For the Sheep in Exile – 2015-04-26
Here is Bulletin_2015-04-26
Recently, many work, family, and spiritual obligations have come into my life. Even though the drumbeat of social justicism continues at St. Peter’s, I have little or no time to discuss items that need to be addressed. The best my wife and I can do is to provide a few references and hope that you have the time to do the required homework.
Whether we like it or not, we are all along for the ride: First, look at Bulletin 2015-04-26. There it is. The siren song of The Village Model:
RAPPAHANNOCK AT HOME – NEIGHBORS HELPING SENIORS AGE AT HOME
You are invited to a Community Forum on Thursday, April 30th (2 pm-4 pm) at Reynolds Baptist Church in Sperryville. The forum will talk about the “village mode” for neighbors helping seniors age at home. Come talk about starting a “village” model for Rappahannock County.
What is a “Village”? Villages are membership-driven, grass-roots organizations with a mission of helping people grow older without having to leave their homes. Through volunteers and/or paid staff, Village members have access to affordable services including transportation, health and wellness programs, home repairs, social and educational activities, and other day-to-day needs enabling individuals to remain connected to their community throughout the aging process.
Everywhere you look in Rappahannock County these days, it’s the same song – The Village Model. Did you see the front page of the Rappahannock News? The article Rappahannock at Home: new county-wide senior support program lets you know:
You can learn all about Rapp at Home at a public meeting — hosted by Hunter — from 2 to 4 p.m. next Thursday, April 30 at Reynolds Memorial Baptist Church (3948 Sperryville Pike) in Sperryville. (Transportation to the meeting will be provided for those requiring it. Call 540937 4663 if you need a ride or can offer one for someone else.)
Who’s bringing you this program?
Rapp at Home has the assistance of many local community groups, including the newly formed Rappahannock Clergy Association, Aging Together, Rappahannock Senior Center, 4-H, Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission, Rappahannock Social Services, Rappahannock Food Pantry, the Benevolent fund and others.
Yes, it was the Rappahannock Clergy Association, which, if you have been reading this blog and the minutes from our Parish Pastoral Council, was founded by our Pastor.
We’ve been traveling down this path since at least October of last year, when our Pastor declared to us, based on statistics provided by People Incorporated, that Rappahannock is an aging county. (See Can We Trust the Pastoral Council?) He determined that there was a “need” and he and the local social justicism cabal have led the entire county to the Village to Village Network.
Have you enjoyed the ride so far? My wife and I are sure there is much more to come.
Question for the astute Sheep in Exile – How many souls will gain eternal salvation through the Rapp at Home initiative? Perhaps your answer will help to explain why we are in exile.
For the Sheep in Exile – A Brief Time Out
For the next two or three weeks, our posts will be short, sporadic, and late. We have several commitments, one of which was required of me by a very good and holy priest. Honoring those commitments will take up our time, but hopefully there will be many good fruits.
We attended the Mass in the Extraordinary Form at St. John the Baptist this evening. The quiet, peace, and reverence of the Mass brought great calm to both of us after a long and tiring day. The following is from the Introit for the Common of One or Several Holy Popes, April 22 SS. Soter and Caius:
Si diligis me, Simon Petre, pasce agnos meos, pasce oves meas. (Simon Peter, if thou lovest Me, feed My lambs, feed My sheep.)
For months we have been praying that those words would come to have a special meaning in the heart of our Pastor. We continue to pray.
Dead Horse #4 – More Barbarians
I knew my post Dead Horse #3 – Barbarians would elicit a response from one or more of my children. Sure enough, bright and early this morning, my daughter emailed my wife and noted that Dad must have been mad when he wrote that post.
To my Daughter: No, I wasn’t mad, angry, or overly upset by what I saw in St. Peter’s last Saturday evening. Why? After our six-year stay in the Diocese of Boise, I know better than to be surprised by the behavior I witnessed last week. It is happening throughout the country. Many American Catholics are turning their backs on God, just as the one rather tall and obnoxious woman did by sitting on the back of the pew. Unfortunately, it’s not just a physical turning away, it is a spiritual disrespect to God and the teachings of His Son. Many simply no longer believe, and their actions betray their true feelings and beliefs.
This excerpt from an article in SFGATE describes what is happening in the Diocese of San Francisco. It provides a perfect example of what’s lies hidden in the hearts of many self-proclaimed “committed Catholics”:
“… more than 100 prominent Roman Catholic donors and church members signed a full-page ad running Thursday in The Chronicle that calls on Pope Francis to replace San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone for fostering “an atmosphere of division and intolerance.”
Much of the confusion and disrespect we saw in Idaho came to the Diocese by way of California. It infected the spirits of many. The focus in the Diocese moved from a hunger for the salvation of souls to the promotion of social justicism. Abuses in liturgy became common. The inevitable outcome was dwindling numbers of faithful, parish ministries infested with homosexuals, and almost no new vocations.
It begins slowly, then it builds, then consumes all in its path. Then one day, you wake up and find that people can only talk about “Our Values” rather than professing the teaching of the Church – the teaching of Jesus Christ.
The “more than 100 prominent Roman Catholic donors and church members” are Barbarians with a capital “B”, but what happened in California started with barbarians with a little “b”.
You can be sure that when the Faith is not proclaimed in it fullness and with complete authenticity that the barbarians will begin to emerge. And if their values begin to replace the teaching of the Church, you can be sure that the Barbarians with the capital “B” will take over the parishes and the diocese.
No, my Dearest Daughter, I was not mad. Rather, my angel and I were quite sad because, unless this is turned around soon, St. Peter’s will fall to the Barbarians and the rest of us will have to remain the Sheep in Exile.
For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2015-04-19
Here is bulletin Bulletin_2015-04-19
1. Village Model: Providing time permits, this week we will publish some of our findings concerning the Village to Village Network that is not named, but is described in the Pastor’s Piece under the heading RAPPAHANNOCK AT HOME – NEIGHBORS HELPING SENIORS AGE AT HOME. Our first question, of course, is why our Pastor can’t just come out and tell us that the meeting at Reynolds Baptist Church will be about the Village to Village Network? Why is it that we are being herded blindly to the “village model” without being told up front what the “village model” is and what it will cost?
2. Confirmation: Tomorrow, April 18th, “9 of our youth from St. Peter and 9 youths from our Lady of the Valley will be confirmed by Bishop Loverde..” Although our bulletin makes no comment about the Confirmation, we congratulate all the Confirmandi and pray they will remain open to the graces of this Sacrament. May God bless them greatly and may they always remain staunch defenders of the Faith.
Dead Horse #3 – Barbarians
Second Sunday Social: While at a Knights of Columbus meeting, our Pastor brought up a perceived need for periodically having some type of “social” after Mass. Someone noted that at one time St. Peter’s had a “Second Sunday Social” and some folks enjoyed the opportunity to speak to fellow parishioners and exchange pleasantries. So, there it was, the “Second Sunday Social” returned to St. Peter’s. No problem with that, but you won’t ever see my wife and me there until we can attend Mass together – and that won’t be until St. Peter’s returns to the “status quo ante.”
St. Michael Prayer: If you recall in our post For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2015-03-01, we noted that our Pastor stated in the Pastor’s Piece:
Some people like to pray the prayer to St. Michael after mass and others do not. Several weeks ago Bernadette O’Heir and I talked about the way around this problem satisfying everyone (those who want to pray the prayer and those who don’t). I suggested that those who want to pray the prayer wait 20 seconds after the end of mass to let those who don’t want to pray the prayer to leave. Another option would be for people to pray the prayer silently.
The Second Sunday Social and St. Michael Meet in Battle: In my mind and in the minds of most believing Catholics, Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity resides in the tabernacle and, because of that, deep respect and reverence must always be practiced while the Eucharist is present in the Church. So, those of us who desire to pray the St. Michael prayer after Mass and wish to speak to Almighty God and thank Him personally for all His many blessings wait those ridiculous 20 seconds imposed on us by our Pastor to do just that. This last week, after the 5 PM Mass, however, that was impossible.
Why? Somehow, in the minds of many at that Mass, the Second Sunday Social began, not in the hall behind the main nave. No, it began quite loudly and irreverently while still in the main nave. Discussions, laughter, back slapping, “Hi, how ya doin’?” and the exchanging of opinions about everything except the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that had just taken place before them. One rather tall and obnoxious woman actually sat on the back of a pew, with her back to the tabernacle, and acted like she was getting ready to shovel something in barn.
“Stop it! Stop it right now, you barbarians!” my spirit bellowed. Thanks to my guardian angel, though, the words did not pass lips. But, my angel and I discussed the matter to calm each other down. Then, we went to Michael and together we asked him to “defend us in battle.”
Our Pastor certainly felt justified in trying to find “the way around this problem satisfying everyone“ when it came to those who didn’t want to pray the St. Michael prayer. Maybe, just maybe, it’s time for him to find “the way around this problem satisfying” those of us who want to remain Catholic and see Jesus “be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world.“
Until our Pastor cleans things up in the main nave, Michael, my angel, and I intend to speak up and tell the barbarians what Father won’t, “This is the House of God!”
One might wonder if it would be more satisfying beating the barbarians rather than my poor, dead horse. It seems like they have a lot in common.
For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2015-04-12
Here is Bulletin_2015-04-12
Our time is limited today, but allow us to draw your attention to this item in the Pastor’s Piece:
RAPPAHANNOCK AT HOME
NEIGHBORS HELPING SENIORS AGE AT HOME
You are invited to a Community Forum on Thursday, April 30th (2 pm-4 pm) at Reynolds Baptist Church in Sperryville. The forum will talk about the “village mode” for neighbors helping seniors age at home. Come talk about starting a “village” model for Rappahannock County.
What is a “Village”? Villages are membership-driven, grass-roots organizations with a mission of helping people grow older without having to leave their homes. Through volunteers and/or paid staff, Village members have access to affordable services including transportation, health and wellness programs, home repairs, social and educational activities, and other day-to-day needs enabling individuals to remain connected to their community throughout the aging process.
We hear the drum of Social Justicism beating again. – The item does not mention that the description of a “Village” comes from the Village to Village Network Website. Here is the wording at the Website:
What exactly is a Village?
Villages are membership-driven, grass-roots organizations that, through both volunteers and paid staff, coordinate access to affordable services including transportation, health and wellness programs, home repairs, social and educational activities, and other day-to-day needs enabling individuals to remain connected to their community throughout the aging process.
Question: If it is grass-roots driven, why do they state that “The annual membership fee per groups is $375”? Apparently, grass seed costs money. Is it time for a special collection at St. Peter’s? Are we dealing with an attempt to establish a Social Justicism group in Rappahannock County that will be affiliated with an existing national organization? It looks like it. Of course, the local churches are being drawn into it even though it appears that there is little or no religious component to Village to Village Network.
As usual, there is more here than meets the eye. We will comment in greater detail in a separate post.
Dirty Feet
We will keep this brief because Fr. John Zuhlsdorf has already covered the topic very well in Foot washing on Holy Thursday. Wherein Fr. Z rants. and POLL: 2015 Holy Thursday Foot Washing Rite – what happened?
Last night at St. Peter’s there was no Foot Washing Rite. Our Pastor did speak in length about the account in the Gospel according to St. John and the washing of the feet. As Fr. Z notes:
In the Roman Rite, the washing of feet on Holy Thursday is an option. It may be left out without disturbing the integrity of the Holy Thursday Mass of the Last Supper (otherwise, it wouldn’t be a legitimate option).
If my wife and I recall correctly, there was a Foot Washing Rite at St. Peter’s last year. We suppose we can list this as one of the new changes to what had been the status quo ante. Also, we had an alternative Eucharistic Prayer (not one of the regular four). My best guess is that it was Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation I. There are two points that we would make here:
- The departure from previous inclusion of the Foot Washing Rite left me without the more tangible inspiration that I normally experience by witnessing the Rite. The experience was similar to my observations in the post Were You There? Having said that, I must admit that it is far more preferable to go without the Rite than to witness it when it abused in the manner that we have seen in other Dioceses. Even if our Pastor chose the minimalist option, at least he closed the door on abuse.
- The absence of the Foot Washing Rite and the use of an alternative Eucharistic Prayer tend to cause discontinuity and distraction. The Liturgical Year is meant to be cyclical. Each year we encounter anew the deep mysteries of our Faith. Each year we have the opportunity to ask ourselves if we have grown in our understanding. The three-year cycle of readings enrich the Liturgical Year by providing different perspectives, without changing the focus or disrupting the continuity. In my mind, it would be helpful if the Pastor avoided introducing discontinuities and distractions.
I may have overstated the thought when I posted Were You There? and said that I felt as if I had been written out of the script at the Passion on Palm Sunday. Yet, after Holy Thursday Mass, I drove home thinking that perhaps I might be in the state that St. Peter would have been in if he had refused to let Jesus wash his feet – “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Our Pastor exercised his rightful option and there is no objection from us. Meanwhile, I will continue to follow Christ through the Triduum towards Easter morning and I will continue to do my best to come to the end of my life without “dirty feet”.
For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2015-04-05
Here is Bulletin_2015-04-05
1. Parish Bulletin: You will find on the St. Peter’s Website that finally there is a page where you can view and download the Parish Bulletin. There is a note on the page that reads: “You do not have permission to add comments.” The Sheep of Kephas blog, however, welcomes your comments, providing they are respectful.
2. YouTube Homilies: On the St. Peter’s Website you will also find a link to Gospel Reading & Homily at St. Peter’s that are posted on YouTube. The postings are sporadic and, to date, there have been no video’s of Deacon Benyo’s homilies. Once again, the Sheep of Kephas blog welcomes your comments, providing they are respectful.
3. Confirmation: This week’s bulletin (not yet posted on St. Peter’s Website) informs us that the Sacrament of Confirmation will be administered by Bishop Loverde on April 18.
CONFIRMATION WILL BE APRIL 18
YOU’RE INVITED9 of our youth from St. Peter and 9 youths from our Lady of the Valley will be confirmed by Bishop Loverde on April 18 at 10 am. Come and help our youth celebrate this important step in their faith life. Afterwards you will be able to talk with Bishop Loverde who is retiring this year. Many thanks, to Felix Hernandez the confirmation catechist.
There are three points that my wife and I take away from this:
- Whether you can attend the celebration or not, please pray for the Confirmandi. This Sacrament is of special importance in our day and age because:
“- it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross:” (CCC-1303)
- Bishop Loverde is retiring this year. Under Bishop Keating and Bishop Loverde the Diocese of Arlington has been notable in its orthodoxy. The Faithful in the Diocese of Boise have looked to Arlington and have maintained a hope that some day their Diocese could be as ours. We should pray now that we are blessed with a strong and faithful new shepherd for the Diocese of Arlington.
- Talk with the Bishop? My wife and I suppose it would be out of place and disrespectful to address our concerns about St. Peter’s directly to the Bishop at a Confirmation celebration. On the other hand, those of who have written to the Bishop or met with Fr. Scalia have received no feedback that the Bishop is aware of their concerns. In this case, prudence and respect probably take precedence.
The Sheep of Kephas 