Colin Mawby

I'd literally kill to study under him. Man is a genius, real genius. Proof? his popular setting of the Ave Verum Corpus. (Another version here.) I first heard of him when the aforesaid motet was sung at my parish two years ago on a Sunday in ordinary time. The parish choir sings other works of his, (I beleive we got this on Mary, Mother of God, this past Christmastide) and I'm happy about that. Another link, Easter music. I would love this at the easter vigil. God willing, someday I can write modern sacred music like he has.

Last day of June.

A Consecration to the Most Sacred heart of Jesus.

Well, you've probably heard the news by now.

If not....
It's a great thing for thing for this to happen, and something that Philadelphians have been wiating for for a while: A center-city parish offering the older Roman rite. I've been asked to help out as a server, and hopefully, I can do so.

Interesting.

Browsing the web, I found this sequence give for the feast of Our Lady of Mercy. I thought it was odd that I'd never heard of or seen one, but I see now that there is a sequence for that feast.

Plaudat agmen captivorum,
turba det christianorum
laetum suum et decorum
cantum Matri Virgini.

Simul omnes exsultemus
atque grati celebremus
lucem tantam, qua gaudemus
vincla fracta cernere.

Institutrix dulcis nostra.
Matrem providam te monstra
et captivos refove.

Caritate fac praeclaram
atque Nato redde caram
quam fundasti subolem.

Fac ut tibi grati simus;
et ut tartara possimus
evitare, cum abimus,
vultum tuum exhibe.
Amen.

I would assume that if the written tune isn't found, one can use the stabat mater.

Ignorance is Bliss.

Indeed, it's bliss. Speaking to my mother, I asked her what she thought of Obama's promise to cut 95% of every American's taxes. And she said that she thought he was doing a good job. had it not been my mother, I would've asked her what she was smoking, because obviously, that's ridiculous. I was about to ask her about the speedily passing Waxman-Markey tax bill (a bill costing Americans $2 trillion) being passed as we spoke, and she didn't know what I was talking about. It figures though. with MJ having passed, there's a media blackout on this, the only coverage found by me being a four paragraph story in the local Philly Inquirer.

Speaking as a person from the 'hood, and you know what I mean, that kind of massive taxation on energy should be the thing everyone is talking about. All of us are constantly complaining about high electricity prices, most of us getting several shutoff notices a year because we simply can't afford to pay our bills. We go months without hot water, electricity, heating, and gas for cooking. It's not exaggeration, it's reality, and I have experience of it myself. The fact that the government wants to raise energy prices and tax us even more should be causing shock, outrage, even protests. But nary a word is said by the inner-city community, much less any of my fellow African-Americans. That something that's going to affect us so deeply, and in such a negative manner isn't even known by the general public is an outrage and a shame.

MJ's death was quite convenient for the radical regulation policies of the incumbent administration. It allowed them to rush through this ideology/special interests based bill ( and indeed, it is certainly for the benefit of a specific group of people, it's not as if All Americans or the great majority even beleive in man-cause climate change) without much public knowledge and criticism. Without much debate on the floor either. And It's quite sad, because deep down, sure many Americans are not too keen on further taxation, and effectively being punished by the state for using a necessity.

So, God forbidding, what happens if this bill goes into law? There are two possibilities. Firstly, we'll finally wake up out of our stupor and realize that we've been hoodwinked, bamboozled, run-amok, etc, etc, by liberal democrats into mindlessly throwing our support behind someone who's quite frankly, not our friend. Maybe we'll protest.
But since that's not going to happen, our betters will enjoy their sense of self achievement while we, the have-nots continue to have-not because of their unbridled and unexplainable desire for control.

Cesar Franck.

Besides having an awesome name, he wrote some awesome music. I'll admit, I'm not at all familiar with his music, not even his famous chorales, but I came across a recording of a finale written by him, and I think it's awesome. Franck totally Pwns Gillou and his, um dissonance.h
I love the pedal on this version. The organ in this one sounds similar to the organ at my own parish.

Creeping Socialism.

Again, I called it last summer (Man, I'm on a roll here) 

As many others predicted and as has been shown to us in recent months the Obama cabinet runs more like a smug psedo-socialist political scheme than a presidency. Some of us have grown tired with their apprent idea that simply waying "We won" with a smile on your face is an itellient response to politicians of other parties, former presidents included, who criticise their actions, as if winning the presidencey were some kind of blanket validation of their practices.  But I digress.

My real point is that I can't agree with the logic for the massive spendind and wealth redistribution we've bene seeing and hearing about.  

This is said logic:

It is the government's job to protect the livelihood of it's citizens*. In a sense, the government has a duty to provide for the needs of it's citizens, and they have a right to be provided for. Therefore, wealth redistribution for the sake of advancing the goal of protecting livelihood is justified, because it must be done for the government to accomplish what's basically a right. While there is truth to this, this innocent statement usually dovetails into some sort of validation for state controlled healthcare or laws made to protect citizens' health. This, I think, is because the statement that they leave out where I've put the asterisk is "Whether they want it or not"

 The whole thing is better summed up here. 

I found it, yay. ^.^

I've heard this fugue many times, but could never figure out what it was. Stupid me, it's in my copy of Bach fantasias. It's the equally beatiful fugue that goes with the toccata from BWV 540.

FUGUE.

And Joe tries to get started on life.

So, yesterday after mass yesterday, I asked Fr.James what to do now that I have the requisite high school diploma, and he told me to talk Fr. Matthew, which I forgot to do, but will do next Sunday.  I've actually been planning this for several weeks, but I get cold feet at the last minute, for obvious reasons. Seeing as how I'm the only Catholic in my anti-Catholic Pentecostal family, for me to go off and join a monastery is probably the worst thing I could do. To tell the truth, they don't even know that I left protestantism for catholicism years ago. They think that I'm just a non-church going backslidden christian. So yeah, lolshockvalue. That, and all my family are ordained ministrs in various churches, some well known in the neighborhood, so when this gets out, i'll really be out.

Part of me already knows the two possible reactions. 

1) "You're a preacher's kid, so it's natural for you to rebel eventually. It's just a phase you'll grow out of." Or:

2) "You're all on hard times, and you're just trying to escape your life. It's just a phase you'll grow out of."

Neither is really true. I've been formulating my approach. The easiest way would be to wait till there's an argument, and bring it up. They'll be distracted and I still get the message out. I bring up that my dad always says that when I was dedicated to God as an infant, the minister prophecied that I would be in ministry, something that if it happenned, turned out to be true. (With a shocking twist!)  I then say in my most respectfull manner that I'm not asking their permission, I'm telling them what I'm doing with my life.

That all happens the night before I leave to go to my postulancy. That of course is'nt as hard as finding the right order. I'm looking for one not entirely stuck in 1970's  pseudo-liberalism, dissent, outdated theology and practice. It should have a habit worn in public, communal office and devotions. If anyone's read Michael Rose's 'Goodbye, good men" , ( As polemic as it may be, it does contain some truth.) they should have an idea of what I'm avoiding. 

That said, I've narrowed it down to these five possible orders: 

Order of Our Lady of Mercy

Fathers of Mercy

Trappists of Saint Joseph's Abbey

Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate

Cistercians of Spring Bank Abbey

Now, since the Mercedarians are the easiest to travel to, I'll try them first.

*ETA* And I'm going over for a visit today.

*ETA again* And I'm spending three days at the monastery starting this Thursday. I'll make a formal reqgest and begin my application. Please pray for me so that I'll be brave enough to tell mom and pop what I'm doing, because I'm so scared I feel like I need to binge on junk food to calm down.

On the Nanny State.

I did'nt start using this term until recently. I first picked it up at Michael Lawrence's blog, and have been using it on and off for some time now.

Now, it should be obvious what it means, right? Nanny state refers to government protection by intervention. The government means to protect it's citizens by passing  laws, policies, or in other ways excessively controlling the lives of it's citizens, regarless of their personal desires. For example, smoking bans, trans fat bans, drinking laws , drug laws, and excessive safety laws. It should be blatantly obvious that this does'nt work. If Prohibition has taught us anything*, it's that making an action illegal does'nt stop it. It's not actually possible in my mind, to legislate personal behaviour and desires.

Now, don't get me wrong. I do not advocate that the government should legislate nothing whatever regarding behaviours. In fact, I counsider myself bound by my religion to to support legislation against crimes which trespass against justice, be they crimes  against life, against property, or even some unacceptable moral behaviours. The problem I'm speaking about is rather that, nowadays, anything that can be shown to have a negative effect on a person's life is fair  game to be made illegal, or at least discouraged by other laws. hence, since the government can't totally outlaw fatty foods, they make them expensive and limit who can sell them. (Currently in my own city, all transfat is illegal.) Skating in Philly's love park is dangerous, as it's extremely easy to get injured. So that is illegal as well.

Certain games can have a negative effect on a person's psyche. sometimes inciting violence. Now, due to government mandated censorship, it seems that first amendment rights do not apply to the gaming industry, of which many examples could be pointed out.  You and I see it in possible 'green' regulations.  With global warming and the impending overpopulation of the world, some people are brave enough to advocate a return to some of America's practices of Eugenics (Which I did my term paper on this year) and we're all familiar with pres.Obama's statement that government-induced bankrupting of the coal industry might be a neccesary evil.  Those are all examples of government intervention, and current news seems to support the idea that there is mor to come: Socialized medicine, government regulated commerce, mandatory youth camps, etc, etc.

So you're wondering now "What exactly is this r'tard's point? " or something to amounting to those words. Basically, I don't think that the current overregulation of private lives does any real good. I don't think that the kind of government intervention in the economy and private busineess that we've been hearing of, or  the over regulation we've seen recently can lead to much of anything, other than more arrests and prosecutions, and a possible slide into to Socialism-Lite. 

*Side linked*

Go here.

UpcominG post about my thoughts on government intervention in business and private affairs soon. I just need to get my thoughts together.

Aside, today was ny niece's sixth grade graduation. 

More bad news.

I got an e-mail from a friend from school letting me know that one of my good friend overdosed on pain medication and died yesterday. There are'nt any plans for a funeral yet.

Thisis running like one of those Tyler Perry-style dramtic plays. Maybe there will be a big happy endidng and a dramatic chorus sung at the nearest church. 

Sorry, I use bad humour as an 'upper'

Prayers please.

Sadly, it looks like my dad is going through a fourth bout of cancer. This time, it's in his liver. We were really hoping that last time (about three months ago) was the last time, but it's not so. Withpit getting into details, or depressing you with things that you don't want to hear, it's put a real strain on the family. Especially today. It's been a hard day, and with Mom at work (and who knows where else) and all my other siblings living their lives, it's just me and one of my brothers taking care of the house. Dad told us not to visit him today. I don'nt know why, but I wish he had'nt. My aunt invited herself over, talked about how much she does'nt like my mother, and genrally made a mess of things. I'm sure whem I'm more mature, I'll've learned to deal like a normal adult.

Now, that's all I'm going to say. I'm still trying to keep up the visage of a normal, loving, close-knit family, y'know.

Jesu, mercy, Mary, pray.

*Sidelinks.*

Go here.

What? he's like Who Now?

Oh, he's like God. I did'nt catch it the first time, sorry. Without being a prophet of doom and a megalomaniac. is it okay if I remind you all that I called this somtime last fall? 

Now, I could try to be objective and say that it's all just a mistaken idea based on poorly chosen words, and I'll accept that, but either way, it's a little much to say that this man, however important he may be, is like God. But then again, considering his moves for big government and constant government intrusion on the private sector, he could be likened to a verison of the hyper calvinist deity: always intruding on every little bit of everyone's life to make sure that everything goes exactly the way he wants it to be, so there are not real trangressions of his law.*

*This is a political post, so yes, I will exaggerate theology to make a point.