To keep you satisifed while I'm gone...

"We were just chasing the bad angels out of heaven!"

Away from blogging

Dear Readers and friends,

This likely to be an entire week off from blogging. I leave at 6am on Tuesday morning for a week in Sydney. The weekend will be the National Executive meeting of the Australian Catholic Students Association and the days before that will be a chance for me to have a few meetings and also to catch up with some good friends including the infamous Dominicanus.

The Executive will be having a lunch with our Patron in George Cardinal Pell which is always loads of fun especially as our chaplain, Fr. Gregory Jordan SJ and the Cardinal have known each other for many years.

The week will also be a chance to relax a tad, though I am bringing some uni work with me to do.

Today was my very last Saturday teaching swimming.

A bit of background. I’ve been a swim instructor since I was 15 teaching over the summer holidays until I finished school when I also started teaching on Saturday mornings. I have been teaching for a group called RAPID SWIM which is a program for people with integration difficulties. So over the four years I’ve taught people with Down Syndrome, Autism across the kids which simply have low muscle tone and coordination difficulties. The lessons are all 1:1. I’ve been the instructor-in-charge of my program for the last three years but finally had to say good-bye because I’ve run out of time to study at all.

It is a bit sad. Some of the kids I’ve taught for the whole 4 years. I’ve known a couple of them half their life! One of the mums gave a framed and engraved photo of me and her daughter today - something to remember.

SA Government

The South Australian State Government delivered their budget today. Yes, our finiancial year is from July1-June30 and they are only getting around to it now. I'm appalled and the media hasn't been critical enough of this. If I were a CEO of a company and planned to deliver a budget at least 3months late, I wouldn't have a job tomorrow. It's not as if they have just go into Government. They've been in Government for four years. They also have billions of extra dollars worth of money to spend than the previous government did four years ago!

Tell us what you think about this? You overseas people, does anything like this happen over there? I think this shows absolute contempt for the South Australian people -- their electors.

Anyway, that's my whinge for today.

Bad joke

An Irish nun had been asking her students what they want to be when they grow up.

She asks susie who declares, "I want to be a prostitute."

"What did you say?!" asks the nun, completely shocked.

"I said I want to be a prostitute," Susie says again.

"Oh, thank heavens," says the nun. "I thought you said 'a Protestant!'"

Diplomat does Borat impersonation

I know I try not to blog on Tuesdays because of work & study but I had to post on this one. (BTW I'm still writing an essay that was supposed to be due last Friday) .

This story comes from the SMH. Kazakhstan's president Nursultan Nazarbayev is due to meet George W Bush and they won't discuss ... Borat whose new film Cultural Learnings of America Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is just hitting the cinemas in time for the visit!!:

"I can say unambiguously that the question of this film or of the art, let's call it that, of Mr Sacha Baron Cohen, will not be discussed (by Nazarbayev and Bush)," Yerzhan Ashykbayev, a Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman, told a news conference in the capital Astana.

You may recall previous clashes...

Guided tour...

"Another thing -- you'll never have to worry about tucking in your shirt!"

Bogleing blogs

Joanna Bogle has recently started publishing at auntie joanna writes. The presentation isn't great but of course the content is awesome. It's probably the most popular new blog because of her profile. Her husband Jamie is an ex-pat Aussie and the two did a speaking tour of Australia last year.

Media Release from Sydney

By + Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney
18 September 2006

It is a sign of hope that no organised violence has flared here in Australia, following Pope Benedict’s recent comments.

No one compared the Pope to Hitler or Mussolini (as in Turkey) or called for his murder as Sheik Malin did in Somalia. No group like the League of Jihadists in Iraq promised “that the soldiers of Mohammed will come sooner or later to shake your throne and the foundations of your state”.

However the violent reactions in many parts of the Islamic world justified one of Pope Benedict’s main fears. They showed the link for many Islamists between religion and violence, their refusal to respond to criticism with rational arguments, but only with demonstrations, threats and actual violence.

Our major priority must be to maintain peace and harmony within the Australian community, but no lasting achievements can be grounded in fantasies and evasions.

The responses of Sheik al-Hilali, Australia’s mufti, in particular, and even Dr. Ameer Ali of the Prime Minister’s Muslim Reference Group were unfortunately typical and unhelpful. It is always some one else’s fault and issues touching on the nature of Islam are ignored.

Sheik al-Hilali often responds to criticism by questioning the intelligence and competence of the questioner or critic. So too with the Pope, whose speech he claimed was not what was expected of a holy person and indeed “the Church needs to re-examine its thoughts about someone who doesn’t have the qualities or good grasp of Christian character or knowledge”.

Dr. Ameer Ali’s published reply was more surprising as it called on Pope Benedict to be more like Pope John Paul II than Pope Urban II, who called the First Crusade. In fact the Pope’s long speech was more about the weaknesses of the Western world, its irreligion and disdain for religion and he explicitly rejected linking religion and violence. He won’t be calling any crusade.

Today Westerners often link genuine religious expression with peace and tolerance. Today most Muslims identify genuine religion with submission (Islam) to the commands of the Quran. They are proud of the spectacular military expansion across continents especially in the decades after the Prophet’s death. This is seen as a sign of God’s blessing.

Friends of Islam in Australia have genuine questions, which need to be addressed, not regularly avoided. We are grateful for those moderate Moslems who have spoken publicly. But as Andrew Robb, Parliamentary Secretary on Multicultural Affairs, told Muslim clerics last weekend evil acts done falsely in the name of Islam around the world “need to be addressed, not swept under the carpet.

Muslims and Abbott

The Australian has published part of Tony Abbott's talk from last Friday night to a public forum, Towards a Cohesive Australia, in the Sydney suburb of Lidcombe. Cardinal Cassidy was also there representing the Catholics in a forum with Muslim leaders. My sources say the night was okay.

Great timing to hold the event (admittedly planned for some months) just after the Pope's words last Tuesday. I can just image Tony thinking "great, thanks alot boss!"

St. Joseph of Cupertino

Introit: Ecclus. 1. 14-15. The love of God is honourable wisdom: and they to whom she shall show herself, love her by the sight, and by the knowledge of her great works. Ps. How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! my soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord.

Gradual: Ps. 20. 4-5. O Lord, Thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: Thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones. v. He asked life of Thee and Thou hast given him length of days for ever, and for ages of ages.
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You can find out about St. Joseph of Cupertino here.

I was “introduced” to St. Joseph whilst in year 12. He had a learning disability, and legend has it that he would study intently for one small section of the material, because that was all he was able to do, and prayed that the material he studied would be what he was tested on. As it happened, the small amount of material that he had studied and knew was the material Joseph was tested on time and again in hsi examinations for priesthood.

It is from this, rather than his mystic behaviour, that he is a patron saint of students.

OZ politics

While the world was watching what would happen next in the "Mr. Pope" vs Muslims saga, here in OZ Greg Smith beat the former Sex-Discrimination Commisioner, Pru Goward in the Liberal Party preselection for the safe seat of Epping. It is the the NSW State Parliament which I (being in SA) have no strict interest in except for the fact that Smith is a Catholic and a high-profile "anti-abortion campaigner" as the papers have constantly put it.

The SMH, which appeared to be backing Pru, reports that it was comprehensive win but also that Goward is likely to now be preselected for another NSW seat.

You can read Goward's profile here.

Another installment of ....

"Monsignor found the short circuit."

Well Il Papa has caused some stir over the last three days after his address to the University of Regensburg on Tuesday (Wednesday Australia time). His address is titled Faith, Reason and the University Memories and Reflections and you can read it for yourself here.

The SMH has this report about the response of Maylasia and there have been riots in other Muslim countries around the globe. The American Papist has a good round-up and will no doubt keep everyone posted with updates.

The Pope has been likened to Hitler and Mussolini by the Turks but the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has just come out in his defence.

The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Introit: John 19. 25, 26-27. There stood by the cross of Jesus, His mother, and His mother’s sister Mary of Cleophas, and Salome and Mary Magdalen. v. Woman, behold thy son, said Jesus; to the disciple however: Behold thy mother.

Collect: O God, at whose Passion, as Simeon foretold, the most sweet soul of Mary, Thy glorious Virgin Mother, was pierced by a sword of sorrow; mercifully grant that we who reverently mediate upon her sorrows may reap the happy fruit of Thy Passion.

Sequence: Stabat Mater.

Communion: Happy the senses of the blessed Virgin Mary, which without dying earned the palm of martyrdom beneath the cross of our Lord.

First report...

The folks just got home from the ordination so this is an exclusive. The old man said it was "good". There was good music except for one hymn. The commentators were extremely annoying and the cross above the altar was tacky. As usual George Cardinal Pell appeared like he didn't want to be there - Adelaide is generally a liturgical hole after all! But Dad said it was much better than the installation of Archbishop Wilson which occured in the Entertainment Centre where everyone sits on the sides, two choir lofts higher than the "sanctuary".

The old man took one pic before hand as they were told not to take any photos during the Mass. I've zoomed in and cropped it (click for larger image). You can just make out the chalices on the left-hand-side. Why on such an occasion like this they insist on Communion of both species for everyone is beyond me.

And the tacky cross above the altar. I suppose unlike in Brisbane, Our Lord looks like a male... we must be thankful for small mercys.
I forgot to ask, old man, was there an Aboriginal smoking ceremony this time?

Here is what to get me for Christmas

Very satisfying I'm sure! Get me a pallet!

Episcopal Ordination today

This evening Fr. Greg O'Kelly will be ordained a bishop is the Adelaide Convention Centre. Both my parenst are going so there should be a report for you tomorrow morning (assuming I have time). my usually reserved mother is already worried about the venture -- "it'll probably be like a school Mass!" she said to me yesterday.

CathNews reports that along with a few Archbishops there will be other dignitaries present.

Readers will include South Australia's Chief Justice John Doyle, a Saint Ignatius College old scholar. ABC newsreader Michael Smyth and Channel Seven journalist and presenter Rosanna Mangiarelli will commentate.

Oh dear, TV presenters as commentators. Commentators generally are an abomination regardless of how clearly they speak!

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Originally this feast celebrated the finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helena and the consecration, on September 14, 335 of the basilicas built by Constantine on the sites of the Holy Sepulchre and Calvary at Jerusalem. Later on, the commemoration of the recovery of the Holy Cross from the Persians in 629 was confused with this and supplanted it.

Introit: Gal. 6. 14. But it behoves us to the glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ: in whom is our salvation, life, and resurrection; by whom we are saved and delivered. Ps. May God have mercy on us, and bless us; may He cause the light of His countenance to shine upon us, and may He have mercy on us.

Alleluia: Alleluia, alleluia. Sweet the woof, sweet the nails, sweet the load that hangs thereon: for thou alone, O holy Cross, wast worthy to bear the King and Lord of heaven. Alleluia.

Communion: By the sign of the Cross deliver us from our enemies, O Thou who art our God.

Speck doesn't much like surplices either

"Hey, buddy -- not so much starch the next time, please."