How will you fare.

This is a pretty obvious one. Ive seen one designed for different currents within Catholicism but cant find it!

I made the cut

You scored as Roman Catholic, You are Roman Catholic. Church tradition and ecclesial authority are hugely important, and the most important part of worship for you is mass. As the Mother of God, Mary is important in your theology, and as the communion of saints includes the living and the dead, you can also ask the saints to intercede for you. Roman Catholic 100% Neo orthodox 86% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 71% Charismatic/Pentecostal 61% Fundamentalist 57% Classical Liberal 46% Emergent/Postmodern 39% Modern Liberal 39% Reformed Evangelical 18% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

WAT YOO BIN DOIN CREG?

Wy yoo do dat Creg? Yoo bin comin roun, comin roun atakin ma combreah?

Cornbread

Old Wine in New Wineskins

"CHAMPAGNE that spent 82 years on the ocean floor will surface at a swank dinner in Melbourne tomorrow night.

Eight bottles of Heidsieck & Co Monopole 1907 vintage, a sweeter style known as Gout Americain, will be sipped and admired at a sold-out dinner for 88 guests at Crown's Number 8 restaurant.

That the wine survived at all is extraordinary. On November 3, 1916, about 3000 bottles of the champagne, along with 17 barrels of burgundy and 21 barrels of cognac, were on a Swedish schooner, the Jonkoping, heading for Finland where, the cargo was destined for the thirsty Russian Imperial Army in St Petersburg"


I hope its not corked!

The story from the Age here

Official Warns Against Idolizing Nature

Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said this last Friday

"Nature is for the human person and the human person is for God," Cardinal Martino said. "In considering the problems associated with climate change, one must look to the social doctrine of the Church," which "neither supports the absolutization of nature, nor the reduction of nature to a mere instrument."

"Nature is not an absolute, but a wealth that is placed in the person's responsible and prudent hands," he added.

Read more here

It was good to read this article.

Though climate change is an issue at the moment (whether liegitimatley or not is another matter) it is worth reminding that it is not the greatest and most important issue in our society. This is true of all things in a sense.

There is an underlying and sinister feel to the media's current obsession with climate change.

I do find, however, a paradox in climate change. Environmentalists believe that we are the ultimate cause of problems in the world and thus are the ultimate beings on earth, i.e: we cause problems and we are in charge of solving them because a frog cannot.

But at the same time they believe that we are simply animals and have no special place (except to save other animals).

Its kind of a twisted mirroring of the incarnation.

New Chancellor, New Bishops

I just noticed that there is to be a new Chancellor for the University of Sydney.
I'm not really sure of Bashir's ideology so wouldn't want to commen there.

I do wonder if this is covert 'affirmative action' as she is after all, the University's first female Chancellor (and first female Govenor of NSW). I also wonder if there is actually a female quivalent of the word Chancellor. Before our PC times she would have been termed 'Governess' for her role at government house. Then again, in pre-PC times she probably would have been overlooked because she is a woman.

MEANWHILE and probably more meaningfully, check out www.coo-eesfromthecloister.blogspot.com for the news on Australia's new Bishops.

I know one of them is absolutely brilliant- don't know the other and don't particularly like his tie .

BXVI BIRTHDAY AND ERMINE

Apparently the Pope has lacked Christian Charity by wearing fur on his Camuro and Mozetta. Its probably fake fur anyway. In any event I'm sure the rabbits or whoever gave up their skin would be happy to see it on the Pope's head and shoulders.


Ermine is cool! Popes have worn the emine trimmed mozetta and camuro for centuries, though Paul VI, JPI and JPII scrapped it.

Check out Benedict XIV.



If the Pope is an animal killer then what can we say about this Cathedral Canon from Germany?



I like Ermine too!

Only in the USA (we hope)

This guy has a hand in electing the Pope.



Compare that to this



I know which one God would choose

King's College Quire, Cambridge

This is an awesome quire (the old Anglican spelling of choir). I just stumbled upon a video of them singing my favorite processional, Parry's "I was Glad" which is based on Psalm 121(122).

The words are as follows:

"I was glad when they said unto me,'we will go into the house of the Lord.' (verse 1)
Our feet shall stand in thy gates, O Jerusalem. (verse 2)
Jerusalem is builded as a city that is at unity in itself. (verse 3)
O pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee. (verse 6)
Peace be within thy walls, and plenteousness within thy palaces." (verse 7)



Its originally a coronation anthem but would go really well in a wedding, as the text goes very well with the vocation of Fatherhood. Its also good for a Crusade.


This quire is very old, check out this video from the fifties.

HAPPY CANDLEMAS

I apologise to all my readers for not blogging much recently.

I have just started work at Refield College as a teacher and Campion Collge as Master of Students. Once I have sorted out everything I'll be back on the blog.



Until then check out The New Liturgical Movement for the very beautiful sequence for Candlemas day.

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY

Since it is Australia Day, I have had an idea to do a long series on Australian National Symbols, which I will blog, hopefully, on Mondays. I'll look at interesting facts about the history of the Australian Flag, Coat of Arms and Anthem, and whatever other small potatoes take my fancy. Until then, have a look at the picture below which explains the dimensions and meanings of the fully official national Flag.

A New Shark for the media to go into a feeding frenzy about

Apparently some Japanese scientists have recorded the first ever footage of a deep sea shark (called a frilled shark). Im sure it has now become a delicacy.
See the SMH story

A Victory for Truth and Justice

VICTORY

Two Interesting developments

Two pieces of news about sharks interested me today. First is the elevation of Malcom Turnbull to the front bench of the House of Reps.

Sydney Morning Herald- Turnbull

It is becoming very clear (in my opinion) that Turnbull is not only aimimg to become PM, but John Howard is grooming him too. Firstly, the staunchly monarchist (like myself) Howard 'admitted,' near to the time of Turnbull's election to the House of Reps, that "Australia will one day be a republic." Due to Turnbull's high profile republicanism, I fail to see that this was not connected. Howard is singularly destroying his contender, Costello, while placing Abbott in Health, a good decision for sure, but one that also has the added benefit of making Abbott unpopular due to his beliefs.

Meanwhile the cowardly Turnbull, who one senior Australian cleric called a 'terrible ...man" voted for RU486, simply to embarrass Abbott and destroy his credibility.

I think, considering his record, Turnbull is in general bad news for this country- there is nothing that he can do that Abbott couldn't do just as well or better.


Of other interest is this story, about a Great White Shark attack on the South Coast. Shark attacks are on the rise due to conservation. In the past, lifesavers where issued with guns to shoot sharks from the beach as the killers were much more numerous back then.

Though it sounds macabre, I actually envy this guy. I'd love to be attacked by a Great White and survive without serious injury- how cool.

Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas

DARTH MAUL WAS COOL IN EPISODE I


REMEMBER Episode II of STAR WARS (the clone wars) where is it discovered that a Jedi Master named Sifo-Dyas had placed an order for the Clone Army. This little 'mystery' is really frustrating, particularly because it is stupidly never resolved in the next film.

I have done a bit of online research and have found out who he was. It's in a (canonical) Star Wars book called Labyrinth of Evil. I'm still very disappointed that it wasn't resolved on-screen, particularly when they made such a deal about it in Episode II.

Apparently Sifo-Dias was a Jedi Master who was not happy with the the way things were going. Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious secretly sent him to order the clone army, then Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus murdered him and took over.

Anyway here is the link that will clear up the mystery a bit. Ill have to buy the book and give you a better explanation in the future.

Who was Sifo-Dyas?

Explanation on the Sith on Wookiepedia

DON"T BE A GIRLIE-MAN

You heard me.

The Sarum Rite

This is an example of the old 'use' of the Roman Rite that is native to England. I won't get into the details, but there is an excellent explanation in the links below. This use is still legitimate and should be more widely celebrated. When I am rich I will found an order or something that only celebrates the Sarum Use.

Of course, all the pre-reformation English saints (well most of them, there was a 'use' of Lincoln and York, among others) including St Thomas More, would have been to this mass, NOT the Traditional Latin Mass. Pugin designed his churches on the presumption that Catholics in England would just use the Sarum Use of the Roman Rite again. Unfortunatley that never happened- yet anyway.



great explanatory links:

LINKS:
History Article on Sarum Use

Images and Dicussion

A recent pontifical celebration

Sarum Divine Office

Great Pics but the post reads bottom to top

X-Men cartoons

I just ordered the comlete X-Men cartoon series from the 90's. I used to love these as a kid. They are far deeper than the rubbish kids get today. These had meaning, mythology and a sense of storyline and continuity. AND, it has real baddies, Like Apocalypse and Dr. Sinister, without jittering stupid sidekicks you often find today. It had moral conflict, like Magneto's struggle to kill or work with humans and a sense of trancendand power, like the Phoenix. I know the actual comics are better, but they are so expensive and one cant get the whole series. By the way, as usual, I think the movies stink.

The Great Cornholio

Hey Remember this guy? That cartoon show was so funny.

Lifeguard Sickness

Ever heard of Cabin Fever? Well a similar mental diseas is also common among Surf lifeguards on country beaches in summer. Sitting on a beach for 6 out of seven days per week(then spending the 7th on the beach anyway) in rain, hail or shine tends to destroy the brain. There are many symptoms, including:

1. Gibberish. After about 4 days the lifeguard has said everything he possibly can to his partner and delves into gibberish. Common words are "amergh," "a-fat-a," "poopinyaka," "boodgerigaan."

2. Poetic phrases are common, e.g: "Whay yoo doodat Creg? Yoo bin comin roun, comin roun a-takin ma corn breah!" Translation: "Why you do that Craig? You've been coming around, coming around, taking my corn bread." Meaning: No meaning.

3. Silly behaviour with the public. To be honest, the public is crazy and intrinsically stupid, but that is for another post. Lifeguards will often play word games, like using "shark" or "sharklike' words while speaking to people on the beach. Or other words like, "grasshopper," "nincompoop," "obi-wan" or "shaloa."

4. Misusing equiptment: Lifegurds just go crazy. I know some who have burt down their lifguard sheds during the night for fun and blamed in on local hoodlums.

5. Radio abuse: Lifguards have rescue radios they use to communicate. These often take the brunt of a Lifeguard's sickness. The events demonstrative of symptoms 1-4 most often include a rescue radio.

6. Absenteeism: Some lifeguards just tend to take 5 hour lunch breaks.

So there you go. There are of course more. Bet you didn't know the perils of being an attractive, sun tanned and well trained profession Beach inspector/Lifeguard.


A-FAT-A to you all.