Orthometer

Index Of Fobidden Hymns (Gather, Pt. XI).

2012-01-23T13:21:00.001-07:00

This includes the hymns for funerals. Notice how they just assume that the deceased is just going to go to Heaven. No prayers for them are necessary at all. It also includes songs for "Penance and Reconciliation". No a peep about the Sacrament of Confession. It is a microcosm of what is wrong with theology.

Numbers 851-900:

854-I Know That My Redeemer Lives: HH.
859-The Hand of God Shall Hold You: HH, P. It just assumes the deceased is going to Heaven.
860-I, the Lord: SIGV. No, He is the Lord. You are the creature.
861-Song of the Exile: HH.
864-Song of Farewell: SWTR. (Just use "In Paradisum".)
867-Wherever You Go: HH.
869-We Will Serve the Lord: HH.
875-Jesus, Heal Us: HH.
880-Deep Down in My Soul: HH.
882-Healer of Our Every Ill: HH.
883-Ashes: H, HL. "To create ourselves anew"? I don't think so.
884-I Want to Call You: HH, NAU.
892-God of Eve and God of Mary: C, DO.

And that's it for "Gather". Keep your eyes open for a wrap-up post.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, P=Presumptuous, PC=Politically Correct, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice (i. e. we are not God), SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Devil Dog's Dog And Frog.

2012-01-11T21:40:00.002-07:00

(Yes, I know it is likely a toad. But toad doesn't rhyme with dog.)

Devil Dogs' Dog.

2012-01-09T17:12:00.001-07:00

Dad's unit adopted a pack of stray dogs while in Vietnam. They even built the dogs their own bunker for when they came under fire. Here is one of them.

Photo Project.

2012-01-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

I have started scanning my dad's slides from Vietnam into the computer. A man who served with dad is going to help me identify who and what they contain. Most of them I have a general idea about, but this one I know the story. Dad stepped on a punji stick. Fortunately, his boots had a steel insert in the sole, but one of them cut into the side of the boot, as you can see here.

Holy Day!

2011-12-31T12:12:00.002-07:00

This year the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God is a Holy Day of Obligation in my diocese! But only because it falls on a Sunday. Suppressed/transferred holy day rant delayed until Ascension Thursday next.

Action-Figure-Palooza!

2011-12-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

Filling the hole in my soul left by my mom selling my GIJoes at a garage sale in September 1980.

Afterburner with Bill Whittle: Three Years Under Obama

2011-12-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

Random Liturgical Gripes.

2011-12-17T11:16:00.001-07:00

Liturgist Animus Against Penance What is up with that? It seems that the liturgical establishment is pushing for the elimination of the penitential ~~rite~~ act whenever they can. Funeral Mass? Eliminate it. Ash Wednesday? Eliminate it. Nuptial Mass (in the new Missal)? Eliminate it. I seem to remember reading that Bugnini suppressed it in the first draft of the Mass of Paul VI. Add to the post-conciliar transformation of Advent from a penitential season to one of joyful expectation (whatever that means). There seems to two ideas at work here. First, there can be too much penance and that joy and penance are mutually exclusive. Bunk and double bunk. Penance is joyful in that it draws us closer to Christ. There is also the ancient Christian principle that worship and celebration must be preceded by penance. I guess these are the same types that think we can't have crucifixes because we are 'an Easter people'.

Apostles' Creed in place of the Nicean-Constanipolitan. I love the 2002 Misale Romanum and its new English translation. However, I don't think the option to use the Apostles' Creed is a good idea. We need more specificity about our Faith, not less.

Advent Police. My first year at the seminary, the Ice Queen (tm) decreed that there would be no Christmas decorations at all during Advent. (I think she was descended from Burgermeister Meisterburger.) It made for the most depressing December EVER! Jesse Trees just don't cut it. I hear more and more of similar bans. Get a grip folks. I understand the desire to appreciate the Liturgical Season of Christmas, but get a grip folks. Saying Merry Christmas does not destroy Advent and neither do Christmas lights and trees. This problem can addressed by the gradual introduction of Christmas decorations culminating on December 25th and by leaving them up until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Liturgical Puritanism in not the answer.

(Later addition) Liturgical Newspeak. "Eucharistic Liturgy", "Reconciliation", and "Gathering Space (or any 'space' for that matter)", I am thinking of you! The liturginazis hate traditional terminology. While the Mass is a Eucharistic Liturgy, it is not the only one; see Benediction and a Communion Service. Confession is only Reconciliation if one is guilty of a mortal sin. Our churches are more than just 'spaces' for worship. Just stick to the traditional terms and everyone will know what you are talking about.

Index Of Forbidden Hymns (Gather, Pt. X).

2011-12-10T11:20:00.001-07:00

Numbers 801-850:

801-For the Life of the World: HH, NAU, DO, LC.
808-We Are God's Work of Art: HH, NAU.
810-You Are God's Work of Art: HH, NAU.
813-Song of the Chosen: NAU, DO.
815-You Satisfy the Hungry Heart; DTD Please give me an article!
816-Let Us Be Bread: DO, SIGV.
817-Jesus, Wine of Peace: HH, DO, SIGV.
821-Bread of Life, Hope of the World: DO. Excuse me, lead us to the Father.
824-I Myself Am the Bread of Life: SIGV.
825-As the Grains of Wheat: HH, DO.
827- Bread for the World: DO.
828-I Am the Bread of Life: SIGV.
831-Take and Eat: SIGV.
833-Now in This Banquet: HH, DO.
842-Take and Eat This Bread: SIGV.
844-Without Seeing You: HH.
845-The Song of the Supper: DO.
847-Song of the Body of Christ: HH, H, NAU. We come to share HIS story....We come to know His rising from the dead.
849-Table Song: HH, DO.

Why am I not surprised that there are so many problems with the "Eucharist" songs.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, PC=Politically Correct, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice (i. e. we are not God), SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

My Great-Grandfather.

2011-12-10T10:57:00.001-07:00

I found some very interesting information on my great-grandfather in the Google book "Pianos and Their Makers" by Alfred Dolge.

Born at Berlin, Germany, in 1869, he had the benefit of that thorough training for which the schools of Germany are renowned. After passing through the grammar and manual training schools, he continued his studies of the higher branches at the evening and Sunday school, where he acquired all the knowledge of mathematics, drafting, etc., necessary to become a competent piano constructor. Under the personal tutelage of the well-known piano maker Eduard Werner, of Berlin, Richtsteig mastered in the course of lime all the details of piano making. Competent to earn his own living, he came to America in 1888 and engaged with Bush and Gerts, of Chicago. In order to perfect himself more particularly in the art of scale drawing, he bided his time for an opportunity to study under Henry Kroeger of Steinway fame. He remained at Kroeger's factory in New York for one year, when he was induced to assume the foremanship in the finishing department of his old employers, Bush and Gerts, of Chicago.

In 1898 he accepted the position as designer and constructor for the Starr Piano Company, of Richmond, Ind., where he designed scales for upright and grand pianos, including a concert grand. Eminently successful in these efforts, he became desirous of starting in business for himself. Opening business at Milwaukee, in 1905, he experienced all the trials and tribulations of the beginner, until he found in Edmund Gram a man congenial to him, filled with his own ideals, and possessed of the same ambition to build a piano of the highest order. Under the name of Gram-Richtsteig Company a partnership Gramwas formed in October, 1908. By the close of 1908 fifty pianos had been disposed of; the year 1909 closed with sales of two hundred fifty pianos, which number was doubled in 1910 and again doubled in 1911, so that larger manufacturing facilities had to be provided for. Richtsteig did not aim for a sky-rocket success; he knew that he had to train and educate men to build the artistic piano which he had designed. Deft handling of tools is not sufficient to make artistic pianos; the men must know the why and wherefore. To train his men properly, Richtsteig started the first technical school for piano makers in America, at his Technical factory, in 1908. The proposition was accepted with enthusiasm Scho°I by the young men in his employ. Only men who had practical experience in piano building were admitted. The tuition was free, Richtsteig devoting his evenings to teaching his men the fundamental laws of piano construction.

He soon had a sufficient force of thoroughly educated artisans, which enabled him to increase the output of his factory to keep pace with the ever-growing demand. The superior qualities of the Gram-Richtsteig piano were quickly recognizedby the trade and the instrument was accepted as one of the leaders.

The thorough piano maker, Richtsteig, had succeeded in constructing a piano comprising all that modern methods suggest, and had embodied in it many original ideas which enhanced the durability and reliability of the same, yet he was not contented. He knew that all piano manufacturers were laboring under the difficulties presented by the delicate adjustment of the action parts, which would easily get out of alignment, because of the continual change in the atmosphere from dry to wet, and vice versa. F. C. Billings, a piano tuner, had Kail Action invented a metal flange in place of the commonly used wooden frame gange, furthermore a metal frame with steel angle rails to prevent the usual warping and twisting of the ordinary wooden rail. Richtsteig took up these inventions and commenced to put them to most severe tests, improving the construction and application until he was satisfied that with these improvements the obnoxious warping of rails or loosening of flanges would bea fault of the past. The use of these metal frame actions with brass flanges in the Gram-Richtsteig piano was hailed with enthusiasm by piano dealers and attracted the attention of piano makers to such an extent that a corporation, with Max Richtsteig as president, has been formed to manufacture these patented metal actions for the piano trade at large, under the name of Gram-Richtsteig Metal Frame Action Company.

Need Another Reason To Drop "The Salt Lake Tribune"?

2011-11-18T10:48:00.001-07:00

How about that they continue to publish bigoted anti-Catholic crap like this?

P. S. Make sure you tell them why they are being dropped.

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. IX).

2011-11-08T10:28:00.005-07:00

Numbers 751-800.

752-Bless the Feast: DO All banquet, no sacrifice.
753-All Are Welcome: HH, DO, NAU Stay out of the light Carol Anne!
756-Morning Has Broken: DTD I really like this hymn, but the Cat Stevens connection is still too strong.
761-God of Day and God of Darkness: HH, C, DO Waste of a good tune.
769-My Lord Will Come Again: HH.
772-We Shall Rise Again: SIGV.
782-Hail Mary: Gentle Woman: DO, PC, EP. Salvation by estrogen.
788-Magnificat: HH.
796-Litany of Saints: SWTR.
799-Alive in Christ Jesus: HH.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, PC=Politically Correct, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice (i. e. we are not God), SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Yet Another Reason I'm Glad I dropped The Salt Lake Tribune (And You Should Too!)

2011-11-05T19:15:00.002-06:00

The 'artist' is the same horse's ass who slandered the Pope last year.

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. VIII).

2011-11-03T10:30:00.004-06:00

Strap yourselves in folks! It's gonna be a bumpy ride. This selection includes the topics of discipleship, social concern, peace, unity, and gathering; all topics that are ripe for sneaking in leftism under the guise of Christianity. (Nota Bene: even though I was sorely tempted, this review was not composed under the influence of single malt--or even Ripple.)

Numbers 701-750:

703-Song of St. Patrick: HH. (Is there nothing that Marty will leave in peace?)
704-I Am for You: SIGV.
706-Never the Blade Shall Rise: SIGV.
708-I Danced in the Morning: HL, DTD, SIGV, H. Yuck and waste of a good tune.
709-We Will Drink the Cup: HH, NAU. "We are the Church, we are the body; we are God's great work of art!"--need to work on that self-esteem there buddy.
710-Adundant Life: HH.
711-The Harvest of Justice: HH.
712-On Holy Ground: DO.
716-Let Justice Roll Like a River: HH.
718-We Are Called: HH, NAU.
719-For the Healing of the Nations: DO, LC "Dogmas that obscure your plan"?
721-Voices That Challenge: HH, LC, PC. Cited in the dictionary under "politically correct".
728-Peace is Flowing Like a River: DTD.
729-Prayer of Peace: HH, DO. Based on a pagan prayer, nice.
731-Let There Be Peace on Earth: DTD, C (the alternative version).
732-World Peace Prayer: HH, DO. The refrain is from the Upanishads. Paganism--nice.
733-We Are Many Parts: HH, DTD.
734-No Longer Strangers: HH, NAU.
735-They'll Know We Are Christians: DTD.
739-Diverse in Culture, Nation, Race: PC, NAU.
742-Now the Feast and Celebration: HH, DO. Forgets the "not yet" part of "now and not yet".
743-Come to Us: SIGV.
744-Gather Us In: HH, DTD. This makes Baby Jesus cry.
745-What is This Place: H. This place is an icon of Heaven, doofus.
750-We Gather in Worship: DO. Universalist and Indifferantist.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, PC=Politically Correct, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice (i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Black Is Beautiful!

2011-11-02T21:20:00.002-06:00

I love All Souls' Day. It is a great and comforting thing to pray for the poor souls. It is also a wonderful opportunity to witness against the de facto Universalism of the current age. AND, it is fun to make the LiturgiNazis heads spin around a la "The Exorcist" by wearing Black Vestments.

Prayer for the dead is one of the things that attracted me to the Catholic Church. Like so much about the Church, it just made sense. We need help, both Divine and human, to live the life of Faith here on Earth. We are not perfect and cannot be perfect. Few people die perfectly united to God. Without Purgatory, I would despair at the possibility of my own salvation. But we have it and have had it from Apostolic times. Christians have always prayed for the dead. It is part of our work as Christians; to aid and support our brothers in Christ on the other side of the veil.

It is definitely not something that fits in well with the Modern (or Modernist) mindset. The "loving thing" is assume that everyone is in Heaven. After all, God is forgiving and all merciful. There may be a Hell, but it is empty of humans. How many funerals do we hear this at? I have heard it a lot. (Even from preachers that wear miters.) It is a nice thought, but it does not jibe with reality. God is merciful, but also just and He respects our free will. He will not force His forgiveness and out sanctification on us. So yes, I think people do go to Hell and many of those who don't stand in need of purification before they are able to stand before the Face of God.

Black Vestments express this reality rather well. And that is exactly why the 'with it' crowd doesn't like them. They buy into Universalism. Black Vestments express both the human and Divine realities surrounding death. They respect the human need to mourn even with the sure and certain hope in the Resurrection of the Dead. They also respect the uncertainty and pious fear of the soul before the Divine Judge. Yes, violet works for this too, but I am a Latin traditionalist and love the black. White is just presumptuous.

And while we are at it, can we rework the Order of Christian Burial to better reflect orthodox theology?

"South Park" Forsees Occupy Wall Street.

2011-10-19T13:12:00.001-06:00

In 2005, "South Park" aired the episode "Die, Hippie, Die", which prophesied the whole occupy (bowel) movement with eerie accuracy:

Cartman:	Ma'am, I need to clear out your giggling stoners and your drum-cricle hippies RIGHT NOW, or soon they're gonna attract something much worse!
Elderly Woman:	Ooooo.what's that?
Cartman:	The college know-it-all hippies.
	[The neighborhood, day. A red car pulls up to the curb. On the back window is a decal which says "University of Colorado at Boulder" Three men and three women step out of the car]
Driver:	[wearing green jacket] Wow, my friend Brittany was right. This is a really laid-back place.
Woman 1:	[wearing tan jacket] Yeah, this will be a great place to spend spring break. [Stan, Kyle, and Kenny approach them]
Kyle:	Hey, let's ask them. [the boys are wearing shoulder totes with magazines peeking out from them.]
Stan:	All right. [the two parties meet] 'Scuse me. [holds out a clipboard] Hello, we are selling magazine subscriptions for our community youth program. Would you like to help young people like us by purchasing a subscription of your choice?
Driver:	Oh wow, you guys shouldn't be doing that. Don't you know what you're doing to the world?
Kyle:	Wha- whataya mean?
Man 1:	[wearing a guitar over his back] You're playing into the corporate game! See, the corporations are trying to turn you into little Eichmanns so that they can make money. [the other man is busily eating chips]
Stan:	Who are the corporations?
Woman 2:	[a blonde with a psychedelic fish on her shirt] The corporations run the entire world. And now they fooled you into working for them.
Stan:	Are you serious?? We never heard that.
Driver:	We just spent our first semester at college. Our professors opened our eyes. The government is using its corporate ties to make you sell magazines so they can get rich.
Kyle:	Ugh! Those dirty liars!
Kenny:	(Sonofabitch!) [throws down his shoulder tote]
Man 2:	[has finished his chips] This is a really nice town you have here. That's why the corporations are trying to use you to take it down.
Stan:	Well... Well what do we do?
Driver:	Just hang with us for a bit. We'll fill you in on everything you haven't been told.

Random Thought....

2011-10-18T17:26:00.002-06:00

while mountain biking (and neither falling, tipping, or crashing) and listening to my iPhone on random shuffle.

If I hadn't named my blog Orthometer, what would I have named it? (Click here for the story behind the name.)
--"Somewhere to the Right of Genghis Khan." As in, he is....
--"To the Mattresses" Yes, it is from "The Godfather." But, this could definitely be misunderstood.
--"Spores, Molds, and Fungi." I like this one the best.

This is what happens when I listen to German Opera, Monophonic Chant, Billy Joel, Stevie Nicks, and Steeleye Span.

The Snit About Mitt.

2011-10-10T18:41:00.003-06:00

Hey, I rhymed.

Anyway, no doubt you have heard about the Southern Baptist Minister (and Rick Perry supporter) who opined last week that the election of Mitt Romney would be a big boost for the cult which is Mormonism. Some of you may be wondering what the Utah priest (me) thinks about the whole thing. (Outside of Utah, I have been asked a lot about what I think about Mitt. It ranks up there with do you ski and are there Catholics in Utah. The answer to the former is, no I try to avoid Californians. The answer to the later is, we are number 2!) I'll answer it in four parts.

Is Mormonism a cult? It depends on what you mean by cult. Do they dance around in airport and drink poisoned KoolAid, no. Are the orthodox Christians? Not by a long shot. The complete list would take too long, but suffice it to say that their Polytheism, belief in a god with many wives, doctrine of Eternal Progression, and the fable which is the Book of Mormon is enough to exclude them from the club. (Go here for documentation in case you think I am exaggerating things.) It is, in fact, enough to classify them as non-Christian in a doctrinal sense. This does not mean that they do not have a Christian morality in many ways. (Remember the yeoman's job they did in California fighting same-sex marriage.) However, they do engage in certain cult-like behavior with regards to proselytism. In the near future, I will do a post on the cult techniques they use in making converts especially among teens. And there is the fact that they are not at all upfront about their own doctrines.

Could I vote for a Mormon for president? Yes. I see nothing in the beliefs of the Mormon Church as they are implemented today that would preclude a devoted Mormon from well and faithfully carrying out the office of President of the United States. After all, we have had Unitarian presidents and their beliefs, or lack there of, trouble me more. I could not say the same thing of Muslims, Wiccans, or Satanists.

Would I vote for Mitt? Yes, but only holding my nose. Almost anyone but Obama and all that. My problem with Mitt is not his faith but the plasticity of positions. The change markedly depending on where he is running and what he is running for. Romneycare and his position on Global Warming are far more troubling to me than Perry's Gardasil error. I just don't trust his conversion to Conservative values and the love affair that the state media has for him is equally troubling. In many ways, he has all of George W's faults and none of his virtues.

Do I think that the Mormon Church would exploit his election? You betcha. And in many ways it would aid in their project of be seen as mainstream. But, it might end up hurting them. After all, what good did the election of JFK do for the Catholic Church in America?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. VII).

2011-10-10T15:41:00.003-06:00

OK, I'm back from the annual EOHSJ meeting in lovely Las Vegas and a few days of vacation. Time to start up the Gather destruction machine again.

Numbers 651-700:

654-With a Shepherd's Care: DO, C.
656-Thy Kingdom Come: NAU.
658-Bring Forth the Kingdom: HH, DO ("City of God" Lite.)
659-Blest Are They: HH, DO, NAU.
660-Onward to the Kingdom: HH, DO "God above, and God below"?
663-As a Fire Is Meant for Burning: H "Not to preach our creeds or customs"?
664-Church of God: TMV.
670-Whatsover You Do: DTD, TMV "Whatsoever you do, just finish this song."
672-I Am the Vine: SIGV.
676-You Have Annointed Me: SIGV.
678-City of God: H, DTD, DS. Pelagianism with a catchy tune.
680-You Are Called to Tell the Story: DO Singing! Dancing! Sharing! Living! Ewww.
682-God Has Chosen Me: NAU. Hubris.
683-Servant Song: SIGV.
685-Moved by the Gospel, Let Us Move: C.
686-Here I Am, Lord: DS, SIGV, NAU, DTD.
690-Anthem: DO, NAU, DTD.
694-Now We Remain: HH, NAU.
695-Only This I Want: DS. Shutte's best.
699-We Have Been Told: HH, SIGV.
700-The Summons: SIGV.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Coming Next Year!

2011-10-09T17:30:00.002-06:00

Roman Calendar Wishlist.

2011-09-27T19:06:00.003-06:00

There are 59 days until the next important step in the Reform of the Reform hits the United States. Good bye banal paraphrase and hello accurate, elegant translation!

Perhaps then we should look forward to possible upcoming steps. Of course new translations of the rest of the Roman Liturgy are in the offing. I hope to live to see Ad Orientem, a return to traditional practice in receiving Holy Communion, more traditional sacramental rites, and the scraping of the Book of Blessings.

But I would also like to see a reform of the Roman Calendar that restores many traditional elements. It would include:
--restoration of Advent as a penitential season.
--restoration of the semi-season of Septuagesima.
--a change of Ordinary Time to the seasons of Epiphany and Pentecost.
--additions of octaves for each Solemnity.
--the restoration of Rogation and Ember Days.
--the addition of the feast of St. Erik to the general calendar.

I Have Mafia Ties!

2011-09-20T14:36:00.003-06:00

So show me proper respect by voting for Orthometer in all categories over at the Crescat.

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. VI).

2011-09-17T10:34:00.004-06:00

Time for another installment. The ribs seem to be knitting back together. And on Monday, I begin my annual retreat at the Sacred Heart Retreat Center in Alhambra, CA. This year the retreat master is Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ. I am really looking forward to it.

Number 601-650:

602-Though The Mountains May Fall: DS, DTD
604-You Are Near: DS, DTD (Original version with the original four letter word.)
607-A Mighty Fortress Is Our God: EP Martin Luther, arch-heretic, nuf said.
608-Be Not Afraid: SIGV, DTD Be afraid, be very afraid.
611-On Eagle's Wings: SIGV, DTD.
617-Blest Be the Lord: DS, DTD.
624-Faith, Hope and Love: HH, HL.
628-No Greater Love: SIGV.
629-God Is Love: HH.
633-Lover of Us All: DS, SIGV.
638-Eye Has Not Seen: HH.
640-A Touching Place: HL. The title and verses violate Safe Environment rules.
645-Show Us the Path of Life: HH.
647-Come to Me: SIGV.
649-You Are Mine: HH, SIGV.
650-Come to Me: HH, SIGV.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs -- Another View.

2011-09-14T13:57:00.000-06:00

Check out this post on sacred music.

The Cross In Utah.

2011-09-14T10:14:00.003-06:00

A common experience for Catholics and other who wear a cross or a crucifix in Utah goes something like the following:

Mormon: Why do you wear THAT?
Crossie: Wear what?
Mormon: That cross thing.
Crossie: Because Jesus died on it.
Mormon: Well if you mom was shot would you wear a gun?

It could be noose, electric chair, or guillotine, but you get the point: Utah and its majority religion are not cross friendly. Moreover, verbal attacks, teasing, and bullying of young people by classmates can be especially brutal.

But why the aversion to what orthodox Christians see as a sign of Christ's triumph over the Devil? There are several possibilities as Mormon doctrine and theology is nothing if not fluid. First, according to the Mormons Jesus is not God incarnate. He is merely our elder brother and savior. It has been taught that He didn't atone for our sins by dying on the Cross, but by weeping blood in the garden. Second, there has historically been an aversion to anything that smacks of traditional Christianity; think Protestantism on steroids. Third, a couple of years ago, The Salt Lake Tribune published an interesting article concerning some research by a professor at Cal State Sacramento. His thesis is that the extreme anti-cross attitude can be traced to President David O. McKay's virulent anti-Catholicism. My personal opinion is that while this may have intensified the opposition, it had been very present before. I base this upon anecdotes heard from both Catholics and Mormons that predate McKay.

Anyhow, this is yet more evidence that Mormonism cannot be considered Christian in an orthodox theological sense. (Also, interesting parallels can be drawn to the hatred of the cross that one finds in Islam.)

"But God forbid that I should glory except in the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." -- Galatians 6:14.

(Image: murals in the sanctuary in the Cathedral of the Madeline, Salt Lake City.)

"Weird Al" Yankovic - Dare To Be Stupid

2011-09-13T13:06:00.000-06:00

Index Of Forbidden Songs -- Guest Post.

2011-09-10T15:12:00.003-06:00

Here is an email I received from a reader. Thought you might enjoy it.

Dear Fr. Richtsteig,

Have been enjoying your running series on bad church music. Little background: Way back in the 70’s and 80’s, I was in and even directed the dreaded ‘contemporary’ music ministry at a few churches small and large. Then I was fortunate enough to get to sing in a fine chant/polyphony choir for a few years. For the last decade or so, I’ve simply avoided choirs, as good ones are far away, and the local ones drive me crazy with repertoires right off your list.

I think it’s important to distinguish between principles for choosing (or banishing) music and what to do when a song from The List shows up at Mass. For my own sanity and spiritual health, I’ve adopted this policy: If the song can be interpreted to be not heretical, I’ll go ahead and sing it. It may be awful on any number of levels, but I’m at Mass to worship God with my brothers and sisters in Christ, and so not singing a song because it’s lame or done to death or any reason other than it proclaims heresy seems less than charitable toward the rest of the people there.

I try to read the theology generously – can these words be taken to support, or at least not contradict, the Church’s beliefs? If so, I go ahead and sing them. Mostly, modern stuff is of Dubious Orthodoxy because it’s just so muddled it’s difficult to figure out what they’re really saying (except when they include loaded words meant to trigger a tail-wagging response in the target audience – that perhaps is another topic).

When they are clearly heretical – ‘What Is This Place’, I’m thinking of you! – I just bow my head and pray in silence.

Maybe, one of these days, I’ll muster the fortitude to get involved in liturgical music and planning again, and at least put up a fight against the more egregious examples.

Keep up the good work!

In Christ,

Joseph

Shallow Gravy - Jacket (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

2011-09-10T15:00:00.000-06:00

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. V).

2011-09-07T11:45:00.003-06:00

As hard as it is to believe, I have a mountain bike and enjoy riding it. But, I haven't since I moved to St. James. Well, a generous parishioner and bike nut tuned it up for me and I have been riding for a bit. Now, don't ever let anyone tell you that you never forget how to ride a bike. Yesterday, I took a tumble down the mountain side. Flipped five time resulting in a minor case of road rash, some scrapes and cuts, and some cracked ribs. And so, if I am a little too un/charitable in this installment, blame the pain and humiliation. (But, I am going riding again today.)

Numbers 551-600:

558-Lift Up Your Hearts: C
569-Thanks Be to You: HH
573-Table Prayer: DO. Can you say altar?
580-Creating God: H. God revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit not as Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer.
585-Song over the Waters: HH
588-Blest Are You: HH
593-We Remember: HH, DTD, NAU, H. "We" do not recreate Your love. He makes His continuing love present to us. And don't get me started on the bread and wine to share a meal stuff.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. IV).

2011-09-04T21:41:00.006-06:00

The famous LarryD, proprietor of Acts of the Apostasy (one of the best blogs out there), posted Top Ten Topics That Will Rock Your Catholic Blog last Sunday. It's a great post; funny with a lot truth in it. But he missed one, criticizing church music. Want the nuts to come out of the woodwork, post about that one. In the combox, I have been call sick and sad, a stumbling block to sinners, and force for destruction within the Church. Well, I am sorry if I don't fit your preconceived notions of a mealy-mouthed priest. And I am sorry if you don't like my sense of humor (de gustibus and all that). However, insulting me will not get me to stop. In fact, it will do just the opposite. I spent too much time around Marines growing up. If you think I am wrong about a particular song or category, I would like to hear your reasons why. However, "your fat, ugly, and your mother dresses you funny" is not a reason, or "you're mean and hate-filled" is neither a reason nor true. Such comments willed be deleted and you will be banned. You are a guest in my blog, act like it.

Numbers 501-550:

503-Come to the Feast: HH
504-I Have Loved You: SIGV, DTD
508-We Are the Light of the World: TMV
509-Be Light for Our Eyes: HH
511-Light of Christ: HH, DMWP Exsultet straight up, please.
520-All the Ends of the Earth: DTD
522-Glory and Praise to Our God: C, DS, DTD
523-Sing Our God Together: HH, HL
537-Sing a New Song: DS, DTD
549-You Are the Voice: HH, DO

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. III).

2011-09-03T14:59:00.003-06:00

I have been asked why I don't publish a list of acceptable songs. Short answer, too much work. Longer answer, that would be too much about what I like or don't like. Don't get me wrong, I have excellent taste, but this really isn't about my taste. (OK, some of it is about my taste, but not most of it.) Certain songs just aren't appropriate for liturgical use, mainly due to theological and/or ideological contents. Others are inappropriate because they are inane and void of worthwhile content. I am not a musician, nor the son of musician (dad played the accordion), but I know crap when I hear it.

Numbers 451-500:

454-Go: SIGV
455-I Will Be with You: SIGV, HL "because I really love you. I really love." Sounds like a pick-up line, not words from the mouth of Our Lord.
456-Lord, You Give the Great Commission: G
458-The Spirit of God: NAU
462-Spirit Blowing through Creation: HH. Fighting back an inappropriate comment here.
466-Send Down the Fire: HH Artillery hymn?
467-Spirit-Friend: HH, C.
470-Send Us Your Spirit: HH
473-Alleluia, Sing!: HH
486-The King of Glory: DTD Stephen Colbert. I keep seeing Stephen Colbert.
490-Song at the Center: HH, H Neo-pagan crap.
491-God, beyond All Names: C, DO
492-All You Works of God: HH
496-Canticle of the Sun: HH, DTD
497-God of All Creation: HH, DO
499-Sing Out, Earth and Skies: HH, HL

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. II).

2011-09-02T12:32:00.003-06:00

Numbers 401-450.

402-All Glory, Laud, and Honor: C
403-Hosanna: HH
405-Ride On, Jesus, Ride: HH. Mojo rider?
410-Serving You: SIGV, DO
413-Faithful Family: DO
420-Behold the Wood: DS, SIGV
421-All You Who Pass This Way: SIGV
424-Easter Alleluia: HH
435-Sing to the Mountains: DTD, HL. I don't sing to inanimate objects.
449-This is the Day: HH

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. I).

2011-08-30T14:16:00.004-06:00

Here we go again. Mean, sick, and sad priest attacking poor innocent hymnal: this time "Gather". Gotta wonder why so many hymnals are titled in one word imperatives; "Gather", "Worship", "Fibrillate", etc... BTW, I am ignoring the psalms and service music.

Numbers 317-400:

319-Walk in the Reign: C, HL "Can you say KINGDOM? I knew you could."
325-Like a Shepherd: SIGV Too bad the verses as SIGV, good song otherwise.
328-My Soul in Stillness Waits: HH
331-God of All People: HH
334-Savior of the Nations, Come: C
340-People of the Night: HH, NAU
346-Awake! Awake, and Greet the New Morn: HH
348-Hark! The Herald Angels Sing: C "Pleased as man with MAN to dwell."
357-Child of Mercy: HH
362-Good Christian Friends, Rejoice: C, HL
369-Carol at the Manger: HH
381-Dust and Ashes: LC
386-Hosea: DTD, HL
397-Tree of Life: HH
399-Deep Within: HH, SIGV

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Hope All You Seamless Garment, Kmiec, Pseudo-Catholics Are Proud Of Yourselves.

2011-08-29T10:02:00.003-06:00

The Famous Fr. Z posted an article about the One's abysmal record on life issues that includes a timeline with all of his amazing efforts to promote a culture of life. Here is an example:

January 5, 2009 – Obama picks pro-abortion Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as the chairman of the Democratic Party.

January 6, 2009 – Obama chooses Thomas Perrelli, the lawyer who represented Terri Schiavo’s husband Michael in his efforts to kill his disabled wife, as the third highest attorney in the Justice Department.

January 22, 2009 – Releases statement restating support for Roe v. Wade decision that allowed virtually unlimited abortions and has resulted in at least 50 million abortions since 1973.

January 23, 2009 – Forces taxpayers to fund pro-abortion groups that either promote or perform abortions in other nations. Decision to overturn Mexico City Policy sends part of $457 million to pro-abortion organizations.

January 26, 2009 – Obama nominee for Deputy Secretary of State, James B. Steinberg, tells members of the Senate that taxpayers should be forced to fund abortions. Nominee erroneously says limits on abortion funding are unconstitutional.

January 29, 2009 – President Obama nominates pro-abortion David Ogden as Deputy Attorney General. – The Vatican has rejected three Obama ambassador nominees because of their positions in favor of abortions.

April 7 – Obama has named pro-abortion law professor Harold Hongju Koh as the top lawyer for the State Department.

April 7 – Put more abortion advocates on his White House advisory council for faith-based issues.

February 12, 2009 – Obama nominates pro-abortion Elena Kagan to serve as Solicitor General.

February 27, 2009 – Starts the process of overturning pro-life conscience protections President Bush put in place to make sure medical staff and centers are not forced to do abortions.

February 28, 2009 – Barack Obama nominates pro-abortion Kathleen Sebelius to become Secretary of Health and Human Services.

March 5, 2009 – The Obama administration shut out pro-life groups from attending a White House-sponsored health care summit. Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business, made the invitation list as did other pro-abortion groups.

March 9, 2009 – President Barack Obama signed an executive order forcing taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research.

March 10, 2009 – Obama announces the creation of a new foreign policy position to focus on women’s issues. He names Melanne Verveer, an abortion
advocate, to occupy the post.

March 10, 2009 – Reverses an executive order to press for more research into ways of obtaining embryonic stem cells without harming human life. The order Obama scrapped would have promoted new forms of stem cell research.

March 11, 2009 – Obama signed an executive order establishing a new agency within his administration known as the White House Council on Women and Girls. Obama’s director of public liaison at the White House, Tina Tchen, an abortion advocate, became director of it.

March 11, 2009 – Obama administration promotes an unlimited right to abortion at a United Nations meeting.

March 11, 2009 – Obama administration officials deny negative effects of abortion at United Nation’s meeting.

March 17, 2009 – President Barack Obama makes his first judicial appointment and names pro-abortion federal Judge David Hamilton to serve on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

March 26 – President Obama announced $50 million for the UNFPA, the UN population agency that has been criticized for promoting abortion and working closely with Chinese population control officials who use forced abortions and involuntary sterilizations.

April 7 – The Vatican has rejected three Obama ambassador nominees because of their positions in favor of abortions.

April 7 – Obama has named pro-abortion law professor Harold Hongju Koh as the top lawyer for the State Department.

April 7 – Put more abortion advocates on his White House advisory council for faith-based issues.

April 8 – Obama nominee for assistant attorney general for legislative affairs, Ron Weich, is pro-abortion.

Now tell me again how Obama was really the Catholic choice. (Read the whole thing here.)

Communion in the Hand

2011-08-21T13:52:00.000-06:00

OSV Article With Coverage Of Our Local Catholic High School.

2011-08-15T19:41:00.003-06:00

St. Joseph Catholic High School in Ogden, Utah, won state championships last year in girls soccer, boys cross country and boys golf. The girls cross country team also won its fourth consecutive state title. The school track team came within a couple of points of winning its fourth consecutive state championship.

“What is incredible is that for an unprecedented fifth year in a row, St. Joseph won the title of the best athletic program in the state in small high school classification given by the statewide newspaper Deseret Morning News,” Alex Salvo, the athletic director and girls soccer coach at St. Joseph, told OSV.

Salvo told the Intermountain Catholic newspaper that the secret to the athletes’ success was their commitment and dedication.

“They know we don’t have the luxury of the bigger high schools, where students can play only one sport. Most of our students play two or three sports and that helps them stay organized and excel in everything they do, including academics,” Salvo said.

Read the rest here.

Dodged The Bullet!

2011-08-15T19:12:00.002-06:00

No incidents of spontaneous human combustion were reported today thanks to the U. S. Catholic policy that removes the obligation from a holy day that falls on a Sunday or a Monday. As everyone knows, attending Mass two days in a row is the leading cause of SHC.

NOT!

Seriously, no one was ever harmed by being obliged to assist at Mass on two consecutive days. All is policy does is confuse people and encourage laziness. GIVE US BACK OUR HOLY DAYS!

The Talented Vincenzo Strikes Again.

2011-08-15T11:28:00.001-06:00

Walken Gaga.

2011-08-10T10:09:00.001-06:00

Sister Wives: Incarcerated Edition.

2011-08-09T21:24:00.001-06:00

He'll be one of the wives.

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Music Issue, Pt. IX).

2011-08-07T19:26:00.004-06:00

Some have asked what exactly is wrong with SIGV? I will try to do a separate post on it later in the week.

Numbers 701-752

702-I, The Lord: SIGV
707-Hail Mary: Gentle Woman: EP, DO (Worst Marian song ever! Mainly because of the Romantic, Feminist drivel of the second verse, "blest in turn all women too. Blessed they with peaceful spirits. Blessed they with gentle hearts.)
712-Song Of Mary: DS
718-There Is Nothing Told: DO (What about the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption. and the Coronation.)
729- God Most Holy: C, DO (Bends over backwards to avoid the revealed Trinitarian formula.)
734-Glory In The Cross: DS
741-Litany Of The Saints: SWTR (The Church already gives us a Litany of Saints.)
746-The King Of Glory: DTD (Can't hear it without thinking of Stephen Colbert.)

And that is it as I am not going to go through the psalms and Mass settings. On to "Gather".

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Music Issue, Pt. VIII).

2011-08-06T14:53:00.003-06:00

A note on Germanophobia: There were many hymns written to the tune of Austria 8787D, which is also used as the music for the national anthem of Germany and Austria-Hungary. In reaction to the depredations of the Austrian paper-hanger, other music is often now used for theses hymns. I consider this to be irrational Germanophobia as this music was not specific to the Nazis.

Numbers 651-700

655-Signing Of The Senses: SWTR (Not every liturgical ritual should be set to music.)
665-River of Glory: DS
674-Seek The Lord: C (One version. At least they still offer the original text.)
679-Hosea: SIGV, DTD
685-Where Love Is Found: DS
691-Where There Is Love: HH

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Music Issue, Pt. VII).

2011-08-06T10:17:00.004-06:00

(Don't like what I have to say in these posts? Fine. I don't mind hearing other reasoned opinions, but insults and slurs will not be tolerated. This is my house--one does not enter and insult me and mine.)

Numbers 601-650

601-Let Heaven Rejoice: C
604-Lord Of The Dance: DO, HL, DTD, SIGV. (I can't say more than previous comments about this one.)
605-Join In The Dance: DS
613-Companions On The Journey: EP, DO
616-They'll Know We Are Christians: DTD
617-We Are Many Parts: HH, DTD
627-Give Thanks To The Lord: DS
629- All My Days: DS
634-I Have Loved You: SIGV
637-Lord Of Glory: DTD, HL (Superman?)
639-Isaiah 49: EP, SIGV
642-Morning Has Broken: DTD (The former Cat Stevens ruined this.)

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Music Issue, Pt. VI).

2011-08-05T11:00:00.003-06:00

Rich Leonardi has chilling news that H of HH has redone the Mass of Cremation for the new translation, and at the behest of a group of Norbertines no less. Yet another generation must suffer!

Numbers 551-600.

553-Glory And Praise To Our God: DS, C, DTD! (This leads to the most chilling verse in Sacred Scripture, "Glory and praise forever.")
556-Lift Up Your Hearts: C (Shame on Fr. Roc for caving to the feminists.)
558-Abba! Father!:EP
561-Sacred Silence: (Um, if silence is sacred, why are you disturbing it with this music?)
563-He Is The Lord: HH
566-Gloria: HL (The Jo-Jo The Circus Monkey gloria. Just use the Mass text please.)
571-Sing, O Sing: DS.
574-Sing Out, Earth And Skies: HH
578-Sing A New Song: DS, HL, DTD (Please, O please sing a new song!)
586-Blest Are They: HH
588-God Of Day And God Of Darkness: HH, H, HL (God revealed Himself definitively as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not as father, mother, friend. The Ice Queen at the sem loved this one.)
589-Let Us Walk In Justice: DO, LC
592-Whatsover You Do: DTD, TMV
593-We Are Called: HH, NAU

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Live From DC!

2011-08-04T08:08:00.000-06:00

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Music Issue, Pt. V).

2011-08-03T19:14:00.004-06:00

Before I move onto part five, let me answer a question some people may be asking: Why is this priest complaining about these songs? First, music is very powerful. Want something to sink into people's minds and hearts, set it to music. I can still remember the first time I heard the Our Father chanted, it stuck like glue. If it is theologically and spiritually sound, it does so much good. If it isn't, the damage is equally deadly. Admittedly, some of my criticism is a matter of taste. (Of course, I am 100% right.) But more of it is not. (Plus, as a priest I have to listen to a LOT of it.)

Anyways, on to numbers 501-550.

502-Come Unto Me: SIGV
505-The Eyes And Hand Of Christ: SIGV
508-Only This I Want: DS (Actually, one of his better works.)
510-Women Of The Church: EP, HL, DO. (Holy because of estrogen, nice.)
511-We Have Been Chosen: NAU
516-We Have Been Told: HH
517-Anthem: NAU, H. (We, we, we, with a healthy dose of leftism.)
518-All That Is Hidden: SIGV
523-Christ Before Us: G
535-We Remember: HH, DTD
543-We Are The Light Of The World: C, TMV, DTD
548-Sing To The Mountains: DTD (I don't sing to inanimate objects.)

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Music Issue, Pt. IV).

2011-08-03T10:09:00.004-06:00

Numbers 451-500.

451-Only A Shadow: EP
452-Blest Be The Lord: DS, HL, DTD. (What about the God who spends?)
453-Here I Am: SIGV, DO.
454-You Are Near: DS, DTD. (At least they removed the four letter word.)
464-The Spirit Is A -Movin': EP, DO, DTD, HL (My gorge is a movin'....)
465-Send Us Your Spirit: C, DS
468-Send Us Your Spirit: HH, C.
469-Spirit Of God Within Me: H (God does not possess people. That is the other guy.)
472-Holy Darkness: DS, HL (St. John of the Cross deserves better.)
476-You Are Mine: HH, SIGV, DTD. (No I am not.)
477-Eye Has Not Seen: HH, DTD.
482-Shepherd Me, O God: HH, C.
484-Our Hope Is In The Lord: DS
486-Be Still And Know That I Am God: SIGV
492-Peace Is Flowing Like A River: EP, HL, DTD (My gorge is flowing like a river....)
494-Litany of Peace: DS
495-Let There Be Peace On Earth: C, DTD (What about carrots?)
499-Renew Us: C, DO ("Creator God", Oh, you mean FATHER.)

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Music Issue, Pt. III).

2011-08-02T22:09:00.005-06:00

Numbers 401-450.

406-Sing A New Church: H, C (I'll take the One Jesus founded, thank you very much.)
407-All Are Welcome: HH, H (Jesus already built the house 2000 years ago and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. Not to mention that I can only think of Zelda Rubenstein when I hear it.)
408-We Are The Church: DO (We are PART of the Church, a Divine reality.)
409-Gather And Remember: DO, EP
410-Church Of God Elect And Glorious: G
411-One Spirit, One Church: DO (See "We Are The Church".)
415-Canticle Of The Sun: HH, DTD (St. Francis deserves better.)
420-God, Beyond All Names: C, DO.
431- All I Ask Of You: HL, WIG
437-Amazing Grace: HL (But only if "and set me free" is substituted for "a wretch like me".)
438-Be Not Afraid: DTD, SIGV (Be afaid, be very afraid.)
440-We Will Rise Again: HH, SIGV
442-On Eagle's Wings: DTD
446-A Mighty Fortress: EP (Good song but it was written by an heresiarch for Heaven's sake!)
447-Though The Mountains May Fall: DS, DTD (Though the mountains may fall and the hills turn to dust, this song will never be given a rest!)

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Music Issue, Pt. II).

2011-08-02T10:30:00.003-06:00

Numbers 351-400.

351-One In Body, Heart and Mind: DO ("Christ be love within this sign, shared for all as bread and wine." Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the Real Presence.)
354-Come To Me And Drink: SIGV
367-Bread Of Life: DO, NAU ("We come as gift to you." No, He comes as A gift to us.)
371-Lord, You Give The Great Commission: G (87 87 D, but not using Austria. Come on folks, it ain't the "Horst Wessel Leid".)
374-City Of God: C, DS, H, HL (Pellagian hymn, 'nuff said. Catchie tune though.)
376-Here I Am, Lord: DS, SIGV
381-The Summons: DO, SIGV (The Iona Community is all New Agey.)
398-Jesus, Come To Us: HH

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death,G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God)

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Music Issue, Pt. I).

2011-08-01T18:31:00.003-06:00

Well, here is the first installment. This is not an in depth analysis, but rather my own personal and cursory take on them. See below for the key-code for the reason for their banishment. If you want a clarification, feel free to ask for it in the combox.

Numbers 301-350:

302-Gather Us In: HH, DTD, DO ("Not in the dark of buildings confining, not in some heaven, light years away"? A little SF is a dangerous thing.)
303-What Is This Place: H ("What is this place, where we are meeting?" An icon of heaven, doofus.)
304-Gather The People: DS
306-Let Us Go To The Altar: DS
310-Table of Plenty: DS, DO (It is an ALTAR.)
315-We Gather Here To Worship: NAU (We, we, we....)
322-Song Of The Body Of Christ: HH, NAU (We come to tell HIS story.)
324-To Be Your Bread: HH, DO
325-Gift Of Finest Wheat: DTD (Nice song, but give it a rest. Also, can I have an article please?)
329-Bread of Life: H, NAU (No, Jesus is the Bread of Life.)
333-God's Holy Gifts: DS (Not bad for a DS song actually.)
340-Look Beyond: DTD
341-I Am The Bread Of Life: C, SIGV
345-I Am The Living Bread: HH, SIGV
349-Eat This Bread: SIGV

Sigh, this is going to take longer than I thought.

Update: Thanks for the suggestions of additional songs. I am taking them in order, so odds are that I will get to your 'favorite' eventually.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God)

Lightbulb!

2011-07-24T13:04:00.001-06:00

I am thinking of going through the OCP Music Issue and compiling an Index of Forbidden Songs and publishing it here.

They Have Returned!

2011-07-22T16:20:00.000-06:00

(Parental guidance required.)

Make It Stop! Please!

2011-07-11T17:35:00.000-06:00

Save the Edison Light Bulb!

2011-07-08T14:09:00.000-06:00

July 8, 2011

Liberals in the last Congress enacted "efficiency" standards, scheduled to take effect in 2012, that will diminish Americans’ standard of living and dictate the types of light bulbs we can and can’t buy. These environmental "standards" will start eliminating 276 versions of the Thomas Edison incandescent light bulbs in 2012; the drop-dead date for our favorite 100-watt light bulb is just a few months away.

However, because of the hard work by activists like you last year in electing conservatives to the House of Representatives, the new House majority is working to restore our light bulb freedom.

Congress is expected to vote on the Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act as early as Monday. The bill will protect our access to light bulbs of our choice and will guard against mandates that force Americans to use bulbs that contain dangerous mercury.

The BULB Act will restore consumer choice and competition, and it deserves support from both parties. The bill will ensure that no federal, state, or local lighting requirement can mandate the use of bulbs that contain mercury.

If Congress acts this year, we can make sure the market – not a government mandate – gives consumers their light bulb choices. Members of both parties should support H.R. 2417, so be sure to call your Congressman even if he or she is liberal.

Take Action

Call your Congressman today and Monday. If possible, visit a Town Hall meeting while your Congressman is at home this weekend and urge him or her to vote YES on H.R. 2417, the “BULB Act.”

Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121

Cute. Baby Sleeping with Bulldog

2011-07-08T12:40:00.000-06:00

Cute. Baby Sleeping with Bulldog

It Could Be Me. It Could Be You.

2011-07-05T16:36:00.003-06:00

The superior of S. O. L. T. has issued a statement further elaborating the allegations against Fr. Corapi. They are still allegations, but pretty damming ones. I don't know whether or not he is guilty, but things don't look good. I hope that people remember that the message he preached was not his, but Christ's. Whether or not he lived up to it, the truth of the Gospel remains.

The thing that haunts me the most is that it could have been me. Heck, it still could be me. We are all subject to temptations by the world, the flesh, the devil, and our own fallen nature. We priests have our own temptations. We want to be liked. We want to be appreciated. We want to have an impact. We even want glory and validation. (Why hasn't the nuncio called me about Baker yet?) Little petty desires that can be used to divert us from Christ. Fame, cash, and an above average ability to speak would only throw gasoline on that fire. Thank God I am not a 'rock star'. I don't think I could handle it any better than my brother John evidently did. Time to pay more attention to the Church's traditional wisdom concerning clerical and religious life. No, we don't all need to live like monks, but more discipline is definitely called for.

Oh yes, and it could be you too. We can only pray that we won't succumb when subjected to temptation and are given the means to fulfill those desires. "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

Are We The Badies?

2011-06-24T10:10:00.000-06:00

Bad Vicar (or me without enough sleep).

2011-06-22T14:44:00.000-06:00

God's Chihuahuas--from the guys at CMR.

2011-06-20T15:30:00.000-06:00

By The Company We Keep.

2011-06-18T10:35:00.003-06:00

I am deeply sadden by the latest development in the Father Corapi situation. I have enjoyed listening to his talks and know several people whose conversion he brought about. Some things about how he ran his ministry rubbed me the wrong way. Nothing immoral, just somethings that gave the appearance of pride and arrogance. Also, I think that priests running special ministries with minimal order/diocese supervision is a recipe for problems. But now, Fr. Corapi is leaving the active priesthood and embarking on a "new ministry". In doing this, he places himself in some very unsavory company, more about this later.

I have absolutely no idea whether or not the accusation against him are true. Several years ago, I would have said absolutely not. But, considering the events of the last decade, I am not sure about anyone. All priests live under the Sword of Damocles. All it takes is one accusation from someone is not obviously insane and boom your gone for a period largely dependent on the good will of your ordinary, the diocesan lawyers, and the insurance company. Guilty until proven innocent is the order of the day. Father Corapi states the following:

Some of the things that might surprise you about the way some of the bishops treat accused priests are as follows:

1. The identity of the accuser is not revealed. You can guess, but you don’t actually know. Nor are the exact allegations made known to you. Hence, you have an interesting situation of having to respond to an unknown accuser making unknown accusations (unknown to the accused and his counsel).

2. The persons chosen to investigate the allegations normally have no qualifications to do so. They certainly didn’t graduate from the FBI academy, nor do they have any other background to qualify them to interrogate or otherwise interview witnesses.

3. There are no set rules of evidence or norms of procedure.

4. You are for all practical purposes assumed guilty until you can prove you are innocent. This one is truly baffling. No civilized society operates that way. If you are accused of something you are considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

5. The accused and his counsel have no right to obtain and review any of the evidence against him.

6. The accused and his counsel are not provided the names of witnesses, nor are they permitted to cross-examine them.

7. There is a general unwillingness or outright refusal by certain of the bishops to abide by applicable statutes of limitations, both in canon and civil law. There are good reasons for these statutes. Time has a way of clouding memories and distorting perceptions.

Dead on. The Dallas Charter is ripe for abuse. At the very minimum, bishops need to be subject to it, the concept of a substantiated allegation needs to be clearly defined, a time line for resolution needs to be established, and it needs to be made clear that the priest does not need to be proven innocent but rather proven guilty.

It is an awful situation, but it does not justify leaving the active exercise of the priesthood. In doing this, Fr. Corapi is join the ilk of Cutie, Fushek, Fox, and Milingo. Not their heresy or sin, but their refusal to be subject to the authority of the Church. Instead of submitting to the authority of the successors of the Apostles, he is forming his own ministry and publishing his autobiography. Fight injustice certainly, but do it as a priest under the authority of the bishops and his superiors. Instead, he is acting like a protestant.

P. S. Bishops and superiors need to do much more in supervising and monitoring priests in special ministry, 'celebrity priests', and others in dangerous situations such as those living in apartments or condos (this just shouldn't be allowed, period).

MST3K Sandy Frank Song

2011-06-14T10:25:00.000-06:00

And No One Exploded.

2011-06-12T16:23:00.001-06:00

Yet another Easter season with the sprinkling rite has come and gone and no one has exploded. Oh well, there is next year.

Quote Of The Decade!

2011-06-09T13:51:00.001-06:00

I don't want a religion that accepts me for who I am. I know who I am and am unimpressed. I want a religion that calls me to be better than I am even as I resist it.

--Matthew Archbold at CMR

Boycott GM!

2011-06-08T19:28:00.003-06:00

Let me make this clear, I already had decided I was never going to buy a GM car. The sweetheart deal Barry gave the UAW left a very bad taste in my mouth. The UAW was at least as much at fault for GM's bankruptcy as was management. But heh, they campaigned for the ONE and so they we rewarded with a nice big chunk of the new Government Motors. Now the CEO of GM wants Barry to tack another dollar's worth of taxes on to a gallon of gas to 'encourage' folks to buy his crappy Volts. (Extortion by any other name....) Well, Mr. Ackerson, you can kiss my ____, I would rather drive a Yugo than anything you make.

Oh and Barry, when our country is in financial trouble the LAST thing we need to do is give money to bail out socialist Greece.

Coming June 21st!

2011-06-07T07:34:00.001-06:00

An escaton you can trust!

Klavan's One-State Solution: Give the Middle East to the Jews

2011-06-06T10:06:00.000-06:00

46 Years of ME!

2011-06-03T10:49:00.003-06:00

Yup, yesterday was my birthday. I was born at 10:56 p. m. June 2, 1965 in the old hospital in Cedar City, Utah. I was 3 weeks late thus beginning the lifelong habit of causing pain for poor mother. Thank you for your prayers. (Though I still haven't received either my St. Remi Chalice, 20 pd. Napoleon, 50 Cal Barrett, or '39 Packard 4-Door). So I thought I would give you some flashbacks:

40 years ago, mom and I were living in a converted Victorian house in the SLC avenues. It was haunted. (I will have to post on the some day.)

30 years ago, I had just finished my sophomore year at Highland High School, was working at Little Wars Hobby selling RPGs, and was in my second month of being a Catholic. I also had just received my first car ('73 Mazda RX3 wagon) and my driver's license--miraculously I have yet to kill or injure myself or someone else on the road.

20 years ago, I had just completed second theology at Mt. Angel Seminary and was beginning the torture which was CPE.

10 years ago, I was the pastor of St. Anthony of Padua parish in lovely Helper, Utah and one of two Republicans in Carbon County.

Where will I be ten years from now? God alone knows.

What To Do?

2011-05-27T07:51:00.003-06:00

The publisher of the National Catholic Distorter (Reporter), Joseph Feuerherd, has died at the age of 48 of cancer. On the one hand, he headed one of the major sources of heresy and dissent in this country. This is not to judge his soul. Fortunately, this is way above my pay grade. On the other hand, he is my brother in Christ. This obliviously takes precedent. What to do? I know, offer Mass for him in the Extraordinary Form.

Weapon Of Mass Destruction!

2011-05-25T10:20:00.002-06:00

(Via The Crescat on Facebook.)

Dear Holy Father, please wear this. Pretty please! The world has been a drabber place without the papal tiara. Plus the fits of apoplexy by the usual suspects (Hans Kung, LCWR, et al.) would certainly speed up the biological solution.

Is To Art, As Hippies Are To People.

2011-05-20T18:17:00.000-06:00

It's The End Of The World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine...)

2011-05-20T10:03:00.000-06:00

So long and thanks for all the fish! (IF the billboards are right.)

Well, Isildur Dropped His Precious In The Water.

2011-05-14T21:53:00.001-06:00

Great Salt Lake, meet iphone. (Zucchetto spin to Vincenzo.)

Did I Mention I Don't Like Hippies?

2011-05-08T13:30:00.000-06:00

A Utah Saint?

2011-05-02T10:19:00.001-06:00

Interesting article from The Intermountain Catholic:

Cora Louisa Yorgason Evans was born in Midvale, Utah, July 9, 1904, and raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was married in the LDS Temple on June 4, 1924, and 10 years later became a Catholic and was baptized in St. Joseph Catholic Church in Ogden.

"Cora’s first mystical experience was of the Blessed Mother in 1907, when she was 3 years old," said Michael McDevitt, who is custodian of Cora Evans’ writings. "She bore the stigmata and would go into ecstasy while having mystical experiences. She had perfect recall and would journal her experiences."

In the first grade, Evans smelled a fragrance and saw a beautiful woman dressed in white. She thought it was an angel. The woman asked Evans to help her give Jesus more love.

Evans was 19 when she met her future husband. "Their first date was to the temple to do baptisms by proxy for the dead," said McDevitt. "Their temple marriage ceremony on June 4, 1924, when Cora was 20, had her seething inside. She considered Mormonism a sex-oriented, polytheist religion. She realized she had gained a wonderful husband, but resolved to one day find the one true God that would break this false religion."

Read the rest here.

Feast Of St. Athanasius The Great.

2011-05-02T07:53:00.003-06:00

St. Athanasius the Great: Patriarch of Alexandria, Defender of the Divinity of Christ, and my Confirmation patron. Athanasius would also be my choice of name were I elected Pope. (It would scare the libs!)

Distasteful Task,

2011-05-01T22:35:00.001-06:00

praying for Bin Laden's soul. Not something I want to do. Not something I think will do any good. But, on the off chance it will, it is something I must do.

Another Open Discussion.

2011-04-27T08:21:00.000-06:00

Question: Did the restoration of the permanent diaconate hurt vocations to the priesthood? In charity, have at it in the combox.

Royal Wedding? Bah!

2011-04-27T08:19:00.003-06:00

The Windsors are a bunch of usurpers. The real king is Franz of Bavaria.

Vestment Inferno!

2011-04-25T16:05:00.002-06:00

Only Slightly Less Painful Than Shatner.

2011-04-18T17:29:00.001-06:00

Release The Crescat! Pt. II.

2011-04-18T10:50:00.003-06:00

From a Facebook post by Kat:

I've gotten some wonderful & generous donations but I'm still about $400 shy of airfare. I've asked my priest & the diocese but haven't been to do anything but leave voice mails & send emails.

Come on folks! Pony up!

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

2011-04-18T10:43:00.003-06:00

The Gospel reading yesterday says that Jesus was crucified with two "revolutionaries". Somehow, I don't think that is the true meaning. Someone is imposing modern concepts on the Scripture.

How Scream Should Have Ended

2011-04-17T07:13:00.000-06:00

Expecting Lots Of Folks For Mass This Weekend.

2011-04-16T14:23:00.003-06:00

I wish that it was to principally celebrate the Passion of the Lord. However, I think it has more to do with free stuff and palm origami.

Release The Crescat!

2011-04-16T13:02:00.002-06:00

The Crescat gets to be one of the cool kids and go to a blogger meeting in Rome sponsored by the Pontifical Council of Social Communications. (I am going to try to bribe her into give Rocco Palma a wedgie.) In spite of the danger to the Swiss Guard, I think she should go and we should help her. Consider heading over and making a donation to her travel fund.

Holy Communion in the hand

2011-04-16T10:19:00.000-06:00

One Of Those Days.

2011-04-14T10:50:00.001-06:00

Helpful Advice.

2011-04-09T10:21:00.000-06:00

You Win A Valuable Major Prize!

2011-04-02T10:51:00.002-06:00

Last night at 10:26 P. M., this blog had its 400,000th visitor. I had planned on giving that person a valuable and major prize. However, since that person is unknown from an unknown place, tough; no prize you! Better luck next time.

The Headline Says It All.

2011-03-31T10:10:00.002-06:00

Found at Dark Horizons: "Bieber + Kutcher + Buddy Comedy = Hurl". (I suggest covering your keyboard with plastic before contemplating.)

William shatner in Lucy in the sky with diamonds

2011-03-31T08:19:00.000-06:00

The Director of US Foreign Policy Revealed!

2011-03-29T10:28:00.000-06:00

"I Didn't Leave The Church, The Church Left Me."

2011-03-28T11:10:00.004-06:00

Thus says ex-Msgr. Dale Fushek, founder of Life Teen, Vicar General of Phoenix under the discredited Bishop O'Brien, registered sex-offender, and excommunicant. Right, the Church, led by the mean Thomas Olmstead left him. It had nothing to do with his own misconduct, his complicity with the problems under O'Brien, or the fact that he started his own Protestant style church with a married ex-priest. He does admit one fault, that he tried too hard to be one of the guys. Well, he did end up as one of a different set of guys; heretics and schismatics--though definitely not the a-team.

Can't you just see Simon Magus writing a book, "Hey, I Just Wanted To Give The Apostles A Tip". Or Arius, "Why Christology From Below Is Important To Me". Or Luther, "Can I Help That I Am Smarter Than The Pope And 1500 Years Of Saints?"

Face it Dale, you left the Church the moment you decided to do things your own way, which was evidently long before the founding of the Praise and Worship Center.

Where Is The Reinhard Heydrich Action Figure?

2011-03-27T13:48:00.004-06:00

I found a place that actually sells action figures of these murderous bastards. Funny, they don't have ones of Heydrich, Hitler, or Mengele. I guess murder is OK if you do it for 'the people'. (Oh, and they also sell ones on Barry and Michelle. Must be anticipatory like the Peace Prize.)

Earth Hour Checklist.

2011-03-26T14:03:00.002-06:00

Earth Hour is on us again. Here is a helpful checklist so that you get the most out of this important event:

1-Purchase Styrofoam tableware.
2-Adjust the thermostat inverse to the prevailing temperature and open the windows to get a nice cross-breeze.
3-Drive your SUV mindlessly around town. (If you don't own one, rent one.)
4-Use extra paper towels.
5-Turn on all the lights that you have access to. (Just pretend the little critters from "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" are in your house.)
6-Flush the toilet every 5 minutes; twice every five minutes if you have on of those low flow jobs.

I am planning to light up our church complex so that it will be visible from space!

2011-03-23T08:02:00.001-06:00

Penance.

2011-03-22T07:58:00.002-06:00

Open Discussion.

2011-03-20T13:04:00.002-06:00

Does anyone else thing that the lack of vocations may be partially correlated to a lack of stability on the part of parish clergy? Did the introduction of terms for pastors hamper their ability to foster vocations among young people in their parish? Has anyone noticed a correlation between long term pastors and vocations, especially to the diocesan priesthood?

Let me know your opinion in the combox.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day.

2011-03-17T18:28:00.001-06:00

I continue to be edified that the Irish honor a Romano-Briton, in other words, a proto-Englishman.

Emmerich Belasco Is Dead.

2011-03-17T10:14:00.001-06:00

RIP Michael Gough.