This is what happens when a tsunami reaches land

February 27, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog

The scale of the waves is hard to determine at first, and then, at about the 2:25 minute mark, the camera zooms out and you can see a little speck of a person standing on the beach just before the water overtakes him.

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Massive 8.8 Quake Strikes Chile

February 27, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog

4 Comments

Everyone’s waking up to this grim news:

SANTIAGO (Reuters) – A massive magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck south-central Chile early on Saturday, killing at least 85 people, knocking down buildings, homes and hospitals, and triggering a tsunami.

Yahoo has a large number of pictures of the devastation. It appears that the death toll will be quite high.

Eerily, like a broken watch with its hands frozen at the moment of its demise, some of the Chilean press is (thus far, at least) frozen in its news cycle just before the earthquake struck. Many Chilean press outlets are functional and reporting first-hand news of the quake in Spanish, such as here, here, here, and here.

First, the devastating quake in Haiti 45 days ago, and now this one in Chile. My guess is that more of these disasters will strike more frequently. I hope not, but that’s a hunch. Sooner or later, one of these BIG quakes will strike within the U.S. — Los Angeles? St. Louis? Chicago? San Francisco? New York? It’s just a matter of time, the scientists have been telling us.

Two things we should do:

1) Always be ready to meet the Lord by staying close to him in prayer and the sacraments, especially frequent confession. This is a no-brainer, but it’s amazing how many people, including Catholics, never give the four last things any thought: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.

And 2) If you haven’t already, start making practical preparations in your own home so that, if find yourself in a quake-stricken area, you and your family can fare better and be in a position to help those around you. Lay in a supply (even if just a small one) of extra water, foods that will keep without refrigeration, medicines like Ibuprophin, a hand-crank radio (no batteries needed), etc. Make a plan with your family, especially your kids, so that they will know where to meet up. You know, those kinds of basic preparations.

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My Friend Monsignor Eugene Morris

February 26, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog

Cremation . . . Jewelry?

February 26, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog

6 Comments

I shall pass over this one in discrete silence.

From the website:

Cremation jewelry is, simply put, jewelry that contains some of the cremated ashes of a deceased family member or loved ones. Cremation jewelry has many names and comes in a variety of forms, but no matter the words used, cremation jewelry is among the newest and most popular ways to memorialize loved ones.

(My thanks to the blogger whose site I saw this on, though now I can’t remember where!)

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What if we just said, "Why don't you just get over it?"

February 26, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
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14 Comments

The jungle drums of frustration and consternation are beating in reaction to the impending revision of the Roman Missal. Granted, the syncopation is a bit uneven, and the decibel level less than robust, but it’s there.

And it’s . . . it’s simply ineffable.

The Community of Disciples over at America Magazine and their fellow travelers at the National Catholic Reporter are scrambling for the panic button.

They are shocked (shocked!) that the Catholic Church would have the audacity to implement a (long overdue, sorely needed, and eagerly anticipated) new English translation of the Missal without their approval.

On the “What if we just said wait?” website, in the “Statement of Concern,” they agonize …

We are very concerned about the proposed new translations of the Roman Missal. We believe that simply imposing them on our people — even after a program of preparation — will have an adverse effect on their prayer and cause serious division in our communities.

We are convinced that adopting translations that are highly controversial, and which leaders among our bishops as well as many highly respected liturgists and linguists consider to be seriously flawed, will be a grave mistake.

For this reason we earnestly implore the bishops of the English-speaking world to undertake a pilot program by which the new translations — after a careful program of catechesis — can be introduced into some carefully selected parishes and communities throughout the English-speaking world for a period of one (liturgical) year, after which they can be objectively evaluated.

We are convinced that this approach will address the concerns of those many bishops who feel that they have lost their voice in this matter and that it will also give a voice to the People of God whose prayer is at stake and who accordingly have the most to gain or lose by the translations.

The irony here is rich indeed. These are the same people who cheered on (whether because they were alive at the time or, if they weren’t, because they sympathize with those who were) the wholesale imposition in the mid- to late-1960s of radical liturgical changes, often accompanied by serious liturgical abuses, upon unprepared, unsuspecting Catholics who did experience an adverse affect on their prayer and piety as
a result.

But now that the shoe is on the other foot and the Church is well on its way to finally correcting certain deficiencies and implementing the actual letter and spirit of Vatican II’s document on the Eucharistic Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, now these same people are indignant (indignant!) that such a thing should be done. How dare the pope and the bishops impose changes in the Liturgy on the faithful?!

Oh, the humanity!

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It's time for the fastest 2 hours in Catholic radio

February 25, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog

Here's yesterday's "Catholic Answers Live" show (2nd hour)

February 25, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog

1 Comment

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Ronald Reagan's 1960 warning about socialized medicine

February 24, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
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1 Comment

Here’s a news report about this newly popular audio clip.

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What goes around comes around, baby

February 24, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
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4 Comments

These people’s hypocrisy is staggering, boundless, sickening, but not at all surprising.

Dear Leader & Dems in 2005: complaining that the 51 vote “nuclear option” is “arrogant,” a “power grab against the Founders’ intent,” etc.

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I could listen to this priest preach for days on end

February 24, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog

3 Comments

This Spanish priest is literally on fire with zeal for the Lord. His message about sin, hell, repentance, and forgiveness (todo dado en español) is powerful. As a spiritual work of mercy this Lent, I’d suggest you share this around with your Spanish-speaking friends and family. Post it to your FaceBook pages, blogs, etc. I don’t know who the priest is (yet), but he’s really nailed this subject.