I rejoiced when I heard him say...

...special delivery for dadwithnoisykids!

Monday Night Mass Food for Thought

Besides nourishing us with the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, our pastor will also give good sermons that really give one food for thought.

Listen to them here.

Being someone who considers himself 'in the know' about everything, I was taken aback by Father's homily on Monday night, when he started discussing the events that took place in the Garden of Eden. The thought I will present to you has never occurred to me.

Where was Adam when Eve was confronted by the serpent?

Rather than being there to protect his beloved, bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh, he was out of the picture while this snake was working on Eve.

One could say that Adam was the one who really dropped the ball, especially after God called them to explain themselves. Adam turned and put the blame on Eve.

This time he was there to take the heat for his and Eve's actions, and he attempted to slide it all onto Eve.

See our pictures on July 1 2007.

Father wrapped up his homily by reminding all of us that Adam never received the Body of Christ to strengthen his actions. His point was that with Our Lord in the Sacraments, we men should be there to protect our spouses, children even to the point of death.

And yet so often we behave just like Adam did on the day they disobeyed God.

Curious about the family? Visit on 07012007 and you will see.

Behold the Kittens

This is a series of pictures of our latest litter of kittens. Five kittens in all, about 4 weeks old, with 3 males and 2 females. Of note, all have little white paws, almost like socks. It reminds me of the nursery rhyme about the three little kittens who lost their mittens. This first picture is a special photographic process, which captures the excitement of the new kittens. It is a veeery expensive addition to my camera.



Below, note how the sideways angle of the photograph impels the viewer to move themselves into an odd angle in order to observe the kitten. I did this on purpose, so that the viewer can experience the same feeling of discomfort which kittens feel as they interact with the human.

The obvious symbolism of the railing, along with the star, makes this one of my most compelling masterpieces. Note the contrast between the golden fur and the green grass.

Once again, we are drawn into the pathos of the plight of the subservient kitten, trying to find its way in a world being ruined by humans. Every time we waste, don't recycle, or use more bathroom tissue than necessary, we contribute to the acceleration of the end of the world - or at least that is what Al Gore says.

I am selling prints of these, unframed, for $2,000,000.00 apiece.

Seriously, the mother cat nurses the kittens in a box where they can't get mauled by roaming dogs or coyotes. We lost a whole litter to a dog before putting together a safe refuge for these cats.

The mother cat will bring little dead mice or pieces of rabbit fur for the kittens to play with - neat!

Sometimes I am the bird...

...sometimes I am the statue.

This past week has that kind of feeling, as I came back to work after some vacation time.

Typically, the first week after vacation seems like a punishment, with long hours and a pile of paperwork to deal with. Sometimes my group's policies have changed while I have been away, so I have to figure out the 'new' way of doing things.

I had a call night which was rather benign, with no cases after 10 o'clock. Friday night was another story, with cases keeping me busy until 2 a.m. I tried to go home three times; once I got as far as a gas station(I had a feeling I would need a full tank), the second time I got home and just started eating when the pager went off. If I had waited ten more minutes, I could have added some meat to the pasta my wife had prepared for me. The third attempt got me home for good. I put more than 100 miles on my car that night.

Even my clothes suffered last week, with a patient's blood sprayed over one of my white coats.

I have seen some interesting things while driving home late at night. Some of the things are comical, such as a compact car(complete with trailer) stalled out in the center lane of I-35 - facing the wrong way. Or the time I was stopped for speeding - 77 mph past a sheriff's deputy who was on the side of the road with his lights off. When he heard that I was responding to an emergency call(THIS IS TRUE!), and I showed him identification tht proved I am a doctor, he started berating me for not driving a 'doctor's car.' He thought this was funny and let me off with a warning.

I will never have a 'doctor' car - not as long as there are Noisykids alive.

One night, I saw a radio tower hit by lightning. It started with a bolt of lightning dropping out of the clouds, only to stop in what appeared to be midair. I didn't realize a tower was there until after the lightning faded away and the beacon lights on the tower flashed on again.

All I could think was how beautiful the lightning was, and how manmade fireworks can't compare to the wonder of God's creation.

Some things I see on the way home are tragic, such as this account of a furry brown creature strike. Sometimes I drive home, fighting back tears, remembering a bad day at work. The greatest consolation on days such as that are when I come home, I find that my wife and children have spent the day praying for me and my patients. I don't tell enough families that my work is fortified by the prayers of my wife and the Noisykids.

Let us consider some more candidates for the new and improved Scorpion Stalking Duck official photographs:

How about this scorpion?

Why limit oneself to scorpions? How 'bout a Louisiana Crawdaddy?


The Duck wants to stay as model for Scorpion Stalking Duck!!

The Scorpion - yes, THE SCORPION, is not taking this sitting down!!!!!!!!!!!

The Scorpion and the Duck are Intellectual as well as photogenic!

Why not change the blog name to Scorpion Stalking GOOSE?

This is a fine young duck. He would take the job for less pay....I am sure the 'suits' in the front office would like that.

These three believe that something old, tried and true would be a better blog for the world.

All of these folks would jump at the chance for celebrity!

Easter Season Thoughts

One of my favorite readings during the Easter Season:

After the meal Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more
than these others do?"? He answered, "Yes Lord, you know I love you." Jesus said
to him, "Feed my lambs."

A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He replied,
"Yes, Lord, you know I love you." Jesus said to him, "Look after my sheep."

Then he said to him a third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was
upset that he asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" and said, "Lord, you
know everything; you know I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."

"I tell you most solemnly, when you were young you put on your own belt and
walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands,
and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather
not go."

In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to
God. After this he said, "Follow me."

I think that God is asking me this question constantly - do you love me? This has
to be on His mind as He watches me fall and fall again, offending Him by my sins and
my lukewarm heart.
Christ's order for me is similar to the one Peter received: feed my lambs. In my
case it is to care for my wife and the Noisykids.
Most importantly, it involves doing what I am supposed to rather than what I want to do - giving up what I want to do for the good of the family. My family is that 'somebody else' who is taking me where I would rather not go. What is so wonderful about going where I would rather not go is that it ends up being better than where I would have ended up on my own.
By working on death to self, fighting to break my selfishness, and relying on God's grace, I hope to gain Heaven.

On another note....

...I noticed I was recognized on the blog American Papist. I am honored to be picked out of a lot of good blogs by a blog that I use to find out what's going on in the Catholic world.

Thank you!

Book Review: Salvifici Doloris

Really it is an Apostolic Letter from Pope John Paul II, which was posted to my old blog Duck Stalking Scorpion. It is here on the DSS Project.

Salvifici Doloris(click on the title to go to the document)

Sometimes it is a good idea to take a step away from our work, to call a time out, and to take some stock of what we are doing in our lives. This is true for whatever our vocation is, or whatever our profession. In my case, I recommend this letter from Pope John Paul II as a good aide for doctors to use. Reading it has reminded me of the reasons why I chose medicine as a career so many years ago. It also will, hopefully, make me treat my patients as if I were caring for Our Lord instead of Yet Another Patient with An Abscess Somewhere That Needs To Be Drained. Pope John Paul II makes the point that those who care for the sick are like the Good Samaritan, and the the good we do for others in our work is as if we were doing it for Him(whatsoever you do….etc.).
It is also a good idea to remember that our livelihood, for all specialties, is made possible by the sorrow and pain of others: fallout from the Fall of Adam.
Pope John Paul II published this letter in February 1984, approximately two and a half years after he was shot. My guess is that this letter was inspired by his experience as a patient. George Weigel’s book, Witness to Hope covers this part of his pontificate very well. Pope John Paul II seemed to be very active in the decision making process of his medical care.
I could go on for a while, trying to review this Apostolic Letter, but your time would be better spent reading the document.

07012007

Oh Look! COWS!

My first Youtube Video:



Scenes from the Fort Worth, Texas Stockyards. My wife's cousin, who is very tall, is the cameraman.

July 1, 2007 see the Dadwithnoisykids family picture.

Let's take a trip through Switzerland...

...at one time the stomping grounds of dadwithnoisykids when HE was one of the Noisykids(1972). I recall seeing a jet blast low overhead. It was gone in a few seconds. This reminded me of life in Switzerland:

Deep thought from a shallow mind

There are several discussions going on at other blogs about NFP.

As I sit here at work, I can't help but think that in 1,000 years, when
people look back at these times, there will be no mention of those who
used NFP, or that the world was a better place because they used their
knowledge of physiology to regulate, space, or eliminate the number of
children that they brought into the world.

I would guess that those who brought children into the world and worked
their tails off to raise them, in the process becoming an example of
service and sacrifice to their children, will be the anonymous 'parents'
of those who one day will be elevated to the status of Saint.

But what do I know?

All I know is that if my in-laws had stopped after 9 children, I would
have been denied the presence of my closest friend, my companion in
marriage, and a woman who wants no more than to serve God, her husband,
and her children.

But then again, what do I know?

BIG CHANGE at the Little Blog:

For those of you wonderful readers who took off Holy Week to spend time in prayer, you missed the change that took place at Scorpion Stalking Duck on April 1, 2007. At first it was just a change in the front office, where the 'suits' hang out and make all the big decisions. I was still in charge of creative blog entries.

All of that changed yesterday, when I received a memo from the CEO of Noisykid Kitchen("Where to Find the Best of Everything") stating that the name of the blog is too controversial. First of all, the memo said, Scorpions don't stalk ducks. Secondly, stalking is considered a 'controversial' and 'divisive' terminology to describe a blog. Most importantly, the characters used in the blog to show a scorpion stalking a duck are not photogenic enough. They cited this one fact as the main reason why so few people read this blog.

I wish to respond to this memo, but the CEO said I have to start a search for the new models for the new pictures and avatar that will reflect a 'kinder, gentler' blog. By the way, the picture below is that of the CEO.

The first batch of candidates are below his picture.

The CEO totally ignored the fact that I took pictures of the scorpion stalking the duck when we lived in San Antonio. I did not 'stage' that picture as some people say. The infamous 'Scorpion Stalking Duck' picture is at the bottom of the blog page. That really happened.

"Stalking?" Why not "Stalking?" It's catchy!

Regarding photogenics, I live by the rule that 'Beauty is Truth, and Truth is Beauty.' Also, I am myself someone who is known to have a 'nice personality,' and 'beautiful eyes' rather than a stunning physique, so I like to show the world as it really is. If that means ordinary scorpions and ducks doing extraordinary things, so be it.

As for the faithful readers of this blog, I am in for a 'quality' rather than 'quantity' blog. I would still write this nonsense even if I were the only one reading it.

I know someone in Oklahoma will always read this. Thank you.

For all my devout readers, thank you. I expect to get fired for writing this entry, but I don't care. I want to keep the old characters. I want to keep the blog the way it is. I never want to grow up. I am never going to leave Kansas!

Now, the models:

This duck said if he became the model he would be able to pay for the eye surgery. Maybe he could check his thyroid function, too.

Look at this handsome, manly duck!

Every pose of this duck brings to mind a duck in command of his faculties and all that he surveys.
Compare him with this poor excuse of a duck!

Check out the exoskeleton on this scorpion! Ladies, control yourselves!

Here's a happy fellow! He works as a clown when he is not studying engineering.

All the ladies love the adorable Mr. Waddles.

Never mind the scorpions, why not start fresh with a BEE!

Why not have this whole family for the new blog mascots?

I will show more pictures(under duress) and will make a survey later this week.

Movie Review: Die Grosse Stille

My 8th, 11th, and 12th children in prayer:

Into Great Silence

Die Grosse Stille

“When the noise stops – the conversations, the music, the news, talk radio, the thought about what to say next in a discussion – then can one hear God speak.”

I thought these words years ago after attending a silent retreat at Featherock, a center run by Opus Dei, about an hour’s drive East of Houston. It has been our habit for my wife and me to attend separate, silent retreats at Featherock for the last 10 years. For us, it is an opportunity to spend time in silent prayer and meditation, away from the noise and activity that comes with a large homeschooling family. It is time for us to listen to God without interference from the outside world, to look at where we are and where we think God wants us to be. This process is done with spiritual direction from the priest in residence, spiritual reading, meditations, and most important of all with time spent before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

The yearly retreat is something we look forward to eagerly, and yet after three days, I find myself yearning for the company of my wife and children, and all the other things of the world that clamor for my attention.

I mention this before reviewing Into Great Silence because I know in my heart that I could never be a Carthusian monk. The three-day retreat has proved that many times. Despite this, I felt a bit of envy or desire to be a Carthusian. I can’t explain it any better than to recall one of my favorite quotes from St. John-Marie Baptiste Vianney:

“You see, the good God at times inspires us with desires of which he will never ask the fulfillment in this world.”

Abbe Francis Trochu go on to explain that “aspirations towards the monastic life were of this kind; and that, if they were carefully cherished in his heart, they would prove both a preservative against worldliness and a stimulus to the practice of every priestly virtue.”

(From The Cure D’Ars, by Abbe Francis Trochu, TAN Books, p. 309)

Before discussing the movie, some practical points to consider. The movie is almost 3 hours long, so consider a visit to the little boy’s room beforehand, and ration any drink that one consumes during the movie. Ignoring this advice may make you experience “Die Grosse Blase” instead of “Die Grosse Stille.”

Consider guarding one’s eyes before the movie starts. In the theater in Dallas, the movie trailers that preceded “Die Grosse Stille” were not appropriate for our children to view. Consider waiting until the movie is about to start before taking a seat.

The movie consists of short pieces of film depicting activities that take place in the Charterhouse located in the French Alps. Some of the scenes show the change of seasons, from winter to spring and then back to winter again. My wife pointed out that this showed how the seasons (or time) proceed, while the way of the monastic life remains changeless. Even the short vignettes have a kind of symmetry, where the movie begins and ends with scenes of the monks praying alone and together.

The movie is punctuated by the ringing of bells. Bells calling the monks to pray in unison in the chapel or alone in their cells. Wherever the monks are, they heed the call of the bell and pause for a few moments prayer. This is most touching in one scene where a monk is in the forest bowing in prayer before continuing his work in a small creek. The message I got was that prayer must be incorporated into all my daily work.

Rather than describing the movie (and giving away the surprise ending) I will discuss some of the notes I made of thoughts I had during the movie.

I was reminded of Switzerland, 1972, when I was just a Noisykid myself, and we were living in Switzerland at the time. I had forgotten how the mountains looked, and how thick snow could pile up on a roof. I had forgotten the sound of cowbells ringing on mist-covered slopes.

Seeing postulants, or novices being welcomed into the community, where the monks would embrace the new member and then purposely raise them up from the kneeling position. Such a sign of welcome and support was reminiscent of my brother’s ordination to the priesthood.

Seeing the meals delivered to the monk’s cells made me wish to be in a place where I could be taken care of completely. This thought was followed immediately by the realization that God does take care of me. I have never watched a movie which created such a feeling of being loved by God. I almost started crying – crying over lunch being delivered!

Touching on the subject of food, we all were impressed by the amount of food the monks seemed to get. Granted, if we were seeing the whole day’s ration it wasn’t that much. But if they get what appeared to be a large coffee can full of soup for every meal, they must be eating really well. We thought this until Fr. X noted that they probably need the calories for generating heat.

The only dialogue (not chanting or prayers) is in French, with subtitles. I remembered the saying that France is the ‘oldest daughter’ of the Church. Close-ups of the monk’s faces showed men filled with joy – especially the older monks. The close-ups also revealed these men to be fallible humans like me – some had glasses, bushy eyebrows; one even had a pacemaker or an AICD (Automated Implanted Cardioverter-Defibrillator) under the skin of his chest. A scene of the monks on their weekly exercise together, where they were sliding down a snowy hill, had to be the funniest scene in the movie. It also showed that even those who have forsaken the world for Our Lord still have a sense of humor.

The whole movie is a window into a world which I was always aware of but had never taken the time to examine. Granted, there are nuns and monks throughout the world who are remembering the intentions of the dadwithnoisykids family, but I realize now just how much I have taken their prayers for granted. Into Great Silence made me realize just what this other part of the Mystical Body of Christ looks like – what a tremendous gift we have by having men and women living the consecrated life, spending all their days in prayer and penance for those of us who live in the world. So when I look outside and see the Noisykids playing in the back yard, when I find myself falling asleep every time we pray, when the gloriously mundane life I lead seems to be summarized by nothing but failure, I can remember that somewhere there are monks and nuns who are awake, praying for the likes of me and my family. This thought gives me great consolation.

I recommend this movie without reservation. I took my children down to 9 years old to see it. This is also the first movie I have seen in a theater since 1999.

The '4K' is ready to cultivate some land!

The Review is Coming

After I get this disturbing video out of my head, and put the kids to bed, I shall publish some thoughts on Into Great Silence. But first, this:




What more proof do you need of the need for silence in the world?

UPDATE: After posting this, I discovered the person who sent it to me saw it at Amy Welborn's site.

This is the parmesan cheese we buy at Costco.

From my CPA

A couple of years ago my accountant sent me this. I prefer to write my own material, and not just make blog entries that are links to somewhere else, but there are exceptions to every rule. This is one of them.

I must add that besides sending me articles like this, my accountant has saved me on my tax returns.

Possible Movie Review: Into Great Silence

We shall attempt to go see this movie tonight. If we go, I shall add my two cents to other comments about the movie.

Here is a trailer(Julie Andrews-free):

Easter Week Thoughts

Purple sky courtesy of my cellphone/PDA/camera

Here is where I left the tractor when it was time for the Divine Mercy Novena

Every day of Easter Week has a special significance to the Dadwithnoisykids family.

Monday is typically 'Hypoglycemic Monday,' as the children's glucose levels plummet after gorging on candy for 24 hours.

Tuesday is the designated 'Repair Day,' with repairmen coming to work on one of the refrigerators, one of the dishwashers, and one of the washers. Going along with the tradition, only one of the repairs was completed, and pieces needed to complete the other jobs will be delivered before the repair can be rescheduled.

Tuesday and Wednesday were also 'Agricultural Days' as I put the boys to work on the property. After mowing yesterday, the boys dethatched the back property and collected the grass for the compost pile. Meanwhile, I dug out part of the garden and mixed in some of the old compost to make some raised beds for vegetable gardening. Some of the quinoa we seeded in the garden(on a whim) appears to be sprouting. Carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, poblano peppers(there goes that word again) are all sprouting in the little peat pots. We shall see what survives the summer. This spring has been cool and rainy, so maybe this year won't be another drought season....

Today we had visitors to celebrate early Histor the Wise's turning 17. We had a family come over, and as the kids played and the wives talked about their husbands, the heads of the households went for a walk. We talked about our respective jobs, about our children approaching adulthood, and other things that occupy our days. When I mentioned that I have had a premonition of 'seven lean years' approaching, he roared with laughter and said, "that's called kids going to college!" He has two children who have already passed through that phase of life.

Mr. Horse checks out my RWS Diana 300R .177 cal.(4.5 mm) repeating pellet gun. 900 fps, underlever, holds 7 pellets in a cylinder. Very little recoil and fun to shoot!

After dinner, we went to the back part of the property and shot airguns at paper targets or plastic toys. It was so wonderful to be sitting on the warm grass, breathing in the fresh smell of wild flowers in bloom, while concentrating on blowing plastic toys to bits. After a while, I just sat there, watching my friend and a couple of our children shoot as the last bit of daylight faded away. It was enough to be a spectator in this part of my life.

Here is one of the plastic men who lost his head:

Next came cigars on the back porch. This was my 4th cigar in my life, and it was wonderful. Below you can see our cigars, with my favorite Justin ropers in the background. We came inside to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Histor, and the night ended soon after with the Rosary and night prayers.

I am so blessed to have a good friend like the one mentioned above. It is good to be able to bounce thoughts and ideas off of someone who has or will be experiencing the same challenges I face as a Dadwithnoisykids. These kinds of friendship are priceless, and as I think more about this subject, I realize that God has blessed me with many good men whom I can number among my friends.

I would wager that such friendships are less frequent these days, as more time is robbed away from most people by that dreadful device called the television.

I can't mention friendship without discussing my closest friend, my wife. The past 18 years have been the greatest of my life, and all because of being married to her. It is wonderful to marvel at the way our love has grown, and how blessed we are because God gave us to each other. I was reminded of this last night, when the children found our wedding album and started looking through the pictures. I couldn't help noticing how happy I looked in all the pictures, yet I realize now that I had NO idea just how blessed I was to be marrying my wife.

Check out these cute chicks!

Noisykid Kitchen - Gnocchi

Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce

See the recipe from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen here.

Never mind about the ricer; use a cheese grater.

Gnocchi ridgers are for sissies.

While preparing gnocchi, read this strange e-mail a nun sent us:

"Just a short reflection for you on this blessed day.

"You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here."

With these words, the angel spoke to the women who were looking for the body of Jesus in the tomb.

The tomb was a liminal place. ("Limina" is the Latin word for threshold, the space betwixt and between, on the edge, on the cusp, pregnant with possibilities.)
Pregnant with possibilities. Hmm.

Like the women we too are often frightened and bewildered about that space between yesterday and tomorrow, between death and life.

But we are uniquely people of God, people of hope.
I should HOPE so....

Liminal space is a spiritual position where we struggle, but where all significant transformation happens. It is when we have left the familiar, but have not yet arrived at the new. It is when we are between our old comfort zone and any possible new way of being. Let us not be persons of the past. let us be informed by the past, but inspired into the future. Jesus goes ahead of us!

I am not comfortable with a nun discussing my liminal space, even if it is pregnant with possibilities

Let's follow!
Yay!

PRAYER
"So we are called not only to believe that Christ once rose from the dead, thereby proving that He was God: we are called to EXPERIENCE that Resurrection in our own lives by entering into this dynamic movement, by following Christ who lives in us." (Thomas Merton)

PERSONAL CHALLENGE

Where is Jesus leading you?"

Reflection and Challenge by Joann Heinritz, CSJ, Berkeley, CA

Berkely says it all....I don't think they wear any habit.

Thoughts on the Tridium

Holy Week began with my wife conducting such a thorough cleaning of our house that I had to pinch her to make sure she was not 9 months pregnant.

With each pregnancy, shortly before going into labor, Wifeofdadwithnoisykids will suddenly get the strength to clean and rearrange the house to her satisfaction and to my amazement. I will come home to find that large objects have moved from one side of the house to the other. Once I came home to find that the house had been rotated 180 degrees on its foundation so that "the changing table gets more light." In all these instances, I have walked into the house to find her rubbing her back, leaning on a broom, eager to show me all that she has done.

Seeing all this, and being the sensitive, caring type of man, my concerns are easily summed up in one question to my beautiful and pregnant bride: "So, what's for dinner?"

Sadly, she is not pregnant, but we are praying for more children.

Book Review: Lord of the World

Holy Thursday always reminds me of Lord of the World by Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson. This book was written by a Catholic priest in 1906, and describes the appearance of the Antichrist at the end of the world. While the Antichrist has a prominent role in the book, the actions of the other main characters, in this case, the Pope and his Cardinals, priests, etc. are far more interesting. The world has become extremely hostile to the Church, and there are many who have fallen away from the Faith. Even some of the priests have joined the Antichrist's movement.

Did I mention that this book, written in 1906, takes place around the year 2000?

Bear with me, and hold that thought, as this Ritalin-deprived brain leaps to yet another book which I recently showed to our Pastor. This book, which will remain nameless, was written to commemorate the 150th year of the parish that I belonged to when I was growing up. I was showing it so that Fr. X could see what the church looked like before it was 'wreckovated.' As I thumbed through the book, I came across the picture of the pastor who had been there during the 60's and 70's. He, like Robert Hugh Benson, had the title Monsignor. Unfortunately, he, along with every other priest in the city, had published a letter in 1968 to the effect that they disagreed with the Pope's teaching on Humane Vitae. That is all I could think of after seeing the Monsignor's portrait. May God have mercy on his soul, and on all the others who signed that letter. I thought of how this priest had not stood with the Pope, just as some of the priests in Lord of the World also left the side of the fictitious Pope.

No one in Lord of the World fares well in the temporal realm. How they do in the spiritual realm is far more important, and is what makes me think of this book every Holy Thursday. At the end of Holy Thursday Mass, the Precious Body is moved to the Altar of Repose, a side altar, while the main altar is stripped. As Our Lord is brought to the Altar of Repose, with incense and candles and an escort befitting The King, we would sing Pange Lingua. The first four verses would be sung until the Precious Body was placed on the Altar, at which time the final two verses would be sung.

These final verses play a significant role in the end of Lord of the World.

Genitori, Genitoque

laus et jubilatio,

salus, honor, virtus quoque

sit et benedictio:

procedenti ab utroque

compar sit laudatio. Amen

Here are some thorns from some trees on our property. I think they are mesquite trees. They puncture tractor tires a lot, and occupy most of my tractor maintenance time. They hurt when they penetrate one's flesh. I can't imagine what a crown of these would feel like.

I put them on Christ.

We do not subject our children, the parishioners, the priest, or ourselves to undue suffering by taking our children to the vigil Mass. We take them to Mass on Easter Sunday after getting them hopped up on chocolate. Watch out for that hypoglycemic swing!

I wish you all a Blessed Easter Week

Please read my review of...

...The Von Trapp Family Singers after you watch this trailer for the movie that was inspired by it:

Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Mind

We(Roman Sacristan, Fr. X, my wife, another couple, and I) were tossing around this idea after Mass tonight. I think it could be improved upon by someone who knows how to make posters.

If You Love

Liturgical Diversity,

Let the Indult Mass Free.

If It Gains Popularity,

It was Meant To Be.

If Not, It Never Was.

From the 11th Day Meditation:

There is one thng that keeps many back from spiritual progress, and from fervor in amendment namely: the labor that is necessary for the struggle.

from Imitation of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 25.

Reason For His Absence, Reposted

from March 18, 2007, for your reading pleasure(?):

Reason For His Absence

"In God's Providence it makes no sense
why some of us live and some must die."


He never said a word to us as he went through his life.
He left that to the other folks, especially his wife.

His actions, a model for the married man's vocation:
keep still, work hard, love the wife, silence is your salvation.

His role in this life was to guard the greatest things on earth:
his beloved wife and Child - Jesus of the Virgin Birth.

He cared so well for his loved ones without a hint of pride,
perhaps that's why he died before his son was crucified.

For no father would just stand by and watch his son in pain,
no man could stand the sight of a beloved being slain.

For sure he would have been old and gray, wrinkled face and hand,
but years of toil and sacrifice still edified the man.

For him the thought of flight was wrong unless he had his son.
Then all Gethsemane could get to see an old man run.

The hands that once wielded wood and hammer, saw, plane and ax,
Would have not hung limp, as the soldiers scourged his child's back.

His voice would ring out loud and clear as one above the din,
while all the world ungratefully thundered "crucify him!"

The path He took to Golgotha, to Calvary, the skull,
would have been blocked by his father, although the road was full.

At the cross the carpenter would not have remained so calm
to see his precious child take a nail in every palm.

None of these things ever happened, I dare to venture why:
Heavenly Father knew Joseph would not let Jesus die

For no father would just stand by and watch his son in pain,
No man could stand the sight of a beloved being slain.

But this Man was the Son of God, and died on Calvary,
through His Passion and His Death sent here to set us all free.

SMD
3.18.2007

Tonight's Meditation...

...has been cancelled while we decorate eggs as our favorite Star Wars character. Can you spot Jabba the Hut?

Noisykid Kitchen - Cornbread

More like cake than I wanted, but you can see the Noisykids enjoyed it...recipe to follow later.

Ingredients

Granulated sugar: ½ cup
Honey: 1 cup
Salt: pinch - just a pinch.
Baking Powder: 2T
Bread flour: 3 ¾ cup
Corn meal: 1 cup
Eggs, large: 4
Milk: 1 ½ cup
Salad oil: 1/3 cup

Directions:

1. Combine first seven ingredients and 1 cup of the milk.
2. Mix on low speed until moist.
3. Add remainder of milk and salad oil.
4. Mix until combined.
5. Spoon into well-greased muffin tins or into one 9” x 13” pan
6. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.
7. If baking in the pan, bake for longer and test center for ‘doneness’
8. Yields 24 muffins.

Adapted from Family Favorites Cookbook, by Ana Maria Boza

from the Opus Dei retreat House in Pembroke, MA

I am very unhappy that our Priest did not allow an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday. I shall write him a letter of complaint.

Holy week Meditation, Tuesday

Three Men

Three men went upon the hillside
Whence from Pilate they had been tried
To the place of Golgotha

Who will you be, gentle reader?
Penitent thief or blasphemer?
Or the one who turned away?

One man looked upon our Savior
Saw His face and his demeanor
Cursing Him from his own cross

So the first to carry the cross
Threw it back to become his loss
Sadly for eternity

When we hold our cross and suffer
Will we have the strength to offer
All we have to Christ Our Lord

One man cried to Him for mercy
Knowing that his death was justly
Punishment for his own sins

Humble words of his confession
Lead to such a sweet profession
You will be with me today

When we face our final moment
Will He find our souls penitent
Begging for His forgiveness

One man forced to carry the wood
Dropping it as soon as he could
Then upon his way he went

Did he look upon this victim
Realizing that he helped to kill him
Bringing Him to Calvary

Will we lose rewards and graces
Not to see in others faces
Christ’s eyes looking back at us

Can we march the via crucis
Matching all our footfalls with His
Bearing our cross joyfully

Pray that when we walk beside Him
That we will not curse, deride Him
Staying with Him to the end

Who will you be, gentle reader
Penitent thief or blasphemer?
Or the one who turned away?

SMD

4.3.2007

Time to get serious about Lent

On Palm Sunday, after Mass and spending a Holy 2-Hour or so in church after lunch, my eldest son, Histor the Wise, drove us home. It was an hour full of fun and excitement. Wifeofdadwithnoisykids spent all of the time praying, with short breaks to tell me that she loves me and to loosen her grip on my shoulders. We made it home fine; Histor even got a great opportunity to deal with couches which were blocking the center two lanes of I-20. I didn't get that kind of experience until I was a lot older. I am jealous....

Somehow this prayer, on a holy card on my desk, seemed to be an appropriate one to think of at this time:

Offering of Holy Communion As Viaticum

MY GOD!

If I am to die today, or suddenly at any time,

I wish to receive this Communion as my Viaticum.

I desire that my last food may be the Body and Blood

of my Saviour and Redeemer;

my last words, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph;

my last affection, an act of pure love of God and

of perfect contrition for my sins;

my last consolation,

to die in Thy holy grace and

in Thy holy love. Amen.

This issue has been on my mind, starting with this rather prophetic post in February, and in several posts during the month of February. I am beginning to see what a tremendous grace, blessing I received by spending some time as a patient. I have not given adequate thought to preparing for the day I die.

FYI:

New stuff happening behind the scenes at Scorpion Stalking Duck will be announced after Easter.

Stuffed Poblano Pepper Alert:

On Saturday night, I got some takeout Mexican food for my wife and I. She had wanted to go on a 'date' before Holy Week began, and I was too busy to take her out last week. Anyways, I ordered Chili Rellenos, also known as 'Stuffed Poblano Peppers.' It was great, with ground beef inside and an allegedly 'hot' green sauce on the outside(I must be adapting finally to hot sauces), but it made me wonder something. Any time I mention 'stuffed poblano peppers' I get at least one hit from someone who is 'Googling' that term. Why? They are so easy to make; just hollow out a pepper, stuff it and cook it - or more likely just warm it up.

So why the need to look up a recipe for stuffed poblano peppers?

From Preparation for Total Consecration

The Seventh Day(The Imitation of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 18):

Oh how great was the fervor of all religious in the beginning of their holy institute! Oh how great was their devotion in prayer, how great was their zeal for virtue! How vigorous the discipline that was kept up, what reverence and obedience, under the rule of the superior, flourished in all! [snip] Now, he is thought great who is not a transgressor; and who can, with patience, endure what he has undertaken.

That last line sums up the world so well, where someone who just obeys the law is seen as a pillar of virtue. God calls us to do so much more than just drive a large van between the lines on the freeway. Sometimes we have to look out for stumbling blocks(or couches) and get away from them. Sometimes we need to apply the brakes before we collide with a yacht or go literally overboard.

It Is Time!

Welcome to the Kitchen.