Coucoumellisms

  Thanks to Martin Luther and his 95 theses, Christians were freed (among other things) from the troublesome necessity of doing good works (or paying for indulgences) to gain salvation. By Shakespeare’s time, many texts no longer have Christianity as a central theme; instead, Christianity is moved to the back burner in secular texts and rarely mentioned. In older medieval texts, even epic Pagan stories of kings and thanes like Beowulf have Christian themes running through them and allusions to a Christian God. In Twelfth Night, upon a gentleman’s arrival at the gate, Sir Toby declares, “Let him be the devil an he will, I care not. Give me faith, say I . ” (Shakespeare 1.5.125-126) In other words, leave him alone; release him of any expectations. Leave him free to be what he wants. What manner of person he is, what station in life he has, his rank or class do not matter; they are of little consequence. He could be the devil, Satan himself if he wanted to be, and it would not matter...

I read through this document called Catholic Social Teaching and Racism. I want to comment on the following bits of it. The Many Faces of Racism: "Catholic teaching “emphasizes not only the individual conscience, but also the political, legal and economic structures...”[6] Racism is about people and about group behaviors and societal organization. Individual racism includes conscious acts, spontaneous attitudes, “the tendency to stereotype and marginalize,”[7] indifference, and “the triumph of private concern over public responsibility…” [8] "Laws such as U.S. segregation or South Africa’s apartheid [9] represent blatant systemic racism. More subtle racism treats groups as “second-class citizens with regard, for instance, to higher education, to housing, to employment and especially to public… services...”[10] Even more subtle racism is now masked in appeals to equality that guarantee that past inequalities are perpetuated by blocking corrective efforts. “At times protestati...

Since the beginning of the coronavirus shutdown, eating was never banned, only eating out in restaurants. Talking and writing were never banned, only restricted to the bare essentials in public places. Praying was never banned, only praying in groups in public places. Listening to music was never banned, only going to public concerts. Drinking alcohol was never banned, only drinking at public bars. And get this: masses were never banned, only public masses.  As Catholics, we believe that the Holy Mass is the most important prayer. Jesus's sacrifice on the cross is what saved the world and Holy Mass is the continuation of that sacrifice. The continuation, not the repetition, as protestants think, (there is a difference) of that sacrifice. On the night that he instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus said: "Do this in memory of me." That's a direct order, and it's in the Bible. God made himself man and came to earth to save us from sin, but He doesn't ju...

Nosotros, las mujeres, somos hechas para amar, para dar, para acoger, para hacerle placer al otro.  Es lo que hacemos cuando amamos a alguien.  Este deseo a darlo todo, hacerle placer al otro, acoger al otro es nuestra fuerza, pero también nuestra debilidad. Es por estos mismos sentimientos que somos facilmente manipuladas. Me acuerdo muy bien como era cuando tenía 21 años.  Quieres estar con un hombre porque te gusta mucho.  Quieres pasar un rato con él. Pero no quieres sexo, no todavía.  Quieres hacerle placer, pero no quieres sexo.  Quieres un poco de afección, pero no quieres sexo.  No quieres rechazarlo, pero no quieres sexo. No quieres enojarte con él por insistir, porque tampoco no quieres ser rechazado por él, y no quieres herir sus sentimientos, porque lo quieres, pero no quieres sexo.  Terminas en aceptar más que lo que te deja cómoda, porque lo quieres, pero no quieres sexo. Antes, la sociedad tenía reglas para proteger a sus hijas ...

We women are made to love, to give, to be welcoming, to want to please.  It's what we do best when we love someone.  But this desire to give all, to please, to welcome in, also makes us easily manipulated by our emotions. I remember very well how it was when I was 21.  You want to be with a man because you really like him.  You want to spend time with him.  But you don't want sex, not yet.  You want to please him, but you don't want sex.  You want affection, but you don't want sex.  You don't want to reject him, but you don't want sex.  You also don't want to get mad at him for insisting, because you don't want to be rejected either, and you don't want to hurt his feelings, because you like him, but you don't want sex.  So you accept a little more than you're really comfortable with, because you like him, but you don't want sex. Society used to have rules in order to protect its young, open-hearted, giving, loving daughters.  Be...

Or "The Best Time I Ever had in a Pub". It was a Tuesday evening in late April or early May.  I normally work evenings past midnight, but that particular week, I got off at 8:00.  My friend Marcia had just recently found a good job, and wanted to celebrate.  So we went to a pub in the Old Saint-Jean; Glen Morgan's Irish Pub. Glen Morgan's - St-Jean-sur-Richelieu No one goes out to a bar on a Tuesday. The Pub was empty, almost, except for a group of military men in one corner.  Since there was no one else, they had commandeered the music, and were playing all kinds of old classic rock songs and laughing and singing along and generally having a grand time. After sitting by ourselves for a little under an hour, and observing them from our corner, Marcia and I decided we wanted to join in on the fun too.  So we went and sat at two available stools at the bar next to them, which immediately prompted welcoming cheers from them.  They bought us drinks ...

My daughter wrote this for an assignment she had for school: “Smile at strangers and you just might change a life”   -Steve Maraboli- I always believed that if you smile at a stranger or to anyone, can lift happiness in them. I’m the type of person that loves to smile at someone just because. It feels good because I’m the one who made them smile even if it was just for a few seconds and it’s a really good feeling. This quote explains exactly that and that’s why I chose it. The part where it says “change a life” means to me that when someone is having a bad day just the slightest smile can make their day or even when they are having a good day it can make their day even better. I personally love to smile to random people because it makes my day better. I knew this quote because my grandma said it. She is Catholic so she thinks a smile was God’s gift to humans. My daughter To some people it’s not a big deal but it is to me, it’s like a friendly sign. Some people d...

If you have an e-reader, and enjoy fantasy/sci-fi check this trilogy out. (It's also available in paperback on amazon, but costs a bit more) It was on a list of deals of the day, in an e-mail I received awhile back, and I'm not sure why, but I looked at it, thought, "Hey... fantasy/sci-fi, $0.99... what do I have to loose?" I think this is one of those "nothing happens without a reason" moments. If you don't mind some crass details, (like, for instance, when someone sniffs, it's enough to know that they sniffed, I don't need to read the word snot as well... but whatever) once you get over how confusing it is to keep all the different countries straight and the different creatures... once you get into the book, it just takes you along for the ride. And then you start to notice certain things that sound rather familiar... certain doctrines, certain teachings... talk of redemption... and by the time you begin the third book... you're re...

  But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.  ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.  Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and  foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will  be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’   (Matt 22:11-13)   I came across another version of the "Which of These Made a Vow of Poverty?" memes on facebook the other day, and I re-posted it with my own commentary, but I'd like to add a few things; one was pointed out by a friend, and the other I came across while reading Bible stories to my two youngest. WHAT is the point of this meme? That it is morally wrong to wear ceremonial robes to a ceremony? So what now? We can't wear wedding dresses to a wedding? We can't wear graduation robes to a graduation? Military personnel ...

I came across this video on YouTube yesterday;  Stuff Catholic Girls say! If I were to make a "Stuff 40 Year-Old Catholic Girls Say" video, it would likely be quite different.  I'm actually rather tempted to try it out.  In the meanwhile, here are a few things 40 year-old Catholic girls might say: "I really want to hug the monks who invented Leffe." "Have you ordered your Mystic Monk coffee yet?" "My kids are all Heathens!" "I've given up looking for a husband.  I think I may just throw in the towel and become a nun." "My kids are heathen slobs who think the whole house is one huge trash can.  Why can they NEVER use a garbage can?" "I wish I had time to pray." "NO you are NOT bringing the light and sound Jedi Master light saber to mass!" "Tommy, stop trying to choke your little brother with the rosary!" "Please pray for me, I think I'm going crazy." ...

(This needed to be translated) If ever Facebook needed a "dislike" button, it would be for this picture:    ... with the following caption:   GUESS WHICH ONE MADE A VOW OF POVERTY? Well, I ask you, guess which one has no salary?  The right answer is:   Neither one .  The pope does not receive a salary .  All his needs are taken care of by the Vatican.  When he leaves on a trip, he takes out just enough money to cover his expenses , and that is all.  When the pope dies, in general, he leaves all his personal possessions to the Vatican, (with the exception of Pope Paul VI who left a few small items to his secretary). What other world leader has no salary?  If Prince William wanted to buy himself a slick sports car for afternoon ballads in the English countryside, I am certain he would not hesitate to do so.  And yet, he too lives off of money "donated" by his "faithful followers", (otherwise known as income tax). ...

Si jamais Facebook avait besoin d'un bouton "N'aime pas" Ce serait bien pour cette photo-ci:  ... accompagnée de ce commentaire:  DEVINE LEQUEL DES DEUX A FAIT VOEU DE PAUVRETÉ ? Et bien, devine lequel des deux n'a pas de salaire?  La bonne réponse est : Ni l'un, ni l'autre.  Le pape n'a pas de salaire .  Tout lui est fourni au Vatican,  il peut sortir assez d'argent pour couvrir ses besoins lors des voyages et c'est tout.  Quand le pape meurt, en général, il laisse ses possessions personnelles au Vatican, (à l'exception de quelques petites choses laissées à son sécretaire par le pape Paul VI) Quel autre "dirigent" dans le monde n'a pas de salaire?  Quand le Prince William veut s'acheter une belle voiture de sport pour des ballades dans le campagne anglais les dimanches après-midi, je suis certaine qu'il ne s'en prive pas.  Pourtant, lui aussi, vit de l'argent "donné par ses fidèles...