Solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul

Almighty God, whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul glorified you by their martyrdom; Grant that your Church, instructed by their teaching and example, and knit together in unity by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

(Source: 1979 Book of Common Prayer).

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Almighty God, by whose providence thy servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our Savior by preaching repentance: Make us so to follow his doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and after his example constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for truth's sake; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

(Source: Book of Common Prayer).

EPISCOPALIAN NUNS CONVERT

The New Liturgical News website reports that 10 out of 12 nuns of All Saints Convent in Catonsville, Maryland, who are members of the All Saints Sisters of the Poor, an Anglican order which is part of the Episcopal Church, will be recieved into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church on September 3, 2009. Only two sisters have elected to remain Episcopalians.

Solemnity of Corpus Christi

U.S. Navy Chaplain conducts mass during the battle for the island of Saipan

during World War II.

Although the Solemnity of Corpus Christi was technically last Thursday, my diocese officially celebrates it today, Sunday, June 14, 2009.

From The Liturgy of the Hours:

O precious and wonderful banquet, that brings us salvation and contains all sweetness! Could anything be of more intrinsic value? Under the old law it was the flesh of calves and goats that was offered, but here Christ himself, the true God, is set before us as our food. What could be more wonderful than this? No other sacrament has greater healing power; through it sins are purged away, virtues are increased, and the soul is enriched with an abundance of every spiritual gift. It is offered in the Church for the living and the dead, so that what was instituted for the salvation of all may be for the benefit of all. Yet, in the end, no one can fully express the sweetness of this sacrament, in which spiritual delight is tasted at its very source, and in which we renew the memory of that surpassing love for us which Christ revealed in his passion.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

PRAYER: LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU GAVE US THE EUCHARIST AS THE MEMORIAL OF YOUR SUFFERING AND DEATH. MAY OUR WORSHIP OF THIS SACRAMENT OF YOUR BODY AND BLOOD HELP US TO EXPERIENCE THE SALVATION YOU WON FOR US AND THE PEACE OF THE KINGDOM WHERE YOU LIVE WITH THE FATHER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD, FOREVER AND EVER.

CANDIAN GOVERNMENT MANDATES THAT CATHOLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN MUST NOT THINK LIKE CATHOLICS

Canada.com reports that the Quebec Ministry of Education has mandated that Catholic schools must teach an "ethics course" which denies the existence of God and teaches "recognition of the dignity of the other," which we can probably read as acceptance of homosexuality, abortion, and other sinful behavior.

630 of 731 parents of Loyola High School in Montreal have asked that their children not be taught the course, which, of course, the government refuses. You know, it takes a village to raise a child, as Ms. Clinton said, which means that the government should teach current politically correct values to your children and not let you teach them some ignorant superstition like Christianity. Of course, militant Islam is OK since they are an oppressed third world minority.

Thomas Merton on Walker Percy

A racy, psychedelic 1960's - '70s paperback cover of Walker Percy's second novel The Last Gentleman and the most famous Trappist monk in the world, Thomas Merton, a.k.a. Father Louis.

Volume 21 of The Merton Annual from the INTERNATIONAL THOMAS MERTON SOCIETY arrived in the mail on Saturday. There were apparently three papers presented at this year's society meeting on the intersection of the thought of Thomas Merton and the novels of Walker Percy.

Here is an excerpt from a letter dated May 22, 1966 from Thomas Merton to his editor Bob Giroux regarding Merton's thoughts on Percy's second novel, The Last Gentleman:

Walker Percy is one of the few novelists whose books I am able to finish. This is in fact a haunting, disturbing, funny and fantastic anti-novel structered like a long dream and relentlessly insisting that most of reality is unconscious. It ends up being one of the most intelligent and sophisticated statements about the South and about America, but one which too many people will probably find so baffling that they will not know what to make of it. Even then, if they persist in reading it, they cannot help being affected by this profoundly wacky wisdom of the book. Precisely because of the wackiness I would call it one of the sanest books I have read in a long time.

True American Values

Let's not lose sight of what's really important.

IS JACK CHICK RIGHT?

I have always been fascinated by JACK CHICK tracts. You know, those little ultra fundamentalist gospel tract comic books. I became really interested after a local country buffet
which is run by some ultra fundamentalist evangelicals put a rack full of CHICK TRACTS in their restaurant. Now every time I go there, I get a CHICK TRACT to read to find out why I'm going to hell while I eat my fried chicken and collard greens.

Soon I began collecting CHICK TRACTS. If you want CHICK TRACTS, all you have to do is let BROTHER JACK CHICK know that you want them and they'll send them to you. So I have gotten myself on BROTHER JACK's mailing list. Now BROTHER JACK is against a lot of stuff and tends to lump groups together on his enemies list, these enemies include Homosexuals, Wiccans, Atheists, Roman Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Muslims, and Liberal Protestants of all stripes.

Now usually, when BROTHER JACK's newsletter arrives in the mail with a new tract, I get a good laugh from the ranting and raving. But this month for over half the letter, I wasn't laughing and actually found myself agreeing with BROTHER JACK. It was a frightening experience.

BROTHER JACK CHICK WRITES: There is a dangerous change going on in our nation right now. Muslim terrorists no longer conduct 'terrorism.' Now it is called 'man-caused disaster.' And the terrorists are now only 'insurgents.' So who are the 'terrorists' now? Would you believe - us?

Recently an official document was leaked from the Department of Homeland Security to prepare law enforcement for the newest form of 'potential terrorists.' This includes ex-military (oops - I was in WWII for three years!), those who oppose illegal immigration or gun control, people who stand against abortion - in short, anyone who opposes our government and its agenda! Already the movement to criminalize Christians is farther along than anyone dreams.

Get the picture?

Our job as believers is to pray for 'all that are in authority' (1 Timothy 2:1-2), that God will guide and direct them, whether they want Him or not.

But '. . . judgment must begin at the house of God . . .' (1 Peter 4:17). And it's coming Beloved. If the Lord Jesus tarries, I believe we'll see an Inquisition rise in our future. But what about the unsaved? Does our nation deserve God's judgment? Oh yes, there's lots of blood on our hands, with millions of babies slaughtered. Do you think God will ignore this? I think not!

Frighteningly, I found myself nodding my head agreeing with BROTHER JACK! It was not until over 2/3 of the way through the letter that I thought that BROTHER JACK got crazy:

The precious old King James 1611 Authorized Version Bible, which has caused sweeping revivals for over 300 years, is now held in reproach. And it has been replaced by Roman Catholic Bibles . . .

(Whaaaa? What's Brother Jack talking about, or does Brother Jack know what he's talking about? Well, anyway . . .)

Why do I say that I don't think that BROTHER JACK'S talk about orthodox Christianity being made illegal and those who maintain traditional faith being persecuted is paranoid and delusional. Because one look in the newspaper shows that BROTHER JACK might not be so crazy on this. Take these examples:

1. In Great Britain, Catholic adoption agencies in England and Wales will be forced to close because authorities there have ruled that Catholic adoption agencies cannot restrict adoption to heterosexual couples on religious grounds. The government ruled that the Catholic charities must either violate their religious principles or be stripped of charitable status (which practically speaking means that they will be forced to close).

2. The National Catholic Register reports that conscience is in jeopardy in the United States for Catholic Health Care Workers and Catholic Hospitals who may soon be forced by law to provide birth control and abortion. Doctors and pharmacists may soon be forced by licensing requirements in many states to provide abortion and birth control services as a condition of keeping their licenses. If they refuse, they could lose their licenses or, in some states, be criminally prosecuted.

3. In Great Britain, British churches may soon be forced by law to accept practicing homosexuals and transsexuals in positions as youth workers under "Equality Legislation" which may soon be passed by Parliament. Clauses in the law which would protect churches and religious groups from being forced to hire persons whose lifestyles are considered sinful were rejected.

4. An article in Christianity Today expresses concerns that Churches could be forced by anti-discrimination laws to perform same sex marriages in States which have legalized the practice. Jim Campbell, litigation counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund is quoted by the article as saying: "The reality is that churches, organizations, and people who do not recognize same-sex marriages hold beliefs that are now contrary to and viewed as discriminatory under the governing law. In a very real sense, churches will be organizations that hold officially discriminatory views. The ramifications of this will ripple throughout countless facets of the law. "

5. Christianity Today also reports that because of a new British law meant to keep radical Muslims who might be potential terrorists out of the country, that Christian recording artist DON FRANCISCO was detained by British immigration authorities at London's Heathrow Airport and deported from the country. Why was DON FRANCISCO considered to be an enemy of Great Britain? Because he listed his occupation as "Gospel Singer" and failed to obtain a special visa needed of "religious workers" which he had never needed before. MR. FRANCISO's planned Easter concert at Poole, England had to be cancelled when the star of the show was denied entry into the country because of being a potential terrorist.

Although a lot of what I have related above happened in England and not in the United States, how far behind Western Europe can we be in official government disapproval of people of faith? Maybe BROTHER JACK CHICK isn't totally crazy after all . . . Or maybe he is . . .

What Is the Church?

The recent defection of Father Alberto Cutie to the Episcopal Church disturbs the BAD CATHOLIC in a number of ways. (Father Cutie appears above flanked by Episcopal Bishop Leo Frade and Father Cutie's fiancee Ruhama Canellis).



First, let me say that it is not my place nor my intent to judge Father Cutie. Our priests are only human and the vow of celibacy is difficult. We should pray everyday for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our priests.



However, I am disturbed by how fast his vows as a Catholic priest were abandoned in order be a Protestant minister where he can marry his girlfriend and continue his career as a clergyman.


Presumably, as a Catholic priest, Father Cutie was supposed to believe that the Catholic Church is the one true church established by Jesus Christ. The Baltimore Catechism says "We know that the Catholic Church is the one true church established by Christ because it alone has the marks of the true Church. . . . We know that no other church but the Catholic Church is the true Church of Christ because no other church has these four marks.



1. One Faith, One Sacrifice, One Sacramental System, One Head.

2. Holy in its Founder, Holy in its Teachings, Holy in its Means of Grace, Holy in its Members who follow the Teachings and use the Means of Grace provided.

3. Catholic. It is not the Church of one nation or one race, but of all nations and all races.

4. Apostolic. It can trace its origin back to the Apostles on whom Christ founded the Church.



Only the Catholic Church has all four of these marks. It alone is the Church Christ founded. But we must convince men of this by love. . . ."



Of course, Father Cutie can engage in the High Church Anglican fantasy that "Anglicanism" is a branch of the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. They can argue that Reformation Archbishop of Canterbury THOMAS CRANMER and other English bishops who became Protestants stood in apostolic succession and that the Protestant bishops whom they subsequently ordained were, therefore, in Apostolic succession. Therefore, so the argument goes, Anglican bishops are in apostolic succession and Anglican holy orders are valid. For a number of reasons, which are too detailed to go into here, the Catholic Church has always rejected this argument. As a former Anglican/Episopalian, I cannot believe that a Catholic priest would seriously accept this argument as correct. The harsh truth is that the Episcopal Church is a Protestant church with some trappings of catholicism.



Second, I am disturbed by the manner in which Father Cutie's conversion to Protestantism has been handled. Apparently, neither Father Cutie nor the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida bothered to notify Archbishop John C. Favalora of the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami that Father Cutie was going to be received into the Episcopal Church and then ordained an Episcopal priest. An article at Episcopal Life Online reports that Father Cutie had already undergone a two year discernment process for the Episcopal ministry, presumably under the nose of his Catholic superiors. It seems to the BAD CATHOLIC that it would have been polite to at least tell the Catholic Archbishop that this was coming and not make him hear it for the first time on the news. At the point that Father Cutie was even thinking about becoming a protestant, he should have notified his superiors and resigned from active ministry in the Catholic Church. I think that Archbisop Favalora is totally justified in saying that Episcopal Bishop Frade's actions are "a serious setback for ecumenical relations and cooperation between us."



Episcopal Bishop Frade was quoted by Episcopal Life Online as saying "We welcome Father Alberto into the ministry of the Episcopal Church. Our ministry has centered on spiritual growth, love, forgiveness, and a sense of community. Guided by a spirit of fellowship and understanding, the Episcopal Church remains a beacon of hope and faith for all." This statement heavily implies that the Roman Catholic Church does not have "spiritual growth, love, forgiveness and a sense of community." Therefore, the Episcopal Church is "a beacon of hope" for Father Cutie and other victims of Roman Catholicism.



I know that many of my friends are members of the Episcopal Church. What I am about to say will probably hurt their feelings. Please forgive me. In my opinion, the Episcopal Church has theologically degenerated to the point that you can pretty much believe anything you want to and still claim to be a good Episcopalian. There is very little that one can do, other than fail to be politically correct under current cultural standards, that will be definitely condemned by the Episcopal Church as sin. So violating one's ordination vows is certainly no big deal. Father Cutie should make an excellent Episcopalian.

SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST

From The Acts of the Apostles:


"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly, a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."


Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4 (RSV)


From a sermon by a 6th century author:



"The disciples spoke in the language of every nation. At Pentecost God chose this means to indicate the presence of the Holy Spirit: whoever had received the Spirit spoke in every kind of tongue. We must realize, dear brothers, that this is the same Holy Spirit by whom love is poured out in our hearts. It was love that was to bring the Church of God together all over the world. And as individual men who received the Holy Spirit in those days could speak in all kinds of tongues, so today the Church, united by the Holy Spirit, speaks in the language of every people.


Therefore if somebody should say to one of us, "You have received the Holy Spirit, why do you not speak in tongues?" his reply should be, "I do indeed speak in the tongues of all men, because I belong to the body of Christ, that is, the Church, and she speaks all languages. What else did the presence of the Holy Spirit indicate at Pentecost, except that God's Church was to speak in the language of every people?"



Prayer: Come Holy Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy his consolations, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

ASCENSION OF THE LORD!

From The Acts of the Apostles (Good News Bible):

"When the apostles met together with Jesus, they asked him, Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?

Jesus said to them, "The times and occasions are set by my Father's own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be. But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." After saying this, he was taken up to heaven as they watched him, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

They still had their eyes fixed on the sky as he went away, when two men dressed in white suddenly stood beside them and said, "Galileans, why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven."

THE WORD OF THE LORD

THANKS BE TO GOD!

Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things. Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer).

A Few Notes On Taking Faith Seriously

We live in a secular age in which the received wisdom is that religious faith is not supposed to interfere with secular activities and obligations. In other words, religion is OK so long as you don't really take it seriously.

A case in point is the recent action of the National High School Mock Trial Board which decided that high school students with religious obligations should be required to abandon them in order to participate in the national mock trial championship.

The State Champion team selected to represent Massachusetts in the national competition was an Orthodox Jewish school in Brookline, Massachusetts. The national mock trial board scheduled the championship, which was held at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia, for Wednesday through Saturday. As orthodox Jews, the students would not be allowed to observe the sabbath from sundown on Friday until sundown Sunday. The national board refused to give any consideration to accommodating the Massachusetts students.

When the State Bar of Georgia, who co-sponsored the event, wished to make accommodations, the National Board cited their contract and demanded that no changes could be made. This matter was only resolved when Chief Judge Doris Downs of the Fulton County Superior Court ordered that if the Jewish students were not accommodated, that the National High School Mock Trial could not use the Fulton County Courthouse.

Reluctantly, the mock trial board agreed to make concessions to allow the Massachusetts team to compete. However, the national high school mock trial board, which appears to this writer to be an embarrassment to the legal profession (which already has enough embarrassments), made a public statement that they felt that the board was forced into making concessions and that, in their opinion, JUDGE DOWNS had no legal right to take the action she did. As a member of the Georgia bar, I am proud of JUDGE DORIS DOWNS. If the National High School Mock Trial Board wants to sue the Georgia Bar and Fulton County for breach of contract over this, BRING IT ON BABY! I am sure we have some fine attorneys of the Jewish faith in Georgia that will be happy to represent the Judge and State Bar pro bono.

In other faith notes, yesterday I visited the nursing home where my grandmother is a patient and listened to a choir from a local MENNONITE community sing. These are definitely people who take their faith very seriously and are counter-cultural in this society. The women don't wear make-up, don't wear pants, and keep a covering on their heads. The New Georgia Encyclopedia says this about the Mennonite communities in Georgia:

"Mennonites derive their names from Menno Simons, a Catholic priest in Holland who, after joining the movement in 1536, unified and led scattered Anabaptists suffering persecution under various European authorities. . . . Mennonites tend toward a literal interpretation of the Bible that often leads them to practice a rigorous form of communal discipleship that does not always conform with modern society. Many communities choose to adopt a rural, separatist lifestyle, and these groups frequently restrict the use of modern technology, dress in traditional attire, and retain their native German language. . . ."

If, as the Baltimore Catechism says, the purpose of our life on earth is to "To know God, to love Him, to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with him forever in Heaven," then we would all be well advised to take a few pointers from Mennonites, Orthodox Jews and others who take God seriously.

What I've Been Watching

Lately, I've had the opportunity to view two excellent films dealing specifically with Judaism but both films have wider implications with regard to faith in general.

God On Trial was an episode of Masterpiece Theatre on PBS in 2008 and is a play based upon the legend that a group of prisoners in Auschwitz convened a rabbinical court and put God on trial for his crimes against the Jewish people. This is heavy stuff and has many theological and philosophical aspects to it. This film can easily be a doorway to deep reflection on the nature of evil and existence of God. The discussion goes back and forth between God's defenders and God's detractors. When one of the prisoners says that the trial is blasphemy, this is responded to by saying that putting God on trial and questioning him is very biblical. It is pointed out that Abraham questioned God, Jacob wrestled with God, this is, in fact what the name ISRAEL means, "one who struggles with God," Moses questioned God, and Job questioned the justice of God. One of God's defenders argues that God has promised that the Jewish people will survive but has not promised anything to anyone individually. At one point, one prisoner who was ethnically Jewish but was raised as a gentile but was arrested by the Nazis anyway says "Don't let them take your God away from you, even if he doesn't exist." As in the legend, the prisoners find God guilty. Anyone watching this should be prepared to do some extensive reflection. The Bad Catholic gives it five Torah scrolls.

A Life Apart: Hasidism in America is a documentary film released in the late 1990s dealing with the lifestyle of Hasidic Jews living in the United States particularly in New York City. The film is narrated by Leonard Nimoy and Sarah Jessica Parker. The Bad Catholic is fascinated by people who take their faith seriously, and for the Hasidim, Judaism permeates every aspect of their lives. While living in the most commercial and materialistic country in the world, the Hasidim have tried to keep their lifestyle uncorrupted by the modern American culture around them. They do not allow television and modern media into their homes, and they try to keep away from other corrupting influences like secular education. This film is an excellent introduction into the world of ultra - orthodox Judaism. Definitely Five Torah Scrolls.

THE LETTER TO DIOGENETUS

THE LETTER TO DIOGNETUS is an early Christian apologetic work from the 2nd or 3rd century A.D. Diognetus was apparently a highly regarded pagan. The author of the work is unknown. The work survived antiquity in one medieval manuscript which was destroyed by fire in Strasbourg, France in 1870.

A reading from THE LETTER TO DIOGNETUS was appointed for the Liturgy of the Hours for today, Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter.

FROM THE LETTER TO DIOGNETUS:

Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign.

And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives. They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law.

Christians love all men, but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again. They live in poverty, but enrich many; they are totally destitute, but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonor, but that is their glory. They are defamed, but vindicated. A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult. For the good they do they receive the punishment of malefactors, but even then they rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life. . . . As the soul benefits from the deprivation of food and drink, so Christians flourish under persecution. Such is the Christian's lofty and divinely appointed function, from which he is not permitted to excuse himself.

SAINTS NEREUS, ACHILLEUS, AND PANCRAS, MARTYRS

Today, May 12, the Church remembers 1st century martyrs Saints Nereus and Achilleus and 4th century martyr Saint Pancras.

From Lives of the Saints:

"According to Pope Saint Damasus, Nereus and Achilleus were Roman soldiers of the 1st century who became Christians and refused to remain in the service. They were martyred for the Faith and buried in the cemetary of Domitilla on the Via Ardeatina. The bas-relief of Achilleus being stricken is the oldest known representation of martyrdom.

The legendary Acts of these martyrs state on the other hand that they were servants of Flavia Domitilla, a niece of the Emperors Titus and Domitian, who became a Christian. They further relate that she was banished to the island of Pontia and was finally martyred at Terracina together with Nereus and Achilleus.

Saint Pancras was a Phrygian of noble birth who was baptized at the age of 14 and proceeded to give all his possessions to the poor. This drew the attention of the authorities to him and ultimately to the fact that he was a Christian. When he refused to renounce his Christianity, he was decapitated under Diocletian about the year 304.

PRAYER: Almighty God, we have seen Your glorious Martyrs Nereus, Achilleus, and Pancras remain steadfast in their profession of Faith. May we also experience their piety in their intercession for us before You. Amen."

FLORIDA VACATION!

Yours truly, the BAD CATHOLIC, and SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED, traveled to sunny Miramar Beach near DESTIN, FLORIDA for a few days of much needed rest and relaxation.



Day 1: Wednesday, May 6, 2009

I got up and went to Mass while SHE finished packing and went to the office. The famous Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendall Holmes once said that "The law is a jealous mistress." And it's true, many times it feels like we are both married to a law practice. After leaving in the late afternoon, we arrived at our rented condo in Miramar Beach, Florida in the early evening and went for dinner at that famed establishment for fine dining BEEF O'BRADY'S where I drank Yuengling Beer for the first time. (It was love at first swallow).

Day 2: Thursday, May 7, 2009

I got up early, said Morning Prayer, and took a brisk walk down the beach. Before leaving, I had checked mass times.com for the closest Catholic Church and found that THE CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION was right around the corner within walking distance from where we were staying. Believe it or not, my wife actually made an 8:30 A.M. mass on a weekday! God Be Praised! (It helped that it was 8:30 AM Central Time which would have normally been 9:30 AM to us.)



THE CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION is a beautiful modern church. I was impressed by the Stations of the Cross and impressive crucifix located in a garden of palmetto and palm. The church was also very beautiful on the inside. However, THE BAD CATHOLIC is something of a traditionalist in these matters. Although the architecture of the church, round with glass walls from floor to ceiling, was very beautiful, this was one of those churches where the altar is in the middle of the church, there is no apparent front of the altar since it appears to be square, and no matter how hard you look you can't find the tabernacle. The choir is behind the lectern, like in a Protestant Church, and it appears to me that it would be difficult to conduct a Tridentine Mass in this Church since the pews are pretty much 360 degrees around the altar. I finally saw the tabernacle and it was kind of in a corner out the way. And that, my brothers and sisters, in a nutshell, is what is wrong with the "modern" church in architecture and in theology, it has a tendency to put us in the forefront and put Jesus away in a corner someplace. But enough about that.



The Pastor of Resurrection Parish, Father Tom, was celebrating his anniversary in the priesthood on Friday. When I spoke to him and he asked me where I was from and I told him, he said "Your priest is that guy who rides the motorcycle, if he's still there." And I said, yep, sure enough, the motorcycle riding priest is still there. I then laughingly told Father Tom that I had to get used to hearing him say mass since he doesn't have a Polish accent.



After leaving church on Thursday, we went out for breakfast. SHE wanted a WAFFLE HOUSE waffle. So we very carefully snuck the contraband into WAFFLE HOUSE in SHE'S massive purse. The contraband being 100% pure organic maple syrup. Then we hit one of SHE'S favorite places, THE GOODWILL STORE, and another thrift store run by a church mission group. SHE found a lot of bargains and I found a surprisingly large amount of good used books. We finished the day at LANDRY'S SEAFOOD HOUSE where SHE had grouper and I had the stuffed flounder.



Day 3: Friday, May 8, 2009

The day began with morning prayer and mass at RESURRECTION PARISH. We had lunch at POMPANO JOE'S on the beach in DESTIN. POMPANO JOE'S is right on the beach and has a Caribbean Bar theme to it. SHE had a fried grouper sandwich and I had a POMPANO JOE original, a GROUPER REUBEN. It was excellent.

Following this excellent repast, we saw the new STAR TREK movie. As an old Trekkie, I thought it was way cool, however, I still am a little bit worried about what they are going to do all of these beloved characters in sequels since they have ingeniously developed a plot line in which all the STAR TREK history that we know from all the TV shows and previous movies has been wiped out so they can do whatever they want with the characters, and in fact, they already have.

Following the movie, we hit THE OTHER GOODWILL STORE in downtown DESTIN.

We finished the day with a swim in the pool, a walk on the beach, and an excellent steak from WINN DIXIE plus our leftovers from LANDRY'S.

Day 4: Saturday, May 9, 2009

Began the day with Morning Prayer and a walk down the beach. Came back to the condo where my wife made me homemade pancakes with real 100% natural organic maple syrup. Watched Christopher Buckley talk about his new book about his parents on C-SPAN 2. (Uncle Sonny, A GREAT AMERICAN, once told me when he found me watching C-SPAN 2 "Book TV" on the weekend, "I didn't know that real people really watched this channel.")

Then we did SHE'S favorite pastime, we did more shopping. However, SHE made the mistake of keeping me occupied by putting me off at BOOKS-A-MILLION where I engaged in an occasion of sin and proceeded to buy things.

Lunch Saturday was at GILLIGAN'S on the porch overlooking the bay. SHE had another fried grouper sandwich and I had a combo platter of fried shrimp and oysters.

There were a lot of people around in DESTIN and it did not appear to me that THE RECESSION was keeping anybody away or causing anyone not to spend money. However, a closer look revealed that the place is way overbuilt and that many condos and beach houses are for sale at reduced prices or in foreclosure.

We ended the day with Mass at RESURRECTION PARISH and split the steak and potatoes we had leftover from Friday.

Day 5: Sunday, May 10, 2009

Unfortunately, we had to leave and come home. After a nice drive back to Tallahassee, we met our friend LAWYER LAURA for INDIAN FOOD. After hitting NEW LEAF MARKET another of the favorite haunts of SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED, we headed back to SOUTH GEORGIA.

Of course, SHE wanted to go to the office after we got back. It took me about 2 seconds of reviewing my messages to be totally sick of the legal profession once again. And so, now, here we are: BACK TO THE RAT RACE!

Elvis is Dead!

While we're doing the trip down memory lane thing, here's the group FLASH AND THE ASSASSINS performing their greatest hit! Enjoy!

A Blast From My Past!

An Old Friend of Mine found this bad video (it was shot on high speed audio tape by some toy camera made by Fisher Price, that's why it looks a sting operation video) It's me (I'm Flash) and Mark doing a post game analysis of a military simulation board game published by Avalon Hill called Victory in the Pacific in about 1985. LOOK AT HOW THIN I WAS!!!!! LOOK AT ALL THE HAIR I HAD!!!!! IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS A MILLION YEARS AGO!!!!!! IT WAS A MILLION YEARS AGO!!!!

WHY I AM A BAD CATHOLIC

WHY I CALL MYSELF A BAD CATHOLIC:

"I, for example, am a Roman Catholic, albeit a bad one. I believe in the Holy Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church, in God the Father, in the election of the Jews, in Jesus Christ His Son Our Lord, who founded the Church on Peter his first vicar, which will last until the end of the world. . . . I believe in God and the whole business but I love women best, music and science next, whiskey next, God fourth, and my fellowman hardly at all. Generally I do as I please. A man, wrote John, who says he believes in God and does not keep his commandments is a liar. If John is right, then I am a liar. Nevertheless, I still believe."

Dr. Tom More in

Love In the Ruins: The Adventures of a

Bad Catholic at a Time Near the End of the World

by Walker Percy

WE HAVE FUN AT WORK!

Here's my legal assistant, Tammy, celebrating CINCO DE MAYO !