Oreo Cookie Church

Once again, I want to wish all my blogger friends a blessed Easter. May the rest of the Easter season be as fruitful for you as, I hope, the preceding weeks have been.

Nadine worked hard during Holy Week getting caught up on her correspondence. The season is a bit easier for her, now that she has twelve thousand of her first cousins and seven thousand second cousins trained in the finer nuances of Easter deliveries.

I also want to thank all those wonderful folks who voted for me in The Catholic Blog Awards. Tony (Soprano) was only able to garner enough votes in the pews to put me in sixth place for Best New Catholic Blog, but considering the competition, I am very honored.

Carolina Cannonball at The Crescat is running another important Catholic Blog Competition. I nominated myself in all categories because I crave attention and adulation. My motto has always been, “Bad attention is better than no attention at all.” I will be nominating others in various categories and you may want to stop over and nominate your “favorite.” Please note this is not “sour grapes”, but more in the spirit of poking fun at ourselves.

And the good Lord knows, at least I think He does, that healthy humor is good for the soul. Over the past few weeks, I have been scandalized by some of the comments showing up at my favorite blogs. The vitriolic level and personal attacks have reached a level that can only be described as disgusting. And as usual, it is coming from the opposite sides of the same coin. On the one side, we have the ultra-conservative folks, and on the other the ultra-liberal. Jeffrey, at Roving Medievalist, posted a link to a very good article on this subject, which you can read HERE.

In the middle of this battle are the majority of Catholics, average folks who go to church on Sunday and for the most part, have no idea of what this ugly storm is all about. My husband so perfectly described it this morning as a church that has become an Oreo. Each of the cookie halves represent the two extreme factions, and the white frosting in the middle represent “everyday Catholics” - those who pay the light bill by donating the majority of the money scooped up every Sunday by the ushers. Without the “white stuff”, the two halves will not hold together.

There can be no denying the presence of problems in some parishes, most notably in the liturgy, of which music is an integral part. However, slinging insults at one another is not going to solve anything or bring about any meaningful change. Prayer, gentleness, and humor can work wonders. We need not look any further then Jesus for an example of how we should be behaving.

Coming Soon

I will be starting my series on the Twelve Steps for Catholics tomorrow. I will be celebrating my 18 birthday in AA this coming July, but like all alcoholics, I really only have “one day at a time.” People I consider to be way smarter and better writers have addressed this subject, but I also believe, “If only the most gifted bird sang, the forest would be a quiet place.” Therefore, I will be adding my “chirps” to the forest.

It's Still Working

Jackie (probably out of fear and loathing for my previous bad behavior) has sent me this wonderful award. Very apt bouquet since I just ordered another 25 Stargazer lilies from Henry Fields for $19.99. Use this link as it will take you to the special newletter offer. It's is a phenomenally good deal at 80 cents per 18 cm bulb. Cheap, cheap, cheap. I am not sure they ship overseas and the cost would probably negate any savings anyway, so I guess only my US buddies could take advantage.

Since Angela at Where Angels Go and I take turns with sitting in the corner sniffling and twirling our hair, I must pass this on to her. We must not forget all her hard work discerning our special saints for the year. My saint, Beatrice of Nazareth, has become a good friend and given me much support. Angela also deserves to have a Wonderful Woman of the Web Award from the previous post.

And now I must send this special batch of flowers to other worthy folks.

1. Tom in Vegas deserves to have flowers for being the best cyber-nephew ever.


2. Cathy of Alex - our sometimes cranky, always entertaining Dissident Catholic


3. Carolina Cannonball @the Crescat really knows how to make me think.


4. Terry Nelson @ Abby Roads needs flowers to lift his spirits and 'cause he will, no doubt, whine and whimper if he doesn't get any.


5. Karen @ Gem of the Ocean (why don't you tell us what you really think!)


6. Swiss Miss @ St. Monica's Kneeler. Swiss has had some superior posts lately. Thanks


7. Laura and Christine @ Laura's Place. Not sure why it's not called Laura and Christine's place. I guess Christine just rents.


8. Tara @ Loved Sinner. The cutest blond in cyber-space.


9. Father Longendecker, Father V., and Father Speekman. Priests should get flowers, too.


10. Kelly @ Answering the Call. This Easter Kelly will be entering the church. Welcome home, Kelly


11. Therese @ Aussie Coffee Shop who keeps us amused with her "down under" tales.


12. Paula B52 @ As We Wait in Joyfull Hope.


13. Stephanie @ Digital Hairshirt. We don't hold it against her that she is an attorney one teeny, tiny bit. Really! Just forget all those attorney jokes - they do not apply to this lady. Really?


14. Rita @ tigerish waters.


15. Katie Alender for a great writer's blog.


16. Whitestone Name Seeker - great blog

There are many more wonderful bloggers in my life like Uncle Jim who, I think, was my very first commentor. Others are not being ignored. I just know that they would as soon poke their eyes out with a plastic fork than have to deal with a meme or an award. Know that you are in my heart and my prayers.

And, finally these flowers should go to a very special blogger. Jeffery over at Roving Medievalist maintains about a gazillion photo blogs. He does this for our enjoyment and he deserves appreciation for his hard work. His blog on Russian Art is must place for me to visit every day and when new pictures are up I am a very happy camper. Frozen Music has a fresh batch of pictures up and the links on Back to Dameroshay have literally eaten up whole days for me. Fascinating!! Much time has gone into these links which are intended to inform and lift us up.

Every so often, Jeffrey graces us with a bit of scolding. I, for one, need that. Too often the blogosphere becomes mired in a certain negativity concerning the Church. When we are fed a steady diet of this, it starts to affect everything we think and do. So, Jeffrey - Thanks for your hard work and helping me keep my head screwed on straight.

Excellent Article

The Tale of Two Churches
by Father Dwight Longenecker

I know it’s impossible to read every good blog in cyberspace, although I suspect some of us make a good dent each day. This article in the National Catholic Register qualifies as a “must read.” After you read it, stop by Father Dwight Longenecker’s blog Standing on My Head, and let him know what you think about it. You'll have to scroll down a few entries to comment on the correct post.

Body of Christ

The Church is both visible, and at the same time, spiritual. The visible Church is an institution with rules and customs. It also has a hierarchical government, what I like to call the “pecking order.” You can see the Church in the people who gather together to worship and who, hopefully, go forth to “love and serve the Lord.”

The spiritual aspect of the Church, often described as the Mystical Body of Christ, is guided and protected by the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said to Peter, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” We became members of this Body of Christ by our Baptism, and as members, we are bound to believe this to be true.

When we read Acts of the Apostles, which tells us about the beginnings of the Church, we can see that it didn’t take very long for trouble to start. From the beginning, the Holy Spirit guided and protected the Church. Are we to assume something has changed since then? Is the Holy Spirit “missing in action?”

Some people today would like you to believe this preposterous supposition. It is becoming routine to hear folks refer to the “downfall of the Church”. Along these lines, we hear that bad liturgy, bad music, and bad Bishops will succeed in overthrowing the promises of Christ, and that ugly architecture and nasty vestments will prevent the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

There have always been problems associated with the visible aspect of the Church simply because it is made up of people, and people are flawed. As members of the Body of Christ, we are joined spiritually to all other members. By virtue of our baptism, we are all called to build up the Body of Christ - not tear it down.

I don’t like bad music or ugly architecture any more than the next person, but it would never occur to me to sound the death knell of the Church based on someone strumming a guitar. Our faith should inform us of the invincibility of the Church.

We are certainly free to discuss these and other problems of the Church, but it should be done in charity and with a view to solutions that are also rooted in charity. Ask yourself everyday what you are doing to build up the Mystical Body of Christ.

Non-Denominational Bible Study?

Unfortunately, I’m seeing more and more Catholics attending what they call “non-denominational Bible studies." Attendees are almost always ladies who are probably more attracted to the social aspect of such gatherings than by what they may learn about scripture. In most cases they are the only Catholics attending.

My usual response to this information is, “there is no such thing as a non-denominational Bible study; it is either Catholic or it’s not Catholic.” When questioned about how they deal with such passages as John 20:23 concerning the Sacrament of Penance or, Matthew 16:18-19, with all that pesky Peter/Rock stuff, their answer is, “they just don’t go there.” Huh? You’re going to have Bible study with whole parts left out because you may disagree?

The saddest part of this scenario is that the folks attending these non-Catholic Bible studies are usually the ones who know the least about their faith. If they knew their faith, they wouldn’t be there. So, here they are, sitting ducks for the other attendees to “kick sand in the eyes of their faith.” Are the non-Catholics bad people? Of course not. What they are is people who have a faith based on “Bible only” and they are going to do their best to help their poor deluded Catholic friends. Many times they help them right out of the one, true Church.

How much better, gentle reader, to start a Bible study in your church, or at least, coerce someone else to start one. I’m good at that! Non-Catholics recognize the need for community and use Bible study gatherings to good effect. Let’s learn a lesson from them, and some scripture, too.

By the way – we are not a “denomination” (which means “to take a new name”); we are the Church. Those who are separated from the Church are members of denominations.