Sister MM on "Me Time"
It's fat Tuesday, but let's not overdo it. That goes for all of us.
Check out another Sister Mary Martha lenten post, this time she takes on "me time" among other things:
One reader is considering giving up her 'me' time for Lent. I didn't realize Catholics had any 'me' time that didn't involve prayer and/or fasting. Live and learn. I guess Jesus had some 'me' time out in the desert, but Satan showed up and ruined it. Right during His bubble bath.
sister mary martha reminds me of the scary parochial school nun tales relayed to me by my older siblings.
ReplyDeleteSister MM, don't hit me!
pauli, since it's fat tuesday, are you going to post a snarky hardy-har-har post about an mentally disturbed mother of 2 babies who has an alcohol and drug problem and shaved her hair off this week?
ReplyDeletei guess in some circles giving up cream in one's coffee for lent gives one a pass for writing stuff like that during one's non-gregorian-calendar lent.
I sort of did post on the shaved head thing. But I tried to make it more of a joke on me as well as a joke on those trying to capitalize on that train-wreck-in-slow-motion and everyone else. I remember when Sean Penn started chucking rocks at a paparazzo I said "good for him" even though he's kind of an a-hole. Likewise if you ever see an animal chewing it's own leg off it's probably a good idea to give it a wide berth. I'm not suggesting that paparazzi have much sense, nor that it's all their fault that rich, senseless women behave badly.
ReplyDelete(I really liked Mel's take on this whole culture, though admittedly it plays up the "victim" aspect. But it's still cool watching these guys get killed. Whoops... hope I didn't give anything away....)
To the point that some supposedly Christian bloggers are reveling in this person's misfortune, well, sadly it's simply something we'll have to get used to. Seems to happen a lot as if there is no other news.
is rank bigotry an element of the non-gregorian-calendar lenten fast?
ReplyDelete". He's a native of the Bronx and a former NYC cabbie -- and hoo boy, can you ever tell. You can't believe this idiot actually sits on the bench."
-- Dreher on what i have now christened the idiotblog
i'd like to introduce him to an "idiot from the bronx who drives a cab" (i've known a couple) and have him repeat that little chestnut.
diane, aren't you going to miss beliefnet terribly?
ReplyDeletejust in time for ash wednesday, we have another post i would categorize as bash, to wit: careful, now, before converting to catholicism.
dreher heard bad news about the orthodox church today, but it didn't bother him as much, because he knows not to expect much from any church. why this should be true only after conversion to orthodoxy, instead of manifesting itself as an attitude change while remaining catholic, is anyone's guess. (why i care at all what occupies this man's echo-laden skull is also anyone's guess. sorry for my unrelenting negativity, but it's the only thing motivating me lately.)
Amen to that Bubba! It also shows that post he made about the "Forgiveness Vespers" was utter B.S.
ReplyDeleteRod seems to have his own peculiar take on sacraments, how they "work" and even what they are, so I won't even try to decipher it. But Bubba's complaint is the same as many traditional Catholics in regards to the modern emphasis on the "Sign of Peace" in the liturgy. This ritual doesn't "effect what it signifies" in the way in which we believe the Eucharist and the other sacraments do, i.e., it's up to us to make, as you say, "real" peace with each other. However the ritual exists to reinforce the concept more than words alone.
ReplyDeleteStill, to some the sign of peace is their favorite part of the Mass, and as a shocking survey of American Catholics revealed some years back, many stated that, to them, it is the most important part. (Oy.....) For myself I wish it were strictly stipulated that you were only allowed to offer peace to one person other than immediate family, or two people MAX if you were by yourself PLUS you had the option of not doing it at all -- this is surely my German coming out & is as surely a horrible idea.
I bring it up because it's what the forgiveness ritual reminds me most of within Catholicism. I would suggest that those who are so enraptured with the Catholic SOP are what I'd call "touchy feely". Even among my kids I see it -- my first HATES to do it and my second likes it. This reflects their personalities to a T. So I expect Rod likes this elaborate forgiveness ritual because he's so emotional about everything. FMG did a big piece about it as well -- 'member, Kathleen?
I would give the benefit of the doubt that the EO receive grace from this Orthodox tradition. I certainly believe that Baptists and other Protestants receive grace from Baptism, Holy Matrimony and scripture reading as well as enjoying a spiritual communion with Christ in the celebration of the Lord's Supper. B16 is with me on that, BTW.
Re: ritual/low church/high church: A Catholic would point out that the New Testament de-emphasizes the Old Testament rituals, not ritual per se. St. Augustine said somewhere that the rituals of the New Covenant (i.e., the sacraments of the Catholic Church) are fewer, more powerful and more easily to perform than those of the old covenant (i.e., circumcision, countless animal sacrifices). It's in one of his commentaries, I believe.
Of course, Catholics believe that to worship God in "spirit and in truth" means to do so via the liturgy and sacraments of the Church. But I think Bubba's point about "difference between aesthetic tastes or imaginative powers" is still valid in this case since the Church has modified wording and formulas quite a bit over the ages. I would merely have made the modification "in fidelity to Scripture and Tradition".
Last comment: Catholics do take scripture to be "uniquely authoritative", i.e., non-scriptural church teaching is infallible, a "negative" trait, i.e., kept from error, but it is not "inspired", a positive trait unique to sacred scripture. I realize Bubba meant uniqely as SOLELY authoritative, but I wanted to clarify, as is my custom. (eins! zwei! drei!....)
Bubba there is no B.S. about the ritual. What I should have said the B.S. part is" it was so freeing to be there, in the church, everyone busily bowing and kissing and asking forgiveness, paying no mind to anyone or anything else except the person in front of them." This is especially true given the way he treats anyone who disagrees with him. It also holds true for the way he views anyone that is not part of the Liberal MSM.
ReplyDelete' "Forgiveness Vespers" is at best a practice run and a reminder of the real thing of contrition, apology, and forgiveness: it is no substitute.'
ReplyDeleteagreed, bubba. when you can take part in a ritual that simultaneously gives you a pass from asking forgiveness from those you have actually offended (a messy, humiliating business) *and also* makes you feel holier than everyone else, well, it's like the spiritual blue plate special.
i don't know about you pauli, but i ask for my kids forgiveness pretty often (in fact, almost every time i "lose it".) that is not something i remember my parents doing, but i think our generation might be different.
and yes, i remember FMG nattering on about that in her book. and now, i shall forget it again, ASAP