R.I.P. House

Tonight I watched a show I once liked very much and even had a lot of respect for. I considered it one of the more rewarding shows on television, but tonight I felt my heart cry out while I watched an episode end in travesty.

I know it's just a show, but the statement it made does nothing short of further defining the culture of death we live in today. A girl comes to the clinic where Dr. House is working and it comes to light that she was raped a week before. Through the course of the show an emotional story unfolds as we find out she has a minor sexually transmitted disease from her attacker. And then, towards the 3/4 mark, we find out she is also pregnant.

In classic hollywood style, Dr. House immediately suggests a "termination," to which she responds, "Abortion is murder" and goes on the defend her beliefs from an argumentative House. At first it made me smile, as their was a glimpse of hope that someone out in tinseltown might have a soul reaching for God. But that smile quickly turned to a frown as in the final 30 seconds of the show we find out that she takes House's advice and terminates her pregnancy. It was no more than an agenda-driven plot. The writers should be ashamed.

I'll miss the show because every other episode I've seen was quite rewarding, but for me I know that one episode can ruin them all... in this case it's ruined for me and most likely for thousands more a character beloved by so many. "House," you've lost my viewership and respect. Tonight, I pray for the writers and the souls of those they've influenced.

Pride and Principle

Recently I have discovered that there is a line, not much thicker than a strand of hair, between standing up for a principle for virtuous reasons and simply being prideful. Often times it is extremely difficult to tell when the line has been crossed and one is neck deep in a state of sinful self-importance. It is judgments like those that require the grace of God. It is only through grace that we are able to develop any clarity regarding our intentions.

A Prayer for Humility:
Lord,
help us to humble ourselves both to you and to others.
By Christ's example,
let us be secure only in that which we know pleases you.
In all other things,
grant us the clarity to discern right action.
We pray this in a spirit of humility
through Christ, your son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

The First Bishop of Crete

There's a letter addressed to him from the Apostle Saint Paul. He was known as a great peacemaker which Saint Paul considered a gift of the Holy Spirit. In fact, Paul would often send him to "solve problems" and "end quarrels." Legend says that when he visited, the guilty immediately felt regret. So who is this mystery Bishop? None other than Saint Titus!

January 26th is the joint feast day of St.s Timothy and Titus. While doing some reading on their lives, I came across a very cool fact I hadn't been aware of before... that St. Titus had likely died a natural death. And that he had been the first and only Bishop of Crete up until he died. I always find it inspiring to know that not all early Church leaders were killed. In fact, it seemed as if the Christian community on Crete was quite strong, which makes perfect sense due to Titus' reputation as a peace maker.

This is a picture of the Basilica of St. Titus in Gortyna, Crete. Originally constructed in the 6th-7th centuries, the Basilica is a prime example of an early Church basilica. Invading Saracens destroyed the Basilica in 824, but parts remain (as you can see in the picture).

Saint Titus' relics (namely his head) were taken to Venice, Italy and are kept enshrined in St. Mark's.

Precious Brandon

My baby brother, Brandon, was born when I was one year old. He was born on Palm Sunday, but he wouldn't live to see Good Friday or experience his first Easter. They were only days away, but Brandon couldn't breathe. He died only a short time after being born. That's all I know about him.

While growing up, my mom would always cry on Palm Sunday. I came to eventually know why, but for the longest time I didn't understand. And now I cry and don't understand. This past year on All Souls Day, I mourned my little brother for the first time in my entire life. It was through the understanding and celebration of All Souls Day that I came to realize that his death was very real although never spoken of. And even though I have no idea what he looked like, his death is very real to me. I can't explain the feeling of loss I feel sometimes. It's very odd to me.

Sometimes I wonder what he looked like. I'm fairly sure there isn't a picture anywhere to be seen. The doctors knew something was wrong immediately. There were little to no smiles, no happy parents. Sometimes I wonder if I can see his face in the faces of my parents, or in my own face and that of my sister's. I'm weeping just writing these words and yet I know it was simply his time. God, for whatever reason, felt that Brandon should be brought to Him in that very instant. Whether God was saving him years of struggle, or it was part of something beyond that, it was time. That's why I cry and don't understand why. I never knew my brother but sometimes I feel like I knew him perfectly.

Today in D.C. and all over the U.S., thousands of citizens are gathering to march and pray for a culture of life in this country. I have to admit that I don't understand at all how a mother can take the life of her own child in an abortion. Life is precious, all too much so. Brandon never had a chance to tell anyone anything, but love for him will never fade. He may have died minutes after being born, but every second of his life, from conception to his death was precious.

A year later, after my Mom was told that she would not be able to conceive again, my sister Erica was born. Maybe Brandon made way for a miracle, maybe in his soul the Lord saw someone so unselfish that he would give himself right then and there for his future little sister. Either way, I miss you Brandon and I can't wait to finally meet you in heaven. I love you.

Two Cents

'98: FedEx delivers a package
for the Pope at Vatican City...

"Hey Buddy, I'm not joshin'
ya. I really am the Pope."

Where is God?

Thank you to the Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Church website for this one:

A couple had two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble and their parents knew that, if any mischief occurred in their town, their sons were probably involved.

The boys’ mother heard that a clergyman in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The clergyman agreed, but asked to see them individually. So the mother sent her 8-year-old first, in the morning, with the older boy to see the clergyman in the afternoon.

The clergyman, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, “Where is God?”.

The boy’s mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there with his mouth hanging open, wide-eyed. So the clergyman repeated the question in an even sterner tone, “Where is God!!?” Again the boy made no attempt to answer.

So the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy’s face and bellowed, “WHERE IS GOD!?”

The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him.

When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, “What happened?” The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, “We are in BIG trouble this time, dude. God is missing - and they think WE did it!”

Saintly Logos and More

Hello everyone. Please pray for me while I update the blog layout in hopes that I don't delete anything substantial. When blogger updated to blogger beta, I figured Discerning Sainthood should make the upgrade to (for the sake of future technologies available to us bloggers). This I knew would be a painful thing because the old site template would no longer function for all of our readers. And so, after a week of tweaking things here and there, I finally decided to execute the upgrade and the new look.

I appreciate any feedback, comments, opinions, problems, etc. with the new version of the blog.

Let me know if you run into any problems with your feeds or any links. Oh, and p.s... the bearded saintly fellow in the top left is our new logo, let us know what you think. Thanks and Pax Christi!

A Truly Sacramental Marriage

Occasionally I will have personal revelations which lead to a deeper understanding of what I already know. I had one of those today in relation to the topic of the Church's teaching on the use of contraceptives.
We receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist under the accidents of bread and wine. The bread and the wine are physical expressions of the Eucharist. In the same way, the act of conjugal love within a marriage is the physical expression of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony that couples married within the Church receive on their wedding day.
What is asked of married couples in the Church is that we allow God into our marriages in the same way he is present in the Eucharist. The Eucharist only becomes what it is when God enters into the bread and wine. The marital act is an expression of a sacramental marriage only when we allow God in freely without attempts to frustrate His will.
Speaking as an engaged woman preparing to enter into the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, I must take this to heart in all its truth to prepare for a deeper understanding of my future marriage, and those already in marriages must answer to this and live out their marriages in the way the Church teaches and thus the way God wills.

What Don't Friends Do?

Friends Don't Let Friends Skip Mass™, That's what!

Hello, readers! Go check out the new website from Bryan and me:
http://www.FriendsDontLetFriendsSkipMass.com

In the words of the Blessed Dina Belanger, "If souls but understood the Treasure they possess in the Divine Eucharist, it would be necessary to encircle the tabernacles with the strongest ramparts for, in the delirium of a devouring and holy hunger, they would press forward themselves to feed on the Bread of Angels. The Churches would overflow with adorers consumed with love for the Divine prisoner no less by night than by day."

Help to remind others of the great blessing God has granted us in the power and beauty of the Mass and the Eucharist. Visit http://www.FriendsDontLetFriendsSkipMass.com.

Christian Mission: The Net is Waiting

The internet speaks to everyone. I say this because there is something for everyone on the world wide web. It doesn't matter how old you are, or how young. It doesn't matter what ethnicity, gender, background, religion, anything! You can be a committed businessman or a boxcar hobbyist, it doesn't matter. You get my point.

So where am I going with this?

Regardless of your state in life, whether you know you're on the right track with your career or relationships, or whether you feel completely and utterly lost, along for the ride in the current of life... regardless, we as Christians have a mission. If you feel no other sense of purpose but to fulfill your Christian mission of bringing the Gospel to others, then so be it.

So why did I lead off with comments about the internet?

Because the internet is fertile ground for your mission. Sure you can talk to people face to face, or write for the local newspaper, or put together a charity, all of those things are amazing and valuable avenues for spreading the Good News... but might I suggest something to throw in the loop as well? Consider making a web page, I'm not even really suggesting a web site, just a page would do. One page talking about the Lord, one page that might inspire many to find their way to God. You'd be surprised how many people will happen across a single page, seriously.

Just throwing that idea out there. One page, one blog, one more avenue to continue your mission. For those of you who are semi-tech savvy, it's easy to create free or low cost sites. For those of you who can barely make it to this blog, it's not a big hurdle thanks to site-building software out there. Consider it, pray about it.

Some links to help you along:
- free blogs: www.blogger.com , www.vox.com
- free websites: www.tripod.com , www.myspace.com
- low cost sites: www.godaddy.com

* note: I'm only listing places where I've had good experiences. Myspace.com can be a questionable place, but if you ask me, it just needs more Christians pronouncing their faith on there. Also, I haven't actually used Vox.com yet, but I plan on doing so very soon, check it out.

Subtract 2 Days from Christmas

Hi everyone. Thanks to David Perry, a regular reader of DS, I've come across a mistake in the "14 Days of Christmas" post from December 27th, 2006. Turns out there is still only 12 days, ha ha, so I guess what I'm trying to say is that the basis for the title and first part of the article is only partly there. Here's what David said in his email...

"Actually it's still 12. Christmas day doesn't count, the season starts the day after. The feats of Epiphany is on Saturday Jan. 6th. Some RC dioceses may opt to observe the Sunday after Epiphany as Epiphany Sunday, but the feast is still on the 6th."

We'll be the first to admit when we're wrong, ha ha, but if there's one thing I've learned about the liturgical season, there's always differences... let us here from you... is this correct? Just leave a comment to let us know. Thanks!