Robertus, Episcopus, et Confirmandus

Sometimes when I'm out visiting my public, random prelates jump in for a quick photo-op...

Joseph's First Communion

Joseph was confirmed and received his first communion (at 6:33 PM) on Sunday, April 19, 2009, Divine Mercy Sunday. He was confirmed by Bishop Thomas Olmsted at St. Thomas the Apostle parish. The reading was the one about Doubting Thomas touching the wounds of Christ.

Blessed is the one (like our Joseph) who has not seen yet still believes. The image below by Caravaggio is amazing.

Beauty Ever Ancient, Ever New

Late have I loved you,
O Beauty ever ancient, ever new,
late have I loved you!

You were within me, but I was outside,
and it was there that I searched for you.
In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created.

You were with me, but I was not with you.
Created things kept me from you;
yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all.

You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness.
You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness.
You breathed your fragrance on me;
I drew in breath and now I pant for you.

I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more.
You touched me, and I burned for your peace.

~ St. Augustine, Confessions of St. Augustine

"More Spacious Than the Heavens"

Our family had dinner at a Melkite Catholic church on Saturday night. Part of the evening included a tour of the church.

The Melkite Church is in communion with the Roman Catholic Church (they acknowledge the Pope as the head of their Church), but their liturgical traditions come from the East, not the West. Icons figure very prominently in the way they worship, especially icons of Mary, the Theotokos (the “God-bearer”).

The sanctuary of a Melkite church is very different from that of a Latin (Roman) church. Most notably, there is no crucifix behind the altar. Instead there is an icon of Mary similar to the one pictured here.

This type of Marian icon is known as Platytera, which literally means “wider” or “more spacious”. In the Eastern Church, Mary is venerated under the title, Platytera ton ouran. In English, this title is literally “more spacious than the heavens”. Mary is given this title because, unlike the heavens/universe, Mary, the Mother of God, could contain God and did for the nine months leading up to Christmas.

Yesterday was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and Christmas is only 16 days away. It seems to me to be a fitting time to open our hearts to the one who was “more spacious than the heavens”. In doing so, we also welcome the One she carried within her.

Sophia's First Communion and Confirmation

One of the many things that I've neglected to write about is my daughter Sophia's First Communion and Confirmation. She received both sacraments on April 26th, 2008. She was so beautiful and so excited, it was truly inspiring.

I'm thrilled that our bishop has lowered the age of Confirmation. As a former high school teacher, I can confirm that our young people need as much grace as they can get. Going into adolescence equipped for battle just makes sense to me.

The ceremony was pretty funny. The Dean, Fr. Chuck (who confirmed the children on behalf of Bishop Olmsted) had such a hard time getting decent answers from the kids when he questioned them that I wanted to ask him how long he had been in dentistry.

"What do we receive when we're confirmed? Bobby?"
"The gift of Confirmation!"
"Good, Bobby, but when we get the gift of Confirmation what do we get?"
"Confirmed!"

It went on like that forever. He finally got them to start listing the gifts of the Holy Spirit and some were dubious. I don't think St. Paul mentioned the gift of Niceness.

Sophia chose St. Josephine Bakhita as her confirmation name. Here's what she wrote about her on the prayer cards we made as party favors:

St. Josephine Bakhita was born in the Sudan, captured by slave traders at
age 10, and lived most of her life as a slave. She was tortured severely—beaten, burned and forced to work very hard. Despite all of this, she saw the wonderful works around her and wondered what master could have made them.

Although she did not know the name of God, Bakhita always knew He existed. She was sold many times and eventually ended up with nuns in Italy. It was there that she learned the name of God: Jesus Christ, her "Good Master." She was so happy to know Him that she served Him with her life. She forgave her kidnappers and torturers and had great love for everyone she met.

I chose St. Josephine to be my confirmation Saint because of her bravery, her
longing to know Jesus, and her great love for Him.

St. Josephine Bakhita, pray for us!

Gemini Trumps Cancer

This is so unbelievably cool.