Priestly Role-Models

The following comes from Pope Benedict, regarding April's World Day of Prayer for Vocations. My comments are in red and italics.

“The fruitfulness of our efforts to promote vocations depends primarily on God’s free action, yet, as pastoral experience confirms, it is also helped by the quality and depth of the personal and communal witness of those who have already answered the Lord’s call to the ministerial priesthood and to the consecrated life, for their witness is then able to awaken in others a desire to respond generously to Christ’s call.” *(The validity of this statement is undeniably true. Simply look around at all the various parishes in the diocese. Vocations are coming from those churches where there is a priest in charge, and where his role is unique and set apart from lay ministry. The young people perceive it to be "something special.")
… “[I]f young people see priests who appear distant and sad, they will hardly feel encouraged to follow their example. They will remain hesitant if they are led to think that this is the life of a priest. Instead, they need to see the example of a communion of life which can reveal to them the beauty of being a priest.” (How can the youth of Rochester learn from priests' examples when many scoff at Tradition, wear casual clothes, not clericals, and act more as a "friend" rather than a "father?" What a massive difference between going up to the doors of various rectories in Rochester. When I went to a certain church downtown, I was greeted warmly by a priest in a house cassock. However, in a different area of the city, I was greeted by a priest (a very holy priest, mind you) who was wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals. Which encounter do you think spoke more to me? I can only imagine the impact such things would have on a youth.)
“It can be said that priestly vocations are born of contact with priests, as a sort of precious legacy handed down by word, example and a whole way of life.”
… “Every priest, every consecrated person, faithful to his or her vocation, radiates the joy of serving Christ and draws all Christians to respond to the universal call to holiness. (How can our young people see joy in our priests if the priests are pushed aside in sanctuaries, at the word of the bishop, to make way for lay ministry? What possible joy can there be in that?) Consequently, in order to foster vocations to the ministerial priesthood and the consecrated life, and to be more effective in promoting the discernment of vocations, we cannot do without the example of those who have already said “yes” to God and to his plan for the life of each individual. Personal witness, in the form of concrete existential choices, will encourage young people for their part to make demanding decisions affecting their future.” (If priests are truly "in persona Christi," they should not be afraid to act with that authority. Priests have authority - and it's an authority that can trump any lay administrator. Dear priests, stand up for yourselves. Do not be shackled by the emasculated culture in Rochester.) (VIS)

St. John Vianney, pray for us.

God bless Pope Benedict. 

It May be Mardi Gras . . .

 . . . but that's no reason to act like a debauched pig.

If I get word of just one Mardi Gras theme Mass, with super-soaker or not, I will declare a Crusade.

Try me. I dare you.

Can you name the person at :35 in this video?

Excerpt from SACRED, BEAUTIFUL, & UNIVERSAL from Corpus Christi Watershed on Vimeo.

He is the altar server holding the paten.

Loose Lips Sink Ships

 was browsing some propaganda posters from the Second World War - you would be amazed at the themes that they expressed and the metaphors which we can draw from them. If some of the subject matter regarding this conflict (i.e. stereotypes etc . . . ) bothers you, please don't feel obligated to make your disdain known.

 

In the world today, the boot of Nazism has been replaced by the sandal of liberalism. 

 

The words could easily read,  

"Don't let the shadow of heresy touch them. Say your rosary." 

Of course, the shadow could represent a multitude of things for us: liberalism, relativism, heterodoxy, liturgical abuse.

 I think we all know who's watching us.

 

Instead of our towns being ravaged by falling bombs or artillery bombardment, our towns are ravaged by church closings and "shifting demographics." The poster could easily say, 

"It can happen here . . . unless we keep 'em going through seminary. Pray for vocations."

 

This is the enemy. Although, now instead of Nazi's plundering sacred scripture and holy Tradition, we have our own doing it for us. Please pray for our priests, bishops, nuns, monks, cardinals, and lay people, that they stop assailing Holy Truth for their own political agendas.

 

 

Loose lips sink ships, yes. Sort of similar to how loose lips give the orthodox the true picture of what's going in the diocese, a metaphorical sinking ship if I ever saw one. Rumors are detriments to our efforts, but facts - oh, facts can bring about great things. 

FYI - High Mass - Venite Adoremus

There will another High Mass at St. Stanislaus Church this Sunday at 1:30.

It's free and open to the public; however, receiving Holy Communion is restricted to practicing Catholics in the state of grace. Never a bad seat in the "Domus Dei". Accomplished choir and schola too. Vocal music is Renaissance and Gregorian chant. Incense galore. Solemnity. Majesty and grandeur all available at no charge. The only official approved Tridentine Mass in the Rochester diocese. German stained-glass windows. Wood altar rail with padded kneelers. Comfortable temperature. Where else will you see Roman-styled vestments in use in the DoR.

Families and all children welcomed. Restrooms available. A rather large narthex. Handicapped elevator. Security onsite. On-street and off-street parking. Latin-English missals provided. A very well stocked Catholic book table. You won't find "Forward in Hope" at this table folks.

Due to the start of Lent, the organ music will be cutback in keeping with the more solemn nature of the Lenten season; and no Gloria. Confessions will be heard after Mass. Stay around afterward and watch our new crew of crackerjack altar boys learn how to serve the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

C'mon you know you have been interested in attending. Hope to see many new faces at the communion rail. Leave questions in the combox and I'll answer asap.

Most Rev. Athanasius Schneider on Communion in the Hand

What We Can Learn From St. Bridget's Parish

I have been thinking a lot about this closing, today. I know the pain of losing a parish, but I have never seen photos encapsulate the pain as have those at the D&C's website. There is something more noble than words which can be seen in the eyes of those parishioners who have lost their home.

There is an amazing amount that we can learn from this parish, and its unfortunate death. Primarily, it was a parish of diversity, but whose focus was on the African American community of Rochester. Usually we lament liturgical dancers and multi-cultural displays in our parishes, but this is different. It was a parish genuinely rooted in African-American traditions, which, in their natural form, compliment their form of worship. Their cultural celebrations were not forced, as are those at Sacred Heart - these are genuine and wholly natural.

The people of this parish truly celebrated diversity. There is nothing quite so racist and closed-minded as falsely embracing a culture. If I were an African-American and saw non-African-Americans putting on a Mass with clear African-American cultural references and actions, I would be wholly offended. By embracing other cultures whose celebrations are not our own, we lose our grounding and take the chance of offending those whose culture we borrow.

I hold St. Bridget's up as a representation of what true cultural diversity is. Yes, they have liturgical dance, hand-holding, and boisterous singing, but that is what their cultural experience of Mass has been. It is thoroughly traditional, in the sense that those at the parish hold onto their values and particular liturgical celebrations. I wouldn't expect them to start singing English renaissance polyphony - it's not their culture. I also wouldn't expect Bishop Clark to have an Afro-Mass, but we've been proven wrong on that end.

To the people of St. Bridget's - you have our most sincere sympathies, and our most fervent, loving prayers. Our thoughts rest with you in this time of sorrow.

Oppressive, Authoritarian, Full of Prejudices

I was perusing various website to which we have been directed for one reason or another, and this segment from "Fish Eaters" struck me as particularly relevant. The following was related by a monk who listened to an ex-communist woman speak about how Communists fear the Church.

I listened to that woman for four hours and she had my hair standing on end. Everything she said has been fulfilled to the letter. You would think she was the world's greatest prophet, but she was no prophet. She was merely exposing the step-by-step battle plan of Communist subversion of the Catholic Church. She explained that of all the world's religions, the Catholic Church was the only one feared by the Communists, for it was its only effective opponent.

The whole idea was to destroy, not the institution of the Church, but rather the Faith of the people, and even use the institution of the Church, if possible, to destroy the Faith through the promotion of a pseudo-religion: something that resembled Catholicism but was not the real thing.

Once the Faith was destroyed, she explained that there would be a guilt complex introduced into the Church…. to label the ‘Church of the past’ as being oppressive, authoritarian, full of prejudices, arrogant in claiming to be the sole possessor of truth, and responsible for the divisions of religious bodies throughout the centuries. This would be necessary in order to shame Church leaders into an ‘openness to the world,’ and to a more flexible attitude toward all religions and philosophies. The Communists would then exploit this openness in order to undermine the Church. 

 

We have our work cut out for ourselves. Arm yourselves with piety and devotion, and you will not be overcome. 

What Greater Valentine Than Our Lord

Today, I was privileged to have spoken to a local Sister of St. Joseph. I should say that almost 100% of our experiences with them, collectively as a Catholic community, has been associated either with liturgical abuse or liberal activism.

However, this nun with whom I spoke today was a genuine nun, secure in her femininity, loyal to the Holy Father in Rome, and ever-loving to the Catholic Church as it is, not as others would make it. She saw me and smiled, and said,

"You know, I was thinking last night, and something dawned on me. Our Lord is the greatest Valentine of all. After all, He gave us His literal heart, His Sacred Heart, while all we can give each other are representations of love. He gave Love itself."

So, bearing this in mind, dear friends, let us have a sacred day, a Sunday and a St. Valentine's Day both rolled together to call us to a deeper realization of divine love. St. Valentine was slain for his love, and for the love of the Christians to whom he ministered. He was martyred, being both beaten and beheaded, for helping Christian couples achieve a Christian matrimony - not some pagan ritual of the Roman government. The Emperor, Claudius, called him before his presence, that he may see the criminal who dared violate Roman law. Valentine was unyielding. He died for love others, sacrificing his life for the nobility and the unique sanctity of marriage. This, truly was an embodiment of the love which poured forth from Our Lord's pierced side on Calvary, the blood which flowed copiously from His Sacred Heart.

Be My Valentine

In honor of Valentine's Day, the annual occasion for impropriety and licentiousness, we have created a video for your viewing pleasure. Now, if you disapprove of our light-hearted humor regarding Bishop Clark (blessings and peace be upon him), please don't feel obligated to watch or to leave negative comments.

However, if you have a sense of humor, and you can laugh at some good, clean fun, please watch. It's why we posted it. The female star opposite Bishop Clark is Anne-Marie Brogan, of St. Mary's fame.

Update on St. Francis Xavier

. . . the church, not the saint.

It appears that the sale of St. Francis Xavier to the Muslims is still in the works and nearing the final stages of completion. According to my sources, the Diocese of Rochester wants no news report on this matter until the deal is signed, sealed and delivered.

Cleansing Fire will continue to investigate this rumor.

What's Your Biggest Liturgical Pet Peeve?

Excluding lay preaching.

Leave a comment.

Error Is Not Homeless

In fact, it finds a willing home in many a Catholic. And these Catholics even look and act and feel Orthodox. I spoke with a priest today who spoke of his dislike for gay "marriage," and how he "loves and cherishes every word which comes from the Church - without exception."

One minute later, he declared, "Even if Obama were from Mars, I would have still voted for him over John McCain." 

Let us pray for our priests, that they find the courage to stand up for all people, not just those who want the choice to murder others.

Tridentine Mass @ Holy Spirit

At Holy Spirit Church tomorrow, Saturday, February 13, Father Gerard McMahon will be celebrant. Mass is at 8 a.m. Our local "Schola Roffensis" will be singing both the propers and the ordinary parts of the Mass. The parish is at the corner Hatch and Plank Road in Penfield.

Starbucks' Subliminal Message

Evidently the people at Starbucks are actually closeted-Catholics in support of the Latin Mass. Look at this sign I found at a local coffee house:

"Tradition Meets Decadence." I love that. After I read that and saw the title, I was half expecting the words at the bottom near the Starbucks lady to say "We Proudly Brew . . . Orthodoxy." Alas, the sign says "We Proudly Brew . . . Starbucks Coffee."

So, yes, I am proudly announcing that Starbucks supports the Traditional Latin Mass through sublimincal messages.

Service of Penitance

The following is taken from the website of St. Thomas. No, not our St. Thomas - their St. Thomas. As in, the Episcopalians.

Service of Penitance w/Our Lady of Lourdes Parish

When: Wed, February 17, 7:30pm – 8:30pm

Where: St. Thomas' Church (map)

Now, don't get me wrong. I think we should all strive for Christian unity. However, people must realize that Catholics have already gotten to the finish line - it's called "the Throne of St. Peter." We are the Church - they are the scattered flock. To borrow a line from the good sister, "it is what it is."

Having this ecumenical service raises a few questions in my mind:

1. What penitential actions will take place? If there's confession, would the Protestants go? (They're not really supposed to, if they're not Catholic.) If there's no confession, isn't it just some kind of "Jesus loves us just the way we are" kind of hug-fest?
2. Why is this at night? The idea of Ash Wednesday/receiving ashes/being penitent, is to be outward signs of faith. How exactly can we do that if we're having our service after dark? Not too much of an outward sign there.
3. Why would a Catholic, in good standing with the Church, go into a Protestant church building for a service that accomplishes next to nothing, if not truly nothing? I'd much rather go to Mass at a Church not in open rebellion, get ashes, and wear them with pride all day long. Something tells me some of the folks from St. Mary's and Spiritus Christi have a bit more pride, but I won't go there.

Sorry All - We're "Too Dumb To Thrive"

The following comes from the article of a noted liberal, Joe Klein. The National Review posted a rebuttal to the post, illustrating how, now that it's pretty self-evident that Obama is dead in the water, the liberals have started their "temper tantrums." How true.

Absolutely amazing poll results from CNN today about the $787 stimulus package: nearly three out of four Americans think the money has been wasted. On second thought, they may be right: it's been wasted on them.

It is very difficult to have a democracy without citizens. It is impossible to be a citizen if you don't make an effort to understand the most basic activities of your government. It is very difficult to thrive in an increasingly competitive world if you're a nation of dodos.

Read more: http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/01/25/too-dumb-to-thrive/#ixzz0fGZcn6pT

So just to recap - We aren't worth the money the government has paid. What ever happened to "government of the people, by the people, and for the people?" Sorry, Abe. You got it wrong. Secondly, in addition to not being worth it in the eyes of this liberal moron child of God, we don't even understand the government. Rest assured, no matter how stupid we are, we know how to pull the lever which will kick Obama out of office come election day 2012.

FREE SHIPPING

A friend of mine runs "In His Image" shop in Batesville, Indiana. He is having a winter sale with many great Catholic titles at 40% off. Non-book items such as statues, jewelry and artwork are reduced from 17% to 70%. Remember, many children will be making their First Holy Communion and this would be a perfect time to order a gift. How about your friends that will be received into the Catholic Church through the RCIA process, you will something for them too.

Any order over $50 placed before February 16th will receive a free copy of "St. Jude Helper in Desparate Cases" (a $2.50 value) AND orders over $80 will receive a free copy of "Saint Philomena, The Wonder Worker", a $9 value. Both of these titles are published by TAN Books and Publishing. As always, any order over $40 receives free shipping.

Please visit him at http://shopinhisimage.com/zencart/ Tell him you read about his sale from Cleansing Fire blog.

Thank you for supporting a fellow Catholic and his shop.

Rotten Fruit and the Ladies of Rochester

The following ran this morning in the Democrat and Chronicle's editorial section.

I'm writing on behalf of three "Ladies of Nazareth" — my mother (Class of '35), my sister (Class of '57) and myself (Class of '60). It is a tragedy that an institution that was able to survive the Great Depression cannot survive the current educational climate of the Catholic Diocese of Rochester. The education received at Nazareth Academy prepared the three of us to face the complexities and demands of the world as strong, confident women. The seeds of our accomplishments were planted and nurtured at the academy.

Oddly enough, when people really want Catholic schools, when bishops really want vocations, when priests really want to say Masses reverently, it gets done. The closing of Nazareth isn't a sign of Bishop Clark's design to eliminate Catholic schools. It's not a sign of the diocese's so-called "war on Orthodoxy." Indeed, it's not the result of any organized plan or conspiracy. This, dear readers, is the spoiled fruit, fallen from the tree of Apathy, a tree from which most in this country have eaten.

The Ballad of "the Rochester"

There once was this lad in a surplice,

Who regarded a dancer quite shirtless,

Prancing and dancing,

Irreverently advancing,

Towards the gal who was leading the service.

He looked with regret at the altar,

Thinking, "now, this is why Church did falter."

The dancer then twirled,

A rainbow, unfurled;

(Server buries face in his psalter.)

"Dear God, how much longer of this,

'Till I discover ecclesial bliss?

I hope it's not long,

For I'm not that strong,

But maybe those Guards that are Swiss . . . "

And so this lad thought with great speed,

Praying in hope and great need,

That soon there'd appear

The Swiss Guard, "right here!"

Like a great knight on a steed.

And so the server knelt down,

Prompting the gal to then frown,

"Get off your knees,

You youthful young tease,

And help me put on my white gown."

And so the server then stood,

Still praying that, in mercy, God would,

Accost the lay preacher,

and the fabulous creature,

Restoring to the parish some good.

And just as alb-ward he reached,

This circus by God was then breached.

His voice nobly thundered,

And the liberals wondered,

"But God was a woman, we preached!"

At this, God Himself then declared, 

(What he said made the liberals scared,)

"You've castrated me,

Made my chosen ones flee,

How you all should, in truth, be quite scared!"

With that all the people then knelt,

For fear that God's wrath would be dealt.

"We're sorry!" they cried,

And they swallowed their pride,

Noting how new-found piety felt.

With one accord they then announced,

That they had impiously pounced,

On progressive theology

And most flawed psychology.

Their agendas by God were now trounced.

"So convincingly you all confess,

To error, and heresy no less.

I show you my splendor,

Confirm my son's gender,

And now all your souls I assess."

The server then silently rose,

Humbly advancing past those,

Whose actions offended

The Church he'd defended,

To speak unto God modest prose.

"Dear Lord," said the youthful young man,

"These poor liberals doubted your plan,

That you would ordain,

Not condemn with disdain,

Priests who are fellows, not wo-man."

God the Almighty then turned,

From the people whose actions he spurned.

He looked at the youth,

Then told him the truth,

About error and lessons they'd learned:

"These people have come to me rudely,

With banners of pride flying lewdly.

For they think I desire

a Church pulled from the mire,

Whose language they condemn most shrewdly."

"They proudly declare the pope's error,

Not grasping there's no bishop fairer,

than he who is 'Peter,'

The Church's true leader,

Following rather lay terrors."

"I haven't ordained them as priests,

Giving, rather, one vocation apiece.

Some are called teacher,

Not all are called 'preacher,'

So these layfolks, I tell them to cease."

"I want them to stop giving homilies,

All these things are are anomalies.

They should come from a priest,

Not one of the least,

Whose schooling has failed then phenomenally."

"Because, young acolyte, listen here,

The Bible doth say it most clear:

In Timothy's letter,

There comes not a fetter,

But a verse at which liberals do leer."

All this the young server took in,

Much to the lady's chagrin,

For she knew God had spoken.

His words were not token.

They were spoken with God's very chin.

"I do not believe, not no-way, nohow.

How I do know it to you I must bow?
For I am just splendid,

My person, you've offended,

In truth God this wouldn't allow!"

"For I am a woman, and doubly blessed.

I both a child and Church have caressed.

I can be mother,

And still yet another,

The title of 'priest' I contest!"

"We're not just a group of lay-folk."

(She advanced unto God, to poke.)

Listen here 'bub,'

You're just a flub,

Who gets worship by men blowing smoke!"

"I have my most noble degree,

a Masters of Di-vin-i-ty.

I have more cred,

Than saints long dead,

Or any pope. Glory Be!"

"Silence, you insolent nave.

You talk to me, oh so brave!

But now I decree,

That your low degree,

Means less to me than does the grave."

"For I am eternal, and you are not so,

For I'm the Creator - that you should know.

I make men my priests,

Your dissent you must cease.

I've had enough of the hot-air you blow."

"Priesthood is manly, with force I say,

It's something most surely not for the lay,

For my son was a man,

'Twas part of the plan,

With which you incessantly play."

"Hands off my Church, you bold female,

The Pope can run it - he's now got email.

You can be nuns,

Just don't act like Huns,

Attacking the liturgy without your black veil."

"Or be a mother with children most fair,

With love and charity and the serenity prayer,

On your mind always,

As toys trip you in hallways,

For motherhood's noble, I swear."

At this the lay preacher then faltered,

Her theology massively altered.

"My Lord and My God,

I'm a liberal fraud!"

I, your great Truths, have now heard!"

With that the most fabulous dancer,

Made his most ignorant answer:

"But what about rainbows,

Of gays you're all foes,

Your hatred spreads like a cancer!"

"Silence, you child," God did then say.

"I've had enough rainbows, your prancing, your sway!

Live chastely, good sir,

Don't lust for monsieur,

But rather for strength you should pray."

And so the young server then saw,

The liberals embrace God's true Law.

They noted its beauty,

Turned from the fruity,

and knelt down before God in awe.

They basked in this glory sublime,

Forgetting their plans for the mime,

Who would stand in the parish,

Diversity to cherish,

Coating all with liberal slime.

This is what happens when I have too much time on my hands.

Spotless Brides For Christ

The following is from lifesitenews.com:

ROME, February 5, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Some religious orders in the U.S. and most western countries are in a state of “modern crisis” because the members of the order have embraced “secular culture” and abandoned traditional religious practices, the head of the Vatican’s office for religious life has said. (Modern crisis - now there's an appropriate name for what they're in the middle of.)
But, said the cardinal, the religious life in the Catholic Church should be presenting an alternative to the “dominant culture,” “which is a culture of death, of violence and of abuse,” rather than mirroring it.(So we should have nuns being humble and prayerful, not dissenting and demanding ordination? Seems logical to me.)
Cardinal Franc Rodé, the prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, which is undertaking a review (known as a “visitation”) of the active religious life for women in the U.S., was speaking to a conference on religious life sponsored by the Archdiocese of Naples on Wednesday.
He said, “The crisis experienced by certain religious communities, especially in Western Europe and North America, reflects the more profound crisis of European and American society. (This would include challenging authority, and not respecting the establishment.) All this has dried up the sources that for centuries have nourished consecrated and missionary life in the church.” (We can see the evidence in the empty mother-houses and monasteries all over the diocese.)
“The secularized culture has penetrated into the minds and hearts of some consecrated persons and some communities, where it is seen as an opening to modernity and a way of approaching the contemporary world,” the cardinal added.
In November last year, Cardinal Rodé forthrightly said that it is feminism that has created the crisis in the religious orders. (Why be a nun when you can be a fake priest?) In an interview with Vatican Radio, he said he had been “alerted” by an unnamed representative of the Church in the U.S., “to some irregularities or deficiencies” in the way the religious sisters were living.(And we all know what this means. Some bishop finally got the courage to do something about the problem, rather than just sit in his cathedra and issue nice-sounding edicts that accomplish nothing. The Church has teeth, folks. Don't be fooled.)
“Above all, you could speak of a certain secularist mentality that has spread among these religious families, perhaps even a certain 'feminist' spirit,” the cardinal said.
Late last year, the increasingly loud complaints about the ongoing visitation from a small number of American communities prompted several public comments from the cardinal defending the Vatican’s decision to investigate the sisters’ lives. For some years now, Rodé has called on the sisters to refocus their communities on the “founding charisms” or original purpose of their orders.
The deterioration since the 1960s into radical feminism and leftist politics of most of the religious orders in the U.S., especially those of women, has not gone unnoticed in Rome. (Has not gone unnoticed in Rome. You see this, folks? Rome listens. Don't get discouraged.) In 2008 at a meeting of religious men and women in Boston, Cardinal Rodé said that today there are some in religious life “who have chosen paths that have carried them away from communion with Christ in the Catholic Church, even though they have decided to physically ‘be’ in the Church.” (So . . . femininist nuns who contradict Church teaching are "carried away from communion with Christ in the Catholic Church. So much for the "Spirit of Vatican II," sisters. Looks like Spirit of God trumps spirit of man. Sorry, "person." It trumps the spirit of "personhood.")
This assertion was bolstered in 2007 at a meeting of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), a keynote speaker, Dominican Sister Laurie Brink, said that the more liberal congregations of sisters were leaving behind “institutional religion” and “moving beyond the Church, even beyond Jesus.”
What she called a “sojourning” order “is no longer ecclesiastical,” she said. “Religious titles, institutional limitations, ecclesiastical authorities no longer fit this congregation, which in most respects is Post-Christian.”
These statements were cited by the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) when it launched a doctrinal investigation into the beliefs and teachings of orders that are members of LCWR. The Apostolic Visitation being conducted by the Congregation for Religious is separate from the CDF investigation, but the latter has been excoriated as an “inquisition” by the same religious orders that have objected to the Visitation.

Dominican Nuns on Oprah

Usually, I can't stand Oprah. Her interviews are often more "me-centered" than the homilies of our lay administrators are, and her insights are just moronic.

That being said, she did an absolutely stellar job in today's show, inviting Dominican nuns to come on the show to talk about their life. The entire segment lasted for about 45 minutes, but this link shows a great highlight lasting around six minutes. Please watch - it's a great advertisement for religious life.


http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Lisa-Ling-Spends-a-Day-in-the-Life-of-Nuns-Video

If We Were a Parish

Lately, I have been thinking about the certain parishes that are growing, those that are closing, those that are diverse, those that are lily-white, those that are young, those that are old. I have come to the conclusion that, if we the people of Cleansing Fire were to literally band together to have a parish, we could.

For instance:

• We have around 300 unique readers each day. Most parishes get maybe 20-50 for a daily Mass. 
• We have more liturgical know-how than any of the lay administrators running various churches, i.e. St. Mary's, St. Anne, Guardian Angels, Good Shepherd. While these parishes have maybe one or two full-time priests, we have at least eight local priests, twenty local nuns, and several local deacons all reading on a regular basis. Some have even ordered and distributed prayer cards. 
• We have a better sense of the difference between sacred and profane - just look at the Catholic eye candy all over the site.
• We have a schola (choir). We hope to have our first recording out sometime before the summer. The talent in this schola is also unrivaled in about 90% of parishes. (If you wish to join, email me at cleansingfire@live.com)
• We have also received the same number of visits from the bishop as has Our Lady of Victory and the Latin Mass Community combined. (0+0=0)

Now the things which we don't have:

• We don't have any altar girls. (No offense to Ink - I feel certain you conduct yourself with dignity.)
• We don't have any women in albs preaching. 
• We don't have Thomas Warfield flitting about our living rooms. 
• We don't have armies of EMHC's (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion).
• We don't have rainbow banners.
• We don't have glass or clay vessels for the Blessed Sacrament.
• We don't have transgendered crucifixes.
• We don't have gay pride prayer services. 
• We don't have a closed-down school on our campus.
• We don't have a cluttered sanctuary. (To be realistic, we don't have a sanctuary at all. Yet.)
• We don't have pizza parties in our pews.
• We don't have picnic Masses.

Sort of makes you wish we had our own Cleansing Fire chapel, doesn't it? Well, we can dream.

This brings me to a question for you all. Please post your answers in the comment section.

• If we actually had a chapel, what would it be called? Who would the patron saint be? 

Pontifical Mass by Cardinal Egan

From A Catholic Life:

His Eminence Edward Card. Egan, Archbishop Emeritus of New York, accepted the invitation from the Agnus Dei Council of the Knights of Columbus in New York City to celebrate a Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite – a Mass for Life – on 25 March 2010, the Feast of the Annunciation. The Council’s annual Mass for Life emphasizes the special link between the Incarnation of Jesus from the moment of conception in the womb at the Annunciation and Catholic Pro-Life Values. More information about the location and time of the Mass will be released shortly.

Special EWTN Live Interview with the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter

On Wednesday night, February 24th, EWTN favorite, Fr. Mitch Pacwa, will be interviewing two members of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, Father Calvin Goodwin and Deacon Rhone Lillard. The topic of the interview will be the Pontifical Consecration of the Fraternity's newly built chapel at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary which EWTN is televising live on Wednesday, March 3rd at 11:00am (EST). His Excellency, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln,Nebraska , will celebrate the Pontifical Consecration and Mass according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The ancient ceremony will be in the presence of William Cardinal Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Joining Cardinal Levada, will be several bishops from around the United States. Watch EWTN Live online on Wednesday, February 24th at 8:00PM (EST)!

For other pictures of the chapel construction, click on the link
http://www.fsspolgs.org/chapel.html

The Presider's Chair . . . And That Place Where the Priest Sits

 

A commenter on one of our recent posts stated that Fr. Tyman, the Sacramental Minister for the Our Lady of Lourdes+St. Anne Cluster, has expressed a desire to move the presider's chair at St. Anne to the right of the altar, when looking towards the sanctuary from the congregation. Personally, I feel like there is potential for some good here, but also, potential for great liturgical woes.

For example:

Pro - the sanctuary will be among the most uncluttered in the entire city - the only things visible will be the altar, the painting of St. Anne, the pulpit, and the tabernacle, located to the left of the sanctuary (very visible to all). 

Con - more room behind the altar means more room for hordes of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. 

Pro - the priest will appear to be in a more "presidential" position, being directly next to the altar. 

Con - this means that Sr. Joan's chair will be blocked from view. We all know she will go searching for an appropriate seat, one which everyone can see.

Pro - the people can more fully engage in the Mass, i.e. "active participation." While I personally prefer a quiet, subdued role for the laity, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Con - it may make things too casual, and thus remove the "mystery" of the Mass for some in the congregation.

Pro - perhaps now the concelebrants and altar servers will sit closer to the presider, rather than the benches in the rear of the sanctuary

Con - perhaps Sr. Joan will keep them in their places, and use this as an excuse to be more active in the liturgy, i.e. handling the sacred vessels, etc . . .  

Time For Some Laughs

The following is from the BBC's "Dead Ringers," where actors play the part of contemporary notables. In this one, we see an alternate ending to the Gospel story, Weakest Link style.

By Their Fruits . . .

What Does the Bible Say About Liturgical Abuse?

Is St. Mary's Downtown the Second Coming of Corpus Christi?

It pains me greatly to reveal so much to you, dear readers. I pray that the things here aren't true - if anyone would care to verify this account, please do not hesitate to do so. We wouldn't want to stray into unintentional slander. We do not spread rumors at CF - if we are wrong, or if you have evidence either way (pictures, video, audio, bulletin inserts, etc.), please email us at cleansingfire@live.com.

Dear Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

At St. Mary's children's Mass the kids are called up to the altar (not just into the sanctuary). They stand leaning on and over the altar and are instructed by Fr. Bill Donnelly to imitate the priestly gestures he makes. They touch the sacred vessels, stand with their elbows resting on the altar, recite the Eucharistic prayers, etc.

St.Mary's is in MUCH worse shape even than St.Anne's. I strongly encourage you to attend both Sunday Masses as well as the Saturday Mass at 4:00 (which is perhaps the worst). You quite simply won't believe the sorts of things that go on, including prayers to pagan gods (the Great Spirit), open attacks on the Holy Father, desecration of the Real Presence, etc. Remember that many of the parishioners and all of the staff at St.Mary's believe Bishop Clark to be far too traditional and authoritarian (they use this language). A number of people there openly advocate schism both from Rome and from the diocese--and many of these people serve on parish committees. (The liturgy committee is especially riddled with heresy.)
...

The man Anne-Marie replaced was openly gay and delivered homilies. Since taking over she has fired him along with most of the staff, filling the positions with her own people. There is growing resentment towards her except among the massive number of gay parishioners for whom she holds private meetings and get-togethers at the rectory (with a large rainbow flag flying at full mast).

A huge number of parishioners are refugees from Corpus Christi and speak quite openly about their plans to continue at St.Mary's what they began at Corpus Christi. The staff are complicit in this, including Bill Donnelly.

[Note: There were also comments about personal affairs of Ms. Brogan which we have decided in good taste not to print.]

Above: An image from a liturgy at St. Mary's downtown

If anyone would be willing, for the sake of the Church and Her Founder, to go to St. Mary's, to document these heinous abuses with photographs and/or video, I will do my utmost to support you.

If you are a diocesan official reading this, please answer us this: How can you turn blindly from this blatant attack on the Church?

Our Lord is in this place - may His presence lead all souls to a greater realization of the Truth He brought and the Tradition His bishops have defended for 2,000 years, even until now.

O God, Beyond All Gender

I think not.

This isn't going to turn into one of these rambling "dialogues" about the being of God. God is Father, God is Son, God is Holy Ghost - each is referred to in a masculine sense throughout the Bible. Never a feminine one.

Why do I bring this up agian? Well, I was perusing my collection of various novenas and devotional prayers, and discovered I lack for a Novena to St. Mary Magdalene. You know, the wife of Jesus who gave birth to His son/daughter in France, and founded the Bourbon Dynasty that ruled France until the French Revolution and the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and who is burried beneath the inverted pyramid in the Louvre in Paris. Oh, wait, that's the fairy tale Dan Brown told - mea culpa.

Well, I decided to look for a Novena which I could add to my collection. This is what I found:

The Rosary of St. Mary Magdalene
in Seven Mysteries
For Prayer with the Franciscan Crown
A pilgrimage of liberation
and enlightenment

General Instructions for  the Rosary of Mary Magdalene
Begin by having an intention in mind for the rosary. Then begin with:

The Sign of the Cross
Holding the cross in the right hand (if right handed), with the rest of the rosary in the left hand, bless yourself with the Invocation:

      +In the Name of God, the Living One, Word, and Spirit.  Amen. (Wait, what?)

Opening Prayer
What binds us is slain, what surrounds us is destroyed, all desire is gone, ignorance is dead.  We are free to remember eternity. (How can we remember eternity? Only God can do that.) We shall rest in Silence for all ages and aeons.  Amen. 

On the first bead after the cross say the "Our Father":  Many people prefer to use an alternative prayer to affirm that God is beyond all gender (Wow. Hold on there. What??): 

     Our Mother (Jesus did not say "Our Mother." He clearly said "Our Father"), with us on earth, holy is your name, your true reign come, your will be done, within us as it is within you (Excuse me?).   Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those whose sins have oppressed us, and lead us not into confusion, but enlighten us with your wisdom (Can you feel the segway this bloke wants to make? Wisdom = Holy Spirit = Some kind of transgendered God. No. The Scriptures are perfectly clear.).  Amen. 

      On the next three beads say the "AVE MARIA":
      Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us now, and at the hour of death. Amen. (This fellow is "traditional" enough to say "amongst," not among, but he says things like "Our Mother?" Insanity.)

After the third AVE MARIA hold the chain and say the GLORIA PATRI:
     Glory to you, O God, Living One, Word, and Spirit.  Now, and for all ages and aeons. Amen.   (The Gloria Patri is a Doxology, a prayer commemorating the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is NOT "Living One," "Word," and "Spirit." When you're talking about the Trinity, don't ever presume to rename God. Ever. Yes, Jesus is the Word Made Flesh, but we both know this is not what this prayer has in mind.)
     Some may want to substitute the traditional prayer:  “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is how and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”

(It just keeps going on and on and on. If you want to keep reading - click here.)

St. Monica's Re-Opening Liturgies Will Be This April

From the most recent St. Monica bulletin:

"Save the Dates for a Grand Celebration

Saturday, April 10 and Sunday April 11 are set for a celebration unlike any we have had before. We are celebrating “Us” as a parish family in our newly renovated Church building. In the planning stages are music, dance, special guests, and great conversation. Stay tuned for more information as details are ironed out. If you would like to volunteer to help with this “grand celebration”, please see one of the Welcome Committee members: Roxie Sinkler, Roslyn Karaban, Sandy Chamberlain, Jonathan and Shauna Walczak, Gail Huddleston, Foster Rogers or Debbie Diederich."

Ok, but the Mass is about worshiping God, not celebrating "Us."

It's good to hear that they'll be using their church building once again, instead of worshiping in hotels and Protestant churches. I'm curious to see how these renovations will turn out. You may remember that Cleansing Fire posted the proposed design last summer. We'll soon see the fruits of their labors. Hopefully they will be good.

Liturgical Education of Religious

Nod of the miter to the New Liturgical Movement for putting this up (my emphasis added):

Cardinal Cañizares, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, had the idea - which he proposed to me (Cardinal Franc Rodé) - to produce an interdicasterial document, with a first part entrusted to our dicastery and a second seen to by the dicastery for Divine Worship, about the liturgical formation of men and women religious. This, too, seems very important to me because on the one hand there is a certain "ignorance," a certain lack of liturgical knowledge and training in young men and women religious; on the other hand, there are also liturgical fantasies that are not always of good taste and which do not correspond to the desire and the will of the Church and to the spirit of the Liturgy itself. Some corrective measures appear, therefore, necessary. This part will be the responsibility of the Congregation for Divine Worship, and together we will produce a single document, consisting of two parts, that regarding prayer and that regarding liturgical formation. I think that both parts are necessary and will - I hope - benefit the spiritual life of men and women religious.

Good taste - so I guess this means no more teaching Masses, no more "dialogue" homilies, no more white albs on WoC followers.

Oh, but that's right - "Diocesan norms trump those from Rome. Ours come first." Guess who.



This . . .

 . . . does not equal this:

True Nuns Loving the True Church

The beautiful window below is featured prominently in St. Edward Catholic Church in North Augusta, South Carolina. The nuns depicted worked as nuns should, with humility, with compassion, with an unfailing love for Tradition and the Mass. Theresa Benedicta was slain by the Nazis in the notorious Auschwitz death camp, a martyr for her faith. Therese of Lisieux lived a life of most extreme holiness, giving her entirety to her God and her Church before dying at a very young age. Theresa of Avila, like Therese of Lisieux, was named a Doctor of the Church for her writings exposing the suffering of the soul when deprived of Our Lord. And, being welcomed with sublime humility into the ranks of heaven, is Mother Theresa, not officially a saint, but on the cusp of such status. Her life was given wholly and without reserve to the poor, in whom we should all see the face and being of Christ. I certainly hope that, within the next several years, she may earn the artist's premature "St." title. Something tells me that we won't have long to wait.

These women lived lives of service, of humble service. They did not insert themselves into the Liturgy, nor did they chase people away from their respective communities. No, on the contrary, they reached out to people in order that they may bring others to fuller realization of the mysteries of the Faith. They did not support schism or dissent. They did not abandon communities to progressivism. They loved the Church, and showed their love with a genuine appreciation for the laws, the precepts, the Tradition of the same Holy Mother Church. Why do the religious of the Diocese of Rochester, almost without exception, take the exact opposite path to God? (If, indeed, it ends up leading there.) Our nuns knuckle under to diocesan pressures, closing schools and subverting Orthodoxy under the guise of inclusivity. What happened to obedience, dear sisters? Did you forget that when you take your vows, you are bound to Christ? If you show contempt for His Church, you show contempt for Him. Remember this before you close the doors of your schools, before you mount the pulpit to preach error, before you don your alb and enter the church in procession, before you instruct our youth in the ways of loose morals. There are those nuns, however, who pevail in this diocese. There are a handful who wear the habit, who teach the children the Truth. Let us honor them by our dedication and love for the Church, a love and dedication which we can only pray will infect their ranks with contagious piety.

Terrible news concerning the USCCB

MORE BAD NEWS COMING! Pray, pray, pray,pray.

Yes, Virginia, the Pope Is Relevant

The following is from EWTN:

British Government Backs Down on "Equality Bill" Following Pope’s Comments

February 03, 2010

A British government source has told the Daily Telegraph that following Pope Benedict’s recent comments to the bishops of England and Wales, the government will withdraw the controversial provisions of the “Equality Bill” that threaten to undermine religious freedom.

“We are clear that these parts of the Equality Bill should not go forward,” said the source. “The Pope's intervention has been noted.”

Pope Benedict had told the bishops on February 1:

Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society. Yet as you have rightly pointed out, the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs. In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed. I urge you as Pastors to ensure that the Church’s moral teaching be always presented in its entirety and convincingly defended. Fidelity to the Gospel in no way restricts the freedom of others – on the contrary, it serves their freedom by offering them the truth. Continue to insist upon your right to participate in national debate through respectful dialogue with other elements in society. In doing so, you are not only maintaining long-standing British traditions of freedom of expression and honest exchange of opinion, but you are actually giving voice to the convictions of many people who lack the means to express them: when so many of the population claim to be Christian, how could anyone dispute the Gospel’s right to be heard?

Nazareth Academy to Close

It's true, folks. One more Catholic school will shut its doors. I quote from an email sent to me by a devoted reader:

I am very sad to report it was announced at my alma mater, Nazareth Academy, that after this year they will cease to exist.  There is a press conf being held at 10:30 this morning, Nazareth will be merged with Aquinas, which means that is the end of Nazareth the way it was with St. Agnes back in the late 70's.  Indeed, another sad day.  A facebook group has already been formed titled "save naz academy from extinction".  Here is part of the facebook page from someone at naz who was there this morning:



February 3rd - 9:00am- Just under an hour ago the Nazareth students were moved into the auditorium and informed that Nazareth would be merging with Aquinas. This is Nazareth's last year. Right now the students are refusing to attend class even though they are being told to do so. The building will no longer be used by the Academy, but will house K-6 and be run by Aquinas although some are saying that Naz will still have "their own traditions." The teachers may not have jobs unless enough of the Naz students attend Aquinas and the need for teachers exist; more info on the teachers will be released by March. Most people were aware of the decreasing attendance; only 25 freshmen were registered for the 2010-11 school year.

Another sad day in the Diocese of Rochester.

Business as usual.

Don't Forget

Rosary for Priestly Vocations TONIGHT at 7:00 PM at St. Margaret Mary Church. Please do your best to attend.

"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?" James 2:14

If we keep exposing the liberals who would deface the office of priest, and we don't go out in numbers to support them, I think Our Lord would be hard pressed to find a difference between us come the Day of Judgment.

The Catholic Sanctuary

I was doing my daily bookstore perusals, and I stumbled onto a little book I just had to order. It's called "The Catholic Sanctuary and the Second Vatican Council." I quote from the publisher:

The Catholic Sanctuary. In this very important little pocket booklet, Michael Davies sets forth the amazing thesis that Vatican II and the Post Vatican II legislation did not mandate any changes in the Catholic sanctuary: that is, they did not mandate moving the Tabernacle from the central point in the altar, nor placing a chair in the middle of the sanctuary - or even Mass facing the people. Filled with quotes from the relevant passages of the actual Church documents, this valuable little handbook is a wonderful aid for those trying to educate, discuss and fight a modernist update of the sanctuary in a parish Church. Michael Davies also shows the striking similarity between the Protestant "Reformers"' destruction of altars in the 16th century and today's destruction of altars and sanctuaries by modernist reformers. This booklet is a best seller and an eye opener to un-sanctioned changes in the structure of the sanctuary.

The best part is that it only costs $2.50, plus shipping and handling. 

Said Ben Trumps Said Ed

The following was sent to us from a devoted supporter, and was found in the January 17, 2010 bulletin for the Church of the Assumption.

Note carefully the second sentence of the second paragraph of this juvenile bit of writing: "At the same time, we should continue to advocate for a change in the Church's policy regarding who can respond to a call to ordained ministry." Bear in mind, this from the priest who wears earrings in public. This sentence contains so many errors, it's nearly impossible to begin. First off, "we should continue to advocate for a change" insinuates that we, the members of the Church, have the authority and the ability to change Her Mystical Body. We have no more ability to ordain women as priests as we do to tell our eyes "smell the incense." It's just impossible. It's been established as it is for 2,000 years. What gives someone the absolutely unmitigated arrogance to take it upon themselves to change this? It was divinely instituted - Tradition has upheld it - martyrs have been killed for it - and yet we, in the tumult of the 21st century think that our meager half-century of experience entitles us to deform our Church.

Now, of course, we can delve even deeper into this treasure trove of sedition. " . . . regarding who can respond to a call to ordained ministry." God doesn't call someone to something if they are unable to achieve it. I am not called to give birth. I may envy a mother's ability to nourish her young, to literally carry life within her, but I cannot have it. It is a thing wholly unique to motherhood. No matter how strong a desire is, sometimes you have to realize that it does not come from God. I would never dream of actually "desiring" motherhood, partially because I don't look too good in maternity clothing, but also because I respect the sanctity of that vocation - motherhood. If a woman feels called by God to be a priest, she should look inside herself. Vocations come from God, not from self.

Persis beautifully pointed this out a while back on her blog when she noted, "Did I want to be a priest(ess) for God's glory, or for my own?"

Think of the Children . . .

. . . unless the girls are wearing plaid and the boys are helping them hand out information on Catholic schools.

The following is from a devoted reader:

I too was at the 11:00 mass where Fr. Tanck made the "drive-by announcement." Many of us knew about the decision and announcement in advance. I didn't see anyone that was surprised. What irritated me was that this is Catholic Schools Week, and some parents had arranged activities for it. There were children in their school uniforms, waiting to hand out literature and talk to prospective students and their parents about the gift of a Catholic education. At the offertory, the gifts were brought up by Catholic school children in uniform. Was there a mention about that from the pulpit? Absolutely not! (How pathetic is that, dear readers?) So whoever decided on the timing of this announcement managed to strike us in two ways -- discouraging Catholic education and sticking it to the good people of STA.

Many STA parishioners are filled with joy that we are being persecuted. ( ⁷ The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. ⁸ So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.) It's a perfect suffering that I believe will help the people of the Rochester diocese receive the graces we need to be ready for rebuilding the Church some 894 days from now.

It is a noble statement of the faith for St. Thomas, a church whose own school was needlessly shut down, to still take such enjoyment of organizing things for Catholic Schools Week. It is exponentially less noble, dare I say evil, to compound the evil of their losing their school with their losing of their parish? It's as if the administration said, "Okay, we'll announce it on the weekend when people will be sad thinking about the closing of their parish school - two birds, one stone." I certainly hope that it wasn't this overt, but it makes one wonder.

This reader brings up a valuable point, one from which we can all profit: "Many STA parishioners are filled with joy that we are being persecuted." Everything happens for a reason - this is no exception. I have often thought of this, seeing the vast numbers of refugees from St. Anne, Our Lady of Lourdes, and other similar parishes, suddenly showing up at Our Lady of Victory. If we were to be discouraged from the faith (as many doubtless are) because of the ineptitude of our diocesan programs and administraitors (TM), we would be falling into the wiles of the devil. He uses things such as this to divide His Creator's Church, and to swallow whole its children.

If you are a parishioner at St. Salome or St. Thomas the Apostle, you must do two things - first off, put up a defense. Don't roll over. If you put up a strong front of anger (just as Our Lord did in the Temple) the pharisees of our diocese will take ear. They may still force you to go through indescribable woe, but they will know of the magnitude of their wrong-doings. Secondly - when you decide to leave St. Thomas, possibly at the doing of the IPPG and His Excellency, you must find a worthy home. If your goals are to stay in that area of the diocese, the two most immediate choices (outside the cluster) would be Holy Spirit and St. Stanislaus. If your goals are to find like-minded exiles, go to Our Lady of Victory. If your goals are to keep the other solid parishes in the cluster from closing (i.e. St. Cecilia's) go there. Do not support heterodoxy and dissent.

And remember that the pain you feel is felt by many in the Diocese of Rochester. Perhaps you gave your heart to your parish. It worthily received it. However, its leaders, being less-than-perfect (as we all are) became ill-suited to be guardians of your joy. Now they are the begetters of your pain and suffering. As the reader noted, take your joy, your heart, and couple it with your suffering and persecution that you may know Christ and learn to lovingly embrace the Cross. There will be splinters from the implement of death, but to revel in the pain is to revel in the glorious mysteries of our faith. For He who was dead is now risen. He was was pierced and beaten is now whole and absolute in his majesty. Take up your cross and follow Christ, if you would His disciple be.

We Who Are Entombed in Gold

 

The following poem is from G.K. Chesterton. I should like to think of what he would have to say if he were to regard the Diocese of Rochester in its current state. Note the subtleties.
_____________________

O God of earth and altar,

Bow down and hear our cry,

Our earthly rulers falter,

Our people drift and die;

The walls of gold entomb us,

The swords of scorn divide,

Take not thy thunder from us,

But take away our pride.

From all that terror teaches,

From lies of tongue and pen,

From all the easy speeches

That comfort cruel men,

From sale and profanation

Of honour and the sword,

From sleep and from damnation,

Deliver us, good Lord.

Tie in a living tether

The prince and priest and thrall,

Bind all our lives together,

Smite us and save us all;

In ire and exultation

Aflame with faith, and free,

Lift up a living nation,

A single sword to thee.

- G.K. Chesterton