Catholics don't argue about abortion or the death penalty nearly as much as they argue about what music is sung (or not sung, or used to be sung) at their local Sunday Mass. It was ever thus -- at least since the 1960s, when Sister first shortened her habit, strummed a G7 chord and, to hear some Catholics tell it, all heck broke loose.

Among his more fastidious devotees, Pope Benedict XVI is valued most for the fact that he is not Casey Kasem, and Mass is no place for a hit parade, and church is most relevant when it is serious. (The point of this trip is just that: G et serious.) Do not hold your breath waiting for "One Bread, One Body" -- a '70s liturgical hit at most American parishes -- to be performed at His Holiness's mega-Mass tomorrow at Nationals Park.

The successor of Peter and Bishop of Rome lands on American soil for the first time as Benedict XVI.

The itinerary.  Some catechesis on the papacy.

If you're a liturgical geek (like me), you can see the whole Missal in PDF form here.

Inches (and I mean INCHES) of rain yesterday.

Cold tonight.

Maybe snow tomorrow.

Cold tomorrow night.

Seedlings itching to get outside and spread their roots further.

I've collected a lot these last couple of days, and it's just been awaitin' a place to live... so here goes my little laundry list of interesting stuff, fascinating finds, and whatnot...

- The Washington Post hits another one out of the ballpark with some tremendous coverage of young (~30... hey! my age!) parents in NoVA (northern Virginia, for those unfamiliar with where my "main office" for my day job is located) that attend Mass in a very traditional, "old school", conservative Catholic parish.  God bless them and this wonderful parish.

"Young, orthodox Catholics are more enthusiastic about Benedict than are many in the older generation, said Colleen Carroll Campbell, author of 'The New Faithful,' a book about the youthful set. 'They like his countercultural stance on a lot of things. . . . They also like his emphasis on Catholic identity and fidelity to Catholic doctrine.'

"Like Catholics of their generation, young conservatives grew up under the liberalizing changes to the church brought on by the Vatican II Council in the 1960s, but some rejected those reforms as they reached adulthood.

"Paulitz, 32, remembers 'lots of guitars and banjoes' at church services and priests who had fallen away from church doctrine.

'"I felt uncomfortable about it constantly,' he said.

"Those who eschew artificial birth control and have large families say they hear comments and rude remarks when they venture out with their children: 'Don't you have enough?' and 'Aren't you done yet?'

"Sam Fatzinger, a Bowie mother of 11, has learned to respond with a tart: 'No, I'm just getting warmed up.'"

- Try this test over at Ten Reasons that "every Catholic eighth-grader should be able to pass before graduating from a Catholic grammar school."  If you don't get 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 11 without reference support, let me know so that I can flog you with a wet noodle (just kidding, of course.)  Number 12 got me.  For some reason, I've never been able to remember them all.  But I know people at our church that can recite them like they can their own childrens' names.

- Former coworker and good friend Nicole Hollway is pregnant!  I can finally say (even though I'm happy to say I've known for weeks) since she's shared it on her blog and is actively blogging about it now. Congrats and best wishes to her and Cameron and baby!  I know of one other former coworker who's also expecting - due date at around the same time - but my lips are still sealed on that one.  ;-)

- Insight Scoop pulls out some wonderful Pope Benedict XVI quotes from back in his days as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (before the good old Holy Spirit singled him out to lead the Church), from his book "God and the World" about "The Essential Nature of the Church."  Invest two minutes to check it out.

- William F. Buckley is remembered as "truly touched by the grace of God"... check out this report on his funeral Mass at Catholic News Service.

- Matthew over at Creative Minority Report (whose writing and coverage I absolutely LOVE lately) talks about the joys of children and the wonderment that they cause in modern society.

- From the same entry at Creative Minority Report, this wonderful t-shirt that I'm wanting to buy. I have to go ask Suzanne...

I'm excited beyond belief that we've been given the go-ahead to initiate "St. Joseph Schola" here at Holy Family.  We'll be signing up interested men who would like to come together to learn to read and sing the music of the Church - and we'll also spend some time together each week in prayer and reflection on the role of St. Joseph as man and husband in the Holy Family.

Practices will kick off next month when the Youth Choir is done for the year and will be from 6-7 on Tuesdays in the church. We start to solicit men (of any age or skill level who have received the Sacrament of Confirmation) via the bulletin this coming Sunday.

Please pray for this ministry and for good men to be moved to join us.

Taking advantage of online video for the first time in advance of his visit (next week) to the U.S., the Vatican today released Pope Benedict XVI's video message to us in the states as a precursor to his visit...

"Christ Our Hope!"

Transcript:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the United States of America,

The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you! In just a few days from now, I shall begin my apostolic visit to your beloved country. Before setting off, I would like to offer you a heartfelt greeting and an invitation to prayer. As you know, I shall only be able to visit two cities: Washington and New York. The intention behind my visit, though, is to reach out spiritually to all Catholics in the United States. At the same time, I earnestly hope that my presence among you will be seen as a fraternal gesture towards every ecclesial community, and a sign of friendship for members of other religious traditions and all men and women of good will. The risen Lord entrusted the Apostles and the Church with his Gospel of love and peace, and his intention in doing so was that the message should be passed on to all peoples.

At this point I should like to add some words of thanks, because I am conscious that many people have been working hard for a long time, both in Church circles and in the public services, to prepare for my journey. I am especially grateful to all who have been praying for the success of the visit, since prayer is the most important element of all. Dear friends, I say this because I am convinced that without the power of prayer, without that intimate union with the Lord, our human endeavours would achieve very little. Indeed this is what our faith teaches us. It is God who saves us, he saves the world, and all of history. He is the Shepherd of his people. I am coming, sent by Jesus Christ, to bring you his word of life.

Together with your Bishops, I have chosen as the theme of my journey three simple but essential words: "Christ our hope". Following in the footsteps of my venerable predecessors, Paul VI and John Paul II, I shall come to United States of America as Pope for the first time, to proclaim this great truth: Jesus Christ is hope for men and women of every language, race, culture and social condition. Yes, Christ is the face of God present among us. Through him, our lives reach fullness, and together, both as individuals and peoples, we can become a family united by fraternal love, according to the eternal plan of God the Father. I know how deeply rooted this Gospel message is in your country. I am coming to share it with you, in a series of celebrations and gatherings. I shall also bring the message of Christian hope to the great Assembly of the United Nations, to the representatives of all the peoples of the world. Indeed, the world has greater need of hope than ever: hope for peace, for justice, and for freedom, but this hope can never be fulfilled without obedience to the law of God, which Christ brought to fulfilment in the commandment to love one another. Do to others as you would have them do to you, and avoid doing what you would not want them to do. This "golden rule" is given in the Bible, but it is valid for all people, including non-believers. It is the law written on the human heart; on this we can all agree, so that when we come to address other matters we can do so in a positive and constructive manner for the entire human community.

Dirijo un cordial saludo a los católicos de lengua española y les manifiesto mi cercanía espiritual, en particular a los jóvenes, a los enfermos, a los ancianos y a los que pasan por dificultades o se sienten más necesitados. Les expreso mi vivo deseo de poder estar pronto con Ustedes en esa querida Nación. Mientras tanto, les aliento a orar intensamente por los frutos pastorales de mi inminente Viaje Apostólico y a mantener en alto la llama de la esperanza en Cristo Resucitado.

[I cordially greet Spanish-speaking Catholics and manifest to you my spiritual closeness, especially to the young, to the sick, the elderly and those experiencing difficulties or who are most in need. I express my great wish to be present with you in this dear nation. In the meantime, I ask you to pray intensely for the pastoral fruits of my imminent Apostolic Voyage and to keep high the call of hope in the Risen Christ.]

Dear brothers and sisters, dear friends in the United States, I am very much looking forward to being with you. I want you to know that, even if my itinerary is short, with just a few engagements, my heart is close to all of you, especially to the sick, the weak, and the lonely. I thank you once again for your prayerful support of my mission. I reach out to every one of you with affection, and I invoke upon you the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Que la Virgen María les acompañe y proteja. Que Dios les bendiga.

May God bless you all.

Pamela Paul columnized in the Washington Post today on whether she and her husband's decision to try to have three kids was "showing off" or "selfish." If it is, please sign me up.

"Like a fruitful vine your wife within your home, Like olive plants your children around your table. Just so will they be blessed who fear the LORD." (Psalm 128:3-4)

She starts by setting the story that she and her husband are "are getting ready to do what many couples in these brink-of-recessionary times would consider unthinkable... have a third child."

She then rambles on about how they're stared at already with two children, how friends think they're crazy for thinking about a third ("how will you ever get all of those kids on board an airplane for vacation with you!?!") and the costs of raising a "deluxe family."

I have an idea:

The joy is in the numbers. And in the simplicity that it requires. Every single child is such an awesome blessing and gift.

I will happily "show off" by making thoughtful, personal gifts and tokens of nice things I'll do for my wife and kids rather than going out and spending hundreds of dollars on a birthday or holiday.

I will "show off" by taking my sons on a walk around the park instead of a walk around the mall to brainwash them into more consumerism.

I will "show off" the hand-me-downs that my youngest son wears the conjure the joyful memories of both sons that have worn them.

God bless Mrs. Paul for this column and for being open to a third precious child in her family, but goodness gracious, ma'am, it's not about all the stuff you talk about. The only true costs with children are time and love. And those are the costs in any genuine, meaningful human relationship. Love is the price tag - why does it seem so hard for our nation to afford?

I'm not faulting him.  We need messages like this.  Especially in an era when the popular media constantly tries to tell us the opposite.

"Divorce and abortion are offences in the sight of God," said Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday, while calling on the Catholic Church [and, by extension, the faithful] to be merciful to those who had experienced such events.

"They are serious offences... which violate human dignity, inflict deep injustice on human and social relations and offend God himself, guarantor of conjugal peace and origin of life," he said.

However he added that there were people who had committed such "errors" but "suffered from wounds to the soul" and "sought peace."

"The Church has the duty to be close to these people with love and delicacy," the pope added.

"Divorce and abortion are choices... which sometimes develop in difficult and dramatic circumstances... and are a source of profound suffering for those who take such decisions.

"They also affect innocent victims, the barely-conceived and unborn infant, the children caught up in divorces."

It's days like today when I wish that I could say I was proud of my home state, but I just can't in all honesty.

What an embarassment, in fact...

"Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Monday signed into law a measure designed to ensure the presidency goes to the winner of the popular vote, joining Maryland and New Jersey in promising to award electoral votes to the candidate with the most support nationwide," reports the Belleville News-Democrat.

Ah, the irony. We, as students in the state's public education system have to take (and pass) civics classes and tests on the U.S. and Illinois Constitution. And we have to learn about the reasons that the founding fathers put the Electoral College into place and the value of the system.

But apparently our lawmakers missed those days in class and those questions on the test - or they just conveniently forgot them in the meantime.

Luckily, the law doesn't go into effect unless enough states to generate 270 votes (a majority) in the Electoral College approve the measure. But who knows... with the senseless and irrational "Not my President" and "Selected, not Elected" bumper sticker campaigns en masse after the last presidential elections, there may just be enough popular support to pull that off.  Let's hope not, for the sake of our nation and a smart balance to swings of popular momentum (need we only look to the Obamessiah to knock us to our senses on that one?)

In related news, Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn (yes, you read that right: THE Lieutenant Governor) is pushing for a constitutional amendment to the Illinois state constitution that would open the door for a recall of an elected official. Asked yesterday, Quinn said "that Governor Rod Blagojevich would almost certainly be the target of a recall attempt if the amendment passes." 

Ah, the irony of opening governance completely to popular whims...

"When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before."
- John D. Rockefeller, 1932

Wow.  Is it Sunday night?

Friday evening, we had Jameson (a.k.a. Andy to friends) and Shaun over for dinner and had a great time and a wonderful meal.  They stuck around for a while into the night and hung out with me and drank coffee and talked in the downstairs family room.

Then on Saturday we got a lot of work (and laundry) done around the house before I headed to the rectory for a meeting about the parish 20th anniversary "Old Fashioned Family Reunion" celebration, then to warm up and 4:00 Mass in the church.  Then we had some Applebees carside to go and relaxed at home as a family before the boys' bedtime.

Today, we all went to 10:30 Mass and then did a lot of prep for Father Jeff to come over for dinner and conversation (including Matthew and me visiting three different stores in town to track down another pork tenderloin.)  We had a wonderful day and evening, though, and are finally settling down to get some rest.  I have an early morning, starting a support shift at 7 AM!  Time for some ZZZs...

I'm loving the bus ad that's now apparently on Metro busses around DC, according to American Papist. I really love the message and the side of Pope Benedict that it conveys. Come to think of it, I'm due for a trip to the Herndon office in the next couple of weeks.  I may have to do so and try to sneak a photo of one of these in real life one evening.

Wow.  In two days, two fell swoops of awesome movement on the sacred music front:

On Friday (4/6), Archbishop Burke across the river in St. Louis announced that Father Samuel A. Weber, OSB is joining the new Institute of Sacred Worship for the archdiocese.  "the new office will offer to parish music directors and choirs several educational programs, including those in Gregorian Chant; singing of the Mass in English, particularly the Entrance Antiphon, the Responsorial Psalm and the Communion Antiphon; the Liturgy of the Hours; and the full implementation of the English translation of the Roman Missal."

Followed by an annoucement out of the Belleville Diocese just south of us that "'The Belleville Diocesan Schola' is being formed."

Rock on!  If I may, I ask for a prayer for approval of a related effort that I'm trying to put forward in our own parish.

Zucchini squash and heatwave lettuce blend... almost ready to thin and transplant.

A few weeks ago, Starbucks (love 'em or hate 'em) launched a new social networking / conversation with customers site where customers (with a Starbucks.com account) could post their ideas for the company to improve its Products, Experience, or Involvement.  The jury is still out on whether all of the initial posts were legitimate or some were planted, but one (legit or planted?) is about to come true, even though it's still marked as "**UNDER REVIEW***" on the MyStarbucksIdea.com site:

Next week, it seems, you'll be able to get a little stick-insert in your to-go cup lid that'll keep your coffee from splashing out and spilling on you in the car.

Here's the "idea" on the site:

Tonight, at a Starbucks I happened by (I won't identify which location here to keep the staff out of trouble, since they made it clear they weren't supposed to pull these out until next week, but the package already happened to be open), I scored this:

So... I like the little device a lot.  Suzanne has one piece of feedback though... she's worried that if she isn't careful about how she pulls it out of the opening in the cup, she'll end up with coffee and/or milk/creamer from her drink all over herself from it splashing out with the stick.  One thing's for sure: it's nice, well-branded, multi-functional, and keeps in mind the MyStarbucksIdea concern over the residue left by little stickers over the hole.

What do you think?  Good improvement on the old drive-thru coffee?  Unnecessary?  And was the idea a "plant" or legitimate and well-executed this quickly?

Tonight we tried a new method of getting Thomas to bed.

Typically, Suzanne has laid with him (he prefers her at bedtime) and read to him and turned out the light and put him to sleep.  Sometimes, I put him to sleep (and love doing it), but he normally asks for - and gets her.

We're trying to get him to sleep in his own bed now, and trying to get him used to me putting him to bed more as well.  So I read to him on his floor then tried to put him to bed.

We ended up on the window seat in his room, with the window shades open, looking out at the night and saying our night time prayers.

He led me in the Sign of the Cross, then closed his eyes and bowed his head and said "Thank you, Jesus, for..." and listed every family member and Father Larry and Father Jeff and many of our friends from church. And then he said "Jesus, best friend."

I was so proud, and happy, and all the other good feelings, that my son was that good at prayer - and that open and honest (and thankful) with God.

But then the clincher came.  As we closed with the sign of the cross, he said "In the name of the Father... and of the Son... and of the Holy..."

Then he shouted "SPIRIT!!!  Church!  Songs!  Happy!  Life!"

That was a very cool moment.  I was so thrilled, deep down, that he had been so reverent and thankful with the Father, knowledgable of his friendship with the Son, and immersed in the gift of the SPIRIT!  With Spirit, he connected Church. Songs. Happy. Life.

Gosh... he's 2 1/2.  I think I might be the proudest dad on the face of the earth tonight.  He's such a good boy, and we're so blessed to be surrounded by all of our family and friends who are sharing in helping to raise him and Matthew as faithful, loving young men.

Now it's time for me to go say my prayers... and I know one thing in particular I'm going to thank God for...

A few things I ran across today...

1) An Illinois lawmaker has proposed legislation that would make it illegal to talk on your wireless phone while crossing the street.  Uh, yeah.  My state rocks [wet, juicy sarcasm intended.]  This from the state that won't let me let patrons in my (hypothetical) private-property bar and grill smoke if I choose to let them.  The police state just keeps growing its police powers, my friends.  Here's my solution: natural selection. I've seen them in Chicago, holding the old wireless 24/7/connection appliance to their skull as they cross Michigan Avenue without looking.  Natural selection would solve the problem if we didn't do anything to punish the driver who hits one of these people.

2) Trent over at The Simple Dollar continues his "book club" series on Born to Buy, and it's scary how much of the growing consumer tendency and recognition of brands I see even in 2 1/2 year old Thomas.  Heck, it was more than a year ago (at just over a year old) that he new Starbucks by the signage and could say that's where "daddy mocha."  If that post interests you, here's the first in his series, this one on the introduction to the book.

3) Ted Turner warns that "We're too many people... Too many people are using too much stuff... [and in 30 or 40 years] Most of the people will have died and the rest of us will be cannibals."  Uh, yeah. He's had a bit too much of the Al Gore Kool-Aid.  "The Mouth of the South" is back at it.  Here's an idea: there'd be plenty of room for more people if he shared some of the 1.91 million acres that he owns in six states.

And last but not least...

4) I always enjoy reading his stuff, but Cory Huff over at A Good Husband hit the ball out of the park on this post today about "How Important Is Your Relationship With Your Wife?"  As much as I wanted to head to coffee night tonight and hang out with the guys, I stayed home because of the gentle reminder (and peer pressure) that this article gave me to consider after having spent two hours from 6-8 at Starbucks meeting with a couple of other parish council members about the 20th anniversary celebration we're planning for Holy Family. Thanks, Cory.

I think it's very very cool that today the Vatican launched an assembly with the express theme and focus of "The presence and witness of grandparents in families."

This is the focus of the 18th plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family, which began today and will last through April 5.

Read about it via EWTN News / Vatican Information Service.

I will say, though, that in my family we were blessed with parents and their parents (our grandparents) who lived holy, upright, and loving lives.  The influence extends into another generation, now, as Thomas and Matthew are blessed with our parents, also giving holy, upright, and loving lives as a sacrifice for our family.  I pray that we'll be here to pass the same favor along someday.

Sure, it's been out there a while.  But always worth reflecting upon again.

Which mode will you choose?

Via IF!, via Serendipity Book

...since our beloved John Paul II (the GREAT) went home to the place Our Lord had prepared for him.

Remembering fondly his call to all of us - young people in particular - to live holy, just lives.

So I have looked upon thee in the sanctuary,
  beholding thy power and glory.
Because thy steadfast love is better than life,
  my lips will praise thee.
So I will bless thee as long as I live;
   I will lift up my hands and call on thy name.

My soul is feasted as with marrow and fat,
   and my mouth praises thee with joyful lips,
when I think of thee upon my bed
   and meditate on thee in the watches of the night;
for thou hast been my help,
  and in the shadow of thy wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to thee;
   thy right had upholds me

- Psalm 63: 3-8 (Revised Standard Version)