Tribute to Bob Coffey RIP, Tulsa Trad Community Elder

I am saddened to report that one of our own Tulsa Catholic Elders, Mr. Bob Coffey, has passed away at age 71, survived by his wife and four children.  He was a convert, devout traditional Catholic since the 1980s, and one of the original members of the wider Latin Mass community of the Diocese of Tulsa.  Many knew him from daily Mass, kneeling with head bowed low in the back of church, and often giving catechetical information in the church parking lot.  He was also a weekly participant at the St John’s hospital Perpetual Adoration chapel for decades, where I first met him about 20 years ago.  

Many knew Bob as an unabashed traditionalist, a strong Marian devotee, and a man with special personal devotions. Others also knew his love of nutrition and health, which he avidly studied and shared with others. Whether it was about the Faith, politics, economics, lifestyle, or healthy living, his dedication to pursuing truth was motivated by his strong desire to help his family, friends, and acquaintances to benefit from his discoveries.

But there are quite a few things many don’t know about Bob, and I am able to relate them because my wife is best friends with his wife, who approved this tribute.  Bob was a self-employed attorney who dedicated his practice to employment law, defending very ordinary people from unjust treatment in the workplace, some of whom could not pay him. Often his services to the poor were free, and he often staid up very late studying each of their cases.

Before practicing law, Bob was actually a professional gardener.  In fact, he was one of the main gardeners to build up the award winning gardens at Philbrook museum.  With his gardener coworkers, Bob formed a locally followed folk band of which he was the lead writer and singer, waxing poetic about living in the modern world.  A Renaissance Man, Bob also has graduate degrees in literature and Asian studies, having taught as a professor at the University of Tulsa and Oral Roberts University.

A unique man of many talents, and most of all one who put his Catholic faith at the center of everything, Bob Coffey will be greatly missed and remembered by our wider community for years to come.

PS Please have Masses said for Bob, though he did receive the last rites just before dying, which includes the apostolic blessing which remits all purgatory time.

Seasonal Changes. Blessings, Challenges.

I don't know about you, but I can already tell a difference in my mood and energy levels from the change in the season, daylight savings time, and beginning of the holiday shopping season.  Not sure if it's the Sun going down at a very early 5 pm, the looming annual tensions in the family about holiday get-togethers, or my uncouthe experience the other night buying an I-phone at Walmart, when Black Friday began at 6 pm Thursday night.  Note to self, do whatever you can to order all Black Friday stuff next year online.

But I count my blessings.  Family, the love of a good wife, friends, my avocation and income, and above all else the mercy of Our Savior.  He has seen me through a lot, as He does for all of us, through this Valley of Tears.  But while the valley has its shadows, I am thankful for the Fall season, the beautiful foliage, weekend outings to hike, camp, and fish.  This year we keep the Christmas shopping to a minimum to save for a down payment on a house.  Life is hard some days, but it is good!

Challenges.

This year I have a plan to combat the seasonal affective disorder that seems to affect most if not all of us, as the daylight decreases, our skins become more pale, and our serotonin levels drop as Earth gets further away from the Sun.  Cheerful music in the house, keep as many lights on as possible, but get outside in the daylight as much as possible.  Eat my lunch sitting in the Sun, pray my morning prayers on the front porch.

Our bigger challenge this coming Advent/Christmas season seems to be the god-forsaken secularist version of the Season.  Materialism to its max, while the light of the Manger grows more and more dim each year.

Too, as for many, my challenge is to have Peace of Mind, knowing that my extended family has for years been distant and somewhat at odds with each other.  When part of the penitential spirit of Advent, in preparation for the coming of the Christ Child, is to magnify more and more our love of one another, that becomes a spiritual challenge.  To not give into the turmoil that seems to subtly if not overtly affect many families at Christmas.

So my endeavor this year, as with every year, is to focus on the spiritual center of this Season, to observe the Church's customs of penance for Advent:  prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  The mission will be a deeper conversion of heart to the Mercy of God, shown to the world in the Incarnation, and therefore a deeper peace of mind.

11/17/19. Saturday Morning Musing. Outdoors, Fitness, World of Work, Francis, Weekend Plans

Outdoors.

Pantheism is a grave error.  Its position is that Nature is literally God, though there are variations.  Nature and God being one thing;  Nature as a literal extension of God's divine essence;  or that all natural things are divine beings.  It is at the very heart of the New World Order, and the vision of Modernism/Liberalism.  Overturning Tradition, doctrine, and dogma, to have a brave new, 21st century world where nations, peoples, races, and religions merge into one borg collective, making Mother Nature its supreme god.  Pardon my political incorrectness, goddess.

The Goddess Tree from the Movie Avatar

As readers of this blog know, though, I like to consider different opinions on a question, like flipping a coin over to read the other side.  Ever since I was a kid, in boy scouts, backpacking, fishing, spelunking, etc, I was raised to revere Nature.  Trash on the side of the road, or a loud, drunken camp of weekend urban campers, these kinds of things were seen as a sacrilege against something sacred.

The Outdoors.  God's creation. Something of no value in comparison to God; but because God created it in His likeness, and man as its pinnacle in His image, then something very much connected to God's essence.  

If God has divine attributes such as truth, beauty, and goodness, 

If Nature is made in His likeness,

Then syllogistic logic indicates that Nature is like the Divine.

It is Divine-like.

When I head out this morning on my Saturday morning hike out at Red Bud Valley park (a must visit during this Fall foliage), I will be contemplating God in his gloriously beautiful Creation.  After all, St. Thomas teaches that part of the way we come to know the Creator is to first know His Creation.

Fitness.

So, a friend challenged me to lose a lot of weight, to get in shape for a 5K St. Patrick's Day race in mid March next year, buying me a myzone heart monitoring belt.  We'll be speed hiking this morning.  Last week I did most days 20 mins of free weights, 30 mins of swimming, and then hit the hot tub to lower my cortisol levels.  Great way to end the work day.

Pray I really get in shape, plus that I can beat this friend at the 5K!

World of Work

The work place, like any other sphere of life, I must remind myself, is part of the larger sphere of modern society.  Helps to Venn diagram it.

The modern, secularist, materialist, ego-centered home/market place/entertainment milieu/thoroughfares, they all overlap, as they do with the workplace.  I have to remind myself that when the central commandments of our society are,

Though Shalt Worship Thyself

Though Shalt Have Absolute Freedom

Though Shalt Enjoy Sexual License

Though Shalt Dominate Others

You can't expect civility, charity, and professionalism to be the status quo in the work place.

That said, especially for us men, is not to fight our pagan coworkers like brute beasts, but to be shining example of the Christian work ethic and Christian professionalism, whether you are a doctor, lawyer, physical therapist, salesman, x-ray tech, etc.

Francis.

I took down his picture from my wall, and put up a nice painting of a town square in 19th century Paris.  Much more edifying and bright addition to our living room.  God have mercy on Francis.

Weekend Plans.

Wrapping up this blog post.  Then hiking at Red Bud, breakfast with said friend, laundry, we shop at the Tulsa Sears closeout sale, meet friends for a picnic at The Gathering Place, then its Date Night!

Tomorrow Mass, eat out, fly-fish at Pretty Water lake for trout in Sapulpa, make tortilla soup, and a fire.  

Have a great weekend!

Saturday Morning Musings

Greetings fellow lovers of the Catholic Faith, Catholic tradition, and all that is good, true, and beautiful.

Getting chilly here in T-town.  Snow maybe on Monday.  But Oklahoma weather is as predictable as whether or not OU will beat OSU today in their annual "Bedlam" showdown.  My money is on the Sooners.

Lack of charity in all its forms.  Witnessing the daily decent on our local cultures into darker darkness is like watching a sun get pulled into a black hole.  I think that is an actual astronomical phenomenon.

Let there be light.  Christ is the light of the world.  And so forth.  There really is no actual substance in nature that makes blackness a color.  Black is ultimately and merely the absence of electromagnetic waves on the color spectrum.  Even in a black room if you open up your eyes long enough, you will atune to some light.

That seems to be our challenge, when the work place, market place, and cultural mileau spirals deeper into incivility, chaos, and rebellion against Catholic and Christian social order.  

I mean even in the woods around Clear Creek monastery, you have the internet with porn, Pandora playing Black Sabbath across your smart TV app, and condoms sold at the country gas station.  Darkness.

So ends my morning musing, before I stock up on artificial flies for my Sunday Fly-fishing outing tomorrow (still planning to post my outdoors pics).  We are surrounded by what future Catholic historians will surely call the "Second Dark Age," but our mission is to not be stressed or depressed or oppressed by this darkness, but to keep our eyes ever open to the Light.

Happy Saturday and Happy Fall weather.

Robber's Cave Fall Campout was Amazing.

In the literal sense of the word.

Spectacular colors of the San Bois Mts. perched on top of a cliff overlooking the cave.

An Okie Oasis this time of year.

Ribeyes, cornish game hens, veggies grilled over the campfire.

Breaking in our new set of camping gear.  Deo gracias.

Woke up to a flock of geese flying across the picturesque lake.  Made in God's likeness, their life reflects His divine order and beauty.

Pics to be uploaded soon, time permitting. 

Fall Weather, Camping Trip

Fall Weather:

A healing balm from the extremes of August heat and humidity.  The mind becomes more clear with crisper temperatures.  The body feels more bouncy and less bogged down by the fatigue of summer dehydration.  

I think about the four seasons, how they are like life.  In Spring, things come to life; in Summer they live to abudance; in the Fall things slow down; and in Winter they die.

But of all the people over the years I've asked "So, what is your favorite season?" the majority seem to say Fall.

Perhaps that is because in this life we do not experience ever a permanent, sustained state of pleasure and joy, as symbolized at least in Summer.  Perhaps the best we can hope for in terms of happiness this side of the grave are reliefs from the extremes forces of nature, and a bit of comfort now and then.  Like relief from summer heat, and a quiet solace drinking a whiskey in front of the fireplace.

Camping Trip:

Treated myself to a new set of camping gear last weekend: tent, stove, table, cooler, canopy shade covering, etc.

Planning on next weekend at Robber's Cave in OK.  Hiking, bouldering, cave exploring, fishing, cooking, and fire building.

Will share photos!

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times

That's how the book starts out, and pretty much sums up life for me during this age in human history.  For that matter, for any age, which is the point.

The City of God vs. The City of Man, as ol' St. Augustine said.   That dynamic plays out everywhere, be it in the 4th century or the 21st century;  be it in the contemporary metropolis or out in the hillbilly boonies.

A day doesn't go by I don't witness this perennial dynamic.  An uncouthe cashier later warm and helpful.  A coworker ossilates between civility and cattiness.  One driver let's you merge, another shakes their head "not today buddy."

The human drama.  

Was musing last night over cigars with friends about Oklahoma.  Oklahoma.  Land of almost the least educated of Americans, with a church, fast food restaurant, and meth lab on nearly every corner.

You've got these cantankerous, "ornery" as we say here, Okies, who will react as quickly to help you change a tire as they would to OU losing a Saturday football game.  The Heartland.  The mind may be clouded here, but hearts do abound with Salt of the Earth, homespun Christian ways.

Oktoberfest in Tulsa this weekend!

Happy Fall weather!!

Go Sooners!!!

Celebrating. Oklahoma One Small Step Closer to a Catholic Culture

Can now buy wine in the grocery store. :)

Archbishop Vigano: a Hero, Welcome to come to Oklahoma

This guy is such a brave hero.  He knew when he released his report he would be hunted down by the liberal media and liberal powers-that-be in the Vatican, and even scrutinized at first from all quarters.

Yet, the press is reporting he has gone into hiding.  An unofficial hunt for him was initiated from behind Vatican walls, to answer for his report.

Well, we Okies are known for our down-to-earth common sense, and can clearly see that Vigano is a good man and did the righteous thing, on behalf of the children.  Our two Tulsa bishops even recently supported his exposure of the pedo Clerical Cabal, calling for an investigation at the Level of the Vatican/Francis.

So Archbishop, email me if you need a place to stay.  My wife is an excellent cook.  And I know our Bishops here will welcome you.  Perhaps even take a sabbatical within the walls of traditional Clear Creek Abbey here.
Cardinal Burke himself does from time to time.

What I admire most in this Bishop, in the stand he is taking, is his indifference to how he will be treated.  For him, the integrity of God and the Church is what matters.  Let the chips fall where they may.

God bless Archbishop Vigano!!  He is a hero we must support.  A lighthouse in the darkness, yet now a lightning rod targeted by the Rot in the human element of the Church.

Tulsa Bishop Emeritus Slattery Speaks! Re: Papal Level of Current Crisis

When I read this article on Lifesite news, it did my heart good, being an Okie Trad (Slattery is also an Okie Trad, btw!).

LINK

Wow, and double wow.  Spoken like the holy bishop that he is, one of the most Tradition-minded bishops in the Church today.

Btw, my Bishop Emeritus knows me personally, and that I write this blog.

Thank you Bishop!  For your courage in the statement you made.

His Successor, my Local Ordinary, anorher Successor to theApostles, Bishop Konderla made a likewise heroic statement on FB about investigating what Archbishop Vigano's bombshell report exposed.

i.e. at the Highest Level.

And he and I made up and are now friends. :)

I remember serving Mass for Bishop Slattery as a young man at Holy Family Cathedral, and meeting with him personally when I had discerned the seminary.  

The time has come to rid the Church of the Rot that has universally corrupted the Mystical Bride in virtually every Diocese.

Wouldn't you agree?

Btw, tonight I'm making jalapeno poppers to celebrate a certain career development.  Plus I'm really thankful for these subsiding temperatures and the promises of Fall:. the Fair, Oktoberfest, Halloween, All Saints Day party, Thanksgiving, more outdoor activities, and backyard fires!  

All of which I plan to blog about. :)

Professional Laymen Speak! Open Letter/Petition to Pope Francis

Here is an initiative I encourage you to support.  Please share on social media.
Thank you.

Open Letter + Petition

Okie Trad: Solution to the Clerical Sex Abuse Crisis. Bypass the Ecclesial Authority, go to the Civil Authority

Okay.  The train wreck is occuring daily before our eyes.  Sides are being taken.  But even the conservatives in the Church have little power to affect reform at the universal level, vs. the progressivist stronghold over the Vatican and current pontificate.

Yet, while the Catholic Church has always taught that Her spiritual authority is greater than that of civil government, She has also always taught that the Church in Her temporal power and material place in the world is in fact subject to civil law and authority.

And each state's Attorney General, the Department of Justice, and the World court does have civil authority.

Therefore, it seems like a straight-forward fact that ending this network of clerical child molesters, and the Hierarchy's cover-up of their rot on human, global society will depend primarily on legal action by state, federal, and international governing bodies.

Let the United Nations and the US DOJ lead the charge, with the strictist and most aggressive judicial action and punishment.  Investigate Francis and the Vatican.  If the reports are found credible, convene national and international hearings.  Give the accused party chance to defend himself.

The same course of action would be warranted for any other international corporate organization, holding the highest authorities personally and legally responsible.

And if found guilty, give the strictist punishment and sanctions to protect the thousands of children that continue to be molested by Catholic priests.  

If Francis is found guilty of covering up child sex abuse, international government and/or national governments have the authority to imprison him.

In conclusion, the conservative Prelates should take the case to the Civil Authority, and bypass the corrupt Powers that Be.   Decades of cover-up prove that handling the crisis internally is fruitless.

Submit to God-given temporal authority, if you really want the world to submit to the spiritual authority of the Church.

Labor Day. The Clerical Crisis. BBQ

Such are thoughts on my mind today.
Happy day of leisure to you all, though I'm not sure what to think about Labor Day.  Just another patriotic holiday to round out the summer?  Or a socialist holiday?  Dunno.  If you know, share below in the comments.

The current crisis in the Church.  Watching the post-Vignon report clash over what to do, who is to blame, and how high up the hierarchy will accountability be placed, is playing out like the last Presidential run, with all it's intrigue, controversy, and battling all the way to election night.  Dare we Trumpers hope for a similar kind of miracle in the Church, to expose and topple down the Establishment network of clerical child molesters?  Is it even conceivable that if that miracle should happen, probably at the hands of civil government and the media, that traditional restoration across the Universal Church might occur?

On the first point, I am hopeful; but on the second point I'm somewhat skeptical.  Not that I wouldn't love to see the Latin Mass become mainstream in every parish where it belongs.  Catholic Tradition after all is meant to be universal across the Church, as it is universal across the timeline of Church history

BBQ.  Well, it's Labor Day, so I think we're almost duty bound to grill or buy BBQ. I'm thinking to make my famous jalapeno poppers.

Happy Holiday!

Recent movies. Lifesite News Trad Babes. Spiritual Thoughts.

TGIF!  Gotta love Fridays!


Recent Movies:

Also gotta love the huuuge (as our Constantine-Great Monarch says) collection of movies on Amazon prime.

As of late, I watched "A Man for All Seasons," after a recent discussion with a fellow Catholic, to reflect on how we, especially men, are called to defend justice in society, firstly through holiness.   Another night it was "Becket," one of my favorite movies (also gotta love that excommunication rite scene).  And another, "I Confess."


Lifesite News Trad Babes:

It seems like a lot of their writers from their posted photos are rather pleasant on the eyes.  If sex sells sin, why not use true beauty to sell goodness and truth!

Check their site, and tell me I'm wrong!  Oh, I love Trad Babes.  Beautiful women of modesty and virtue.


Spiritual Thoughts:

We are in such a desert, these times we live in, righteously angry at the sins against Holy Mother the Church, but with renewing hope that the present battle in the Church is being won by the armies of light.

Cracks have been made in the dam.  The first domino has been ticked.  Now we can watch at least part of the false church collapse.  

Fireside Reflection. Thankful for this Moment in My Life.

I Love Fireside Reflections:

There is something primordial and soulful about quietly sitting in front of the fireplace, with a pipe or fermented beverage in your hand, staring into the flames in a state of wonderment.  

Men have been doing this since our first parents were kicked out of Paradise, no doubt.

Tonight I do so, in Thanksgiving for some personal achievement as of late, that was really God working through me.  

Except for me this warm August evening, my only available substitute for a real fire is the fireplace projected onto my screen via Netflix.  It will do for now.

And the central thoughts of life come to mind.   Ponderings about the state of things, both in one's personal life and the state/Church outside of the domestic home.  Nothing on this side of the grave compares to what God plans to reward us with, if we are holy.  

But He does give us a few consolations to remind us on a natural level of the heavenly Paradise.   Does He not?   Just as after a long, hopefully sainted life, when one enjoys what "eyes have not seen nor ears have heard," so, God sometimes gives us now a taste of that reward at the end of a hard day or period of labor.

To me, a quiet sit in front of the evening fire, maybe with a smoke or a drink, talking or silently musing about either the Creator, or anything in Creation in light of the Creator, either directly or indirectly, is a fitting Catholic form of leisure, and my own personal ideal.   

Give me just a few quality things to enjoy a bit, and I'm there.  No need of much more than that, materially speaking, not to say I don't or wouldn't have more costly material possessions, according to my state in life, socioeconomic status, and what is most prudent for me and mine.

In the meantime, I'm able to rest, sitting back in my Okie Armchair, sipping R&R whiskey, and staring into the flames.  

What I think About:

I think of the past.  My father who has since passed away, of his life, his own gifts and personal trials.  I think of my great-grandfather who brought his Irish Catholic family to Oklahoma to start a lumber business.  I think of the simplicity and humility of their lives, before 65 inch Smart TVs.   

I think about how my father's family growing up lived across the street from their Catholic parish, such that very early daily Mass was a habit, and their Irish Redemptorist pastor often enjoyed an evening conversation and a pipe on my grandparents' front porch.

St. Anthony's Catholic Church

Okmulgee, Oklahoma

There was no universal state of modernist Crisis in the Church back then.  Priests and bishops were generally trustworthy.

But I take a sip and think back to Adam and Eve's Fall, how this whole History of Salvation business, truth be told, is, for every person alive, a Valley of Tears.  Even for the most privileged, healthy, and popular individuals.   Life is a struggle for all of us, a battle against disorder, and a daily state of suffering on some level.

I reflect how original sin takes on a life of its own in each family tree, including my own.  Looking back on mine, I have to consider it a singular grace I am a believing, practicing Catholic.  What grace and good habits I have, it's less than 1 percent me, and 99% God's Providence, and still I often fall into sins.

I think back on the last several years of my life, which were like climbing up a steep mountain.  I have to be thankful to God for the grace to persevere to achieve a certain degree of success where I am now at in my short life.  

My Idea of "Success."

But as I pause looking into the fire, I ask, what is the nature of the success I achieved?  For me, it is not only my talents realized in my chosen profession, or the financial gain that is secured by that, but in finding a quiet place in my life of inner security, so to speak, to feel more peace.

It is not as much a peace that comes from economic stability (which in the natural order does help), but in being reminded that God is always with me.  He always provides, sustains, and delivers what he promises, in this life and especially in the next, if we work for Him.

Conclusion.

To conclude my "fireside" meditation, I feel at this moment in my life, having achieved recently a certain milestone in my own professional life, content, thankful, blessed, and assured in God and by God.   I am sure my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather would be proud, and likewise join me for a glass.   

It is these moments we achieve in life that prefigure "what God has planned for those who love Him."

My prayer then is I use my gifts for the greater glory of God, for His Will to be done, in this world and in the next.  

And may we all do the same in our vocations and avocations in life.

Cheers!

Why is the Confession Line moving so Slowly? An analysis of the Sacrament of Confession in the Contemporary Church.

The scene is familiar to many.  Confession at your local, contemporary Catholic Church starts at 4 pm on a Saturday.  You make the strategic mistake of showing up at 4:10 to find a line.  There's say four people in front of you.  45 minutes later it is your turn, but the priest comes out and says matter-of-factly "there is no time for more confessions, I have to get ready for Mass." 

You do the math, and realize he spent 10-15 minutes with each person in front of you.  You walk away perplexed, annoyed, and possibly demoralized by the whole experience, especially since this has happened to you a number of times in the past.  

A woman goes into the confessional.  You see her head for the chair to sit down face-to-face with Padre.  There is the occasional noise of chatter coming through the door.  A seeming eternity later, she comes out smiling in a state of psychological bliss, oblivious to the line of leg-cramped penitents waiting..

And if you do manage to actually get inside the confessional, you yourself kneel down behind the screen, say "Bless me Father for I have sinned..." telling any grave sins you may have committed, number and kind, and/or your venial sins since your last confession, all in a minute or two.  But then even considering you may have just confessed a mortal sin that could objectively damn your soul to hell, the priest typically says something like "Very good confession.  For your penance, say one Our Father. Go in peace."  

I do not have the gift of x-ray vision, but I am able to gather together all the sensory data and observational experience I have had over the years in these scenarios, and use deductive reasoning, common sense to analyze this troublesome state of the post-Vatican II era confessional.

My Analysis.

What I think usually is happening, is you have a Catholic who is uncertain about certain moral teachings of the Church -- birth control, sex outside of marriage, divorce and remarriage, etc.  They are using the confessional like they are meeting with Father to grapple with their doubts and questions, as if it is free therapy.

And Father, instead of suggesting they make an appointment for pastoral counseling, following the rules and ritual of the Church regarding confession, making sure to keep their confession succint in the interest of time and other people's souls, allows them to go on and on, regardless of how long the line is, or who in that line needs absolution before they can go to Communion.  

You may have hurried through mowing the lawn that afternoon, got dressed for confession, and drove down to church just to be gas-lighted by this tedious torture for the umpteenth time.

The Contemporary Attitude of Priests toward Confession.

With exception of course, deduction and common sense likewise tell me what is the common attitude of most, contemporary Catholic priests.  They do not believe that we all are in serious risk of damnation.  They believe most or all are going to heaven.  They do not believe there are mortal, grave sins that if unconfessed, except in the case of perfect contrition, certainly result in damnation.  

They believe that if someone commits adultery, looks at pornography, cheats on their taxes, etc, that it is not necessary to confess those sins and be absolved by the priest in confession before receiving Holy Communion.  They are participating then not only in sacrilege towards the Sacrament of Confession, but also to the Eucharist, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

They Resent Having to Hear Confessions.

In fact, they resent having to be there in the first place.  The very fact that the traditional penitent knelt behind the screen, reverently and quietly recited the formula for confessing sins, indicates to them that they are scrupulous and weighed down by a spiritually dead form of conservative Catholicism.

It is as if the priest is protesting traditional Catholic teaching and discipline on the Sacrament of Confession, in a passive aggressive way, at the expense of the devout parishioners.

And folks, this treatment, attitude, and phenomenon is everywhere across contemporary parishes, as I've experienced in many modern Catholic churches, in different dioceses, and as shared with me by friends over the years.

The Good News.

Our Lord instituted the Sacrement of Confession to heal us spiritually.  One of the best feelings, emotionally and spiritually, is when you leave the confessional, with a clean, pure, white soul.  It is a wonderful, beautiful, and necessary part of the life of a Catholic.   

If you are forced by circumstance to go to a contemporary parish, if you want to avoid this mental torture and spiritual abuse, I suggest getting there very early to beat the crowd.  If confession is scheduled for 4 pm, get there at 3:45 to pray and be first in line.  Filter what the priest says, and then go home.

But instead, I highly recommend going to confession to a priest who celebrates the Latin Mass, who has received the proper traditional, priestly formation.  You can generally trust that the traditional priest is orthodox, reverent, and respectful of the etiquette and purpose of the confessional.  Typically, they will explain the moral teaching and give practical advise how to overcome the sin, and in just a few minutes at most.  They have respect for the time and well being of those standing outside in line.

Where to go in Tulsa.

If you are from the Tulsa area, there is one assistant tradition-minded priest at Sts. Peter and Paul church who says a Latin Mass, but he speaks very little English, and reports indicate the pastor wants the Latin Mass community there to come to an end.

That leaves Most Precious Blood parish, where the traditional Mass is offered by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.  They have two priests, with frequent confession times, including before and often during all Sunday Masses.  This excellent, vibrant, friendly parish is located just 5-10 minutes southwest of downtown Tulsa near Chandler park.

Link to parish website:  HERE.

Random Thoughts to Start the Week

I'm on vacation, so I've had more time to blog these past days.  Deo gracias, I passed a certain milestone in my career, and am deeply thankful for all God's blessings.  Our life will certainly change soon, which brings all sorts of plans and aspirations in the months and years just ahead, and a renewed outlook.  Onward and upward!

Lately I've been thinking about the death penalty issue, our health care system, the crisis in the Church, recent and planned summer outings, my eagerness for Fall, etc.  So why not channel some thoughts about each of these topics in one blog post?

By the way friends, if you like to write, and think you have anything of substance or something helpful to share on any subject, I highly recommend starting your own blog.  It is quite catharctic, fun, and leisurely.

A blog about anything:. Gregorian chant, adopting children, the shooting range, whiskey, liturgical customs, camping.  Any topic can promote the good, true, and beautiful.

The death penalty.  So it seems Pope Francis has caused many people to Google the word "inadmissible."  I'll raise my hand and admit I googled its definition, for clarity sake, even though a logical breakdown of the word makes obvious its meaning.   "Not able to be admitted legally." Speaking to the universal Church through the CCC, which is a universal catechism, he is saying without qualifier that in no country on Earth today is it morally licit for the State to use capital punishment, under any circumstance whatsoever.  Ever.

So if a dictator were to commit genocide in his country, and "ethnically cleanse" millions of a certain race, if imprisoned he absolutely could not make restitution for his crimes by being put to death, because it would violate his dignity as a human being.   If a 21st century version of Adolf Hitler were brought to trial, the pope is forbidding any judge to consider the death penalty.   

Unbelievable, both figuratively and literally. 

Our health care system.  It can be characterized as a mine field, somethings good, many not so good or outright bad, which you have to navigate to find good health care, or if you work in health care to work in a truly professional, ethical, and therapeutic environment.   The culture of life vs culture of death, as it were.

I find that health care professionals who are committed to clinical and ethical excellence, in treating the whole person, in keeping with the noble ideals of a Christian medical ethic/care of the sick, are in the minority.  Afterall, you really have to do your homework to find a 100% pro-life doctor who treats in accord with nature.  Yet if you can navigate around the mines, you will find countless good, caring, and effective health care people and establishments.  The key I think is for believing Catholics who work in the health field, to do so according to Catholic, Christian standards, to be first and foremost a model of excellence, clinically, ethically, and spiritually.  The "restoration of all things to Christ" in all professions and trades begins with us, right?

St. Camillus
A patron saint of those who 
work in Health Care

The crisis in the Church.  It's part of our daily news.  Almost a hobby to follow.  An integral part of the discussion at any Traditionalist gathering.  We are trying to psychologically and spiritually cope with papal gas-lighting, while being forced by circumstance to unnaturally retreat from most parts of our Church, leaving us in a state of Ecclesiastical PTSD.   Our sympathetic nervous systems are perpetually in over-drive, in a "fight or flight" response.  We flee to our Trad enclaves, ever ready to fight, yet trying through prayer and abandonment to God's Providence to maintain a state of spiritual peace.  Quite the challenge God has given us.

Our summering outings.  Blue Hole spring, Flint Creek, Grand Lake, and the Verdigris River.  We enjoy parking our car in the shade, grilling, soaking up the beauty of nature, and maybe a swim or fishing.  Wanting to go back to Blue Hole spring.  An oasis.  Just east of Salinas, OK which is north of Locust Grove.

Eagerness for Fall.  I try and appreciate all the gifts of God's creation, including each of the four seasons.  But when Oklahoma enters the deep heat of July and August, I start counting the days until Fall.  Something about high heat and humidity is not good for my temperament, which is why I feel I "come back to life" once temps go back to the 70s or less.

Wishing you all a good week.

Okie Trad bill for Tulsa Diocese: for travel expenses to traditional Mass

I was wondering today, how much $ have I spent these past 18 years driving across town to a Traditional Latin Mass, because my territorial parish down the street does not offer a reverent, rubrical, and orthodox celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?

So when I got home I grabbed a pen from a drawer, whipped out a calculator, and wrote down all the extra miles I've put on vehicles to keep Sunday truly holy the last two decades.  Average say $2.50 a gallon, plus 50 cents per mile for wear and tear on the vehicle, factor in inflation and some reasonable interest, then the dollar figures start to really grow.

37,720 miles
Average 25 miles per gallon
Average $2.50 per gallon
1508 gallons
$3,722 gas
50 cents per mile wear and tear
$18,860 wear and tear
$1000 inflation
$ 10,000 compounded interest over 18 years
$ 5,000 collection fee

Grand Total owed me by my Diocese:

$ 38,582.  Man that's a lot.

Now if the say 75 households in Tulsa who drive to Sunday TLM, are owed even just half that, say $19,291 (while many families actually drive far distances every Sunday) then the Tulsa Diocese would owe us collectively...drum roll please...

                          $ 1, 466, 116

Wow!  Somebody send the bishop our bill. 

In all seriousness though, this is our penance, and a small one for most budgets considering most Catholics in the world don't have ready access to the Mass of the Ages.  When the status quo in diocesan parishes is banality and objective sacrilege, that state of affairs forces us to drive to out of the way places, to gather together and worship outside of the parochial mainstream.   

So be it.  Is what it is.

Francis' Teaching on the Death Penalty

So, let me get this straight.  If a third world prison is overflowing with violent criminals, according to His Holiness a first degree murderer who rapes his victims and never shows remorse, must receive life in prison, and never today the Death Penalty, no matter how humanely it may be carried out, because to do so would "violate the dignity of the human person"?   

In any country on Earth, no matter how extreme the circumstances?  Never, ever??  For real?

Instead they must be allowed to live in prison, absolutely always, even if they may murder and rape their fellow inmates?

If an ISIS terrorist were to behead a dozen Christian school children, and sit in his cell smiling awaiting his reward from Allah in heaven, according to Francis he absolutely cannot receive capital punishment, as a just, proportionate punishment, to deter future crimes, even if the murderer is quietly put to sleep with lethal injection.  Such an act is "inadmissible."   According to this pope, and the new catechism he today edited, there is now no circumstance in the modern world that could justify capital punishment.

I suppose we could write the CDF with these questions, but good luck with that.  Francis' new teaching is plain and clear enough.

Not if a prison is overcrowded, a country too poor to adequately imprison murderers and rapists, no matter how heinous the crime, or harmful it was to the victim's family and society.

So here in Oklahoma if a terrorist beheads someone (this actually happened somewhat recently), then according to the pope and new catechism, the Death Penalty would necessarily be sinful, inadmissible, unacceptable.   I would now be required by the pope to stop supporting the Death Penalty in my state.

While apostolic exhortations and catechisms are not strictly infallible, ordinarily we must give them religious submission.  In this crisis though we must resist every statement that contradicts the Faith.   

We traditional Catholics must resist another doctrinal error of a conciliar pope.  Great, thanks for that.  As if our consciences weren't already grappling with a long list of other doctrinal errors to be resisted.

All of this is part of the ever evolving conciliar Revolution, a reminder the enemy has taken over the papacy and the hierarchy today, that we must be faithful to Tradition, all the Popes, and to Eternal Rome.  

The Francis papacy forbidding all cases of the Death Penalty, is simply the Revolution marching forward shooting down one doctrinal truth after another.  They are trying to dismantle the entire framework of Tradition, not only on points of faith/liturgy/discipline, but now on basic fundamentals of Catholic morality always taught before by the universal Church.

Ok modernists, bring it on.   As for me and mine, we resist Francis' heretical errors, and hold fast to the Faith of the Scriptures and our Sacred Tradition.  Whatever apparent or real errors that invade fallible documents, that violently contradict the sensus fidelium, will be resisted and rejected.  Instead the Catholic truth will be studied, defended, and shared for the salvation of souls, for the love of God.

Praying God will convert Francis and his followers.

Did the St. Gallen Group Invalidate the 2013 Conclave? Bishop Gracida still Calling Upon the Cardinals to Consider this Question

I must say I love my morning constitutional, which keeps me both up-to-date and "regular" at the same time, as it were.  I wash my face and sit for a spell with my phone in hand, checking the Drudge Report, Canon 212, Yahoo science/tech news, and my emails.  I suspect some of you have similar daily habits.

This morning I noticed among the ever-nauseating church reports about the latest hierarchical sexual abuse scandal, which I tend to not delve into because they have become so incredibly common, another link to Bishop Rene' Gracida's blog.  

He is offering something that to me is both simultaneously very serious but hopeful, a reminder yes of the chaos, but a booster shot in the arm that we still have courageous shepherds, to remind us Christ will preserve the Church.  We really need frequent booster shots.

This good, tradition-minded bishop continues to call into question the validity of the 2013 conclave that elected Cardinal Bergoglio to the Chair of St. Peter, because he defends and loves the Church.  LINK   I myself interviewed Gracida back in May about his argument HERE.  I support his call to the Cardinals to consider the questions, but I personally draw no certain conclusion.

So was the 2013 Conclave Invalid?  Is Pope Francis truly the Supreme Pontiff?

I am not a sedevacantist, but I think considering the unprecedented doctrinal paradigm shift from this pontificate, and how traditionalists and conservatives are rightly observing how the Francis Revolution is plunging the conciliar crisis to deeper depths (cue the German hierarchy, for example), that these are at least legitimate questions to be discussed.

And, as Bishop Gracida underlines, while we the laity can and should express these concerns to the hierarchy, in the end it is only the Cardinals who have the actual authority to take up our concern and in the end consider a remedy.  Or not. 

But the historical evidence, as presented by many reliable sources, is that the St. Gallen Group did conspire to elect Bergoglio, and that their machinations at the 2013 conclave did violate conclave legislation.  

Cardinal Burke himself, as the de facto leader of the conservative Cardinals, a canon lawyer, and former head of the highest court in the Church (!), seems to be in the most opportune position to consider the canonical facts of what went down.  Likely he has by now at least heard about Gracida's argument, if not already given it consideration.

Additional Points in Bishop Gracida's Argument:

Reading his new blog post, presenting what appears to be a formal theological argument for us all to consider, and comparing it to the original thesis he circulated months ago, you can see how he also addresses counter-criticisms.

On the superficial surface, one of the main, indirect objections seems to be basically "Bishop Gracida can't be taken seriously since he is 95 years old," as if being that age necessitates senility.  But if you watch more recent interviews of Gracida, and read the logic and organization of his argument, it is clear to me he is demonstrating that he is not senile, but a man of clarity, logic, intellectual fairness, and wisdom.  Whether or not he is correct in his conclusions, he is a reliable source as one of the most senior, tradition-minded, and still active prelates in the Church today.   He demonstrates that well in his writings.

"Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding 
in length of days"  - Job 12:12

He also explains how the conclave legislation of John Paul II renders a conclave's result null and void in several ways, which the 2013 conclave, he argues, violated.   It is only the section forbidding simony under pain of excommunication, that allows the result to remain still valid;  yet, all other illegal maneuverings invalidate the election.

Bishop Gracida also raises an additional point, that would make the Cardinals' consideration even more serious:  if Francis is not a valid pope, his appointed Cardinals are not valid Cardinals, while many of the Cardinals present at the 2013 conclave, who remain valid Cardinals, will soon not be eligible to vote in a future conclave once they reach the age of 80.   If Francis' papacy is invalid, then eventually there will be no eligible Cardinals to elect a future pope.  

Not a good paradigm, I'd think.  Doesn't it seem more sane and less dramatic for Cardinals to sit down right now and consider if we have an anti-pope, vs. facing the possibility of a string of anti-popes and invalid conclaves for decades or centuries to come?   

When you have a group of progressivist Cardinals elect a heterodox Cardinal, to advance a new, outright heretical system of reform, is that not exactly why past popes actually drafted legislation to deal with both invalid and illicit papal elections?  If the Cardinals cannot actually question the validity of a papal conclave, what was the point of the conclave legislation in the first place?  

Conclusion:

That is as much as I can say without going above my pay grade as a lay Catholic.  This is one bishop, one who by the way celebrates the Ancient and Venerable Rite of the Mass daily, asking the Cardinals to consider a remedy to the current papal crisis, and putting it out there on the Catholic blogosphere for our consideration.  Fair enough?

In the meantime, we have cause for hope that the good, true, and beautiful is still protected within the human element of the Church. We have good bishops like Bishop Gracida, Schneider, Burke, etc.  We have priestly fraternities, monasteries, convents, parishes, and homes keeping the traditional Faith, with a special devotion to preserving our Sacred Tradition.

The Comment section is open.  

Leisure: the Basis of Culture

The title of the Thomistic philosopher Joseph Pieper's must read about the Christian meaning of leisure.

Not mere amusement or Epicurean stimulation, but a contemplative, re-creative activity.

Such was our attempt this blessed Sunday.  Holy Mass, lunch with discussion on matters of faith, then sitting down at home enjoying a Belgian ale, then a trip out to Flint Creek to picnic and swim.

The conversation, communion with nature, and the simple beauty of the country drive across northeast Oklahoma reminded me of the Divine source of all our lives.

Wishing you had an equally leisurely Sunday.

Renewed Goals for The Okie Traditonalist Blog

First things First:

But let's be clear, this is just a blog.  I am no expert, saint, cleric, or authority figure.  I am just one lay traditional Catholic guy with a blog.  A blog is not an organ of the Magisterium, after all.  It is literally a "website" + "log" of one's thoughts about any subject.   Hence the word blog.   

Website + Log = BLOG

By now my regular readers hopefully appreciate that I try and keep these writings at that level, rather than trying to be a self-appointed, pontificating, professional theologian.

At the same time, I believe the power of a "Catholic blog" is that it becomes part of a critically needed, online network, voicing shared concerns, perspectives, and catechesis to help the Church and a Christian society.  Not a substitute for the hierarchy, but one of many places to voice the point of view of lay Catholics (who compose 99.999% of the world's 1.18 billion Catholics).    

After all, Canon Law no. 212 says (LINK):

The Christian faithful are free to make known to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires.§3. According to the knowledge, competence, and prestige which they possess, they have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful

Renewed Goals for the Blog:

In light of all the really great experiences I've had these last two years of blogging on "The Okie Traditionalist" blog, connecting with many different people from all sorts of places and backgrounds, but also in light of the nuttiness, infighting, and downright dark ugliness I not rarely encounter, I am renewing the goals for this hobby of mine:

1.  I will continue to use humor, irony, satire, and reference to modern media and language, to shed light on truth, because that is my personality.  But I plan to tailor my style to be more focused and effective in conveying my points, while polishing up my spelling, grammar, and writing skills.   

My target audience is both moderation-loving traditional Catholics, and any human being even remotely disposed towards traditional Catholicism.   So I'll still be using words like "cool," or "pee your pants laughing," or referencing mainstream movies, or saying traditionalists as a group need to drink more alcohol, because we are not angelic spirits living in the Garden of Eden.  

Fair enough, Okie Trad!

Thanks, GK!

2.  At the same time, I will continue to call out the extremes and abuses of both the liberal left, and from time to time the traditionalist/conservative right (of which I identify).  I love our Catholic tradition, and support the Latin Mass movement, but pharisaism is also a damning force that tempts traditionalists, that needs to be sometimes addressed, not only evils of the flesh and modernity.  

If you frequent this place, odds are you appreciate me voicing these concerns.  


3.  I will continue to share information with readers to help build up my local Church.   I will be discreet and very careful of any negative information I might share, and it will be factual, public, verified, and respectful if conveyed.   If the sacrilege of modernism rears its ugly head in my own diocese, I may report about it and comment in the future.  

If the local presbyteral council tries to publicly undo another traditional work of retired Bishop Slattery, I reserve the right speak about it, but matter-of-factedly and with concern.  That said, when I blog about something local, the focus will be on what is good, true, and beautiful, on what is being done here in Oklahoma to "restore all things to Christ."

Sounds like a plan!

4.  I want to write about my personal experience as a traditional Catholic, here in my own local Church, and living in Oklahoma, as a microcosm of what is happening everywhere in the world.   I get emails often from people in other states and countries, relating to my experiences here, which indicates to me my method is working.   

But I intend to develop that style more as I go.  On one hand, I am thinking of the overall positive feedback of local traditionalists here, that there seems to be a good deal of Okies who look kindly on this endeavor.  On the other hand, most readers do not live in Oklahoma, but many are attracted to the more local, Okie flavor of how I sometimes write, so I will be writing to both audiences (which requires some mental gymnastics in imagining what you want to say, and how).

Microcosm

5.  I will write about topics related to subjects I have degrees in, and professional experience with:  science, education, Catholic philosophy, and health care.  I also want to talk more about my personal interests:  nature, outdoor adventure, gardening, cooking, movies, and helping others.

And at the same time, I will speak about these things from the perspective of being a traditional Catholic...which I think fits well into the parameters of what defines a "blog" in the first place.  A personalized place to voice ideas in writing about serious topics, but also not-so-serious topics, to be true to life and reality.

If that makes your anal sphincter muscles contract in fear or anger, then there are literally 439,999,999 (LINK) other blogs on the world wide web you can read.  Fair enough?