The Jesus Tomb

I'm never surprised that the latest effort to debunk traditional and historical Christianity comes during Lent. It's almost as if the devil is that stupid (or that smart) that he fills the airways with the most childish, non-sensical anti-Christian propaganda during our forty days of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer.

Last year it was The Da Vinci Code and the Gnostic Gospel of Judas. This year it is the Jesus tomb. James Cameron, director of Alien 2 and Titanic, has made a 'documentary' about the discovery of the real tomb of Jesus Christ. This tomb contains a sarcophagus inscribed with the names Mary, Jesus, Joseph and Judas. It also apparently says that Mary and Jesus were married, and Judas was their son. Within the sarcophagus are the remains of the man and woman.

Now our first instinct is probably to ask: So what makes this tomb so special? Well, it was found in Jerusalem and might date from the time of Christ. So 2+2=1283, and therefore this is tomb of Christ, and therefore Christ didn't resurrect Himself, and therefore he was married to Mary Magdelene, and therefore he had a son, and therefore Christianity is wrong canweallgobacktocommunismplease.

Cameron and those involved seemed to have conveniently missed a few important issues which complicate, if not directly invalidate, their account . First, there is the question of why a Galilean is buried in Jerusalem. Second, there is the question of why a woman would have been buried with Him, since after the Crucifixion, Christ's followers went into hiding and were persecuted for the next several decades. Third, there is the question of names. Mary, Jesus, Joseph, and Judas were at the time the most popular names in Israel amongst the Jews.

Scholars and journalists are already rounding, and Cameron et al. are circling their wagons. Cameron will no doubt contain to claim that this is just his take, albeit his take that he is aggressively selling through the MSM as fact. In the end, the movie will excite the exciteable, while the rest of us finish up our Lent and get down to celebrating the Glorious Resurrection.

Carrying Christ With You

I attended midday Mass today for the first time in ages. Partly because it's Lent and partly because my wife asked me to meet her there and partly because we have a new priest from Nigeria who is turning a lot of heads with his infectious proclaiming of the Gospel.

Midday Masses are usually rather tame. At my parish it is always the vernacular, or low, Mass, which means that most of the responses are spoken rather than sung. But today was much different. Our Nigerian priest, Fr. Clement Nwonkwo, is quite literally on fire for Christ. I wasn't prepared; for Fr. Clement, for Mass, or for Jesus.

Just to cut it short, Fr. Clement made a very simple yet poignant statement during his homily. He said that we must always remember that after the Eucharist is consumed, we carry within us the Resurrected Christ. Are we bringing Christ to other people? Can people discern that we have been to Mass? I have to admit that in 25 years of my life, I have never heard a better explanation for the Mass and its effect on us than that.

God Bless you, Fr. Clement.

When You Have Two Left Eyes...

... it can be difficult to see clearly.

Todd Russell, Liberal MP of Labrador, has this to say: "I have no doubt in my mind that they would try to eradicate everything that has been good by the Liberal party and by great Liberals in this country from the history books if they could. Fortunately right now, they can't, but it just again speaks to the nature of this particular Conservative government."

Ralph Goodale, Liberal House leader contributes to the discussion: "For somebody to think that you've got to put a shroud over it or build a wall to hide it to keep it out of view from American government officials, that is just pathetic and I think those American government officials will think it's pathetic too."

Maria Minna, another Liberal MP: "Such action is a disgrace and an embarrassment. This attempt to hide the past just highlights the Conservative Party's abandonment of Canada's peacekeeping role."

So what's the problem? Did the Conservatives cancel funding to another Liberal PR project?

No. The Liberals are angry because a memorial to Lester B. Pearson was covered during a press conference in the Department of Foreign Affairs building. In their collective anger, the Liberals forgot that the memorial is covered during press conferences, even during the Chretien and Martin governments, because it is expensive to move.

"Radical Christian students hurl their bodies at innocent Muslim's cab"

I stole the headline right of off The People's Cube. You can't improve upon perfection.

Here's the rundown: Two students found themselves in a fierce religious argument with their taxi driver. No big deal, right? No, big deal. The taxi driver happened to be a Muslim and the student-fare-payers Christian.

Read the rest here.

The Pope's Lenten Message

And only a few days late!

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

"They shall look on him whom they have pierced" (Jn 19: 37). This is the biblical theme that this year guides our Lenten reflection. Lent is a favourable time to learn to stay with Mary and John, the beloved disciple, close to him who on the Cross, consummated for all mankind the sacrifice of his life (cf. Jn 19: 25). With a more fervent participation let us direct our gaze, therefore, in this time of penance and prayer, at Christ Crucified who, dying on Calvary, revealed fully for us the love of God. In the Encyclical Deus caritas est, I dwelt upon this theme of love, highlighting its two fundamental forms: agape and eros.

God's love: agape and eros

The term agape, which appears many times in the New Testament, indicates the self-giving love of one who looks exclusively for the good of the other. The word eros, on the other hand, denotes the love of one who desires to possess what he or she lacks and yearns for union with the beloved. The love with which God surrounds us is undoubtedly agape. Indeed, can man give to God some good that he does not already possess? All that the human creature is and has is divine gift. It is the creature, then, who is in need of God in everything. But God's love is also eros. In the Old Testament, the Creator of the universe manifests toward the people whom he has chosen as his own a predilection that transcends every human motivation. The prophet Hosea expresses this divine passion with daring images such as the love of a man for an adulterous woman (cf. 3: 1-3). For his part, Ezekiel, speaking of God's relationship with the people of Israel, is not afraid to use strong and passionate language (cf. 16: 1-22). These biblical texts indicate that eros is part of God's very Heart: the Almighty awaits the "yes" of his creatures as a young bridegroom that of his bride. Unfortunately, from its very origins, mankind, seduced by the lies of the Evil One, rejected God's love in the illusion of a self-sufficiency that is impossible (cf. Gn 3: 1-7). Turning in on himself, Adam withdrew from that source of life who is God himself, and became the first of "those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage" (Heb 2: 15). God, however, did not give up. On the contrary, man's "no" was the decisive impulse that moved him to manifest his love in all of its redeeming strength.

The Cross reveals the fullness of God's love

It is in the mystery of the Cross that the overwhelming power of the Heavenly Father's mercy is revealed in all of its fullness. In order to win back the love of his creature, he accepted to pay a very high price: the Blood of his Only Begotten Son. Death, which for the first Adam was an extreme sign of loneliness and powerlessness, was thus transformed in the supreme act of love and freedom of the new Adam. One could very well assert, therefore, together with St Maximus the Confessor, that Christ "died, if one could say so, divinely, because he died freely" (Ambigua, 91, 1956). On the Cross, God's eros for us is made manifest. Eros is indeed, as Pseudo-Dionysius expresses it, that force which "does not allow the lover to remain in himself but moves him to become one with the beloved" (De Divinis Nominibus, IV, 13: PG 3, 712). Is there more "mad eros" (N. Cabasilas, Vita in Cristo, 648) than that which led the Son of God to make himself one with us even to the point of suffering as his own the consequences of our offences?

"Him whom they have pierced"

Dear brothers and sisters, let us look at Christ pierced on the Cross! He is the unsurpassing revelation of God's love, a love in which eros and agape, far from being opposed, enlighten each other. On the Cross, it is God himself who begs the love of his creature: He is thirsty for the love of every one of us. The Apostle Thomas recognized Jesus as "Lord and God" when he put his hand into the wound of his side. Not surprisingly, many of the saints found in the Heart of Jesus the deepest expression of this mystery of love. One could rightly say that the revelation of God's eros toward man is, in reality, the supreme expression of his agape. In all truth, only the love that unites the free gift of oneself with the impassioned desire for reciprocity instils a joy which eases the heaviest of burdens. Jesus said: "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself" (Jn 12: 32). The response the Lord ardently desires of us is above all that we welcome his love and allow ourselves to be drawn to him. Accepting his love, however, is not enough. We need to respond to such love and devote ourselves to communicating it to others. Christ "draws me to himself" in order to unite himself to me, so that I learn to love the brothers with his own love.

Blood and water

"They shall look on him whom they have pierced". Let us look with trust at the pierced side of Jesus from which flow "blood and water" (Jn 19: 34)! The Fathers of the Church considered these elements as symbols of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist. Through the water of Baptism, thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit, we are given access to the intimacy of Trinitarian love. In the Lenten journey, memorial of our Baptism, we are exhorted to come out of ourselves in order to open ourselves in trustful abandonment to the merciful embrace of the Father (cf. St John Chrysostom, Catecheses, 3, 14ff.). Blood, symbol of the love of the Good Shepherd, flows into us especially in the Eucharistic mystery: "The Eucharist draws us into Jesus' act of self-oblation... we enter into the very dynamic of his self-giving" (Encyclical Deus caritas est, n. 13). Let us live Lent, then, as a "Eucharistic" time in which, welcoming the love of Jesus, we learn to spread it around us with every word and deed. Contemplating "him whom they have pierced" moves us in this way to open our hearts to others, recognizing the wounds inflicted upon the dignity of the human person; it moves us in particular to fight every form of contempt for life and human exploitation and to alleviate the tragedies of loneliness and abandonment of so many people. May Lent be for every Christian a renewed experience of God's love given to us in Christ, a love that each day we, in turn, must "re-give" to our neighbour, especially to the one who suffers most and is in need. Only in this way will we be able to participate fully in the joy of Easter. May Mary, Mother of Beautiful Love, guide us in this Lenten journey, a journey of authentic conversion to the love of Christ. I wish you, dear brothers and sisters, a fruitful Lenten journey, imparting with affection to all of you a special Apostolic Blessing.

Telus Cancels the Smut...

... after receiving hundreds of complaints and facing the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cancelled accounts.

Who said Canadians couldn't get down to business?

Lent

Tersely stated, Lent is about sin. It is a 40 day period in which we as Christians examine our lives and attempt through fasting, alms giving and prayer to separate ourselves from the clutches of sin. We become purified and prepared for the Death and the Resurrection. Christ did it, and 2,000 years later, we do it.

And for 2,000 years Christians have done it, and did it better than we in the West (I'm excluding the Latin South) do it now. Today, we have almost a full litany of excuses not to be serious during Lent, discomfort being the one I hear most oft cited by my friends and family (and by myself). But that's the point, to experience discomfort. Consider a litmus test for what you should be giving up and doing during Lent.

Lent reminds us that Christ is near us always. Lent gives us the opportunity to really say 'I am a serious Christian' through the discomforts and sacrifices. Remember that the next time you're thinking that the mandatory Ash Wednesday fast seems just a little too 'difficile'.

Anglican Resolution...

... either fall into line, or fall out.

The results are in. The race is over. The 'progressive' Episcopalians have won. Archbishop Rowan Williams has stated that the Communion has decided to allow the offending bishops/priests of the Episcopal Church in the US to accept the terms of the Windsor Report, or to face the consequences.

Deja vu? I recall a similar statement being made after Gene Robinson, an openly active homosexual, was ordained to the epicopate in 2003. Back then Williams, via the Windsor Report, demanded that the ECUSA make immediate amends. Nothing happened. Well actually a lot happened, and none of it what the rest of the Communion wanted. Now there are two problem bishops: The aforementioned Robinson and Kathy 'Percentagewise' Schori.

Williams at least had the character to admit that many within the Communion are disappointed by yet another excusance being offered to the ECUSA. I would say that Williams will be the last Archbishop of Canterbury to 'preside' over a united Anglican Communion. When 6 months passes and the ECUSA hasn't done a thing, then I expect disintegration to begin in full effect. It of course didn't have to end this way, but then again, neither did Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine.

Afghanistan Isn't What They Think It Is

It's a strange thing: War protesters in Canada are now calling Afghanistan 'Harper's War'. I must really be out of touch. Last I remember, Afghanistan is a UN sanctioned, NATO operation that was initiated during the Chretien/Martin government of 2001. Unless Harper was dressed in a fat-body suit or posing as a creepy francosomething, he wasn't involved. Maybe 'Chretien's War' or 'Martin's War' just doesn't have the same pananche.

Attempting to cast the Canadian operation in Afghanistan as 'Harper's War', protesters are doing themselves a disservice. Slighting Harper over a war he inherited is dishonest and reflects poorly on the integrity of the anti-war movement. It would be understandable if the war was going poorly, and if it was clear that the Taliban was battering our troops at every turn. But that just isn't the case. 45 casualties in 5, nearly 6, years is a very good rate in any conflict.

Thus when I drive by the protesters, I am immediately alienated. I simply cannot knowingly enter into a life of ignorance simply because it happens to be particularly popular and fashionable these days. That's not to say that I'm somehow above making a similar mistake; it just means I'm trying not to.

The Anglican Divide

The blogosphere is rife with excitement over the Anglican convention in Tanzania. And for good reason. This meeting promises to be a make or break moment for the entire Communion. Conservatives v. Liberals, Modernists v. Evangelicals, just two of the many factions butting heads in Dar-es-Salaam.

The question facing the Anglicans is this: How can the Communion exist with such stark division between provinces and parishes? Many 'conservative' bishops have already made known their intention to break away if the 'liberal' bishops are not reprimanded and brought back into line for their clear flouting of Scripture and Anglican tradition. Liberal bishops, I'm sure, are not altogther fazed by this. Less 'conservatives' means less headaches and more fun.

As a Catholic, I'm really not surprised it has come to this. Anglicanism itself began on a repudiation of Christian tradition. Now it is simply a case of owning up to that repudiation and the hundreds that followed in the 500 years since.

Anglicans to Cut Their Losses....

... and bring their problems to us. Here comes everybody.

An exciting proposal/report/announcement has been leaked to the press by someone (or something) at the Anglican Communion meeting in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. The document, prepared by several Anglican and Catholics bishops, calls for a full reconciliation between the Communion and the Church.

Pardon, me?

I was under the impression that Anglican-Catholic relations were increasingly strained because of recent decisions made by several Anglican bishops. I'm sure you're aware of them too. Personally, I think this development, and the timing of the release, comes down to the work of one person.

edit: It turns out the Times correspondent who first reported the story was a little off in his analysis. The report simply details the progress of the Anglican-Roman Catholic discussions and, rather than calling for unification, urges Anglicans to think more about the ministry of the Papal Office, and for Catholics to pray for them. Well, pretty much anyway.

Telus, Remove the Porn

Telus now sells pornography through their cell phones.

Please contact Telus and make a complaint. You can do it here.

With pornography addiction becoming something of an epidemic (just ask your local police department about the geometric increase in sex crimes as pornography has become more and more mainstream), it is rather troubling that Telus would risk the 'PR' simply to make a few hundred thousand dollars more.

If Telus is just thinking about the money, then we should take ours away.

"Cancel your cell, switch to Rogers/Fido or Bell"

Catholics Taking Over Britain...

A report issued yesterday announces that the Catholic Church is set to become the largest active religious group in England and Wales. Bolstered by massive immigration from poorer Eastern European countries and former colonies, the Catholic population is expected to swell in the coming year.

Not since the Reformation, or as I call it, Hank's Infertility, have Catholics been the largest religious group in England. Maybe this will get all my non-practicing Catholic cousins over there back into pews. Safery in numbers and all that.

Vagina Monologues Banned...

... from Notre Dame and St. Louis University. At both schools, the play failed to receive the facultying sponsoring all theatrical events, even those of dubious quality, require in order to perfrom on campus.

What I can't understand is why something like the V-Monlogs were permitted at those schools anyway. Does anyone really think that a 2-hour expose of sexual abuse, depravity, and gender-based hatred really benefitted anyone?

The February PC Alert...

... is today. I'm introducing a monthly post which will, if I remember, list a few of the more interesting, alarming and ridiculous public manifestations of political correctness.

Without further ado:

- Tim Hardaway, an ex-NBA star, is banned from this year's all star game for his 'homophobic' reaction to the 'coming out' of ex-NBA flop, John Amaechi. Not that I don't think Hardaway's a moron for 'hating' anyone, but heck, what can you say these days?

- PM Harper buckles on global warmi... I mean, climate change and 'commits' to 'working with' Kyoto. No one really knows what he means, but I'm guessing he means to say that he'll do something, which is to say he'll do nothing.

- Algoreincorporated announces he's throwing a series of global warmi... I mean climate change concerts. Styled after the 'Live Aid' and 'Live 8' concerts organized by Bob Geldof, Algore says he'll raise money, awareness, and be tyte wit da youfs too.

Add yours if anyone's out there!

Anglican Discommunion

As I write, Anglican delegates from around the world are meeting in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, to discuss what to do with those pesky Episcopalians.

Or at least that's how the story has been explained to me. I think the real issue is whether or not the Anglican Experiment really has any gas left in its tank. It first pretended to be Catholic, then half-Catholic/half-Protestant, and now, it appears, a third-Catholic/a third Protestant/a third New Age. Cardinal Newman saw this and many other crises developing over a hundred years ago; today, throngs of Anglican priests and parishoners are flocking into the Catholic Church, the situation having become so grim.

A Solution to the Nun Shortage...

In the past 40 years, according to some reports, the number of women in religious orders has dropped by about 60%. Schools have closed, hospitals have become nationalized, cloisteries were uncloistered. Every week we hear about yet another nun-less parish, another monastery-sans-monastics.

Thankfully for the unEnlightened Church, I have the answer: Married and male nuns.

Thomas Yadegary, A Catholic Held Withouth Charge

The facts:

- In 1994, Thomas Yadegary moved to New Zealand from Iran.

- While living in New Zealand, Yadegary converted to Catholicism from Islam.

- In 2004, Yadegary was arrested as an illegal immigrant and had his refugee status application denied.

- Yadegary applied for refugee status because in Iran, it is illegal convert to Christianity. If he returns to Iran, he faces the death penalty.

Since 2004, Yadegary has been held in custody without formal charge or trial. He refuses to sign an Iranian passport application which New Zealand requires to extradite him to Iran. He is not a flight risk or security risk.

(h/t to Bettnet & No Right Turn)

Andre Druin, A Quebecker for All Seasons...

... unless you happen to be Jean Charest.

In a televised exchange, Druin, who a city councillor in Horouxville, asked what Charest was doing to protect Quebec culture and to review how Quebec accomodates non-Christian practices. Charest, a politician not known for his wits, simply replied by saying that the immigrant debate had 'gone too far'. Which is to say, 'I don't really know how to answer your question.'.

It's easy to feel bad for Charest. Usually the Quebec culture debate is framed by the usual francophone v. anglophone designations, or Quebec v. the Rest of Canada. Considering that, it's not hard to understand why Charest wants to quell the debate rather than engage it - he's out of his element. It could be that Charest and other politicians simply didn't realise Canadians felt this way about the spread radical Islam and the watering down of Western culture.

So let's give him a brief head's up.

Canadians do not like:

- Stoning women to death
- Splitting up pregnancy classes between the sexes
- Banning women from swimming with men
- Female genital mutilation
- Mysoginy
- Honour killing
- Societal Regression
- Religious based violence

Muslims Have Their Way...

... and the residents of Horouxville back down, sorta.

For a group of people to be outraged that a town charter prohibits the stoning of women and female circumcision, is strange enough. For the government and media to chose to promote this outrage rather than the outrage many Westerners feel toward radicial Islam, is downright scary.