Packages

so I've been getting cds and packages for a few days, but i've been waiting for this one... Jennifer Knapp Kansas!! finally came in today... one of my all time favourites... its awesome... and I love the simple music complemented by powerful vocals... its amazing... I love it...

I also love all the bike stuff I got two days ago... got a truing stand, a seat, a multi tool, a spoke wrench, a computer and a cadence adapter, a hydrapak and various other goodies... all in all 200$... but ti came in such a small box for that cost... :-( but I guess its all really really really worth it!

Humility

Referring to the certified miracle which is required for sainthood, Dziwisz said: "The Holy Father didn't want to hear talk of such things. He would say `If by chance something should happen, God makes miracles, not me. I pray. These are mysteries. Let's not talk of these things.'

"But there were so many miracles which happened during his life," his longtime secretary said, without elaborating.

(http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,167205,00.html)

oh God, bless us with humility... love... and desire for You and Your will.

How much am I ready to claim the good things that happen through me? even if I know it can't possibly be me... and how often do I justify the bad, the dark, the sinful, as okay, something I might as well succumb to?

Johannes, ora pro Nobis!

If only I had a fraction of his Love...

John Paul's eyes were practically closed during a Mass celebrated at the foot of his bed in the late afternoon of March 31, the account said.

"But at the moment of the consecration, he weakly raised his right hand two times, that is, on the (raising up) of the bread and wine. He made a gesture indicating he was trying to strike his chest during the recitation" of the Lamb of God prayer, the Vatican said.
(http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,169713,00.html)

this weekend

I'm really excited for this weekend! I get to go out of town to DSM... for a few days... to catch up on class reading and hang out with some friends... it'll be a nice escape... and I get to go out with Kat, Emily and Christina for a bit friday...

otherwise, things are going well... busy busy busy... but I just got a few cds in the mail!!!

Bob Dylan's greatest hits #3
Caedmon's Call Chronicles
and Raze...

Tomorrow I'm expecting
one of my favourite CDS of all time:
Jennifer Knapp Kansas...!

So excited!

test

just took a test in my ethical theory class...
I think it went well... the essay was half about Aquinas.

still feeling sickish... can't figure out why, the docs did blood work and xrayed my lungs yesterday, and no infection... so the assumption that I pulled out of the doc (they apparently don't like to diagnose) was that it was my asthma (and I added in my mind, and Allergies)... just really bad asthma and allergies.

had a lot of sleep last night and my body still feels sick... maybe it's AAA, Asthma allergies, anxiety... ;-)

c'est la vie... going back to class...

BUSY

So lately I've been really busy, working on an forming an academic program for the six local houses (and all the suprising politics that comes with that) and being sick... (in addition to school, the rest of my work and friends... who've been dying to see me...

Got my old webpage partially up (not fully functional, but mostly)... http://www.public.iastate.edu/~sirhair/

and otha stuff


:-)
Edward

Good times good times

played midnight ultimate frisbee today... a pick up game that Becky and Bridget called, but ended up being like 10 of my house guys... it was fun... we played with a disc with lights... Ive never seen one but it was fun... playing DG tomorrow wiht some guys... I have FREE TIME now! the last two days I've been stuck in my room... 8a-9p yesterday, and 8a-6p today with lunch brought to us... yay! I'm Free! Got a date with confession tomorrow PRAISE GOD!!!

Devout catholic of the orthodox variety

Devout catholic of the orthodox variety
I neither classify as a “conservative” or “liberal” in the American senses of the words, though many might label me conservative, I thoroughly believe conservativism and liberalism are both perversions of the virtue of justice. One withholds justice due to some idea that “old” ways are right by virtue of being “old” and the other the same, though in regards to “new” ways. I believe that there is a thing such as truth, and one of humanity’s duties is to discover it. Likewise, I believe that once truth is verified, denial of it is cowardice; rejection, insanity; and change of it impossible (though it may be clarified to a greater extent). I believe we all are sinners and fall short of perfection, and because of that we cannot devalue others for a sin different than ours, but we must all the more embrace them in love, and in love recognize when we are obliged to confront their sin and when it is most prudent to not, and offer just your presence. I have many friends who know my beliefs are in union with the Church’s (and most had large misunderstandings about what the Church teaches) and they know I disagree with, and am sorrowed by, their choices when they sin. But most of all they know, despite this disagreement I love and care for them as friends that I would sacrifice much, if not everything for. I am imperfect. I am a sinner. And how ungrateful would I be if I, who have been forgiven so much and had the chasm that separated me from God cast so quickly aside, enforced a chasm between myself and others or withheld forgiveness or belittled someone for their sin.

Back

I'm Back!

At school and ready for the year... I'm a CA this year (community advisor, other schools call it RA, Resident assistant), so I've been moved in... Originally they gave me the keys/room assignment for a girls floor... but they move me to my floor when I was confused by it...

My flight here went well... I choose to get bumped to a later flight, in exchange for some food money and a 300$ voucher (I was considering the free round trip ticket, so I could go visit alaska, but I figured the 300$ ticket would be more useful in the medium run... since it's 100$ to reschedule canceled flights, and I have two canceled right now).

I stayed at Rachels house tuesday night, with her family which was nice and fun... it's always interesting to be with large families, and rather cool too. Then yesterday Becky brought me up to Ames, and we had dinner at Hickory Park(?) which was surpisingly good. After she left I went to walmart to buy some stuff... and found a 5$ beard trimmer! which is cool! because it's 5$!!!

Now I await a beautiful woman to arrive back in Des Moines Saturday!

YAY GOD!

stations in louisisana

Hello everyone! This is Kat. I know, I know..."Um...Yes?" is not my blog, but my dear friend Edward asked me to update it for him as I have more access to the internet than he does.

So you are probably wondering how he is and what he is doing...

He is at a retreat house called Maryhill living with a community of men, including his best friend from college, Ben. He's working there (or working for his boarding) doing odd jobs, including designing two grottos to Mary: one at the retreat house and one for Steubenville South. But the best part, in my opinion anyway, is that his room is right next to Jesus' room! As well as I could understand, there is a chapel with the Eucharist in the center of the house and his room is neighboring the chapel. It was super fun when I talked to him after he'd gotten there and he said "If I have MY window open and HE has HIS window open, I can see Him from my room!" (Apparently if he opens the tabernacle doors, he can have adoration anytime he wants because there's a permenant monstrance set up in there.) Well it's pretty stinkin' cool to be neighbors to Jesus anyways. :)

Here is something he sent to me today. [Yeah...he likes being holy. :)]

hey just got out of my divine mercy/adoration hour and thought you'd
like to see what I came up with:
Stations of the cross:
1st- condemned
How often have we: Failed to be just or accept rightful authority?
2nd- carries cross
How often have we: Thought we could do it without Christ's help?
failed to carry ours? been prideful?
3rd- falls
How often have we: feared to follow for fear of falling in the esteem
of others? feared to follow because of who it might make us?
4th greets mary
How often have we: forgotten our pain and comforted others? spoken to
others about Christ?
5th simon helps
How often have we: felt as if we are burdened by our family or
friend's crosses? not offered to help others?
6th veronica wipes face
How often have we: done all we can even the smallest action, to those
dying or in pain? Forgotten to show others our love for them, through
small acts of love?
7th falls 2nd time
How often have we: fallen again and decided to stay down and enjoy the
mud? not persevered? not focused on God but on things of the World?
8th greets women
How often have we: Failed to bring others to Christ? Failed to belong
to Christ centered groups or made Him the center of other groups, even
if its just in our hearts?
9th stripped
How often have we: failed to maintain the dignity of other people's or
our own bodies? Stripped them or ourselves?
10th nailed to cross
How often have we: Been willing to accept piercing criticism and pain
that sends shudders to our very core?
11th dies
How often have we: been willing to die for our faith? Made it that important?
12th placed in arms of mary
How often have we: not given comfort to those in pain or been late in
giving when we could have been quicker?
13th placed in tomb
How often have we: enjoyed the darkness? Hidden from our
responsibilities? permited ourselves to remain in depression by
nursing it and not seeking help? not reached out to those in
depression or darkness?

Well there's some of the things that were running through my head as
we mediated on the stations today. I think it's a good examination of
conscience

...So that's all (this is Kat again). Have a wonderful day!

God bless you!

Over... sorrta

finals are over! YAY!... but now I feel like something is ended... some time of my life... and it feels something greater than just this semester has ended... as if I'm endeavouring into a new part of my life... :-/ I wonder what that means... the last time I had this feeling, my life changed drastically... though this time I doubt drastic changes will occur... I wonder and wait for what subtle changes the Lord has in store for me this summer... perhaps I will learn where I'm to be in life? perhaps I will see things in ways I've forgotten or never seen? It'll be nice to be living at the retreat site in Louisiana... (maryhill in alexandria/pineville)

and BEING NEXT DOOR TO 24 HOUR JESUS!!! YAY!!! And being with my little brother (Lambda Omega Alpha, Catholic Fraternity at UT austin.) who I've grown so much spiritually with at various points in my life!

FINALS

havent posted in a bit... and probably wont for a few days due to finals, and final papers... have fun!

A key to the doctrine of the Eucharist by Abbot Vonier

So I'm reading this book, and so far I've found some very interesting things:

"Anyone who has faith is in the supernatural state, and therefore is directly in touch with Christ's life, even though he be actually in the state of mortal sin." p4


This is a bit convicting, and true... regardless of what we desire, once we've received the Gift of Faith, we can never truly turn our backs on the Truth... until the moment we make a sin of "formal infidelity"... the only one of which I know is that sin that witches embrace when they write and sign a statement declaring that Christ is not their master, and that Christ is a lie.

"If we really believe that the Church possesses enough power to wipe away sin, we assume, as well, that sin is compatible with membership in Christ's mystical Body." p4-5


Wow... sin doesn't kick you out of the Church, only out of the ability to receive grace... this line has never been shown to me... but it makes much more sense! This also calls me to humility and love of our brethren, and brings comfort to me when I sin, that I am still part of the Body.

"To every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound, but from him that hath not, that also which he seemeth to have shall be taken away" p8 mt 25:29

I've never seen MT 25 written this way with "seemeth to have"... and this makes more sense and is seemingly more compatible with God's love... he doesn't take that which you have, but in his love he takes the blindness from our eyes, and shows us that we don't possess those things we THINK we have. He shows us how empty our "possessions" are with out receiving them truly from the only One who can really give anything.


"Is not the Son of God made Man, the Sacrament par excellence the magnum sacramentum, the invisible made visible." p9

:-) YAY JESUS!!!
Magnum Saramentum! The Great Sacrament! Something only Catholics and Orthodox really understand! That GOD so loved the world that HE BECAME FLESH! Not to tell us He hates our FLESH but to show us that He LOVES our FLESH! Just as much as our SPIRIT! He wanted to show us that he loves and respects us how he created us, an inseparable body and spirit mix.

Greetings to the Holy Father!

the vatican has posted a link from their site to email greetings to our Holy Father!
Go here and select "Greetings to the Holy Father"
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/elezione/index_en.htm
If that doesn't work for you, his email is: benedictxvi@vatican.va
use "Greetings" as the subject

BROTHERS AND SISTERS, SHOUT TO THE WORLD OUR LOVE FOR BENEDICT!!
(oh, and email him your love too! ;-) )

Papam Magnum

The more I think of Benedict, the more beautiful and great I think the man is!
I am so EXCITED!!!! I didn't think he had a chance at being pope, so I expected someone else... during noon mass today when the priest said "and our holy father, Benedict" I was taken aback that we had a pope so soon! Yet I was also horrified that it was a liberal cardinal, but excited and wondering whom it would be... was it the secret cardinal? was it some one from africa? was it someone from latin america? was it *gasp* ratzinger? It couldnt be! God bless the pope whomever he is!

After mass, I asked my friend hurriedly who was it? she didn't know... so I asked was it ratzinger? still she didnt know... she asked the first name, and said he was from Germany... I questioned joseph? She said she thought so... I then asked the front desk: "Who is Benedict?" after a pause, and some confusion, she said "oh, Ratzinger."

I've been excited since! He's the man! He's our Father!
YAY!!!!

Papal Family!

Can you imagine being brother to the pope!
You would so know that God has a favourite!
:-D
(and I would venture to say it was you!)


​​​​

German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (right, top) with his family in
1951, after he and his brother were ordinained into the priesthood.
Photo: Reuters

--- from Pontiff's brother 'stunned'
In Regensburg, Germany, the older brother of the new pope, who said only weeks ago that German cardinal Joseph Ratzinger "has not got a chance" of becoming the next pontiff, was stunned by the choice today.

"He sank before the television and isn't saying a word," said the housekeeper of the 81-year-old prelate, Georg Ratzinger, Agnes Heindl.
"I've never seen him like this," she said.

Heindl said that Georg Ratzinger was now concerned he would see his 78-year-old brother even less often than before.

He told the Abendzeitung newspaper earlier this month that his brother would never succeed John Paul II as pontiff.

His age would count against him, he said, adding "I cannot imagine that a German would be elected pope."

YAY!

I'm excited... someone shown to truly be a prophet has become our pope!
May we bless the holy father, as he blesses us with his ministry!
Viva il papa!

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

HABEMVS PAPAM
BENEDICTVM XVI

Emptiness

our emptiness is proclaimed:



This image, the official seal of the sede vacante... vacant seat, is supposed to be used on all official documents during the times of no pope... from stamps to the flag...

I went to the vatican website today to do some research and being greeted by this image was painful... saddening and emptying.

May God bless the cardinals as they participate in the choosing of His vicar.

computers

As I'm procrastinating my paper, I realised that computers have come an extraordinarially long way in recent years... from server based power, to personal power the size of a text book... I'm amazed! If you told me a few years ago that laptops would be as common and so small, I'd laugh and point to the server I was working on... and say, yeah right... servers are the way things are going! Bigger and faster!