White Christmas... humbug...

Well, today is Christmas Eve, and I'm stuck in my house. Normally, I would LOVE this situation, however, I'm scheduled to cantor for the Midnight Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Oklahoma City... which is abut 20 miles away from my current location.

So, as it stands, I will be staying in the warmth of my home, but I'll be missing the Eternal Sacrifice on a Holy Day of Obligation. Granted, if I can't make it, I'm not culpable for not attending Mass, but it is quite a bummer, nonetheless.

I hope that all of my friends out there have a joy filled and safe Christmastide. Stay warm in body and in spirit, and continue to reflect on the Love shown to mankind by our Creator on this Holy Night.

Daisy Foshee R.I.P.

Today marks the one year anniversary of my grandmother's death. The pictures are of the funeral program.

Love you, Grandma; rest in peace.

Orient Ode, by Francis Thompson

Now one of my favorite poets, Francis Thompson's works inspire and encourage the Catholic to reach deeper into his faith. This is one of his best known poems. Enjoy

Orient Ode

By Francis Thompson (1859–1907)

LO, in the sanctuaried East,
Day, a dedicated priest
In all his robes pontifical exprest,
Lifteth slowly, lifteth sweetly,
From out its Orient tabernacle drawn,	5
Yon orbèd sacrament confest
Which sprinkles benediction through the dawn;
And when the grave procession’s ceased,
The earth with due illustrious rite
Blessed,—ere the frail fingers featly	10
Of twilight, violet-cassocked acolyte,
His sacerdotal stoles unvest—
Sets, for high close of the mysterious feast,
The sun in august exposition meetly
Within the flaming monstrance of the West.…	15
To thine own shape
Thou round’st the chrysolite of the grape,
Bind’st thy gold lightnings in his veins;
Thou storest the white garners of the rains.
Destroyer and preserver, thou	20
Who medicinest sickness, and to health
Art the unthankèd marrow of its wealth;
To those apparent sovereignties we bow
And bright appurtenances of thy brow!
Thy proper blood dost thou not give,	25
That Earth, the gusty Maenad, drink and dance?
Art thou not life of them that live?
Yea, in glad twinkling advent, thou dost dwell
Within our body as a tabernacle!
Thou bittest with thine ordinance	30
The jaws of Time, and thou dost mete
The unsustainable treading of his feet.
Thou to thy spousal universe
Art Husband, she thy Wife and Church;
Who in most dusk and vidual curch,	35
Her Lord being hence,
Keeps her cold sorrows by thy hearse.
The heavens renew their innocence
And morning state
But by thy sacrament communicate;	40
Their weeping night the symbol of our prayers,
Our darkened search,
And sinful vigil desolate.
Yea, biune in imploring dumb,
Essential Heavens and corporal Earth await;	45
The Spirit and the Bride say: Come!
Lo, of thy Magians I the least
Haste with my gold, my incenses and myrrhs,
To thy desired epiphany, from the spiced
Regions and odorous of Song’s traded East.	50
Thou, for the life of all that live
The victim daily born and sacrificed;
To whom the pinion of this longing verse
Beats but with fire which first thyself did give,
To thee, O Sun—or is’t perchance, to Christ?	55
Ay, if men say that on all high heaven’s face
The saintly signs I trace
Which round my stolèd altars hold their solemn place,
Amen, amen! For oh, how could it be,—
When I with wingèd feet had run	60
Through all the windy earth about,
Quested its secret of the sun,
And heard what thing the stars together shout,—
I should not heed thereout
Consenting counsel won:—	65
‘By this, O Singer, know we if thou see.
When men shall say to thee: Lo! Christ is here,
When men shall say to thee: Lo! Christ is there,
Believe them: yea, and this—then art thou seer,
When all thy crying clear	70
Is but: Lo here! lo there!—ah me, lo everywhere!’

A Bit of Conflict...

Ok, so here's the deal... I have too many people who desire, and indeed have a justifiable claim to ... me... I think that may be it. Therefore I feel it necessary to write the following:

My first priority is to my family. Period.

After that, I have friends from my previous university, friends from high school, friends from seminary, seminarian obligations within the diocese, obligations to my parents' church, and obligations to my own parish. (These are in no particular order, by the way)

The tricky part is trying to find a balance between maintaining my obligations to each respective claimant while also acquiescing to my own personal needs of rest and recovery from an exciting, yet stressful semester all the same... and I feel that this may be causing friction on more than one front.

So, therefore, I have done the only thing that has seemed to work regarding past chaos-turned-order moments... I've scheduled EVERYTHING into my calendar regarding family, friend, and seminary functions.

To be clear, and out of necessity, family functions are up for revision, depending on family needs and requests. Further, and I stress what is to follow, family takes precedent over all other functions and arrangements.

With this said, family must also realize my obligations to other parties, and respect my efforts to continue relationships and/or fulfill prearranged requirements by parties heretofore mentioned.

As an imperfect individual, I can say upfront that I will be unable to give the proper amount of time and attention deserved to each party in my life that has, nonetheless, come to be very important, and indeed an irreplaceable component in my life. Because of this, I extend to my heart-felt and sincere apologies.

The end.

Pope Celebrates Ad Orientem in the Pauline Chapel

From NLM:

by Gregor Kollmorgen

Today, the Holy Father celebrated Mass with the members of the International Theological Commission, which has its yearly assembly in these days. The Mass was offered in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, which had been re-inaugurated in July after an extensive restoration work which included a repositioning of the altar so that Mass could be celebrated both versus populum and versus Deum/ad orientem liturgicum.

Today, Pope Benedict availed himself of this new possibility and celebrated Mass ad orientem. This is, as far as I am aware, the first time the Holy Father has publicly celebrated Mass in the traditional posture at a freestanding altar which allows for either form of celebration.

Pope Benedict thereby sends an important signal, underlining that this liturgical orientation is acceptable - and even encouraged - not only at altars which are fixed to the wall or to a reredos, and which therefore do not allow for a different the other manner of celebration, but at any altar where this is physically possible.

Here are some images of the Mass from the L'Osservatore Romano:

http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2009/12/pope-celebrates-ad-orientem-in-pauline.html

Thanksgiving Day Cards

I recently receved Thanksgiving cards from two separate elementary schools. They were from 2nd grade classes who had adopted me as their seminarian for the year.

It is so good to be remembered and loved! These cards made my day, and reinforced my sense of vocation to the priesthood. God-willing, I will be a good example for these children to follow!