For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2017-10-29
Here is Bulletin_2017-10-29
Sunday of Christ the King: On the old Church calendar, today is the Feast of Christ the King. The Mass in the Extraordinary Form prayed at St. John the Baptist in Front Royal today was truly befitting the King of Heaven and Earth. The angels and saints were there.
Fr. Z had an interesting article related to this feast. Sunday of Christ the King – Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
This week’s bulletin and the parish site present the following announcements:
All Saints Day – Wednesday, November 1st:
Wednesday, November 1st is All Saints Day and a Holy Day of obligation. Masses will be at 8:30 and at 7 P.m.
All Souls Day – Thursday, November 2nd:
REMEMBERING ALL OUR BELOVED DEAD
Join us on Thursday, November 2, to remember our beloved dead. Mass will be at 7pm as usual but those who want are encouraged to bring pictures of the dead whom they are remembering and put them around the altar before Mass. At the end of Mass we will have a candlelight procession to our cemetery where we will have a short prayer for all the dead. You are then invited to join us for the Holy Hour that follows the procession.
Bereavement Group: In the “for what it’s worth department”, here are links that might explain the latest offering for the renowned Rappahannock Clergy Association (RCA) posted on page two of the bulletin. As usual, when a new group or person, in this case the Bereavement Group and Danny Wilson, is introduced by the RCA, we feel obliged to check it out. (If you don’t have the time to read these items, we see no problems in faith and morals. Factually, we see no faith involved at all.)
In Rappahannock, health care headaches for an aging community
Grief Support Group – Bereavement Support Group
Rules and Tools for the Church Militant #4 – Do the Hard Things First
Father Mark A. Pillon has filled in for our pastor at St. Peter’s several times over the past few years. In our view, he is a lion of intellect and sound judgement. His latest article in The Catholic Thing is a perfect example of why we hold him in high esteem. Please take the time to read The Fruits of Soft Discipline.
In remarkable fashion, Fr. Pilon is able to capture the essence of what went wrong with discipline in the Church in just a few sweeping paragraphs. He see all that we have lived through, but he has retained the clear focus that somehow we have lost. Thus, he can say:
Unfortunately, after the Council discipline mostly collapsed, at least when it came to safeguarding the faith.
And with that loss in discipline:
Inevitably, the soft church became even softer when it came to the growing problem of Catholic laity and Catholic politicians openly supporting crimes against humanity such as abortion. How could the bishops discipline them when they failed to discipline even their own clergy and teachers in Catholic universities?
The double standard would have been obvious. So today we have a Church leadership that talks endlessly, but does virtually nothing to protect the faith of the little ones who were always the object of our Lord’s special love – and of the great popes of history. Often this soft discipline is justified in terms of charity. But what about charity toward the little ones who are easily – and gravely – misled?
And that becomes the question we must answer. What about charity toward the the little ones who are easily – and gravely – misled? This blog has frequently asked that our Pastor focus once again on Spiritual Justice with the same fervor that he has focused on Social Justice – to re-balance the scales of the Spiritual Works of Mercy and the Corporal Works of Mercy.
If the Church and our Pastor cannot bring back a rightful emphasis on discipline, then we, the laity, must take it upon ourselves. So, let me ask some simple questions:
Did you pray your morning prayers today?
Did you pray before you went to bed last night?
When was the last time you held your spouse’s hand and prayed together?
In this year of Our Lady of Fatima, did you pray your Rosary today?
If our Church has lost its discipline, can you say you have maintained yours?
If you are to be part of the Church Militant and seek “charity toward the little ones who are easily – and gravely – misled”; if you are to work toward overcoming the evils of Modernism and the loss of discipline in the Church, then you (and I and my beautiful wife) must prepare yourself.
Don’t ask “Where is the discipline in the Church?” until you answer the question, “Where is the discipline in myself?”
Dear and gentle reader, the first obligation of self discipline is to do the hard things first.
If it is hard to wake and offer your day to your Maker, then wake ten minutes earlier and offer not only your day, but you life and soul to Him.
If it is hard to pray with your spouse, then call your entire family and pray with them that you will have the strength to dedicate your entire marriage to the proposition of sanctification.
When rightly formed, discipline is the loving expression of fidelity of a disciple to a teacher and his teaching. And our teacher is none other than Jesus Christ.
Leave the soft church behind; take up your cross; pray the Rosary; and gather your family close around you. Do the hard things first, grow in discipline and strength.
Consider the final words of Fr. Pilon’s article:
But the ultimate victim of a failure to maintain discipline is truth. If you are not willing to defend the truth, then truth itself becomes a matter of opinion. That is, sadly, where we stand today.
For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2017-10-22
Here is Bulletin_2017-10-22
MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY AND GIFT OF PEACE RESIDENTS VISIT TO SAINT PETER – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29th
On Sunday October 29th, some of the Missionary of Charity Sisters (“Mother Teresa’s Sisters”) and the ill and aged men and women from the Gift of Peace in Washington D.C. will join us for the 11 a.m. Mass followed by lunch hosted afterwards by Amy and Deacon Bob Benyo in St. Albert Hall, then an after event involving hayride, bonfire, corn hole toss, coffee and cookies etc. at the Lee residence. All welcome to join the lunch and after event. If you plan to join the lunch, please RSVP, headcount to Wendy Lee (lee9@gene.com). Also, we are seeking volunteers: to prepare the hall (9.30 a.m.), make centerpieces for the tables to be given to the women residents after lunch, serve lunch (noon), provide music (noon to 1:30 p.m.), and make cookies/brownies for the after event. Please email lee9@gene.com if you can help in any of these ways.
Im Westen nichts Neues or На западном фронте без перемен:
Beautiful spouse and I are tired. She had to hold the fort while I was away on business. It was twelve-hour work days, but I did get to see some snow.
Apparently, it has been quiet at St. Peter’s. Yet, one has to wonder when it is “All Quiet on the Western Front”.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us!
For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2018-10-15
Here is Bulletin_2017-10-15
Wine & Cheese: Let’s be upbeat this week. Even if you’re in exile, there should be a moment when you can join in with your fellow parishioners:
ANNUAL FALL WINE AND CHEESE SOCIAL
On Saturday evening October 21st, everyone in the Parish is invited to the annual Knights’ of Columbus Council 14755 “Fall Wine and Cheese Social” in the Parish Hall. The social will start at 6:00 PM and end at 9:00 PM. Please attend this special event. See announcement on the inside of the bulletin for more details.
Should We Believe This? We received an email today telling us that a certain party factually had a copy of the the recent Parish Pastoral Council meeting minutes. For only $300.00 we would be able to have a full account of the PPC meeting held in the underground fallout shelter behind the rectory.
We’re not easily fooled and this deal sounds legit. The anonymous e-mailer claimed that he even had pictures and stealth video from the meeting. Knowing that the PPC has been disappeared (See – Catholic Cultural Revolution #3: The Parish Pastoral Council has been “Disappeared”), we have been curious as to what may have happened to them. The fallout shelter sounds like a very plausible answer.
Because we don’t have a lot of extra cash (the e-mailer demanded small unmarked bills), we were hoping that some of you might send us enough to track down this important lead. After all, some of our finest parishioners were members of the PPC and we need to know that they are safe.
The anonymous e-mailer did have one other offer, but we thought that it didn’t fit in with the mission of this blog. Here is a picture he sent with the offer:
As always, pray for our Pastor.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2017-10-08
Here is Bulletin_2017-10-08
Check out the Pastor’s Piece in this week’s bulletin (page four). There are some good events scheduled for future weeks. Of course, there is one event sponsored by the Rappahannock Clergy Association that is not on our list of “must attends” – the Churches and Community Picnic.
Cryptic Notice about Our Dog: As with so many items that have been featured in this blog, we find that, when we start scratching around, there are many things beneath the surface that require follow-on research. In our last post (Rules and Tools for Radical Pastors #23 – Why is his dog in this fight?) we revealed that we have a dog, a very tenacious bloodhound. Perhaps he is not the most likely dog to engage in a dogfight with our Pastor’s dog Alinskee, but our dog comes to the fight armed with the facts.
Now, our dog has teamed up with my wife’s detective and they are hot on the trail of a foul smelling scent. Perhaps someday we will be able to tell you about it. Until then, if you see a detective in a rumpled, old trench coat accompanied by an enthusiastic bloodhound, be certain that there’s “just one more thing.”
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us”
Rules and Tools for Radical Pastors #23 – Why is his dog in this fight?
If you live in Rappahannock County you know there is a burning social issue of the utmost importance to every citizen here. It will make or break the county – a wrong decision could cause already starving and needy children to go without the basic necessities of life. Elderly couples will be thrown out of their homes to beg on street corners. And the entire economy will collapse forcing the closing of almost every business.
Yes, if you live here you know there is ill feeling among neighbors and distrust by all for all. The issue, of course, is whether there will be a “1.2 multi-use trail” connecting two county schools. Yes, dear readers, the uproar and discord is over a “bike trail”. And, based on our observations, the souls of many must surely be in dire peril if the “bike trail” fails to materialize.
Before we continue, the authors of this post have “no dog in this fight” – there are many things that are more worthy of our time and resources, especially during the Month of the Holy Rosary and the 100th Anniversary of the Miracle of Fatima.
Having made that disclaimer, why are we even bringing up the topic? Gentle readers, we have learned over the last three years that our radical Pastor is a social justice warrior. It seems that he just can’t walk by any social folderol without joining in the fray and doing his best to help organize whatever side appears to be the “victim” of injustice. Likewise, our Pastor, especially since the advent of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, cannot keep away from environmental groups or causes. A little background reading should help you understand that, however minuscule, there are elements of both in the “bike trail” controversy:
- Read this article for background and parties involved: First leg of proposed Rappahannock bike trail lands $150,000 grant commitment
- Read this article for a summary of the events of Monday, October 2nd:
County blazes new trails (like it or not) - View this video for the dramatic, blow-by-blow footage of the Rappahannock County’s second longest public hearing:
Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors public meetings, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2, 2017
Recognizing that you probably didn’t go through all of the above material, let’s just summarize the matter this way. Our Pastor seized the day! As soon as he saw the opportunity to engage in a social justice battle, he went to the rectory and got his secret weapon – his barely domesticated, social justice hound “Alinskee”.
He and Alinskee made their way to the county courthouse and later to the high school auditorium to engage in the biggest, most contentious dogfight of the year in Rappahannock County.
It was late, very late on Monday night when he and Alinskee approached the microphone. The auditorium went silent. Then, the two of them spoke to the enthralled crowd. These were the words that all assembled had been waiting to hear from one of the most highly esteemed clerics in the county:
“I speak in favor of this trail. I think it will be a great asset.”
There was more. Factually, the words “good asset” and “great asset” were repeated five or six times. Each time, Alinskee could be heard to bark his approval. If anyone in the audience failed to nod in agreement, Alinskee would growl and bare his teeth. After all, it is important to agree with one of the most highly esteemed clerics in the county when he is speaking almost “ex cathedra” on such a burning social issue.
Apparently, Father’s words carried the day and Alinskee, a most satisfied and contented social justice hound, returned to the rectory knowing that he was the dog that won that fight.
Post Script: Dear gentle readers, if the sarcasm and satire in this post seem unduly harsh, consider all the other things that a Catholic priest could do on a Monday night:
- There is no other person in the county who can say a Mass;
- There is no other person in the county who can absolve sins; and
- There is no other person in the county who can administer the Last Rites.
Anyone, absolutely anyone, even a dumb dog named Alinskee can go to a meeting and lobby for a “bike path”. No one, absolutely no one, except for our Pastor can hear confessions.
There are perhaps hundreds of people in this county who urgently need the guidance of a priest and to be invited to hear God’s message of salvation. See our last post (For the Sheep of Kephas – Bulletin 2017-10-01, 2. Learn why Christians are muslims) for an example of one person who would benefit from that guidance.
We need, no, we must have our priests doing what they were ordained to do. For those priests who have strayed somewhat from that calling, it is the duty of the laity to fight to win them back. Dear Sheep in Exile, my dog is in that fight, and he’s in that fight to win.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and the Battle of Lepanto, pray for us!
For the Sheep of Kephas – Bulletin 2017-10-01
Here is Bulletin_2017-10-01
1. October, Month of the Holy Rosary: This is a chance for you to be a grateful and obedient son or daughter of your most loving Mother Mary. Respond to her call, now, today – don’t wait! (We have some required reading for you here.)
2. Learn why Christians are muslims: As I said last week in For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2017-09-24, “This one has our interest. I urge any and all to attend.” Well, approximately 17 folks attended. Perhaps we should talk about it.
John Kiser did not present a convincing thesis for why “Christians are muslims”. He tried, but he failed. Here’s why. Mr. Kiser noted that at one time he was an agnostic. According to his Website: He is now “a believer in the omnipresence of divine wisdom—accessible if our antennas are tuned, and requiring ceaseless effort.”
It appears that he is on a journey of faith but, for the present, he still has no faith to call his own. He may admit to the existence of a god, but that god manifests itself in different ways to different people. His personal journey is now bogged down in the type of indifference discussed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2128 Agnosticism can sometimes include a certain search for God, but it can equally express indifferentism, a flight from the ultimate question of existence, and a sluggish moral conscience. Agnosticism is all too often equivalent to practical atheism.
To find meaning in his life, it seems that he has chosen to illustrate the goodness in all men’s hearts by using the history of moderate Islam and its relationship with Christianity. For my ears and heart, his explanations fall flat and it saddens my soul. Here is a very intelligent and well-educated man with a Masters degree in history from Columbia University, who is unable to put the pieces together and come up with an answer that makes sense.
If only Mr. Kiser had met and listened to another historian from Columbia University, Dr. Warren Carroll, the founder of Christendom College. Dr. Carroll had a similar journey, but his journey led him to Christ and to Christ eternally.
To our Pastor, you have brought Mr. Kiser into St. Peter’s. Certainly, you can see that he is a man who needs the Truth. It is within your power to talk to him and to guide him on his journey. You can explain to him how to leave his uncertainties behind and to finally accept something more than the “omnipresence of divine wisdom”.
As I said before you and Mr. Kiser today, “Jesus, body, blood, soul, and divinity is on the other side of that wall, on the altar and in that tabernacle.”
Father, “the salvation of souls is the supreme law” – this is your job and you can do this.
P.S. Father, I read a good article in The Catholic Thing this morning and I hope that all in the parish can read it and take it to heart. Did You Pray for Your Pastor Today?
The Sheep of Kephas 