Merry Christmas!

Crossing the Tiber

There's an old saying for when an Anglican sees the light and joins the Catholic Church that they've 'swum the Tiber' . . . last week might not have been a good time to do that, as days becoming weeks of incessant rain caused the Tiber to flood its banks, threatening some of the bridges joining East and West.


















Father Manuel brings us these vivid photos of a river swollen past recent records. Amongst other moments of excitement, the word was that several moored boats broke loose and were wedged up against one of the bridges, potentially requiring dynamite to break them apart to avoid damaging the bridge.
















Happily, after the heights seen in these photos, the rain remitted, and the river followed course shortly thereafter.

















Photos by P. Manuel A. Hurtado Puebla

Feliz Dia!

It was good times and great oldies on the Second Sunday of Advent: the students of the Mexican College, who know how to throw a party when called upon, held their huge annual celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Opening with Mass that led into a procession of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we walked to the college from the nearby parish, where festivities continued with mucha comida and mucha musica--including the mariachi!






Photo by P. Manuel A. Hurtado Puebla

Embarking

OK, it's been a little while, but to bring you up to speed I need to glance back to Saturday of the First Week of Advent:

I was able to witness 13 sisters on Saturday as they launched into a new chapter of life; on a crisp, clear December afternoon, these Missionaries of Charity of Mother Teresa's order made their final profession at the Church of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem.

Walking from the Basilica of John Lateran:
















Already having begun their journey in the first stages of discernment, living in the community as beginners, they had arrived at the point of launching into a lifelong commitment.

Walking to the church where the Mass would take place, we passed the statue of Saint Francis shown arriving in the city with his brothers. Seen from the front he is shown in the joy of arriving, but when seen from behind, his upraised hands are apparent as holding up the Basilica of John Lateran.















So also are these sisters, who arriving a new point of arrival, in making this commitment form the vital support to the neediest in the Church and in the world.

The Church of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem houses the relics of the true cross in Rome. What an appropriate image as these sisters, who pray daily before a crucifix that has beside it the words, "I Thirst", affirm that true love is deepest in the deepest of suffering.

Blessed Advent!

In many ways this is the most peaceful time of year--if you listen to the prayers of the season instead of the commercials of the vendors. You'd never know from Main Street the stillness that precedes the Silent Night. Even from the liturgy, however, you might not catch that this is a peace-filled season. During these first weeks of preparing for Christ's coming, the focus is on his Second Coming: the theme popularly known as the Apocalypse or Armageddon, whichever term brings about more images of total disaster.

But the prayers and readings of Advent recognize that the End of the World is seen by the Church as the bride sees the return of her husband--an event of eager anticipation.

As the weeks progress, Christ the Bridegroom is remembered for his original arrival--the chorused baby in the manger. Neither coming brings anxiety for a disciple--both reconfirm the abundance of God's care.

If you feel these privileged days are slipping by too quickly, the blog at Half a Dozen Productions has been posting ideas on 'How to Make Advent More Like Advent and Less Like Christmas'. Take a look--these days are yours for the savoring!

That Takes Spirit

The Catholic Spirit publishes out of the Twin Cities, and it caught the story here of 8-year-old Freya who was at Mass and heard about the ongoing violence in Darfur and decided to do something about it. Freya tapped into the resources of the patroness of missions and started making and selling St. Therese prayer beads, sending the profits to help combat the genocide in Sudan. You can follow her blog, Deeds for Darfur, as well as supporting her by buying a $5 set requested from Deedsfordarfur@ymail.com. She's already raised almost 500 dollars, and plans to continue forging ahead!

St Therese, pray for us!

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving dawned clear and bright here in the Eternal City.

We stealthy Americans knew what the locals didn't, that today was a day of major good foodness and festivity. Even in a pasta-rich environment, we still were able to rustle up the real stuff: turkeys and pumpkins. The outstanding community of sisters that cooks for us here at the house raised the bar yet again--pulling out all the stops as they prepared one of the best dinners of the year.

Archbishop Burke came to celebrate our midday Mass. I had made it to classes that morning, perhaps without sugarplums dancing in my head, but a profound awareness of the goodness of cranberry sauce. His homily was very good--looking back to family, friends and country, while grounding us in the gratitude that is fundamental to the Christian identity.

Our huge feast lasted well into the afternoon--followed of course by cigars out in the courtyard; a good time was had by all.

Gratitude is one of the strongest of outlooks. We often think there is greater intensity in something like desire or effort, but to have gratitude is to see things in their true perspective. Human proclivity is to look past what we have to what we still want--things which possessed quickly themselves are overlooked for new desires. This spontaneous blindness to what is closest to us obscures whole panoramas of our world. The grateful person, in contrast, is able to still see the beauty in what is close, what has been given. The grateful person recognizes that generosity already experienced is confirmation of providence yet to come. To see things as they really are, this is the privilege of the grateful person.

Speaking of being able to see things, that clear, bright weather of Thanksgiving made for some of the most spectacular views of the year in the city of Rome: Father Bill, going for a run up on Janiculum Hill was able to see the snow-covered mountains of some 70 miles away:

Photo by Father Bill Anton

An Attitude of Gratitu--

OK, the title is over the top, so we'll quit hoping you'll still read the remainder of this message. The (partially) aforementioned attitude has its big day tomorrow, and you can be sure it will be celebrated in force, even here in Italy, where cranberry sauce requires endeavoring to be tracked down.

Speaking of force, one of the best ways to express gratitude is to express it--so Hallmark has created a web page for mailing thank you cards to our troops, the forces who will be celebrating Thanksgiving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Click over there to take a few moments to drop a note in the mail for one of our family members who can't be home for the holiday this year.

Thomas Aquinas and the New Evangelization

This is a bit long, so I apologize in advance. Well worth the read though--from the informative InForum Blog of Sheila Liaugminas, this account takes you to Serbia, where within the former Eastern Bloc, abortion was a commonality.

************************

Just like America’s famous Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a Serbian former abortionist has become a pro-life advocate. With help from St. Thomas Aquinas…

Stojan Adasevic, who performed 48,000 abortions, sometimes up to 35 per day, is now the most important pro-life leader in Serbia, after 26 years as the most renowned abortion doctor in the country.

“The medical textbooks of the Communist regime said abortion was simply the removal of a blob of tissue,” the newspaper reported. “Ultrasounds allowing the fetus to be seen did not arrive until the 80s, but they did not change his opinion. Nevertheless, he began to have nightmares.”

In describing his conversion, Adasevic “dreamed about a beautiful field full of children and young people who were playing and laughing, from 4 to 24 years of age, but who ran away from him in fear. A man dressed in a black and white habit stared at him in silence. The dream was repeated each night and he would wake up in a cold sweat. One night he asked the man in black and white who he was. ‘My name is Thomas Aquinas,’ the man in his dream responded. Adasevic, educated in communist schools, had never heard of the Dominican genius saint. He didn’t recognize the name”

“Why don’t you ask me who these children are?” St. Thomas asked Adasevic in his dream.

“They are the ones you killed with your abortions,’ St. Thomas told him.

“Adasevic awoke in amazement and decided not to perform any more abortions,” the article stated.

However, there’s another twist to the story, before it concludes. Know that bumper sticker we’ve seen for years…”Abortion stops a beating heart”? It was a beating heart that finally stopped Adasevic.

“That same day a cousin came to the hospital with his four months-pregnant girlfriend, who wanted to get her ninth abortion—something quite frequent in the countries of the Soviet bloc. The doctor agreed. Instead of removing the fetus piece by piece, he decided to chop it up and remove it as a mass. However, the baby’s heart came out still beating. Adasevic realized then that he had killed a human being,”

After this experience, Adasevic “told the hospital he would no longer perform abortions. Never before had a doctor in Communist Yugoslavia refused to do so. They cut his salary in half, fired his daughter from her job, and did not allow his son to enter the university.”

After years of pressure and on the verge of giving up, he had another dream about St. Thomas.

“You are my good friend, keep going,’ the man in black and white told him. Adasevic became involved in the pro-life movement and was able to get Yugoslav television to air the film ‘The Silent Scream,’ by Doctor Bernard Nathanson, two times.”

40 Hours

The End is Near.

Thought you should know.

The Final Exam of the World has been the theme in our readings in the liturgy for a few weeks now, as we come up on the end of days this Saturday. Saturday night the year will close and we'll begin the new year with the First Sunday of Advent.

Thinking about a meeting with the Maker fits with the opportunity we had here at the Casa this last weekend. If you look at the number 40 in the Bible, you'll find it lines up a lot of times with big encounters: 40 years bringing Israel into Canaan, 40 days bringing Moses to God on Mount Sinai where he's given the 10 Commandments, 40 days bringing Jesus to lay the smackdown on Satan, to utilize a colloquialism.

And so it was fitting that we commemorated 40 hours: a classic form of prayer where the community comes together for Eucharistic Adoration for 40 consecutive hours, with different members switching off with time to pray before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

I don't know when was the last time you felt pure joy, but to encounter Christ face-to-face and rediscover his love for you brings you to heights that a day's occupations can't match.

A good way for you to conclude your year.

Thoughts in Solitude

You've perhaps seen this before but it is well worth returning to: Merton's prayer which speaks of our confidence in God's guidance in our lives:

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that
I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in
the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me
to face my perils alone.

Who Misses PanAm?

Here's a great article by David Brooks looking at some of the responses to the current recession. Clearly written and concise, it is a reminder of the dynamism that makes our economy possible.

Outward Bound

Cecilia has updated her blog and moved it to a new link--check it out here!

"For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it."
Luke 9:24

Absolutely Nightmarish

Oxford does the work so we don't have to, and with scrupulous research they've compiled a list of the top ten most irritating phrases in English. It always pays to be forewarned in what will annoy you, so without further ado--

The top ten most irritating phrases:

1 - At the end of the day

2 - Fairly unique

3 - I personally

4 - At this moment in time

5 - With all due respect

6 - Absolutely

7 - It's a nightmare

8 - Shouldn't of

9 - 24/7

10 - It's not rocket science

I personally must say, though, at the end of the day it's a nightmare to think scholars worked 24/7 on this, and they absolutely shouldn't of spent so much time on this at this moment in time. The results are certainly fairly unique, but with all due respect, it's not rocket science.

More Norris

A friend, after reading the post on Chuck Norris, added the following:

"They tried to abort Chuck Norris. That's when he invented cesarean--from the inside out."

True Love Reaches Out

Long before the sun I rose and shone this morning--setting out on a mission to an unfamiliar destination. I had the privilege of celebrating Mass at 6:30 for the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa's infatigable sisters, but since it was my first time, I was relying on a vague printout to trace a route to their house.

Walking through the early darkness to the metro station, under skies that thankfully were not releasing the heavy downpours of the day before, I came to a virtually abandoned station. I had almost the entire platform as I waited--too long--for a very late train to come.

Riding it to the end of the line I was able to immediately catch the bus that would take me to my destination.

Should take me to my destination. My bus driver professed ignorance of the road and stop I showed him on the map, and so we (he) puzzled over it till the end of the line, at which point he said I should take the next bus back to find the stop.

I'm glad that one of the virtues that religious sisters cultivate is patience. After my return driver (who had the same surprising ignorance of the names of his own stops) was trumped by a fellow passenger who knew which stop I should get off at, I walked the two blocks to where two habited nuns waited out on the street for the absentee father.

The readings happily were perfect for the morning and the community--Jesus reaffirming that it is in the relinquishing of possessions that one is united to him. This house serves pregnant women: these sisters who have given up everything serve mothers who have almost nothing. Meanwhile, back in my home country, voters decided that their own money was more important than those expendable unborn. The happiness I witnessed this morning indicates that the sisters may have made the better choice.

I returned home in the brilliant sunshine through a freshly washed city. A once-trodden path is much more easily followed, so my next visit should be much simpler. But hopefully just as beautiful.

Photo taken in Iskenderun, Turkey.

Sam Is Wise

Americans have chosen as their leader one who as state senator already voted in support of infanticide and as Democratic presidential nominee promised to strike down all legal limits to abortion. These lines of Samwise Gamgee help give perspective:

"I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.... That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for."

Pray, Pray, Pray!

Today marks the culmination of many, many prayers as growing numbers of Americans realize how many unborn lives are at stake in this election. Take this opportunity to join again in asking God for his grace for the United States, and for the conversion of the hearts of all who go to the polls, that they would recognize their responsibility to protect the rights of the unborn. We have stated that life is an unalienable right--it is necessary that we defend it.

“If they [my daughters] make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”

Barack Obama

“It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.”

Mother Teresa

Right Back to Rickenbacker

Friends of mine were blessed with a beautiful daughter 5 years ago (I can't believe it's been 5 years already!) who suffers from Downs--she was able to have a face-to-face chat with another mother of a Downs baby: caught here in this photo from Ohio yesterday.

T'was the Night Before . . .

One of my former high school students shared this article . . . it's a clear, concise synopsis by the Maverick himself.

Do the Math: It's Time for Trig

You may not be familiar with the work of the Westchester Institute, but this brief article highlights one of the overlooked elements of this season's presidential campaign. In a season of firsts, perhaps one like this can help motivate more to step forward and be counted.

The Knights and the Proposition

The Knights of Columbus have released this video with an up-to-date synopsis of the Catholic Church's understanding of marriage: invaluable as Californians bring family rights to the ballot box.

Just Look

Cardinal Egan posted this on his column last week--an outstanding image and an outstanding message.

Roundhouse Kick

Do you sometimes feel this election needs a little Chuck Norris in it? THE Chuck Norris as in:

• Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.

• Chuck Norris knows where Carmen Sandiego is.

• Chuck Norris sleeps with a night light. Not because Chuck Norris is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of Chuck Norris.

and,

• There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.

Well, now you can find him here as he puts in his two cents worth about America's decision next week.

Resources and Reasons

Joan, since having returned from Rome, has been posting to this blog with excellent commentary and information on the upcoming election, including these invaluable novenas during this urgent time. Stop and take a moment to enter into prayer--

Paws for Effect

A friend forwarded the following spoof--it offers something to chew on . . .

For more info go to http://www.snopes.com/photos/signs/dogheaven.asp

A True Revolution: Brought to You by ESPN

When you need to Chase down info, ESPN is where it's at. Here's a great story on one athlete's journey from professional soccer to professing priesthood.

Pompeii Circumstance

After having arrived in Naples, we continued south the following day (the 11th) to Pompeii, the famous Roman city buried by volcanic ash in AD 79.

The suddenness of the disaster is striking--those killed were in the middle of their daily lives.






























The way they were instantly snuffed out as an entire city seems like a scene of the Apocalypse.






































This woman was found face-down in the ash:






















Being there gives one a somber reminder of how suddenly it all could go for any one of us.

More Good News

This article was just released by the Knights of Columbus--in addition to yesterday's article this indicates that both of the pro-family measures on the California ballot are finding the enthusiastic support they need.

Speaking the Truth

A friend recently posted this compelling message from Archbishop Romero:

'This is the mission entrusted to the church,
a hard mission:
to uproot sins from history,
to uproot sins from the political order,
to uproot sins from the economy,
to uproot sins wherever they are.
What a hard task!

'It has to meet conflicts amid so much selfishness,
so much pride,
so much vanity,
so many who have enthroned the reign of sin among us.

'The church must suffer for speaking the truth,
for pointing out sin,
for uprooting sin.

'No one wants to have a sore spot touched,
and therefore a society with so many sores twitches
when someone has the courage to touch it
and say: “You have to treat that.
You have to get rid of that.
Believe in Christ.
Be converted.”'

JANUARY 15, 1978

Napoli!

We have three seminarians from Sacramento studying over here this year, and so to start the year off right we went in search of pizza.

And in Naples last weekend, we found some.

































They also had good museums down there. With Old Stuff.




























We spent some time looking around the cathedral.































Hopefully we didn't disturb this guy.

Apologies in Advance

I figured I'd say that before even posting these:

1. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to
be an optical Aleutian.

2. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the
other, "You stay here, I'll go on ahead."

3. No matter how far you push the envelope, it will still be stationery.

4. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

5. I was wondering why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

And on the 8th Day

This good news just in from the Golden State. If you haven't been there yet, Headline Bistro is a great place to get the news and keep up on Catholic issues--

Life

What's Barack Obama's record on abortion?

Archbishop Chaput directs us to Princeton professor Robert George's article at the Witherspoon Institute. George's thorough assesment demonstrates that Obama is 'the most extreme pro-abortion candidate to have ever run on a major party ticket.' His sobering review manifests the significant impact Obama would have as president . . .

Hands On

It's always great to return to Saint Peter's, and today was my first walk over there since coming back to Rome last week. 25 men from the United States who have been studying here were being ordained to the diaconate, and so it was a splendid occasion to be a part of.

We held the liturgy at the Altar of the Chair, and so the brilliant alabaster window of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was directly above the men as they confirmed their commitment to serve the Church as ambassadors of Jesus Christ.

Bishop Callahan, auxiliary of Milwaukee, presided at the liturgy, with four other U.S. Bishops present and about a gazillion and a half priests.

Basically a lot. You could see so much joy on the faces of the many families who had journeyed over for the celebration, and it was echoed by the vigor of the choir and massive organ.

'Bless, sanctify, and consecrate these chosen men--Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.'

Kickoff!

Yeah, basically it's plenary.

We had a little shindig down at the Basilica of Saint Paul's Outside the Walls today--the opening Mass for the 12th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. That's a mouthful, but it marks a very exciting moment for the Church, because it's diving into Scripture, which always brings revitalization.

And since Benedict held the Mass at St. Paul's Basilica in the Year of Saint Paul, those of us who attended can cash in on a plenary indulgence.

The Synod (#12 since 1967) will last two weeks, and with the title "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church", it involves a returning to the Second Vatican Council Document Dei Verbum, promising to launch a deeper engagement in the Scriptures in daily life.

Bishop Soto Speaks Out

Earlier in September our coadjutor bishop Jaime Soto spoke down in Long Beach to the National Association of Diocesan Gay and Lesbian Ministries. Clear and insightful, his words are posted at Catholic Exchange.

Return Down Under

After climbing Grossglockner I was able to spend a few more days in Austria . . . and return down under--not to Australia, but to the cave that lies in the mountains above Gaming. I hadn't gone in since Spring of '95, so it was time to return.











Reading inscriptions that date back to the 1600's.





Four of us hiked the hour or so outside of the city and then were able to celebrate Mass hight up on the ridge at the entrance of the cave. We then began the steep descent through the mouth of the cave, and sqeezed through the tiny passage that barely allows you to shimmy into the total darkness.









Introduced to the Mud





The Carthusians of our Kartause had come here centuries ago, and left their mark: still inscribed on the walls are the charcoal names and dates of friars and priors who came through the same passageway.











Light at the End of the Tunnel

Go Boom

One of the loudest thunder crashes I have ever heard smashed in as we were finished with Mass yesterday for the Feast of Saint Francis. For a moment you weren't sure if a building had collapsed, a bomb had gone off, or Saint Francis had decided No More Mister Nice Guy. A few more peals rolled in through lunch, and we had some good rain through the afternoon--cool night.

Verso l'Alto!

So the following morning, Sunday, we set out at 6:15 am to attempt the summit.  We'd spent the night at 3278 meters, and we had another 500 to go to make it to the top at 3798 meters, but much of it was technical climbing.

Sunrise

Strapping on crampons and roping in together, we began ascending, helped by having spent the night at altitude, so we were a little more prepared for the thin air.

You can see the trail we came up over Robert's right shoulder.

Christoph's experience was essential at this point:

By approximately 8:07, we made it to the summit:

Standing below the Cross

The morning light from the summit was spectacular:

Looking South-East:

What goes up must, of course, come down.  At the bottom of this photo you can make out the cable line we used in our descent back to the glacier:

We stopped in for tea at our upper lodge before attempting this drop.

Sweeping vistas kept opening out before us as we quickly descended.

Dropping down to our lower hut.

And soon we were below snowline:

A traveler returns.

We arrived back at the base with still enough strength to stand--enough at least to hike up into the trees and find a sunlit spot to celebrate Mass, and thank God for a beautiful climb.

Grossglockner

Our guide up Grossglockner, Christoph Bacher, posted photos of our climb last weekend.  There's also some great photos of the mountain at his company's webpage: www.glocknerfuehrer.at.

Climb Every Mountain

Considering the options, it would be a daunting task to climb every mountain in Austria, so the decision was made simply to climb the highest one.

So four of us set out early Saturday morning to drive to the base of Grossglockner, south of Salzburg.

















You can see our parking spot at the head of the valley.




We started hiking up to one of the lower lodges on the mountain, where we would meet up with a guide who would take us to the snowy summit.















Lower Lodge. Not Our Guide. Quiet Type, Though.




Our guide, Christoph, brought us up to the edge of the glacier, where we roped in to traverse the snow-covered field.

























Mark was the mastermind behind this trip--here demonstrating harness and rope:



























Once out on the glacier, Christoph pointed out glacier tables, where large boulders shaded the snow beneath them, so that the sun could melt around them:








The table at lower right was probably a little too high for Mass.




We were now on the white expanse:












Having crossed it, we needed to go up the ridge to make it to the high altitude hut where we would spend the night, in preparation for our attempt on the summit.




















Latching into the cables going up the wall.






At this altitude, everything is a workout:
















Stairmaster plus:















Our efforts paid off and we were rewarded up above with spectacular scenery:














Christoph, who had been coming up the mountain throughout the year, said we had the best days of the year, as a recent dusting of snow was followed by brilliant sunlight:














We checked into our camp for the night, the highest lodge in Austria. Happily, we were able to find a nook to celebrate Mass:



















Liturgy with a View






The benefit of a lodge is we were able to grab a beer in the fire-kept warmth as we prepared for the next day's climb:

















And we could watch the sun get low:












And finally set:










In time for us to head to bed for an early send off.