Speaking of Photoshopping

Tony, author of a blog titled "Catholic Pillow Fight" describes himself as "a liturgically orthodox Catholic who enjoys many of the reforms of Vatican II tries to come to grips with the polarization which he finds in the blogosphere between 'conservatives' and 'progressives.'" He is the artist behind the following icon:

Unfortunately, one of the links he used describe the term "Neo Cath" is broken. From what I can gather, Neo Caths are vibrantly orthodox in their faith and "combine biblical and magisterial fundamentalism. . . in complete contempt of biblical scholarship and hermeneutics." I tend to be on the more moderate side of the Neo Cath movement, but I like the youthful trend toward the traditional. The pendulum has been far too left for far too long. Click on the icon to learn more.

Monastic Youth

Diane received a press release claiming "a rapid rise in sales of traditional Catholic oriented merchandise to 16-25 year olds." It seems young catholics are interested in the medieval traditions of the Faith. The release continues:

Case in point, an online retailer called MonkRock (http://www.monkrock.com/). A kind of Urban Outfitters-Catholic goods fusion run by traditionally-minded Catholic youth.

Monk Rock seeks to promote monastic values to young people. Their website professes love of the caritas variety:

This love, or better said, charity understands that man is free only to do good, that reason and not the senses are to inform the will, man is only as dignified as he conforms himself to Truth, inequality is a necessary good, distinctions reflect Order, modesty is beautiful, suffering is salvific, this world is not our home, and all, according to their station in life, are called to live the life of monks.

They are not the only youth into the medieval. Some Notre Dame students have a taste for the traditional. The Sober Sophomore is one example. She designed this nifty logo:

I would be remiss not the mention The Shrine of the Holy Whapping in a post about young traditionalists. There are others, and I may mention them from time to time. These may be indications that members of Generation Y are growing up to be more orthodox than their boomer and gen X parents. One can hope.

Mathmatical proof that women are evil...

(I'd like to take credit for this, but I saw it on the ndnation.com message board a couple of days ago...)

Tell Someone

I saw an interesting commercial on television. Merck (the drug company) is educating the public on a dangerous disease called the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). According to Merck, the CDC estimates 20 million people are infected. The virus’s potential consequences include genital warts and cervical cancer. The tone of the advertisement made it sound like HPV is a new phenomenon. We are encouraged to spread the word by the slogan “tell someone." They have launched a website by that name (www.tell-someone.com). Of course, this disease is not new and the chastity movement has been warning young people about it for years. Planned Parenthood suggests wearing a condom as a protective measure against HPV. However, since the virus is spread by genital skin contact, a condom will offer limited protection. Jason Evert of Catholic Answers tells a gruesome story of his friend who spread HPV to his wife, who then spread it to her unborn child. Their daughter was born with warts in her throat which had to be burned away with lasers. Not a pleasant thought.

Merck’s website spells out the risk of infection:

HPV is easily transmitted, so any exposure puts you at risk. In fact, it is estimated that many people get HPV within their first 2 to 3 years of becoming sexually active.

They recommend “limiting your sexual partners” and admit “it’s unknown how much protection from HPV condoms actually provide.” This is not exactly a call to abstinence, but it is a step in the right direction. Merck’s campaign is a good opportunity to spread the Church’s teaching on sexual morality. Tell someone about HPV, and tell them about chastity.

The REAL DaVince code....in C#

Hat tip to www.splendoroftruth.com

Si yu'os ma'ase

I just visited with my old friends from St. Jude's in Sinajana, Guam. They are an amazing group of Catholics who are on fire for Christ. They wholeheartedly proclaim the Gospel in John Paul II style. The Holy Spirit is visible in their ministry to young people. Their friendship has been a source of joy and inspiriation in my life. Si yu'os ma'ase. I am reminded of a conversation I had with a dear friend:

T: "Why has God put so many beautiful people in my life."
J: "Because He loves you."

Amen.

(I'll have a photo posted soon)