A Time for Thanksgiving: 60 years of priesthood for the Pope

Hello, Coffee Talkers!

[Blogger is back, so here's yesterday's post -- finally!]

Today (June 29) not only marks the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul on the liturgical calendar, but is also the 60th anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI's ordination to the priesthood. Happy anniversary, Holy Father! Here's a video of his priestly ordination from all those years ago:

And here is the closing of Pope Benedict XVI's homily from today:

Sixty years of priestly ministry – dear friends, perhaps I have spoken for too long about this. But I felt prompted at this moment to look back upon the things that have left their mark on the last six decades. I felt prompted to address to you, to all priests and bishops and to the faithful of the Church, a word of hope and encouragement; a word that has matured in long experience of how good the Lord is. Above all, though, it is a time of thanksgiving: thanks to the Lord for the friendship that he has bestowed upon me and that he wishes to bestow upon us all. Thanks to the people who have formed and accompanied me. And all this includes the prayer that the Lord will one day welcome us in his goodness and invite us to contemplate his joy. Amen.

Peace and all good,
Leslie

A Tweet Heard 'Round the World - BXVI and His iPad

Hello, Coffee Talkers!

Pope Benedict XVI launched the new Vatican online news portal, news.va, and announced the launch with a Tweet from his iPad!

Seriously, I was just having doubts about the benefits of Twitter (having just recently joined myself), but being among the first to see BXVI's first Tweet made it all worthwhile: “Dear Friends, I just launched News.va Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI”.

Here's a fun video of the Tweeting and iPad action. It's interesting even if you don't understand Italian, I promise!

Lastly, in completely unrelated news, there are terrible wild fires raging in Alamos, New Mexico. The fire is of particular concern because of the proximity to a nuclear lab, so let's please pray for the safety of all who are being evacuated, those who are fighting the fire, and that the fire will be extinguished as soon as possible.

Peace and all good,
Leslie

BXVI's Schedule de Madrid + an AMAZING video trailer!

Hello, Coffee Talkers!

Since I just spent a completely inordinate amount of time unsuccessfully trying to upload a video to share here, I'll be brief tonight.

But check out Pope Benedict XVI's schedule for his travels to Madrid this August during World Youth Day!

And enjoy at least the small fruit of my almost completely pointless labor, this little trailer to the most amazing video ever made. [By me. And some friends. At my parish. Okay, well, the only video so far, for me, anyway. And I can't even upload it!] Despite my technological ineptitude, you should brace yourselves for this video which, when eventually unveiled, is sure to knock your little Coffee Talk socks right the heck off!

Peace and all good,
Leslie

Jesus and The Monster -- Friends or Foes?

Hello, Coffee Talkers!

Today, in honor of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, we had ten minutes of Eucharistic adoration at the end of Mass for the whole congregation. This means that the Eucharist (the communion bread which, at the time of consecration, became the body of Christ) was placed in a vessel known as a monstrance for a time of prayer.

My girls and I often go to adoration at our parish on Fridays (the girls don't last very long in silence, but I figure a little prayer is better than none!), and so they know about Jesus and the monstrance. One small problem, though -- they think that the monstrance is called "The Monster."

I considered trying to explain the Latin etymology of the word 'monstrance' to them (monstrare means to show or reveal, as in the word 'demonstrate'), but then I realized that pre-schoolers aren't really phased by the idea of Jesus (in the form of bread) sitting inside a gold 'Monster.' To them, I suspect that Jesus and the Monster could easily be friends. He's just as happy hanging out in the Monster as He is when He's living in the Lamb Box (a.k.a. tabernacle).

In my experience, I have found that young children have an easier time of understanding and accepting the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist than adults. Obviously, they don't understand on the same level of depth that adults can reach, but overall, they get it. My girls can tell you all about the Lamb Box and the Monster and Jesus' Body and Blood. And they will! They even play games relating to the Eucharist. Last night, for example, my 3-year-old was holding a tiny toy cup that looked like a chalice, and she said, "I'm just gonna have a little drink of blood before I go to bed." I said, "You mean Jesus' blood, like at Communion?" She said, "Yeah." (Sure, this gives me slight concern that she will play this game in front of others and they will think that we are Vampires instead of Catholics. But more importantly, it dispels the widely held myth that you cannot teach young children about the real presence and so you should fill their classes for First Communion prep with a bunch of fluff and nonsense.)

In honor of today's Solemnity, you can read John 6, where Jesus gives his own most explicit Eucharistic theology. And don't forget to visit Jesus and 'The Monster' at a parish near you!

Peace and all good,
Leslie

Franciscan Flashmob for Corpus Christi!

Hello, Coffee Talkers!

Happy Solemnity of Corpus Christi, or the Body and Blood of Christ! Check out the Sunday readings, and then check out these cool Franciscans and their Eucharistic 'flashmob' in the middle of a city!

Peace and all good,
Leslie

Do Single Sex Dorms Constitute Gender Discrimination?

Hello, Coffee Talkers!

Some of you may have seen my recent post about the recent announcement from Catholic University of America that they plan to move to single-sex dorms. Now, it looks like a professor from a nearby law school (who apparently has a lot of free time on his hands) is trying to bring a lawsuit against CUA on the basis of gender discrimination. Read the article here, and tell me what you think. I'd especially like to hear the feedback of my friends with a background in law.

My initial response can be summed up in one word (but with an added syllable): puh-LEASE! It seems to me that Catholic University of America, being a, well, Catholic university in America, can do pretty much whatever they want. Am I wrong? I mean, they're a private university, not a provider of public or government housing. I don't have a deep knowledge of law, but to little old me, this seems absurd at best.

I welcome your thoughts and knowledge on this matter in the comment box!

Peace and all good,
Leslie

Transforming Grief into Love -- Rachel Muha Wins National Award

Hello, Coffee Talkers!

This week, Rachel Muha of Westerville, Ohio was selected as a Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award recipients and designated as an "Unsung Hero" recognized for her extraordinary and selfless volunteer work in the community. I could think of no one more deserving of this honor, and I would like to share a bit more of her story here.

It's now been over a decade since I first met Rachel Muha. I was traveling around the USA with NET Ministries, and my team was going to be hosted by the Muha family for Thanksgiving. One of my teammates was a close friend of Ms. Muha's elder son Chris, and our entire team (11 hungry people!) were graciously hosted by the Muhas for our Thanksgiving holiday and break. We stayed many places with many different people during that year, but this visit is one that I will never forget.

Not only was I moved by the generosity of the Muhas to take their friend and his ten never-before-introduced teammates into their home and family, but I was especially amazed at Rachel and Chris Muha's extraordinary example of mercy and compassion. Just a year before our visit, Ms. Muha's younger son, Brian (along with one of his roommates) was brutally murdered; it was only their second Thanksgiving without Brian when they hosted our team.

It was obvious during our stay that Rachel, Chris, and their extended family (with whom we enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving meal) were still grieving, and they spoke about Brian during our visit. But somehow they transformed that pain and loss into a living witness of mercy unlike anything I've witnessed before.

I remember one story in particular that Ms. Muha shared with us. She said that, two summers before, her son Brian and his friend Aaron were going to be living off campus while they took summer classes at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Brian knew that his mom was concerned for him, as it was his first time living both away from home and not in the campus dorms. So Brian sent his mom some flowers with a little note.

Something wonderful happened on the morning of Brian's death, before we knew that he was even missing. A beautiful bouquet of white roses touched with a hint of pink arrived for Brian's mother, bearing a note from her son in his own handwriting: "Just wanted to say hello even though I'm away. Love, Bri." 

Later, when Brian and Aaron's bodies were found on a Pennsylvania hill, their heads were resting on thorns, but covered by a canopy of roses -- the same color that Brian had sent. One of the roses from that hill took root outside of the Muha's home, where they grow to this day.

Even through my brief encounter with her, I have been profoundly moved by Rachel Muha's example, especially as a merciful mother and person committed to bettering the lives of others, especially young people and children. Read more about Rachel Muha, the good work she has done, and the award she received here, and learn about the Brian Muha Memorial Foundation here.

Peace and all good,
Leslie

The New Super Duper Popemobile - Video!

Hi Leslie,

I just read your post about the plans for the new “popemobile,” and I thought you would find this video interesting: http://www.newsy.com/videos/green-pope-to-get-hybrid-popemobile/

It’s really great to see Pope Benedict - one of the most recognizable and influential figures in the world - make a gesture in support of the green movement. I know he’s been called the “green pope” by many people, and it’s awesome to see him using his influence for a greater social good, even if it’s as simple as upgrading to a “super-fly” new ride.

The Newsy video uses multiple sources to give viewers a broad context and diverse commentary from around the globe. I hope you’ll find it useful and consider sharing it in your post.

Please email me if you have any questions, and have a great day!

Thanks,
Jared

Hello, Jared! 

Thanks for the link to the video! I found it interesting and informative, and I hope my Coffee Talk readers enjoy it as well. I was going to include the video here in the post, but it didn't work right away, and time is at a premium tonight due to a sick child. I do think that readers will find it worth the extra mouse-click to watch it! No, I don't really have any questions right now, only gratitude that you've provided some blog-worthy material for tonight so I can quickly go to wash off the vomit from my three-year old.

This is my first introduction to Newsy, and I enjoyed the video on the new Popemobile. I have observed that some news sources claim to be 'fair and balanced,' but then are tainted by an obvious anti-Catholic bias; this was not at all the case in this video, so kudos to Newsy!

As always, thanks for stopping by. Be assured of my prayers.

Peace and all good,
Leslie

BXVI Optimizes His Ride - A Hybrid Popemobile on the Horizon

Hello, Coffee Talkers!

Have y'all heard about the new plans for the Popemobile? It's gonna be a super-fly hybrid, ready for Papal excursions later this year. But even the current Popemobile is pretty awesome. Check out this bad-boy:

And then read this cool article about the Pope's request to Mercedes Benz for a fuel-efficient hybrid model Popemobile!

(I was hoping that it would be ready in time for World Youth Day this summer in Madrid, but apparently not, so I'll just plan to visit BXVI and his new wheels when they're in Rome. No problem!)

Peace and all good,
Leslie

Help! Why Do Men Make Up Names?

Hello, Coffee Talkers!

Alright, something a little different tonight. I want to take an informal poll, to find out if you all have any thoughts on why some men (most often in response to women, it seems) make up fake names (and other falsified information) when introducing themselves. Here's an example:

[Setting - college cafeteria. Leslie and Brendan are both music majors.]

Leslie: Hey, do you wanna sit here?
Brendan: Sure, sounds good. [They sit down at a table. Another young woman walks toward their table.]
Caitlin: Hey, Leslie! How's it going?
Leslie: Good, Caitlin! Come join us!
Caitlin to Brendan: Hi, I'm Caitlin! What's your name?
Brendan: George.
Caitlin: Nice to meet you, George. So, what are you studying?
Brendan: [completely straight-faced] Well, I designed my own major. A combination of women's studies and underwater basket-weaving.
Caitlin: Oh. That's...different. So Leslie, what's new?
Leslie: [sits in dumbfounded silence, pondering what has just transpired.]

Okay, so I have my own theories on why some men do this, but I want your feedback here. Tell me what you think, Coffee Talk friends! Have you ever made up a name or other personal information? If so, are you a man or a woman? If not, have you witnessed others making up names? Why do you think they did it?

Peace and all good,
Leslie