks to
work insanity, but the craziness has finally settled down, and we finished the project on time!
So, that means I have time to post here again ... y'know, when my brain cells bounce back. :-P And I figured rather than go the Lengthy And Weighty Route, I'd get back into the swing o' things with a totally superfluous post packed with Silly Quiz Stuff!
On one end of the spectrum, we have the
What Church Father Are You? quiz ...
You’re St. Melito of Sardis! You have a great love of history and liturgy. You’re attached to the traditions of the ancients, yet you recognize that the old world — great as it was — is passing away. You are loyal to the customs of your family, though you do not hesitate to call family members to account for their sins. Find out which Church Father you are at The Way of the Fathers! |
... followed by
What Are Your Chances of Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse?23%How's that for opposites? Ah, it's good to be back.
Labels: fun, quizzes, silly
Suffering, Sacrifice, and Geese: Rest in peace, brave Boaz
[Hover over images for captions]"Sacrifice is usually difficult and irksome. Only love can make it easy; and perfect love can make it a joy. We are willing to give in proportion as we love. And where love is perfect, the sacrifice is complete." (Instruction Before Marriage)
I've
mentioned before how Husband Mike and I love Canada Geese, and so naturally, we get extra-excited 'round this time of year, what with all the nesting and goslings going on.
We keep an eye on the nesting pairs, paying attention to who's who and where they're hanging out, as well as listening to their calls and honks through our open windows. Because one couple, Boaz and Ruth (don't know why exactly we named 'em that; Husband Mike just started calling the female Ruth, from the Old Testament's Book of Ruth, so of course the male then had to be Boaz), built their nest within sight of our building, we wound up watching them even more than the others.
So, when we heard an enormously loud and sustained racket coming from their area late last Thursday night, we were initially puzzled. What on earth could they possibly be complaining about at 12 a.m.? After 20 minutes went by and the honking showed no signs of stopping, Husband Mike decided to investigate.
It seemed like forever before he returned, and it was with distressing news: a coyote had killed and run off with either Boaz or Ruth; he couldn't tell who due to the darkness. As he approached the area, a bunch of geese were paddling in the middle of the pond and honking; the source of the commotion. When he continued towards Boaz and Ruth's nest, he saw a large, dark shape move -- the coyote, who then ran away, dragging the body.
While Husband Mike described the scene around their nest -- feathers and down scattered in a large area just a foot or two from it -- we heard a repeated, plaintive "honk" drift through the open window.
The next morning, we were able to confirm that it was Boaz who died, and from the look of things, he did so while protecting Ruth and the nest. Three eggs were destroyed in the attack (two were cracked and one wound up in the water), but thanks to Boaz's sacrifice, three eggs remained and Ruth survived.
With such a dramatic example practically dropped on our doorstep, I found myself pondering the nature of sacrifice. If a mere goose could lay down his life for his mate, what about me? Would I be able to lay down my life for my husband if the situation demanded it? Would I have the strength to suffer so that others could live? I was reminded yet again of how astonishing it is that Christ did just that for us, His Church, His Bride.
Not knowing when the remaining eggs would hatch, or if the coyote would return, we anxiously watched and waited over this weekend, hoping Boaz's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain. Fittingly, they hatched today, on Mother's Day.
Labels: geese, reflections, wildlife
Franciscan Friars of the Rewal rock, literally
Check out this Most Excellent video on the
Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, who are truly a shining example of what it means to be Franciscan.
HDNet World Report - The Funky Friars segment(H/T to
Roman Catholic Vocations.)
Labels: franciscan, third order regular, videos
Profession in the Secular Franciscan Order
Yowza, how time flies -- today is the second anniversary of
my permanent profession in the Secular Franciscan Order. Since it's a weekday, I haven't really planned on doing anything special to mark the occasion, but I may stop by my parish's adoration chapel this evening and silently repeat my profession promise. And one of these days, I really
will put together a small profession scrapbook; been meaning to do that for the past two years!
Since we're on the subject, I'm guessing that "profession" is something that most folks probably aren't too familiar with, so here's an overview as it pertains to the SFO. Share and enjoy! :-)
About Profession"Membership in the Order is attained through a time of initiation, a time of formation, and the profession of the
Rule. ... Profession is the solemn ecclesial act by which the candidate [novice], remembering the call received from Christ, renews the baptismal promises and publicly affirms his or her personal commitment to live the Gospel in the world according to the example of Francis and following the
Rule of the SFO. Profession incorporates the candidate into the Order and is by its nature a perpetual commitment." (
SFO General Constitutions, Articles 37:1, 42:1-2)
Formula for the MassA Secular Franciscan Rite of Profession Mass can be composed according to the following options (
setting folks on fire not included):
"The Mass formula to be used may correspond to the liturgy of the day or, if the rubrics permit, the votive Mass of St. Francis, of St. Louis the King, or St. Elizabeth of Hungary; or the Mass for the Laity may also be chosen. With regard to the hymns and exhortations during the celebration, the text of Chapter 2 of the
Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order should be kept in mind, as well as the biblical texts that support the SFO way of life." (Chapter 3,
Ritual of the Secular Franciscan Order)
Statement of Intentions (Calling Forth of the Candidates)After the Gospel reading, the celebrant and the people sit. Those who are to be professed are called forward, and the fraternity's minister (our term for "president" or "superior") invites them to publicly express their intention. This may be done in the form of a dialogue between the minister and the candidates, who express their intent either singly; by means of one speaking in the name of all; or by all speaking together.
The following statement of intent is what we use in my fraternity and is taken from the
Ritual of the Secular Franciscan Order:
"We(I) ask to be admitted to profession of the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order, and to make a permanent commitment to the gospel life. The experience during our(my) time of formation has strengthened us(me) in the conviction that the Lord is calling us(me) to observe the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following in the footsteps of Saint Francis of Assisi."
Profession of Commitment to the Gospel LifeAfter the homily, the profession itself is made while the candidate kneels in front of the fraternity's minister. With his/her hands in those of the minister, the candidate says:
I, N.N.,
by the grace of God,
renew my baptismal promises
and consecrate myself to the service of His Kingdom.
Therefore,
in my secular state,
(or, when appropriate: as a member of the diocesan clergy,)
I promise to live
all the days of my life
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
in the Secular Franciscan Order
by observing its Rule of life.
May the grace of the Holy Spirit,
the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and our holy father Saint Francis,
and the fraternal bonds of community
always be my help,
so that I may reach the goal
of perfect Christian love.
Presentation of the Symbols of ProfessionBecause (at least in the U.S.) we don't have different
habits for candidates (novices) and the professed, there is no change of habit during profession. However, symbols of profession are presented:
Gospels. As the candidates receive a copy of the gospels, the minister says, "Christ, the Gift of the Father's love, is the Way to him, the Truth into which the Holy Spirit leads us, and the Life which he has come to give abundantly. By your lifelong profession to go from gospel to life and life to gospel, may you continually encounter the living and active person of Christ."
Crucifix. Where customary, a crucifix may also be presented as a remembrance of profession. The one presenting the crucifix (ideally a
San Damiano crucifix) may say in these, or similar, words: "May you conform your thoughts and deeds to those of Christ and build a more fraternal and evangelical world by fulfilling your vocation as a 'brother(sister) of penance'."
Candle. Where it is also customary to present the newly-professed with a lighted candle, the one giving the candle may say in these, or similar, words: "By your profession, you are the light of Christ in the world. Your light must shine before all so that they may see goodness in your acts, and give praise to your heavenly Father."
Ring. Where it is also customary to present the newly-professed with a Franciscan ring (featuring the same symbol as our pendant; this is something that the candidates themselves choose to receive or not and is
in addition to our habit), the one giving the ring may say in these, or similar, words: "You have been made a living member of the Church in Baptism; you have been united more intimately with the Church by profession. Through this special covenant of union, may you be a faithful witness and instrument of her mission among all people."
When the presentations are finished, all the professed members present come forward to congratulate each newly-professed with an appropriate sign of peace and goodwill. (Usually, this is lots of hugging.) Meanwhile, a suitable hymn may be sung, and the rite concludes with the General Intercessions.
Additional InformationLabels: franciscan, sfo
Chirping Twitter's praises
OK, so when
I jumped on the Twitter bandwagon last August, I was skeptical -- looked like a lot of boring chatter. And who would possibly be interested in anything
I had to "tweet" about, anyway? But after nearly 9 months of twittering, I've changed my tune.
First,
Twitter is an excellent way to follow trends and listen in on topics of popular conversation (rather like hanging out at a virtual water cooler), and I now use Twitter more than
site feeds to see what's shakin' on the Intertubes.
I've also found that, while it can be hard for me to hammer out a whole blog post here, it's way easy -- and a heckuva' lot less daunting -- to dash off bitty 140-character updates. Plus, it's a quick way for me to remember articles, videos, and music for my own future reference. For example, when I hear a piece by a composer I'm not familiar with, I'll post a quick tweet like this one:
Then before I head out to the library to check out CDs, I'll look through my Twitter archive for ideas.
Even better than all the above, though, is that, thanks to Twitter, I've had the opportunity to meet and get to know lots of wonderful folks I otherwise wouldn't have. And for folks I already knew, it helped me learn more about them. It's great for following their daily routines, seeing when they're sick, stressed-out, happy, excited, struggling with pokey technology, figuring out what to cook for dinner ... all the little details that go into making up their lives but that you normally wouldn't hear about.
So, if you're on the fence about giving Twitter a spin, I encourage you to give it a try! (And
give a holler if ya do.) :-D
If ya still need more convincing on just what in heck Twitter is all about and why it's of value, see the following:
Labels: blogging, social networking, twitter
