On the Road Again. Just can’t wait to get on the road again.

    Well, these are the lyrics to the Willie Nelson hit On the Road Again although I doubt I share his sentiments again. Yes, I will be on the road again; this time I will be heading to Birmingham, Alabama and Cullman, Alabama. I will be staying at St. Bernard's Abbey and attending the installation of Bishop Baker as the Bishop of Birmingham. I am excited especially since this trip will include a mini retreat at St. Bernard's. Pray for me during my continued travels and I will be praying for you.

Something good comes from California

So often, we hear of the liturgical abuses that run rampant and the hindrances of the extraordinary form of Mass through various California dioceses, but today I have something good to report. Bishop Barnes speaks out against human trafficking and urges Congress to reauthorize the Victims Protection Act.

"This legislation should be reauthorized, adequately funded, and aggressively implemented," said Bishop Barnes, while noting that "as many as 700,000 persons are trafficked globally each year, men, women, and children." Human trafficking, the bishop added, is a "horrific crime against the basic human dignity and rights of the human person." Bishop Barnes included in his statement a request for the federal government to place emphasis on the recovery and care of victims, particularly "child trafficking victims, who are most susceptible to the long-term horrors of this crime." In his statement the 62-year-old prelate also asked that the general public, and Catholics specifically, work together to end human trafficking.
Source: Zenit – The World Seen from Rome

Given that human trafficking is a form of modern slavery, all of us should be speaking out against this horrendous evil just as our activist forefathers spoke out against slavery of blacks. Are we truly fighting for all people who are a position that prevents them from defending themselves?

Implementation of Pope Benedict's Summorum Pontificum

Today, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, A.D. 2007, Pope Benedict's Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum begins implementation throughout Christendom. As one ponders recent liturgical history, one will often notice that in the years since the implementation of the current ordinary form of Mass have been years of turmoil within the Church and society in general. A number of immoral practices that were taboo have become common place. When members of society refuse accept these practices as normal or moral they are viewed as closed minded persecutors similar to the likes of Adolf Hitler. With these issues in mind, one must question why after sixty years of being hidden the extraordinary form of Mass is being dusted off and made more accessible. I have my own theory regarding the events of recent history.

In a brief summary, I believe in my deepest part of my heart that the Holy Spirit was at the helm. For those who love and support the extraordinary form of Mass this seems to be an odd and maybe even borderline heretical statement; however, I truly believe this was to protect the extraordinary form of Mass. In response to the early findings of the Second Vatican Council, what is now known as the extraordinary form of Mass could have been destroyed instead of preserved. Sacrosanctum Concilium could have been implemented through making changes to the Mass that was in use. If this has happened, imagine the historical and traditional losses our Church would have experienced with little recourse to retrieving the beauty found in the extraordinary form of Mass. If done properly, the desired changes could have been made to the extraordinary form of Mass while preserving the beauty of the Mass, but history has proven that the priests and “liturgists” of modern times are bent on their take of the Mass as the ordinary Mass can be said in a solemn and extraordinarily beautiful way. Many of the “changes” or desired changes are the work of those who do not accept the authority of Christ’s Church and have already left the Church by their actions and beliefs. Unfortunately, this shift of our focus from God to self has invaded secular society and Holy Church. A shift of focus that had been brewing in our Church for years before the Second Vatican Council

As a result, I can say with confidence that I believe Christ through the Holy Spirit allowed for the extraordinary form of Mass to be protected during these times of upheaval so it would not experience the trials of “inclusive” language, experimentation, and self centeredness instead of God centered.

To be continued…

Please use care when driving!

While driving back to my office Thursday afternoon, someone driving a large conversion van almost creamed me and my car when I stopped for a yellow light. Contrary to the perceived rules of the road, the rules of the road dictate that one stops for yellow traffic lights unless they are too close to the intersection to stop successfully. Unfortunately, the perception that one races to cross through the intersection when the light turns yellows can create major problems as my near miss shows. When I stopped for the yellow light, the conversion van behind me was traveling so fast and probably so close to my bumber that the driver had to turn the van sideways to avoid hitting me and the unsecured boxes on top of the van flew off the van onto the road. Honestly, my guardian angel must have had my back Thursday!!!

Please slow down, don't race to beat the red light, and stay off the bumper of the car in front of you. Thank you!!