Current Events...

Last week was a bit of wake-up call for the Anglican Church and many within the Catholic Church. The news began with the announcement that Pope Benedict will be offering a way for Anglican priests to come home to Rome and moved to the dramatic news that a Dominican Nun is acting as an escort at an abortion mill... finally, the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina voted on measures distancing the diocese from the national Episcopal Church. WOW! What a week. I hope I can find time to offer commentary on these events.

Take care all!

In the Mist of War: Remembering 9/11 through poetry

In the Mist of War
In Remembrance of the 11 September 2001 attack on the United States of America.

Walking around in a daze as smoke darkens the sky.
Feeling like a character from a novel as
day turns to night and time stands still.
We pray to God that we will awaken from this nightmare,
knowing we are awake and the horror is real,
yet we are unable to admit it.
This is what happens when war comes to America.
Thousands are dead or injured.
How does life continue?
Our nation has been attacked,
symbols of our country have been destroyed.
Indestructible buildings were demolished.
America prays to God for protection
and cries out for revenge while our enemies laugh for joy.
Will peace be restored or are we on the brink of war?

This poem is my personal composition and may only be reused with acknowledgment of the source.

9/11 Eight Years Later: Gone, but not Forgotten; we hope

The pictures come from a variety sources available to New York Mag and are being used under the provisions of the Fair Use Act. I am not making any profit from this blog or the use of the photos.

Health Care, Health Insurance, and Human Rights

This is a situation that is tearing our country and often our Churches apart, but I believe that this situation is more complex than just implementing a "public option" that fines people who do not have insurance. Health Care is a right, as Catholic Bishops have declared, but so is transportation, housing, and food. Does this mean we fine people who do not have cars or provide a car or pay for bus/taxi transportation for everyone? Do we truly ensure everyone has adequate housing? Obviously not, because every major city has an abundance of homeless people.

So, how do we respond to this situation? How about enabling cross state boundary insurance purchasing instead of limiting who we can purchase insurance from. In many ways, this would enable price competition for insurance. How about allowing people to pick and choose what they want covered? I don't need coverage for prostate cancer or pregnancy and definitely don't want abortions covered by my premiums. There are ways to make insurance more affordable without fining people for not having the coverage the Government demands - no copays for certain "well being" visits and an end to the original health insurance that most of us had that covered hospitalization and major health problems.

Personally, I believe the Government can play a role in enable affordable health care for all people by limiting malpractice lawsuits and in many ways getting out of the regulation business. Listening to Obama tonight, I eventually tuned him out figuring that I could read the "speech" without the interruption of constant clapping.

Sometime this week, I am going to read his speech and compare his words to the health care bills being argued before commenting any further, because, frankly, I've learned that what people say isn't always what it is.

Peace be with you always.

Until the next time,
Anastasia

Death: A time to bring families together or divide?

When a family member dies the true colors of a family begin to show and sometimes it isn't a pretty picture. Does the family come together to mourn and celebrate that person's life or do they fight and bicker? A strong family may question why God allows a young person to die and grieve over the death of their loved one, but they still reach out to each other with love and often realize they need to say, "I love you," to those they love more often. They question God and look for answers, but they do not allow anger or pettiness to rule their lives even when a young adult is taken from them in the prime of their life. Other families will fight and argue, spout off about how much they hated the person who died, or even refuse to grieve. Grief in this case is harmful instead of a time of strength to grow together.

How are you forming your family? Are you developing a family that sticks together even through the tough times or do you allow the hurts of life to divide you? As Christians, we should be focusing on love, charity, the heart of Christ's teachings. Otherwise, we risk our emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Even when we have been harmed in the past, we have to forgive so that the hurt and anger of past does not rule our life. This is often a hard part of Christianity and even of emotional wellbeing, but 1 Corinthians 13 reminds of what love is and that love has no room for anger. This does not mean we cannot feel anger, but it means we must move past it and allow love to be our fuel instead of anger. Is this a part of our faith that we practice or is it one of the inconvenient teachings that we dismiss in the heat of the moment.

May the peace and love of Christ be with you always!

Late, but not forgotten

Last Saturday, July 11, 2009, marked my one year anniversary as an Oblate of St. Benedict affiliated with St. Vincent Archabbey. Becoming an Oblate was a blessed event made even more special by the efforts of Fr. Wilson. I will never forget the solemnity of the day, the presence of my dear friends, and the efforts Father put into making this a special day for me.

Upcoming: Solemn High Latin Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Beloved

As per our parish bulletin and website:

On Friday, August 14th at 7:00pm, there will be a Solemn High Latin Mass here at the Cathedral [of St. John the Beloved, 120 Broad Street, Charleston, SC] as we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mark Thomas and our wonderful Cathedral choir will be providing the music to accompany the sacred liturgy. Visiting with us will be the rector of the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans in Shreveport, Louisiana, Fr. Peter Mangum, who will be serving in the role as deacon. Subdeacon will be Mr. Tyrone Thompson, a seminarian for the Diocese of Columbus. (Yours truly [Rev. Gregory B. Wilson] will be the celebrant of the Mass.) The usual 3rd Saturday Latin Mass will be offered as normal the next morning (Saturday) at 8:30am.

The Tale of Two Cats

Originally, there were two beautiful tabby cats - Thomas and Gregory. Each cat was named after a particular Catholic Saint – St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Gregory the Great respectively. They played together and basically drove their human mother up a wall until one day Gregory was all by himself, because Thomas was hit by a car and did not make it. Gregory remained with his human mother and became the most spoiled thing on earth after he told his mother exactly how mad he was at her and that he blamed her for Thomas going away. See, Gregory didn't realize or believe that his mother wasn't at fault for Thomas going away so he was going to teach his mother a lesson. Thankfully, mother was a patient soul, at least with her kitten, and loved him regardless of his occasional temper tantrum. Various other kitties were introduced to the family over the years and Gregory refused to accept them, because he was still mourning his brother, until one day this stray little black kitten waltzed in the door. The first week or so, Gregory hissed at the little one and occasionally at mother, but eventually Gregory came around to accepting this little one. Sadly, little one didn't have a name since he was just wandering the street near mother's work until she brought him in. So, the human adults began to discuss all sorts of names for him such as Benedict after St. Benedict and Pope Benedict XVI, Aquinas, smut face as suggested by the human grandmother, and zipper. Eventually, the human grandmother suggested the name Wilson and mother had to think about this as this would mean her two little ones would have the same name as a priest friend. Eventually, mother relented and allowed the little one to be called Wilson so now we have Gregory and Wilson. Shortly thereafter, this amusing story was shared with the appropriate priest friend and everyone shared a good laugh. Thankfully, it turns out there is another little black kitty named after him. Hereby, the Tale of Two Cats is closed and they lived together happily ever after.

Blogging... Time to return or shut down

The past couple of weeks, I have had an internal debate going on. Do I return to blogging or shut down this blog. When one blogs, they need to blog about what they are passionate about and for me that is politics, the Supreme Court of the United States, Catholic Theology, and human rights. I deeply believe in human dignity and the abuses I see in my country, the United States, and abroad concern me.

The hardest part for me, is the fact this past presidential election left me feeling burnt out. I tired of a particular Obama supporter who was ready to single handily shove the Obama agenda down my throat and the four year campaign cycle. We need a truly conservative, pro-life candidate to run for president who is sane and in touch with what the constitutients truly believe in. For me, I do not believe this will come from the GOP. In order for the candidate we need to come forward, we need to quit expecting our elected officials to be part god-like and part movie star. CHANGE is good, but it must be morally directed change that respects the dignity of all people from conception to natural death.

Well, I am going to continue to debate my return to blogging and consider what the future will hold for this small corner of the web that I call my own.

Prayers Needed

Today, my uncle Lee will be removed from the ventilator he has been on since late Friday afternoon. Please pray for his soul, his family (immediate and extended), and for family cohesiveness during this time of trial and testing. This is a time when our family will be tested deeply. The fractures that exist in a primarily Jehovah's Witness family where my uncle did not believe in God, one of my cousins and one aunt are non denominational Christians, and I am Catholic will be tested due to the religious differences and our sinful nature since the fall of Adam and Eve. Although I do not believe in the use of ventilators when a person cannot make it, I pray this time has given his soul a chance to find the peace he did not have on this earth. I cannot put into words the hurt that exists and simply pray, Kyrie Eleison Me, Lord have mercy on me. Most especially, Lord have mercy on my uncle and our family. May the hurt and division heal instead of dividing us.