Turn that Frown, Upside Down
Holy Father!
But I relate to it. For a year or two after Francis was, it seems, elected by a secret society of liberal Cardinals, the blogosphere was abuzz about the Synod and whether or not Francis would allow
Communion-for-the-divorced-and-remarried (quite the mouthful). I confess, I was hooked.
Remnant videos from Rome, Michael Voris and Company sitting around their news table analyzing the latest phase in the Francis Revolution.
I remember watching this a year ago.
What a great night!
The Francis Revolution:
Admittedly, the constant Francis Watch News has opened up more eyes across the Church to the Crisis She is presently plunged into. It shows the next phase of the conciliar Revolution to change the Church into something created by Man.
Quite the paradigm shift. Francis leaves us orthodox Catholics missing the good 'ol days of Benedict, even John Paul II. It is as if the last Synod was Vatican III, and the pre-Vatican III papal Magisterium is now in question, as was the pre-Vatican II Magisterium after the Council.
The Facts are alarming. Pope John Paul II clearly condemned any reason to give Communion to those living in adultery (see his encyclical Familiaris Consortio on the family). Now clearly Pope Francis allows it, even making his letter to the Argentinian bishops a part of his Magisterium. For real? Ecclesiology, infallibility, indefectibility. These terms become as morphed as a mutant in Arnold Schwarzenegger's Total Recall.
Morphed
The Risk I Take:
But I also take the risk of perturbing some of my fellow trads by saying with gusto: I am really nauseated to follow Church news right now, about what is coming out of the Francis Pontificate. There is only so much absurdity the mind can take, when I yearn instead for the mental clarity of a crisp, January morning in Oklahoma (19 F here in Tulsa today! brrrrr).
If you need to stay tuned into that news on a regular basis, I understand. But here are ten things I would rather be doing than reading daily homilies bashing orthodoxy from the Francis pulpit:
Ten things I would rather be doing than reading daily homilies bashing orthodoxy from the Francis pulpit
10. Fishing in the cold. Tried recently to catch a fish on the stream running through Mohawk Park in Tulsa. I caught nothing, but the setting was serene. Serene!
9. Trying to master my new Straight Razor Santa Claus brought me for Christmas. I studied Youtube videos, and am still cutting myself! But it makes me feel alive (vs. numbed).
8. Waiting for Youtube to reload on my tv. I've got a good data plan, but its been getting stuck lately.
Still more serene and productive than watching Christopher Ferrara analyze Francis for the 300th time with Michael Matt on Remnant TV. Good guys, but come on. Is that what its taking to sell Remnant newspapers?
7. Taking in a weekend of hospitality at Clear Creek Abbey. Need to call Fr. Brown to see if the big guest cabin is free (just give a modest donation). Would be awesome to stay overnight, cook up some chili, have a fire in the fireplace, and hear Mass chanted in the traditional rite.
6. Blogging. After doing those podcasts on Thomistic Philosophy (look up there in the upper right hand corner), I need to get back into putting out at least one post a week. Infinitely more fun than the ecclesiastical nightmare.
5. Standing 2 hours in line at the DMV. I have a Class B, which means a very long wait at the old
Eastgate Mall in Tulsa. But a nice time to play Solitaire on my phone, while listening to the waterfall that is still there. Relaxing.
4. A Beer at Arnie's Irish Pub in Downtown Tulsa.
Awww, Arnie's. I love that place. As Salt of the Earth as it gets. I should ask Arnie if we can add some Irish Catholic art to the place. Definitely a place where you can be in touch with reality.
3. Daily Mass at Most Precious Blood in Tulsa.
I love daily Mass, when I can get off my butt to get there. The most beautiful thing this side of heaven, I should be there more often. What I love about Catholic tradition is that it is like a serene, deep, slow moving river. Still waters run deep.
To the modern, the Latin Mass may seem foreign.
The daily Low Mass a bore. But in and through the liturgical tradition is a living reality more live-giving and sustaining than any ranting blog post about the latest from Francis. I can really rant myself, but I prefer to turn away from that noise towards those deep waters. Know what I mean?
2. Making a big, hot, wintery pot of Tortilla Soup.
Decades ago, somehow our family got the famous recipe from Full Moon Cafe in Tulsa. Next to my beef jerky recipe and my pork rind nachos, its my favorite thing to cook. Makes me happy.
1. Making Podcasts! So I liked making the podcasts. I have some ideas up my sleeve. We've got a few months of short, cold days ahead of us, before I can start my Spring garden, so I think I'll shift my Okie Armchair activities towards producing some good, entertaining, informative, and funny talks. A friend of mine named Cleetus Clampet from Miami, OK will be filling in, hosting The Okie Traditionalist Show from time to time. Should be a hoot!
So did I lure you to tune out of the hypnotic state of daily, toxic church news? By the cold, crispness of winter weather, or the daily chant of Benedictine monks? Or do you still need your daily fix? :)