Evensong Feb. 28, 2009

Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say:

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and the the Holy Ghost;

People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS.

PSALM 137. Super flumina.

BY the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, / when we remembered thee, O Sion.

2 As for our harps, we hanged them up / upon the trees that are therein.

3 For there they that led us away captive required of us a song, and they that plundered us a melody: / 'Sing us one of the songs of Sion.'

4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song / in a strange land?

5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, / let my right hand forget her cunning.

6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; / yea, if I prefer not Jerusalem in my mirth.

PSALM 138. Confitebor tibi.

I WILL give thanks unto thee, O LORD, with my whole heart: / even before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.

2 I will worship toward thy holy temple and praise thy Name, because of thy loving-kindness and truth; / for thou hast magnified thy Name and thy word above all things.

3 When I called upon thee, thou heardest me, / and enduedst my soul with much strength.

4 ALL the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD; / for they have heard the words of thy mouth.

5 Yea, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD; / for great is the glory of the LORD.

6 For though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: / as for the proud, he beholdeth them afar off.

7 THOUGH I walk in the midst of trouble, yet shalt thou refresh me: / thou shalt stretch forth thy hand upon the fury of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

8 The LORD shall fulfil his purpose toward me: / yea, thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever; forsake not then the works of thine own hands.

Then the FIRST LESSON as appointed.

Genesis 41: 41-end

⁴¹And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. ⁴²And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; ⁴³And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁵And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti- pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁶And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁷And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. ⁴⁸And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. ⁴⁹And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. ⁵⁰And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti- pherah priest of On bare unto him. ⁵¹And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. ⁵²And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

⁵³And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. ⁵⁴And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. ⁵⁵And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. ⁵⁶And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. ⁵⁷And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

And after that shall be sung or said Magnificat (or the Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

MAGNIFICAT. St. Luke 1:46

MY soul doth magnify the Lord, / and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded / the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth / all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me; / and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him / throughout all generations.

He hath showed strength with his arm; / he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat, / and hath exalted the humble and the meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; / and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy / hath holpen his servant Israel;

As he promised to our forefathers, / Abraham and his seed for ever.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or Cantate Domino, Psalm 98, page 455.

Then THE SECOND LESSON as appointed. And after that shall be sung or said Nunc Dimittis (or the Son of Simeon).

Romans 16

I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: ²That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. ³Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: ⁴Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. ⁵Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. ⁶Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us. ⁷Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. ⁸Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord. ⁹Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. ¹⁰Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus’ household. ¹¹Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. ¹²Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord. ¹³Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. ¹⁴Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them. ¹⁵Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them. ¹⁶Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.

¹⁷Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. ¹⁸For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. ¹⁹For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. ²⁰And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

²¹Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. ²²I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord. ²³Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother. ²⁴The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

²⁵Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, ²⁶But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: ²⁷To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

NUNC DIMITTIS. St. Luke 2:29.

LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, / according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, / which thou has prepared before the face of all people;

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, / and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or else Deus Misereatur, Psalm 67, page 409.

Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles' Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after the Creed these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling, the Minister first pronouncing:

The Lord be with you;

People. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say:

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

People. And grant us thy salvation.

Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;

People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

People. And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest. O Lord, save thy people;

People. And bless thine inheritance.

Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People. And evermore mightily defend us.

Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow THE COLLECT OF THE DAY, together with any other Collects appointed to be said, and these two prayers in order.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights: Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Second Collect, for Peace.

O GOD, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

The Third Collect, for Aid against all Perils.

LIGHTEN our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Here may follow an Anthem or a Hymn.

Here may be said the prayers found at this point in Morning Prayer or selections from the Prayers and Thanksgivings or such other prayers as are contained in this Book or set forth by lawful authority, always ending with the Prayer of St Chrysostom and the Grace.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

Most interesting report on a debate on neo-Darwinsim

H/t SDA. (my bolds).

Once he got nasty, a cold pall covered the room. He compares theism to holocaust deniers and things have gone off the rails. This is outrageous. All Plantinga must do to beat Dennett now is to reply with grace. For Plantingian dry wit, this is easy.

3:32 pm - "Is Plantinga's theism in any better position than these other fantasies?" He's going to create a Plantinga-guided natural selection. It is hard to explain, but the argument basically mocks Plantinga. I am incensed. The response is a long string of insults, and little more. This is pathetic. I had more faith in Dennett. He is just making the Flying Spaghetti Monster argument and getting laughs from real, intolerant jerks. It is going on and on. Sigh. I wanted this to be interesting! Dennett does not understand what a disservice he does his cause by not taking his smartest opponents seriously. He will lose thoughtful acolytes as a result.

3:38 pm - Now he moves to assess Plantinga's claim that random mutation is not incompatible with theism. He then moves to the third claim that Plantinga asserts that Dennett agrees with but is concerned to mock.

3:40 pm - We are at 43%. Dennett continues to insult. I wonder if any Christian philosophers will go after Dennett. If they respond with firm, but kind replies, they will expose Dennett's rudeness effectively. Dennett has made himself extremely vulnerable because he is mocking Plantinga, who is arguably one of the finest epistemologists of the last fifty years.

3:41 pm - Plantinga can't champion Behe and Dennett is going to mock him. I thought so. Behe is a transparent concoction of fantasy, etc. Behe looks like a theologian without naturalism. Dennett claims that Plantinga's denial of naturalism makes Behe looks worse. Dennett recounts Plantinga and Peter Van Inwagen's invitation to debate Behe in 1997. He is seriously mocking not only Plantinga but Van Inwagen as well. He thought the Behe book was a joke and this made Plantinga and Van Inwagen look bad.

3:43 pm - Dennett is going after Plantinga by means of Behe. Dennett is now going after Plantinga's view that he has the mental ability to make the relevant probabilistic judgment about the probabilities of the cells. Dennett thinks that he is making Plantinga look very, very bad. But this is far from clear. For those on the fence, they will likely think Dennett is being a serious jerk.

3:45 pm - Dennett is now attacking Behe. He has an interesting claim that the probability of trusting Behe's probability judgment is quite low. This is a bit specious, given that Plantinga has other means of making the probability judgment. Again, all he needs to do is judge that the probability of cell complexity is higher on theism than naturalism. It appears that Dennett's reply is that Plantinga has no justifiable method of making the relevant probability judgments. There's a subtle implication that because Plantinga isn't a scientist he should shut up.

3:48 pm - The room is quiet save some snickering, presumably by naturalists. Dennett has effectively made the discussion ideological. Even at most lowest estimation of Dennett, I never thought he would go so far.

3:49 pm - Dennett now goes after Plantinga's argument that naturalism has a defeater. Finally! Dennett thinks the claim that probability that our faculties track the truth on naturalism is low is false. He thinks we can use reverse engineering to figure out how evolution tracks the truth. So far, this does not address Plantinga's point but I am still open, though a bit upset by Dennett's truly nasty comments.

3:50 pm - Evolution can design syntactic engines that track the truth. We need high reliability devices in the biosphere to evolve. Words can evolve and they can represent our reasons. Plantinga is talking about sensory faculties though. It is also still possible that even with the evolution of words we can still be substantially misled by the quality of our faculties.

3:52 pm - I have just realized that Dennett is taking far too long. The session is supposed to end in 8 minutes. Dennett argues that naturalism is an alternative religion. Dennett is ending with a joke. He is now going after the Christian fish. It is clear that something terrible is coming. Dennett tried to come up with an alternative to traditional Christian Ictus. He notes that it is an acronym and so he tries to come up with a latin acronym for Darwin. It translates as follows: "Destroy the author of things to discover the nature of the universe." This was his last response. Basically, he is talking about murdering God. Dennett has revealed a deep wickedness in his character. I will never take him seriously as a philosopher again.

3:55 pm - Plantinga begins. He claims that he isn't clear as to how what Dennett said bore on Plantinga's claim. This is true Plantinga. He first asks what the argument is. He is unphased and was clearly prepared for this. He is exposing the point that Dennett only told stories and really didn't make an argument against Plantinga's claim. This is a wonderful way to reply. Ignore the profound insults that culminated in a suggestion that we kill God to understand the universe. Appear un-phased and focus on the philosophy. Dennett was classless. Plantinga is only focusing on the argument. A Goliath ad hominem attack is felled by the simple stone of careful analysis.

3:59 pm - It is not clear what the analogy is between God and Superman and other silly beings. He is just suggesting that there is no similarity between God and Superman, as Dennett claimed. Note that this strategy is very subtle. He is addressing the argument in simple terms and showing gradually that there was nothing to Dennett's claims. Note that above I had trouble understanding Dennett's arguments, but not Plantinga's. I thought that was just me but now it is clear that Dennett built a house of cards.

The Incredible Bulk--a new name for Leviathan

Am I ever not living up to my intention to fast from the Internet over Lent.

But you must read Mark Steyn's piece on the Six-Trillion Dollar man:

If you find it hard to keep track of these all these evolutions, the President in his address to Congress finally spilled the beans and unveiled our new hero in his final form: the Incredible Bulk, Statezilla, Governmentuan, a colossus bestriding the land like a, er, colossus. What superpowers does he have? All of them! He can save the economy, he can reform health care, he can prevent foreclosures, he can federalize daycare, he can cap the salary of his archenemies the sinister Fat Cats who “pad their pay checks and buy fancy drapes.” No longer will the citizenry cower in fear of fancy drapes: Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! With one solar panel on the roof of his underground headquarters, Governmentuan can transform the American energy sector and power his amazing Governmentmobile, the new environmentally friendly supercar that soon we’ll all be driving because we’ll be given government car loans to buy the government cars! He’ll have hundreds of thousands of boy sidekicks, none of whom will ever be allowed to drop out of high school because (in the words of his famous catchphrase) “that’s no longer an option!” “Gee, thanks, Governmentuan!” says Diplomaboy the Boy Wonder, as he goes off to college to study Gender As A Social Construct until he’s 34.

And our hero can do this all without raising taxes on any family earning over $250,000!

Look — up in the sky: Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a sudden eclipse plunging you and three adjoining states into total darkness? No, it’s the Incredible Bulk flailing through the air, fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. Well, actually, it’s more like the European way. But Americans will get used to it after a while.

And Binky's excellent essay on Free Canuckistan.

Remember: the great monstercracies of the past century? Someone’s really bright idea. Ideas lead to consequences. Consequences touch real people. It is one of the wonderful things for those with power to make a difference; it is one of the dangers that power is precisely a serious responsibility. Our fallen hearts may say “Power corrupts; and absolute power?.. rather nice, thanks” but that is the way of domination, dictatorship, and wasted government money, bloated bureaucracy, and stupid programs. Leviathan thrives on red tape and paperwork.

After all, after the multi-trillion-plus crazy spendathon, schools will still have to sell chocolate bars to support their programs; the U.S. energy infrastructure will still be elderly; the available offshore oil undrilled; the need for safe new nuclear power unmet. Only the debt will be really, really big.

Sad to say, it appears that the Obama administration is embracing naked power as a good, not a terrible temptation. Leviathan? So darned cuddly!

Thing is, Leviathan (in the Bible) isn’t just about whales and such, but also represents chaos and power let loose, in defiance of God. ~

---

The Incredible Bulk....just a new name for Leviathan. Most interesting. Great minds think alike.

TAC Primate responds to rumours of Personal Prelature

Archbishop John Hepworth writes (follow the link for the whole statement):

SINCE the publication of a report on the Traditional Anglican Communion and unity in the semi-official Vatican publication "Civilta Catholica" (in Italian in October last year, in English in December) there has been speculation about precisely what structure might be considered appropriate for the Traditional Anglican Communion. This speculation reached new heights in early February with a major feature in the Catholic Record (the
Catholic weekly paper from Perth, Australia.)

In an interview with Archbishop Hepworth, His Grace agreed to clarify some aspects of these reports for the Messenger Journal as follows:

“It is possible for a church to come into union with the Bishop of Rome, in which case it is known usually as "a ritual church sui iuris - that is a church with its own rite and canonical regulation. There are some twenty-eight of these churches, and they appoint their own bishops by synodical processes, and seek confirmation of the election from the Bishop of Rome.

Much of the Concordat of the Traditional Anglican Communion was designed to mirror the processes of a ritual church, a point noted by some Vatican officials. We have not anticipated that our present application would lead to this sort of structure - most of these rites are descended from ancient churches that have never been part of the Roman or Western rite. Of modern origin, however, are the Personal Prelatures and Apostolic Administrations that are essentially vehicles for specific groups to coalesce around their own episcopate for a particular pastoral reason.

We have taken the advise of those with whom we have been meeting, and not sought any particular structure. We understand that no existing canonical structure might prove appropriate. Since the idea of a Personal Prelature is itself a modern creation, dating only to the late Pope, from a structural point of view the Holy See is open to new forms of community within the Church.

We have simply asked, in the words of our letter, to "seek a communal and ecclesial way of being Anglican Catholics in communion with the Holy See, at once treasuring the full expression of catholic faith and treasuring our tradition within which we have come to this moment."

Certain behaviors should not be tolerated

The Ottawa Citizen devotes its Saturday Observer section to a big article on freedom of speech. At issue this week is Israeli Apartheid Week and how some universities have in effect canceled this display of anti-Semitism.

Don Butler writes:

Borovoy is among those deeply troubled by decisions by the University of Ottawa and Carleton University to ban a poster advertising Israeli Apartheid Week, which is being marked on both campuses next week. The poster's cartoon depicts an Israeli helicopter gunship firing a rocket at a teddy-bear-clutching Palestinian child in Gaza.

"What is at issue in this case is a strong condemnation of a foreign state -- just the kind of expression in which students have engaged since North America established its first universities," Borovoy wrote in a Feb. 20 letter to Carleton president Roseann Runte.

While the university cannot tolerate acts or threats of physical violence, he wrote, "it must be open to the most biting of criticisms."

In a letter to Carleton's equity services director this week, 70 current and former Carleton faculty expressed "alarm and great concern" over the decision to ban the poster. "Your decision sets a chilling precedent at this university, where political speech may now be censored in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner," the signatories declared. Others sharply disagree. Some even want universities to ban Israeli Apartheid Week -- described as a "hate-fest" by B'nai Brith Canada -- altogether. "It's not an issue of free speech," insists B'nai Brith's Frank Dimant. "It's now deteriorated to an abuse of the human rights of the Jewish students on campus."

Dimant called Israeli Apartheid Week “an opportune way to manifest anti-Semitism” by demonizing the state of Israel. “Now it’s reached the point where it also attacks the individual Jew on campus,” he says, citing an incident at York University this month where students were trapped in the office of Hillel, a Jewish campus group, by chanting pro-Palestinian protesters.

University administrations, says Dimant, are turning a blind eye to the fact their campuses “are being transformed into almost war zones.”

Leo Adler, of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, said his group has had “a lot of complaints” from Jewish students who’ve been harassed on campus, “who feel very fearful to be known as Jewish students.”

You know, if Canadians treated freedom of speech the way they treat courteously waiting one's turn in line, or the way most drivers treat four way stop signs or intersections where the traffic lights have gone off, then we would not have a problem on campuses, no matter how offensive the speech.

For example, if Jewish students merely had to look at the Israeli Apartheid poster that was posted in designated areas, (not allowed to wallpaper the university halls) and no one harrassed them for being Jewish then maybe we would not have this problem. But it seems that the harassment and threats are being tolerated on many campuses, even appeased, but opinions are not. Banning the poster is not going to address the concerns that Dimant and Adler raise above.

What I think people have to realize on the free speech front is that there is a time and a place for everything and a courteous, civil, respectful way of handling diverse, even offensive opinion that at the same time treats each individual human being as respectfully as possible. The latter represents our fast-dying Canadian way of life, no? It's time we started standing up for respect for "the other's" basic humanity and for civil behavior. Period. Then opinions would not be so dangerous.

That's what we need to find and until then, I think it is not the unpopular speech that should be canceled, but uncivil behavior that should be eradicated on campus. Remember, even classic civil disobedience entails the willingness of practitioners to experience the consequences of breaking the law.

And again, here's where I depart from my free speech absolutest friends. I do not think for instance that a university poster board should have a poster that has hardcore pornography on it. Nor do I think students should be allowed to walk around the halls naked or perform public sexual acts as a form of protest and experience no repercussions, even though nakedness has been a form of protest for some religions in the past. I'm not even so sure about the extent I object to the University of Calgary telling a pro-life group that it must not display its graphic pictures of aborted babies and Holocaust dead face-out, but give people an option of whether they want to see them. I would not want to have to sit in a university cafeteria and eat my lunch while having in view a partially dismembered corpse. As much as I respect Geert Wilders, I would not want to be forced to sit through his movie Fitna, running on a TV set up in a common area of my campus or workplace. I could not watch Fitna. Not because I disagree with his right to make this film, but because I need no convincing about the horrors of terrorism in the name of Islam.

I don't think people should be allowed to shout their message at any time of the night or day and disturb the peaceful lives of residents. There is a time and a place.

So....there should be a time for rallies and posters and chanting slogans. But that chanting should not occur at the same time that some other group has booked a hall, or obtained a license to hold a demonstration on some public grounds. People who come in to disrupt a meeting should be ejected forcefully and issued some kind of punishment. Repeated violations should result in suspension from the university.

Yes, maybe people who book a debate on an unpopular subject might have to run a gauntlet of signs and chants as they walk in or out, but anyone in that gauntlet who issues a threat or carries a sign inciting violence, should be summarily removed from the venue.

Last year at the March for Life, a handful of pro-aborts tried to shout down the speakers, who were licensed to be on the Hill with their sound system. The police moved in to protect their "freedom of speech." I think we need to educate ourselves about civil behavior while going about exercising our rights of free expression. Chanting to shut down someone else's freedom of speech is not freedom of speech but the suppression of the free speech rights of others. Let them get their own license and sound system for their own demonstration. Let them book their own hall or set up their own soapbox, or quietly hand out pamphlets or hold up signs until they get their chance to speak.

I think Israeli apartheid week is appalling. I disagree with it vehemently and I think it is a guise for anti-Semitism, even if not everyone who criticizes Israel is anti-Semitic. But if it is run in a courteous, respectful way, then it should go ahead. But then also should weeks that expose Islam0-fascism and the views of radical Muslim leaders who want Israel wiped off the map. Maybe if we politely attended each other's weeks and carefully listened, we might learn something.

Let's start acting like Canadians, 'k? No more importing hatreds and violent customs from other cultures. Free speech yes. But with civility. And let's enforce decent behavior but not pick and choose among opinions.

Morning Prayer Feb. 28, 2009

Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say:

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall be said or sung this Psalm following; except on days for which Proper Anthems are provided. On the nineteenth day of the month, this Psalm shall be omitted in the ordinary course of the Psalms.

At the discretion of the Minister the last four verses may be omitted.

Invitatory: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance; O come, let us worship.

Venite Exultemus Domino. Psalm 95

O COME, let us sing unto the LORD: / let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, / and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the LORD is a great God, / and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth: / and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it: / and his hands prepared the dry land.

O COME, let us worship, and fall down, / and kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God; / and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

TO-DAY, O that ye would hear his voice: / 'Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation, and as in the day of Temptation in the wilderness;

When your fathers tempted me, / proved me, and saw my works.

Forty years long was I grieved with that generation, and said, / "It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways";

Unto whom I sware in my wrath, / that they should not enter into my rest.'

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS.

PSALM 136. Confitemini.

O GIVE thanks unto the LORD, for he is gracious: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

2 O give thanks unto the God of all gods: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

3 O thank the Lord of all lords: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

4 WHO only doeth great wonders: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

5 Who by his excellent wisdom made the heavens: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

6 Who laid out the earth above the waters: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

7 Who hath made great lights: / for his mercy endureth for ever;

8 The sun to rule the day: / for his mercy endureth for ever;

9 The moon and the stars to govern the night: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

10 WHO smote Egypt in their first-born: / for his mercy endureth for ever;

11 And brought out Israel from among them: / for his mercy endureth for ever;

12 With a mighty hand and stretched out arm: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

13 Who divided the Red Sea in sunder: / for his mercy endureth for ever;

14 And made Israel to go through the midst of it: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

15 But as for Pharaoh and his host, he overthrew them in the Red Sea: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

16 WHO led his people through the wilderness: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

17 Who smote great kings: / for his mercy endureth for ever;

18 Yea, and slew mighty kings: / for his mercy endureth for ever;

19 Sihon king of the Amorites: / for his mercy endureth for ever;

20 And Og the king of Bashan: / for his mercy endureth for ever;

21 And gave away their land for an heritage: / for his mercy endureth for ever;

22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

23 WHO remembered us when we were in trouble: / for his mercy endureth for ever;

24 And hath delivered us from our enemies: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

25 Who giveth food to all flesh: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: / for his mercy endureth for ever.

Then shall be read THE FIRST LESSON as appointed, and before each Lesson the Minister shall say, The First [or Second] Lesson is written in such a book, in such a chapter, beginning at such a verse. And after the Lesson he shall say, Here endeth the First [or Second] Lesson.

Genesis 41: 1-40

And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. ²And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. ³And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. ⁴And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. ⁵And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. ⁶And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. ⁷And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. ⁸And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

⁹Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: ¹⁰Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker: ¹¹And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. ¹²And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. ¹³And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

¹⁴Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. ¹⁵And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. ¹⁶And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. ¹⁷And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river: ¹⁸And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow: ¹⁹And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: ²⁰And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: ²¹And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke. ²²And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: ²³And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: ²⁴And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

²⁵And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁶The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. ²⁷And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. ²⁸This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. ²⁹Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: ³⁰And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; ³¹And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. ³²And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. ³³Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. ³⁴Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. ³⁵And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. ³⁶And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.

³⁷And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. ³⁸And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? ³⁹And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: ⁴⁰Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee/

Let the pitifulness of thy great mercy/ loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Make it appear that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer:/ O save us that we may praise thee, we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory:/ look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech thee.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Jesus:/ abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory:/ may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,/ and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,/ world without end. Amen.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood has redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Then shall be read in like manner THE SECOND LESSON as appointed; and after that the following Canticle, except when it forms part of the Gospel or Second Lesson appointed for the day.

Matthew 25: 31-end

³¹When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: ³²And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: ³³And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: ³⁶Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. ³⁷Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? ³⁸When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? ³⁹Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? ⁴⁰And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. ⁴¹Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴²For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: ⁴³I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. ⁴⁴Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? ⁴⁵Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. ⁴⁶And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Benedictus. St Luke 1:68

BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel; / for he hath visited and redeemed his people;

And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, / in the house of his servant David;

As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, / which have been since the world began;

That we should be saved from our enemies, / and from the hands of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, / and to remember his holy covenant;

To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, / that he would grant us

That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies / might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him, / all the days of our life.

AND thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: / for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people / for the remission of their sins;

Through the tender mercy of our God; / whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;

To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or instead Jubilate Deo, the 100th Psalm, page 457.

Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles' Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after the Creed these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling, the Minister first pronouncing:

The Lord be with you;

People. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say:

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

People. And grant us thy salvation.

Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;

People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

People. And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest. O Lord, save thy people;

People. And bless thine inheritance.

Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People. And evermore mightily defend us.

Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow THE COLLECT OF THE DAY , together with any other Collects appointed to be said, and these two prayers in order.

O LORD, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth: Send thy Holy Spirit, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Second Collect, for Peace.

O GOD, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom: Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Third Collect, for Grace.

O LORD our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here may follow an Anthem or an Hymn.

A Prayer for the Queen and all in Authority.

O LORD God Almighty, who rulest the nations of the earth, we humbly beseech thee with thy favour to behold our Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH, that in all things she may be led by thy guidance and protected by thy power. We pray thee also to bless [*........] and all the Royal Family. Endue with wisdom the Governor-General of this Dominion, the Lieutanant-Governors of the Provinces, the Legislators of the Commonwealth and Empire, and all who are set in authority; that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavours upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

* Here shall be named, as determined by authority from time to time, the several members of the Royal Family.

Or there may be said the prayer For the Queen, For the Royal Family, or For the Commonwealth: Prayers and Thanksgivings, 21, 22, 23, pages 48 and 49.

A Prayer for the Clergy and People.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our Bishops and Clergy, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Then may be read any of the Occasional Prayers or Thanksgivings, or any prayers sanctioned by the Ordinary, always ending with the Prayer of St Chrysostom and the Grace; and before any of the prayers may be said Let us pray for —, and before any of the thanksgivings, Let us give thanks for —.

A Prayer for all Conditions of men.

* This to be said when any desire the Prayers of the Congregation.

O GOD, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for the good estate of the Catholic Church; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those, who are any ways afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate; [* especially those for whom our prayers are desired;] that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them, according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.

A General Thanksgiving, to be said by the Minister alone, or by the Minister and people together.

* This to be said when any that have been prayed for desire to return thanks.

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, We thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks For all thy goodness and loving-kindness To us and to all men; [* particularly to those who desire now to offer up their praises and thanksgivings.] We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; But above all for thine inestimable love In the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; For the means of grace, And for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, That our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, And that we show forth thy praise, Not only with our lips, but in our lives; By giving up ourselves to thy service, And by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, To whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

Friday Evensong Feb. 27, 2009

Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say:

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and the the Holy Ghost;

People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS.

PSALM 129. Saepe expugnaverunt.

MANY a time have they fought against me from my youth up, / may Israel now say;

2 Yea, many a time have they vexed me from my youth up; / but they have not prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed upon my back, / and made long furrows.

4 But the LORD is righteous, / and he hath hewn the snares of the ungodly in pieces.

5 LET them be confounded and turned backward, / as many as have evil will at Sion.

6 Let them be even as the grass growing upon the house-tops, / which withereth afore it be plucked up;

7 Whereof the mower filleth not his hand, / neither he that bindeth up the sheaves his bosom.

8 So that they that go by say not so much as, 'The blessing of the LORD be upon you: / we bless you in the Name of the LORD.'

PSALM 130. De profundis.

OUT of the deep have I called unto thee, O LORD; / Lord, hear my voice.

2 O let thine ears consider well / the voice of my complaint.

3 If thou, LORD, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, / O Lord, who may abide it?

4 But there is forgiveness with thee; / therefore shalt thou be feared.

5 I LOOK for the LORD; my soul doth wait for him: / in his word is my trust.

6 My soul looketh for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, / yea, more than watchmen for the morning.

7 O Israel, trust in the LORD, for with the LORD there is mercy, / and with him is plenteous redemption.

8 And he shall redeem Israel / from all his sins.

PSALM 131. Domine, non est.

LORD, I am not high-minded: / I have no proud looks.

2 I do not exercise myself in great matters, / which are too high for me.

3 But I calm my soul and keep it quiet, like weaned child with his mother: / yea, my soul is even as a weaned child.

4 O Israel, trust in the LORD, / from this time forth for evermore.

Then the FIRST LESSON as appointed.

Genesis 40

And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt. ²And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. ³And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. ⁴And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.

⁵And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. ⁶And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. ⁷And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in the ward of his lord’s house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day? ⁸And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you. ⁹And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; ¹⁰And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes: ¹¹And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. ¹²And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days: ¹³Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. ¹⁴But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: ¹⁵For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon. ¹⁶When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head: ¹⁷And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head. ¹⁸And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days: ¹⁹Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.

²⁰And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. ²¹And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand: ²²But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them. ²³Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.

And after that shall be sung or said Magnificat (or the Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

MAGNIFICAT. St. Luke 1:46

MY soul doth magnify the Lord, / and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded / the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth / all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me; / and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him / throughout all generations.

He hath showed strength with his arm; / he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat, / and hath exalted the humble and the meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; / and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy / hath holpen his servant Israel;

As he promised to our forefathers, / Abraham and his seed for ever.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or Cantate Domino, Psalm 98, page 455.

Then THE SECOND LESSON as appointed. And after that shall be sung or said Nunc Dimittis (or the Son of Simeon).

Romans 15

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ²Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. ³For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. ⁴For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. ⁵Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: ⁶That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. ⁸Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: ⁹And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. ¹⁰And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. ¹¹And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. ¹²And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. ¹³Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. ¹⁴And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. ¹⁵Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, ¹⁶That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. ¹⁷I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. ¹⁸For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, ¹⁹Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. ²⁰Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation: ²¹But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand. ²²For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you. ²³But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you; ²⁴Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company. ²⁵But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. ²⁶For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. ²⁷It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things. ²⁸When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain. ²⁹And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

³⁰Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; ³¹That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; ³²That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed. ³³Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

NUNC DIMITTIS. St. Luke 2:29.

LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, / according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, / which thou has prepared before the face of all people;

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, / and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or else Deus Misereatur, Psalm 67, page 409.

Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles' Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after the Creed these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling, the Minister first pronouncing:

The Lord be with you;

People. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say:

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

People. And grant us thy salvation.

Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;

People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

People. And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest. O Lord, save thy people;

People. And bless thine inheritance.

Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People. And evermore mightily defend us.

Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow THE COLLECT OF THE DAY, together with any other Collects appointed to be said, and these two prayers in order.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant George Herbert, Priest & Poet (1633), and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O LORD, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth: Send thy Holy Spirit, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

The Second Collect, for Peace.

O GOD, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

The Third Collect, for Aid against all Perils.

LIGHTEN our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Here may follow an Anthem or a Hymn.

Here may be said the prayers found at this point in Morning Prayer or selections from the Prayers and Thanksgivings or such other prayers as are contained in this Book or set forth by lawful authority, always ending with the Prayer of St Chrysostom and the Grace.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

So it's not just me being a Cassandra

We have seen compressed into one week some element of more or less every worry the most pessimistic conservative Cassandras might have expressed before the election. (Cassandra was right, after all).

Another interesting hypnosis post

Here's a pro-Obama person writing about his covert hypnosis techniques and praising them.

Is Obama great hypnotist?

Did he use hypnosis techniques in US President Elections?

Yes. This is true and obvious. Those who have studied hypnosis and NLP deeply could easily notice that Obama used conversational hypnosis techniques in his speech.

Which Hypnosis Techniques Does Obama Use?

Obama mainly uses conversational hypnosis techniques. Conversational hypnosis is a set of techniques that seem to be normal in the speech, but have hidden hypnosis effect to others.

It means that you put others into a hypnotic state without them knowing. In this way, you can easily make your commands to their subconscious minds.

Obama’s speech contains hypnosis techniques like hypnotic anchoring, pacing and leading, critical factor bypass and so on.

But I don’t see anything wrong with the use of hypnosis in politics.

Instead I think, United States will gain a lot with Obama hypnosis.

Here is how. . .

Obama is a great hypnotic speaker and uses conversational hypnosis techniques successfully.

It is a good example of being great and successful speaker. There is nothing wrong with this. Famous orators have always used hypnosis and NLP techniques to convince their audience.

In my opinion if you don’t have hypnotic speech, then you are not a great speaker.

Finally. Isn’t it fine for Americans that US president has great hypnotic language?

He can gain great advantages for America’s international interests with his conversational hypnosis. For example, while meeting Russian President.

What do you think about this?

What do I think of this? I find it interesting.

Yes ! Yes! Andrea Mrozek nails it

Working for Catholic papers, I have to cover a lot of social justice stuff, attend news conferences about child poverty, poverty eradication and so on. All worthy goals.

And I confess, it drives me crazy that I never hear the social justice advocates talk about how promoting marriage would be one of the biggest eliminators of child poverty ever. No, instead, they want government funding given to single mothers and a national daycare program modeled on Medicare to help the working poor. They want to expand the size of government, without regard for the effect this will have on the family or on possibly encouraging more single motherhood.

Well, Andrea Mrozek, in her great, captivating writing style, explains the link in an op ed in today's Ottawa Citizen.

She writes(my bolds):

Now it's true that the Conservatives in Canada never held the monopoly on fiscal restraint. They fund programs differently, but they still fund with abandon -- plus Canadians will recall it was the Liberals who slashed the deficit and reduced the debt under then-prime minister Jean Chrétien (albeit at the prodding of the Reformers). But Conservatives also can't compete on the compassion file; for some reason, people who prefer pouring money into a big open hole of social programs are believed to be nicer folks than right-wingers, regardless of how ineffective most of the current social programs are at actually relieving poverty.

All this to say, now is a fine time for Conservatives to rebrand themselves by pitching a strong, workable social justice message to Canadians.

They could begin by truly identifying the real problems and their causes, as Duncan Smith did when he started the Centre for Social Justice in 2004. Social problems abound on both sides of the pond -- Canada has daytime gang shootings in Vancouver and Toronto; England's most recent desperate case hit the international media when a 13-year-old boy allegedly became a father with his 15-year-old girlfriend.

Not immediately evident is that the two -- children who become parents, and gang shootings -- are related. Root causes point to similar problems: for example, kids who are themselves raised without parents. Marriage matters, too. If one compares two low-income families -- but one has married parents, the other a lone parent, the child in the low-income married parent family will fare better on numerous outcomes.

(You can get daily fixes of Andrea Mrozek along with many other great bloggers over at ProWomanProLife.org)

Archbishop Chaput's must-read address

Please read this whole address. I love the crystal clear clarity of Archbishop Charles Chaput's writing. Read, mark and digest this excellent piece. (H/t CERC)

I like clarity, and there's a reason why. I think modern life, including life in the Church, suffers from a phony unwillingness to offend that poses as prudence and good manners, but too often turns out to be cowardice. Human beings owe each other respect and appropriate courtesy. But we also owe each other the truth -- which means candor.

President Obama is a man of intelligence and some remarkable gifts. He has a great ability to inspire, as we saw from his very popular visit to Canada just this past week. But whatever his strengths, there's no way to reinvent his record on abortion and related issues with rosy marketing about unity, hope and change. Of course, that can change. Some things really do change when a person reaches the White House. Power ennobles some men. It diminishes others. Bad policy ideas can be improved. Good policy ideas can find a way to flourish. But as Catholics, we at least need to be honest with ourselves and each other about the political facts we start with.

Unfortunately when it comes to the current administration that will be very hard for Catholics in the United States, and here's why. A spirit of adulation bordering on servility already exists among some of the same Democratic-friendly Catholic writers, scholars, editors and activists who once accused prolifers of being too cozy with Republicans. It turns out that Caesar is an equal opportunity employer.

Compulsory abortion for American women? Planetary regime?

According to this article, that's what Obama's science advisor has tried to justify. Oh yeah, and surrender of sovereignty to a planetary regime. Ooooookay. I wonder whether Charles Johnson over at Little Green Footballs is relieved now that those with Christian worldviews no longer have their "ideological" thumbprints all over science at the White House.

When Barack Obama nominated John P. Holdren as his Science Adviser last December 20, the president-elect stated "promoting science isn’t just about providing resources" but "ensuring that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology." In nominating John Holdren, his words could scarcely have taken a more Orwellian ring.

Some critics have noted Holdren's penchant for making apocalyptic predictions that never come to pass, and categorizing all criticism of his alarmist views as not only wrong but dangerous. What none has yet noted is that Holdren is a globalist who has endorsed "surrender of sovereignty" to "a comprehensive Planetary Regime" that would control all the world's resources, direct global redistribution of wealth, oversee the "de-development" of the West, control a World Army and taxation regime, and enforce world population limits. He has castigated the United States as "the meanest of wealthy countries," written a justification of compulsory abortion for American women, advocated drastically lowering the U.S. standard of living, and left the door open to trying global warming "deniers" for crimes against humanity. Such is Barack Obama's idea of a clear-headed adviser on matters of scientific policy.

Obama, the political Milli Vanilli?

Jack Cashill thinks so:

Ayers’ pique would not much matter were he really just the “guy who lives in my neighborhood” that Obama had claimed to have long ago outgrown.

As Obama understands, though, Ayers is much more than that. He is the potential extortionist who lives in the neighborhood, and both parties know it.

As I have previously documented, the evidence strongly indicates that Ayers played a major role in the crafting of Obama’s 1995 memoir, Dreams From My Father, the book on which the Obama genius myth is grounded.

Much depends on this myth, most notably Obama’s positioning strategy in a 2012 election against Sarah Palin, the current resident Republican “dunce,” a designation as fictional as Obama’s genius status.

In a five-minute press conference, an angry and estranged Ayers could reveal Obama to be a political Milli Vanilli. As Ayers knows, there is power in that.

If an Obama presidency would inevitably disappoint Ayers, one has to question why he would have spent so much time grooming his protégé for political office.

The answer is simple enough. Ayers could not have anticipated that Obama would ascend as high as he has.

(Read about Barack Obama's Milli Vanilli moment here.)

Morning Prayer, Feb. 27, 2009

Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say:

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall be said or sung this Psalm following; except on days for which Proper Anthems are provided. On the nineteenth day of the month, this Psalm shall be omitted in the ordinary course of the Psalms.

At the discretion of the Minister the last four verses may be omitted.

Invitatory: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance; O come, let us worship.

Venite Exultemus Domino. Psalm 95

O COME, let us sing unto the LORD: / let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, / and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the LORD is a great God, / and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth: / and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it: / and his hands prepared the dry land.

O COME, let us worship, and fall down, / and kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God; / and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

TO-DAY, O that ye would hear his voice: / 'Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation, and as in the day of Temptation in the wilderness;

When your fathers tempted me, / proved me, and saw my works.

Forty years long was I grieved with that generation, and said, / "It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways";

Unto whom I sware in my wrath, / that they should not enter into my rest.'

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS.

Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say:

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall be said or sung this Psalm following; except on days for which Proper Anthems are provided. On the nineteenth day of the month, this Psalm shall be omitted in the ordinary course of the Psalms.

At the discretion of the Minister the last four verses may be omitted.

Invitatory: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance; O come, let us worship.

Venite Exultemus Domino. Psalm 95

O COME, let us sing unto the LORD: / let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, / and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the LORD is a great God, / and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth: / and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it: / and his hands prepared the dry land.

O COME, let us worship, and fall down, / and kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God; / and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

TO-DAY, O that ye would hear his voice: / 'Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation, and as in the day of Temptation in the wilderness;

When your fathers tempted me, / proved me, and saw my works.

Forty years long was I grieved with that generation, and said, / "It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways";

Unto whom I sware in my wrath, / that they should not enter into my rest.'

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS.

PSALM 126. In convertendo.

WHEN the LORD restored the fortunes of Sion, / then were we like unto them that dream.

2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, / and our tongue with joy.

3 Then said they among the nations, / 'The LORD hath done great things for them.'

4 Yea, the LORD hath done great things for us already; / whereof we rejoice.

5 RESTORE our fortunes, O LORD, / as the rivers in the South.

6 They that sow in tears / shall reap in joy.

7 He that now goeth on his way weeping, and beareth forth his seed, / shall doubtless come again with joy, and bring his sheaves with him.

PSALM 127. Nisi Dominus.

EXCEPT the LORD build the house, / their labour is but lost that build it.

2 Except the LORD keep the city, / the watchman keepeth vigil but in vain.

3 It is but lost labour that ye haste to rise up early, and so late take rest, and eat the bread of carefulness; / for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

4 LO, children and the fruit of the womb / are an heritage and gift that cometh of the LORD.

5 Like as the arrows in the hand of the giant, / even so are the children of one's youth.

6 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: / they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.

PSALM 128. Beati omnes.

BLESSED are all they that fear the LORD, / and walk in his ways.

2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands: / O well is it with thee, and happy shalt thou be.

3 Thy wife shall be as the fruitful vine, / within the walls of thine house;

4 Thy children like the olive-branches, / round about thy table.

5 Lo, thus shall the man be blessed, / that feareth the LORD.

6 The LORD from out of Sion shall so bless thee, / that thou shalt see Jerusalem in prosperity all thy life long.

7 Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, / and peace upon Israel.

Then shall be read THE FIRST LESSON as appointed, and before each Lesson the Minister shall say, The First [or Second] Lesson is written in such a book, in such a chapter, beginning at such a verse. And after the Lesson he shall say, Here endeth the First [or Second] Lesson.

Genesis 39

And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. ²And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. ³And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. ⁴And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. ⁵And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. ⁶And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

⁷And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. ⁸But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; ⁹There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? ¹⁰And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. ¹¹And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. ¹²And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. ¹³And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, ¹⁴That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: ¹⁵And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. ¹⁶And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. ¹⁷And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: ¹⁸And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out. ¹⁹And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. ²⁰And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

²¹But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. ²²And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. ²³The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee/

Let the pitifulness of thy great mercy/ loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Make it appear that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer:/ O save us that we may praise thee, we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory:/ look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech thee.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Jesus:/ abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory:/ may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,/ and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,/ world without end. Amen.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood has redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Then shall be read in like manner THE SECOND LESSON as appointed; and after that the following Canticle, except when it forms part of the Gospel or Second Lesson appointed for the day.

Matthew 25: 1-30

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. ²And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: ⁴But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. ⁷Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. ⁸And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. ⁹But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. ¹⁰And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. ¹¹Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. ¹²But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. ¹³Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

¹⁴For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. ¹⁵And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. ¹⁶Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. ¹⁷And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. ¹⁸But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. ¹⁹After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. ²⁰And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. ²¹His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. ²²He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. ²³His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. ²⁴Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: ²⁵And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. ²⁶His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: ²⁷Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. ²⁸Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. ²⁹For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. ³⁰And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Benedictus. St Luke 1:68

BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel; / for he hath visited and redeemed his people;

And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, / in the house of his servant David;

As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, / which have been since the world began;

That we should be saved from our enemies, / and from the hands of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, / and to remember his holy covenant;

To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, / that he would grant us

That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies / might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him, / all the days of our life.

AND thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: / for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people / for the remission of their sins;

Through the tender mercy of our God; / whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;

To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or instead Jubilate Deo, the 100th Psalm, page 457.

Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles' Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after the Creed these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling, the Minister first pronouncing:

The Lord be with you;

People. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say:

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

People. And grant us thy salvation.

Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;

People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

People. And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest. O Lord, save thy people;

People. And bless thine inheritance.

Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People. And evermore mightily defend us.

Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow THE COLLECT OF THE DAY , together with any other Collects appointed to be said, and these two prayers in order.

O LORD, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth: Send thy Holy Spirit, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant George Herbert, Priest and Poet (1633), and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Second Collect, for Peace.

O GOD, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom: Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Third Collect, for Grace.

O LORD our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here may follow an Anthem or an Hymn.

A Prayer for the Queen and all in Authority.

O LORD God Almighty, who rulest the nations of the earth, we humbly beseech thee with thy favour to behold our Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH, that in all things she may be led by thy guidance and protected by thy power. We pray thee also to bless [*........] and all the Royal Family. Endue with wisdom the Governor-General of this Dominion, the Lieutanant-Governors of the Provinces, the Legislators of the Commonwealth and Empire, and all who are set in authority; that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavours upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

* Here shall be named, as determined by authority from time to time, the several members of the Royal Family.

Or there may be said the prayer For the Queen, For the Royal Family, or For the Commonwealth: Prayers and Thanksgivings, 21, 22, 23, pages 48 and 49.

A Prayer for the Clergy and People.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our Bishops and Clergy, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Then may be read any of the Occasional Prayers or Thanksgivings, or any prayers sanctioned by the Ordinary, always ending with the Prayer of St Chrysostom and the Grace; and before any of the prayers may be said Let us pray for —, and before any of the thanksgivings, Let us give thanks for —.

A Prayer for all Conditions of men.

* This to be said when any desire the Prayers of the Congregation.

O GOD, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for the good estate of the Catholic Church; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those, who are any ways afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate; [* especially those for whom our prayers are desired;] that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them, according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.

A General Thanksgiving, to be said by the Minister alone, or by the Minister and people together.

* This to be said when any that have been prayed for desire to return thanks.

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, We thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks For all thy goodness and loving-kindness To us and to all men; [* particularly to those who desire now to offer up their praises and thanksgivings.] We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; But above all for thine inestimable love In the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; For the means of grace, And for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, That our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, And that we show forth thy praise, Not only with our lips, but in our lives; By giving up ourselves to thy service, And by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, To whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

Hypnotized, gee, gee I'm sooooooo hypnotized

Well, not by Obama. That's for sure.

But some experts say he is using covert hypnotic techniques. Sound crazy? Read this.
(ht David Frum's new site)

Evensong Feb. 26, 2009

Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say:

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and the the Holy Ghost;

People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS.

Psalm 119

PART 21. Principes persecuti sunt.

PRINCES have persecuted me without a cause; / but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.

162 I am as glad of thy word, / as one that findeth great spoil.

163 As for lies, I hate and abhor them; / but thy law do I love.

164 Seven times a day do I praise thee, / because of thy righteous judgements.

165 Great is the peace that they have who love thy law; / and nothing shall lead them astray.

166 LORD, I have looked for thy saving health, / and done after thy commandments.

167 My soul hath kept thy testimonies, / and loved them exceedingly.

168 I have kept thy precepts and testimonies; / for all my ways are before thee.

PART 22. Appropinquet deprecatio.

LET my cry come before thee, O LORD: / give me understanding, according to thy word.

170 Let my supplication come before thee: / deliver me, according to thy word.

171 My lips shall speak of thy praise, / because thou teachest me thy statutes.

172 Yea, my tongue shall sing of thy word; / for all thy commandments are righteous.

173 Let thy hand help me; / for I have chosen thy precepts.

174 I have longed for thy saving health, O LORD; / and in thy law is my delight.

175 O let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; / and let thy judgements help me.

176 I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; / O seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.

Then the FIRST LESSON as appointed.

Genesis 37

And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. ²These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. ³Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. ⁴And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

⁵And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. ⁶And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: ⁷For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. ⁸And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

⁹And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. ¹⁰And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? ¹¹And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

¹²And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. ¹³And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. ¹⁴And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

¹⁵And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? ¹⁶And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. ¹⁷And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. ¹⁸And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. ¹⁹And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. ²⁰Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. ²¹And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. ²²And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

²³And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; ²⁴And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. ²⁵And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. ²⁶And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? ²⁷Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. ²⁸Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

²⁹And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. ³⁰And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go? ³¹And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; ³²And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no. ³³And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. ³⁴And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. ³⁵And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. ³⁶And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.

And after that shall be sung or said Magnificat (or the Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

MAGNIFICAT. St. Luke 1:46

MY soul doth magnify the Lord, / and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded / the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth / all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me; / and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him / throughout all generations.

He hath showed strength with his arm; / he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat, / and hath exalted the humble and the meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; / and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy / hath holpen his servant Israel;

As he promised to our forefathers, / Abraham and his seed for ever.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or Cantate Domino, Psalm 98, page 455.

Then THE SECOND LESSON as appointed. And after that shall be sung or said Nunc Dimittis (or the Son of Simeon).

Romans 14

Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. ²For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. ³Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. ⁴Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. ⁵One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. ⁶He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. ⁷For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. ⁸For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. ¹⁰But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. ¹¹For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. ¹²So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. ¹³Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. ¹⁴I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. ¹⁵But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. ¹⁶Let not then your good be evil spoken of: ¹⁷For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. ¹⁸For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. ¹⁹Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. ²⁰For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. ²¹It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. ²²Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. ²³And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

NUNC DIMITTIS. St. Luke 2:29.

LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, / according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, / which thou has prepared before the face of all people;

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, / and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or else Deus Misereatur, Psalm 67, page 409.

Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles' Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after the Creed these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling, the Minister first pronouncing:

The Lord be with you;

People. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say:

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

People. And grant us thy salvation.

Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;

People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

People. And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest. O Lord, save thy people;

People. And bless thine inheritance.

Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People. And evermore mightily defend us.

Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow THE COLLECT OF THE DAY, together with any other Collects appointed to be said, and these two prayers in order.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O LORD, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth: Send thy Holy Spirit, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

The Second Collect, for Peace.

O GOD, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

The Third Collect, for Aid against all Perils.

LIGHTEN our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Here may follow an Anthem or a Hymn.

Here may be said the prayers found at this point in Morning Prayer or selections from the Prayers and Thanksgivings or such other prayers as are contained in this Book or set forth by lawful authority, always ending with the Prayer of St Chrysostom and the Grace.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

My piece on Obama's visit

The Catholic Register has posted one of my pieces on Obama's visit, but they have removed the byline for some reason.

OTTAWA - U.S. President Barack Obama’s first visit to Canada struck some positive notes on the environment and on trade, say Catholic observers.

But Campaign Life Coalition focused on the one issue that was not on the agenda of the Feb. 20 working visit: abortion.

In a news release, Campaign Life president Jim Hughes urged America’s first black president to “help save the lives of 4,000 African American babies who die by abortion every day in the United States.” African Americans make up only 13 per cent of the U.S. population, but 37 per cent of aborted babies are black, Hughes said.

Read the whole thing. You'll enjoy it.

Watch out for the strawman!

We all know about the favorite rhetorical device of the (il)liberal: the ad hominem attack.

As is well known, the definition of "racist" is someone who is winning an argument with a Democrat or a Liberal. Through in Nazi for good measure. Or homophobe or Islamophobe. This is because the group think among illiberal thinkers in the news media and the chattering classes assumes their ideas are self-evident truths and anyone who disagrees must do so from evil motives.

But Karl Rove--remember him? George W. Bush's "brain" ?

He has noticed that Barack Obama has picked up another rhetorical device for his quiver. No wonder everyone is fawning in front of him and he sounds so brilliant to them.

The device? (Cue the Twilight zone scary music) The Strawman.

Even in an ostensibly nonpartisan speech marking Lincoln's 200th birthday, Mr. Obama used a straw-man argument, decrying "a philosophy that says every problem can be solved if only government would step out of the way; that if government were just dismantled, divvied up into tax breaks, and handed out to the wealthiest among us, it would somehow benefit us all. Such knee-jerk disdain for government -- this constant rejection of any common endeavor -- cannot rebuild our levees or our roads or our bridges."

Whose philosophy is this? Many Americans justifiably believe that government is too big and often acts in counterproductive ways. But that's a far cry from believing that in "every" case government is the problem or that government should be "dismantled" root and branch. Who -- other than an anarchist -- "constantly rejects any common endeavor" like building levees, roads or bridges?

During his news conference on Feb. 9, Mr. Obama decried an unnamed faction in the congressional stimulus debate as "a set of folks who -- I don't doubt their sincerity -- who just believe that we should do nothing."

Who were these sincere do-nothings? Every House Republican voted for an alternative stimulus plan, evidence that they wanted to do something.

Read the whole thing.

Here's the problem as I see it. Just as the illiberals believe only evil people could possibly disagree with them, they also believe the straw man actually exists because why bother to really examine the arguments of evil people.

And the problem for those on the receiving end of these premises, which are constantly put forward in the questions illiberal journalists ask, and so on, is that unless you are really skilled,
you might end up having to say, well, of course I'm not a racist, or of course I am not an anarchist who believes in no role for government.

And then there's no time for your good arguments.

But then, our side is not above using these kinds of arguments against the other side.

I sure wish we could have a real, honest, nuanced debate where you got points knocked off your side (in the arena where it counts---votes) for using these cheap devices.

But the problem is they work.

What a disgrace

Tonight I heard the As It Happens announcer/host Barbara Budd do a disgraceful number of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, making him a laughingstock for the way he responded for the Republican Party to President Obama's speech liast night.

She played clips of Fox News commentators laughing at his delivery last night and of a GOP person saying it was embarrassing for someone from the Party to be talking about government being the problem.

She was snickering and snarking herself. She also played a clip of some actor playing a Louisiana hick to compare what Jindal sounded like.

I'm sending a complaint to CBC Ombudsman Vince Carlin. This was a disgraceful, biased attack. If I were prone to throwing labels of racist around, I would add that, too.

E-mail:
ombudsman@cbc.ca

Mail:
Vince Carlin
Ombudsman
CBC
P.O. Box 500, Station A
Toronto, Ontario M5W 1E6
Fax: 416/205-2825
Tel.: 416/205-2978

And while you're at it, why not let your MP know that you don't want any bail-outs going to the CBC now that it has become a cheerleading section for the American president.

What's ahead for the Baby Boom generation

Colby Cosh made it clear the other day what he thinks of my Baby Boom generation.

For the children of the Baby Boomers, there is a special delight in watching the world economy shake itself to pieces like a two-dollar pram at this particular moment. Our elders, who bought prosperity and nice pensions at our expense and pulled the ripcords on their "Freedom 55" parachutes without leaving any behind in the passenger cabin, are getting it in the neck just when they thought a secure old age, with money for travel and expensive pastimes, was a safe bet. I'm willing to watch my meagre savings suffer from market turmoil in exchange for contemplating the dilemma of those who are now between 55 and 65.

These are people who started their working lives at a time when labour unions were strong, taxpayers outnumbered retirees nearly 10 to one, housing was as cheap as borscht and the basic personal exemption covered most of a living wage. They congratulated themselves on building an elaborate "social safety net" at the expense of their children. Their great numbers have allowed their preferences and superstitions to dominate culture and media. They're the ones who burned through tonnes of pot and then launched a War on Drugs when they grew bored with it; they drove mighty-bowelled Mustangs and Thunderbirds in their youth, and only started worrying about the environment when they no longer needed a capacious backseat to fornicate in; they espoused and took full advantage of sexual liberation, but were safely hors de combat by the time AIDS reared its head. The first time I see one shopping for dog food, I doubt I'll be able to suppress a laugh.

The schadenfreude is chilling, even for a repentant Boomer like myself.

Will our children, if they share those attitudes, be willing to take us in if we don't have enough money to support ourselves and are too old or too weak to work? Or will they vote in euthanasia and assisted suicide and pressure us to off ourselves? Will we consider it our duty?



Wesley Smith writes:

Imagine that you have lung cancer. It has been in remission, but tests show the cancer has returned and is likely to be terminal. Still, there is some hope. Chemotherapy could extend your life, if not save it. You ask to begin treatment. But you soon receive more devastating news. A letter from the government informs you that the cost of chemotherapy is deemed an unjustified expense for the limited extra time it would provide. However, the government is not without compassion. You are informed that whenever you are ready, it will gladly pay for your assisted suicide.

Think that's an alarmist scenario to scare you away from supporting "death with dignity"? Wrong. That is exactly what happened last year to two cancer patients in Oregon, where assisted suicide is legal.

snip

When a scared and depressed patient asks for poison pills and their doctor's response is to pull out the lethal prescription pad, it confirms the patient's worst fears – that they are a burden, that they are less worth loving. Hospices are geared to address such concerns. But effective hospice care is undermined when a badly needed mental health intervention is easily avoided via a state-sanctioned, physician-prescribed overdose of lethal pills.

snip

Oregon has become the model for how assisted suicide is supposed to work. But for those who dig beneath the sloganeering and feel-good propaganda, it becomes clear that legalising assisted suicide leads to abandonment, bad medical practice and a disregard for the importance of patients' lives.

I suppose this would serve us right too, in a horrible way, for our legacy of abortion on demand. We cheapened sex, we cheapened human life, and now at the end of our life, we may be pressured by our pagan offspring to off ourselves with the help of a doctor.

The right for a transgendering male to use the female change rooms?

Gosh, it's only the first day of Lent and I'm already sinning and surfing the 'net when I said I was going to fast from it. (Well, I have surfed less!) And I came across this story via Blazing Cat Fur over at Closet Conservative:

More serious Human Rights concerns at the Ontario Human Rights Commission! This case has been dragging along for two years. A guy, dressed as a chick walks into a health club to get a membership in the women's-only part of the club. Just before signing the contract, he says to the owner, hey-I'm a dude! I'm planning to be a chick, but I still have my equipment. Club owner says-I think my female patrons would have a problem with that (YA THINK?), checks with police and OHRC but eventually gets sucked into black hole mind-numbing, expensive, process-is-the-punishment Orwellian vortex of OHRC hell. The hearing is today. What is so complicated about this idea: NOBODY with a male sex organ gets into the women's' change room. I don't care if you are 4 months, 4 days or 4 hours away from the snip-if you have something hanging between your legs (naturally of course, not purchased) YOU ARE A DUDE. I feel sorry for the club owner.

The Anchoress on Ash Wednesday

Please read her post today.

Yes, disciplining oneself is the hardest thing, isn’t it?

I haven’t decided yet if it is easier to believe - as the atheists charge - or if it is easier not to believe. I used to think it was easier not to believe, and that may be so. But when I see someone like Maher, who seems so hunted and haunted that he cannot stop talking about it, then I think it might be harder not to believe.

And that’s something to think about at Lent, too. What do you believe? Why do you believe it? What part does choice play in belief; do you choose to believe?

The Gift is freely given. One can freely walk away from it. If one cannot do that, cannot walk away without making sure he drags away as many others as he can, well, then that’s not freedom.

Deacon Greg’s MUST READ homily: We just can’t live without ashes!

There IS something about Ashes that makes so many people, even folks of nominal faith, and lately even non-Catholic Christians scurry to get them.

Note: If you’re in a tug-of-war - feeling drawn to faith, but struggling - confession doesn’t hurt.

If you need a focus, here is one. Praying for the president is always a good practice.

Over Lent I am going to try to discipline myself to spend less time surfing the 'net and more time in prayer and in renewing friendships that have been neglected.

Haven't figured out exactly how I will work it out. Maybe my prayer time will earn me time on the 'net.

Morning Prayer Feb. 26, 2009

Good morning everyone. Sorry about not posting Evensong and the readings for mass yesterday. Instead, I attended the real thing and it was wonderful. Seems my prayers for Warren Kinsella that included myself and my readers rebounded on me and the liturgy came alive.

This morning, I blew it by going on the Internet first thing instead of doing Morning Prayer, so I'm grouchier and feeling rushed in ways I would not be if I had been obedient. But, better late than never, so before I do any more work or fretting, let's pray.

Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say:

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall be said or sung this Psalm following; except on days for which Proper Anthems are provided. On the nineteenth day of the month, this Psalm shall be omitted in the ordinary course of the Psalms.

At the discretion of the Minister the last four verses may be omitted.

Invitatory: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance; O come, let us worship.

Venite Exultemus Domino. Psalm 95

O COME, let us sing unto the LORD: / let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, / and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the LORD is a great God, / and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth: / and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it: / and his hands prepared the dry land.

O COME, let us worship, and fall down, / and kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God; / and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

TO-DAY, O that ye would hear his voice: / 'Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation, and as in the day of Temptation in the wilderness;

When your fathers tempted me, / proved me, and saw my works.

Forty years long was I grieved with that generation, and said, / "It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways";

Unto whom I sware in my wrath, / that they should not enter into my rest.'

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS.

Psalm 119: Parts 19 & 20

PART 19. Clamavi in toto corde meo.

I CALL with my whole heart: / hear me, O LORD; I will keep thy statutes.

146 Yea, even unto thee do I call; O help me, / and I shall keep thy testimonies.

147 Early in the morning do I cry unto thee; / for in thy word is my trust.

148 Mine eyes forestall the night-watches, / that I might be occupied in thy words.

149 Hear my voice, O LORD, according unto thy loving-kindness: / quicken me, according as thou art wont.

150 They draw nigh that of malice persecute me, / and are far from thy law.

151 Thou art nigh at hand, O LORD; / and all thy commandments are true.

152 As concerning thy testimonies, I have known long since, / that thou hast grounded them for ever.

PART 20. Vide humilitatem.

O CONSIDER mine adversity, and deliver me, / for I do not forget thy law.

154 Plead thou my cause, and redeem me: / quicken me, according to thy word.

155 Salvation is far from the ungodly; / for they regard not thy statutes.

156 Great is thy mercy, O LORD: / quicken me, according to thy judgements.

157 Many there are that trouble me and persecute me; / yet do I not swerve from thy testimonies.

158 It grieveth me when I see the transgressors; / because they keep not thy word.

159 Consider, O LORD, how I love thy precepts: / O quicken me, according to thy lovingkindness.

160 Thy word is altogether true: / all the judgements of thy righteousness endure for evermore.

Then shall be read THE FIRST LESSON as appointed, and before each Lesson the Minister shall say, The First [or Second] Lesson is written in such a book, in such a chapter, beginning at such a verse. And after the Lesson he shall say, Here endeth the First [or Second] Lesson.

Genesis 35: 1-20 (my bolds)

And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. ²Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: ³And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. ⁴And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. ⁵And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

⁶So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. ⁷And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother. ⁸But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allon-bachuth.

⁹And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. ¹⁰And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. ¹¹And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; ¹²And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. ¹³And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. ¹⁴And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon. ¹⁵And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.

¹⁶And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. ¹⁷And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. ¹⁸And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni: but his father called him Benjamin. ¹⁹And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. ²⁰And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee/

Let the pitifulness of thy great mercy/ loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Make it appear that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer:/ O save us that we may praise thee, we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory:/ look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech thee.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Jesus:/ abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory:/ may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,/ and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,/ world without end. Amen.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood has redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Then shall be read in like manner THE SECOND LESSON as appointed; and after that the following Canticle, except when it forms part of the Gospel or Second Lesson appointed for the day.

Matthew 24: 29-end

²⁹Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: ³⁰And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. ³²Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: ³³So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. ³⁴Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. ³⁵Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

³⁶But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. ³⁷But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ³⁸For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, ³⁹And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ⁴⁰Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. ⁴¹Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

⁴²Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. ⁴³But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. ⁴⁴Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. ⁴⁵Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? ⁴⁶Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. ⁴⁷Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. ⁴⁸But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; ⁴⁹And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; ⁵⁰The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, ⁵¹And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Benedictus. St Luke 1:68

BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel; / for he hath visited and redeemed his people;

And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, / in the house of his servant David;

As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, / which have been since the world began;

That we should be saved from our enemies, / and from the hands of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, / and to remember his holy covenant;

To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, / that he would grant us

That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies / might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him, / all the days of our life.

AND thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: / for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people / for the remission of their sins;

Through the tender mercy of our God; / whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;

To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or instead Jubilate Deo, the 100th Psalm, page 457.

Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles' Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after the Creed these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling, the Minister first pronouncing:

The Lord be with you;

People. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say:

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

People. And grant us thy salvation.

Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;

People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

People. And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest. O Lord, save thy people;

People. And bless thine inheritance.

Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People. And evermore mightily defend us.

Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow THE COLLECT OF THE DAY , together with any other Collects appointed to be said, and these two prayers in order.

O LORD, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth: Send thy Holy Spirit, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Second Collect, for Peace.

O GOD, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom: Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Third Collect, for Grace.

O LORD our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here may follow an Anthem or an Hymn.

Then shall be read one of the Prayers for the Queen, and the Prayer for the Clergy and People.

A Prayer for the Queen's Majesty.

O LORD our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth: Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH; and so replenish her with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that she may alway incline to thy will, and walk in thy way: Endue her plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant her in health and wealth long to live; strengthen her that she may vanquish and overcome all her enemies, and finally after this life she may attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or

A Prayer for the Queen and the Commonwealth.

ALMIGHTY God, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly beseech thee to bless our Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH, the Parliaments of the Commonwealth, and all who are set in authority under her; that they may order all things in wisdom, righteousness, and peace, to the honour of thy holy Name, and the good of thy Church and people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or

A Prayer for the Queen and all in Authority.

O LORD God Almighty, who rulest the nations of the earth, we humbly beseech thee with thy favour to behold our Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH, that in all things she may be led by thy guidance and protected by thy power. We pray thee also to bless [*........] and all the Royal Family. Endue with wisdom the Governor-General of this Dominion, the Lieutanant-Governors of the Provinces, the Legislators of the Commonwealth and Empire, and all who are set in authority; that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavours upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

* Here shall be named, as determined by authority from time to time, the several members of the Royal Family.

Or there may be said the prayer For the Queen, For the Royal Family, or For the Commonwealth: Prayers and Thanksgivings, 21, 22, 23, pages 48 and 49.

A Prayer for the Clergy and People.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our Bishops and Clergy, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Then may be read any of the Occasional Prayers or Thanksgivings, or any prayers sanctioned by the Ordinary, always ending with the Prayer of St Chrysostom and the Grace; and before any of the prayers may be said Let us pray for —, and before any of the thanksgivings, Let us give thanks for —.

A Prayer for all Conditions of men.

* This to be said when any desire the Prayers of the Congregation.

O GOD, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for the good estate of the Catholic Church; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those, who are any ways afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate; [* especially those for whom our prayers are desired;] that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them, according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.

A General Thanksgiving, to be said by the Minister alone, or by the Minister and people together.

* This to be said when any that have been prayed for desire to return thanks.

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, We thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks For all thy goodness and loving-kindness To us and to all men; [* particularly to those who desire now to offer up their praises and thanksgivings.] We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; But above all for thine inestimable love In the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; For the means of grace, And for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, That our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, And that we show forth thy praise, Not only with our lips, but in our lives; By giving up ourselves to thy service, And by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, To whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

Sobering thoughts from Thomas Sowell

In another sense, however, looming ahead of us — and our children and their children — are dangers that can utterly destroy American society. Worse yet, there are moral corrosions within ourselves that weaken our ability to face the challenges ahead.

One of the many symptoms of this decay from within is that we are preoccupied with the pay of corporate executives while the leading terrorist-sponsoring nation on earth is moving steadily toward creating nuclear bombs.

Does anyone imagine that we will care what anyone’s paycheck is when we see an American city in radioactive ruins?

Yet the only serious obstacle to that happening is that the Israelis may disregard the lofty blather coming out of the White House and destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities before the Iranian fanatics can destroy Israel.

If by some miracle we manage to avoid the fatal dangers of a nuclear Iran, there will no doubt be others, including a nuclear North Korea.

Although, in some sense, the United States of America is still the strongest nation on earth militarily, that means absolutely nothing if our enemies are willing to die and we are not.

It took only two nuclear bombs to get Japan to surrender — and the Japanese of that era were far tougher than most Americans today. Just one bomb — dropped on New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles — might be enough to get us to surrender.

If we are still made of sterner stuff than it looks like, then it might take two or maybe even three or four nuclear bombs, but we will surrender.

It doesn’t matter if we retaliate and kill millions of innocent Iranian civilians — at least it will not matter to the fanatics in charge of Iran or the fanatics in charge of the international terrorist organizations that Iran supplies.

Ultimately, it all comes down to who is willing to die and who is not.

Archbishop Prendergast's profound homily

Archbishop Prendergast gave this homily at a Vesper's service that I missed because I'm not feeling very well. It launched the 40 Days for Life campaign. Please read it in full. And please take to heart this profound message (my bolds):

This year marks the fortieth year since the introduction into legislation in our country of the 1969 Omnibus Bill, which effectively led to opening the door to abortion on demand in Canada. What a tragic loss it has been to our country of the hundreds of thousands, the millions of souls who have never been given the chance to see the light of day! Now some might be tempted to see in these spiritual activities an attempt to justify ourselves and somehow, by our individual efforts, to bring about the goal we seek. And that is why the text of St. Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians is our guide in terms of how to understand what we are about. We recall that God has already effected our reconciliation; God has already in his sovereign will made peace with all of sinful humanity. Our task is merely to say “yes” to this and to let ourselves be caught up in God’s saving dynamic. What Paul is saying is that herein lies God’s message: “Just let yourselves be reconciled to me: let what I have done for you in my Son Jesus’ death and resurrection become effective in your lives.”

We need, then, to acknowledge our own ongoing need for reconciliation with God as the model of what we wish for others whose eyes have not yet been enlightened to the truth that Pope John Paul II articulated so well in his encyclical, The Gospel of Life—Evangelium Vitae: “The Church knows that this Gospel of life, which she has received from her Lord, has a profound and persuasive echo in the heart of every person-believer and non-believer alike-because it marvellously fulfils all the heart's expectations while infinitely surpassing them. Even in the midst of difficulties and uncertainties, every person sincerely open to truth and goodness can, by the light of reason and the hidden action of grace, come to recognize in the natural law written in the heart (cf. Rom 2:14-15) the sacred value of human life from its very beginning until its end, and can affirm the right of every human being to have this primary good respected to the highest degree. Upon the recognition of this right, every human community and the political community itself are founded.”

Let us pray that this truth may be accepted by more and more hearts in Ottawa, in Canada, and in our world in these coming days of Lent. And as we seek this good in gentleness and forbearance, in good conduct and good cheer, in quiet prayer and unobtrusive fasting, let us not become discouraged. Rather let us be confident, because God has already won the victory for us; our task is to bring the Good News of the dignity of every human life, particularly life in the womb as simply and clearly as we can.

Amen and Amen.

Rick McGinnis on news rooms

A great writer who is out of a job writes:

Writing well, however, isn't the golden ticket it used to be. I can't explain why - perhaps it's because popular journalism is either wedded desperately to an ad-delivery system, a ruthlessly-vetted though indifferently managed political content-purveyor, or both. In any case, the days of talent wars to attract the best reporters or columnists are over, and it's been a long time since I've seen magazines and newspapers trumpeting their tally of awards or their stable of esteemed contributors.

Journalism has become one big dysfunctional newsroom, where the last round of cuts have taken place far enough in the past for everyone to be anxious that the next round is coming, where there's been a change of management, and a stranger's been put in the editor's office whose intentions no one can read yet. The big names are worried that their salaries are too conspicuous to avoid the accountants' scythe, and everyone else is trying to keep as quiet as possible in their cubicle, while secretly tallying up their seniority and position in the newsroom pecking order and, if worst comes to worst, how much of a package they can expect in their buyout.

I can explain one reason why. Because it is so difficult to "objectively" prove that writing is good, and a newsroom is so vulnerable to being hit with a human rights complaint if it does not have the right ratios of men to women to visible minorities and other disadvantaged groups, it will go to objective criteria like journalism degrees.

No wonder Liberals and Democrats want to shut down free speech on the 'net

Warren Kinsella's latest $5,000,000 lawsuit against Ezra Levant has garnered the attention of some of the biggest conservative websites in London and Washington, or wherever the hugely-read Instapundit is based.

Here's what London-based Samizdata writes:

What is Adscam, I wonder? Something that makes Kinsella look bad, presumably. I ask this to show how right Levant is about how this bizarre and way-over-the-top lawsuit causes faraway people like me with no direct interest in any of this to get drawn into the story. Levant is asking for donations. Defending against lawsuits like this, thanks to the internet, can now be paid for by sympathisers.

The bigger picture here, or part of it, is that the political left is losing its grip on the means of political communication, and it does not like it. Time was when people like Kinsella could get up to all kinds of mischief and nobody would say a word. If anyone did complain, the story would be told from Kinsella's point of view and then forgotten. Thanks to people like Ezra Levant, those days are passing. But Kinsella seems to be having a problem adjusting to this new media reality. It looks to me like Kinsella is really suing Levant for the more elemental crime, if that's the right phrase, of not grovelling. Levant doesn't know his place. But Levant does know his place. It is Kinsella who no longer seems to understand his.

The bigger party political picture is that Kinsella risks damaging his political master. This is a certain Michael Ignatieff, known to Brits only as a talking head on late night culture shows on the telly, but now a Big Cheese politician in Canada.

I wonder how long it will be before Iggy starts hearing from his London friends.

Once upon a time, Warren Kinsella proudly made a laughingstock of Stockwell Day and his religious beliefs. The moral law of the universe, Karma---what goes around comes around--or in Christian parlance---you reap what you sow--seems to be at play here.

Sadly, there are many within the confines of the Queensway on Parliament Hill who still quake at the thought of Warren Kinsella's influence. It is why most MPs are so careful to keep their religious beliefs in the closet; it is why the Harper government has done little on egregious human rights abuses by government commissions.

Most of the press gallery is not following this spectacle. They hardly know it is going on. They still think they cover the news, and if they don't know about it, it ain't news. But news happens and a whole army of bloggers is picking up the slack. And there's no stopping us, CRTC, Fairness Doctrine or whatever, because we will find an electronic way of getting around the censors, even if we start having to write fan fiction with hidden meanings that will change every time the censors get on to us. The Chinese have learned to change the key words their government censors use to shut down discussions of forbidden subjects. So can we, if it comes to that.

The mainstream might still run with a story Kinsella feeds them, the way CP and CBC Radio did when they tried to tar Liberal MP Keith Martin with guilt by association because some ne0-Nazi sites liked his motion to gut Section 13 from the Canadian Human Rights Act. But now that he's tried to use political pressure to force Steve Paikin, one of the most genuinely objective news anchors out there, to dis-invite a guest, he may lose the goodwill those on his side of the political spectrum have accorded him.

In today's post, Ezra Levant sounds a sorrowful note for Kinsella:

I hope Kinsella loses his nuisance suits. But where I thought I might feel schadenfreude, I feel sorrow. The news of his termination today doesn’t give me any joy. There is none in this public spectacle as he tumbles down, a flailing ball of anger and impotence.

I share his feelings. Kinsella is someone who has immense talent, great observational skills and writing ability, and when he sheds his partisan schtick he's not all that far away from many of us free speechers in his support for Israel and his disgust with Holocaust denial. He sees a bigger government role than we do, but even he admits the human rights commissions need an overhaul. He did not think the cases against Ezra Levant and Mark Steyn had merit, but he still tried to smear them anyway, for partisan reasons? I dunno.

Too bad this can't be talked about in a nuanced, reasoned way. Too bad we can't be fighting shoulder to shoulder as democracy-loving Canadians against those who really are endangering the not only Jews but also our whole Western way of life. Too bad we can't be allies in protecting our Western democratic principles from capitulation to the bullying of overseas cash and lawfare techniques. Too bad he has stooped to using illiberal techniques himself such as lawsuits to silence opponents.

The end does not justify the means.

This morning, I join Ezra in offering up a prayer for Warren Kinsella. I pray that next time he goes to Catholic Church that the Holy Spirit will make the liturgy come alive and he will know that Christ truly is present in the bread and the wine. I hope that some piece of Scripture that he's heard all his life will suddenly speak so profoundly and deeply to his soul that he will experience the joy of repentance, because he has truly encountered his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I pray that he will experience all the fruits of the Spirit--love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness and self-control. I pray for his family, for his wife, his children, that peace and joy will reign in their home, that their hearth will be one where God's blessings, spiritual and natural, flow.

I pray that this experience will be so profound that he will desire to amend his ways so that he never, ever loses that peace and joy again and that he may dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

Come to think of it, I pray this prayer for myself and all my readers this morning. It is Shrove Tuesday, after all, and we all have need of repentance, don't we?

Morning Prayer on Shrove Tuesday (also the Feast of St. Matthias)

Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say:

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall be said or sung this Psalm following; except on days for which Proper Anthems are provided. On the nineteenth day of the month, this Psalm shall be omitted in the ordinary course of the Psalms.

At the discretion of the Minister the last four verses may be omitted.

Invitatories may be said or sung before this Psalm and after the Gloria Patri which follows it, as provided on page 25.

Invitatory: The Lord is glorious in His saints: O come, let us worship.

Venite Exultemus Domino. Psalm 95

O COME, let us sing unto the LORD: / let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, / and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the LORD is a great God, / and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth: / and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it: / and his hands prepared the dry land.

O COME, let us worship, and fall down, / and kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God; / and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

TO-DAY, O that ye would hear his voice: / 'Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation, and as in the day of Temptation in the wilderness;

When your fathers tempted me, / proved me, and saw my works.

Forty years long was I grieved with that generation, and said, / "It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways";

Unto whom I sware in my wrath, / that they should not enter into my rest.'

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS.

PSALM 119

PART 1. Beati immaculati.

BLESSED are those that are undefiled in the way, / and walk in the law of the LORD.

2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, / and seek him with their whole heart;

3 Even they that do no wickedness, / but walk in his ways.

4 Thou hast ordained thy precepts / that we should diligently keep them.

5 O that my ways were made so direct / that I might keep thy statutes!

6 So shall I not be confounded, / while I have respect unto all thy commandments.

7 I will thank thee with an unfeigned heart, / when I shall have learned the judgements of thy righteousness.

8 I will keep thy statutes: / O forsake me not utterly.

PART 2. In quo corriget?

WHEREWITHAL shall a young man cleanse his way? / even by ruling himself after thy word.

10 With my whole heart have I sought thee; / O let me not go astray from thy commandments.

11 Thy word have I hid within my heart, / that I should not sin against thee.

12 Blessed art thou, O LORD; / O teach me thy statutes.

13 With my lips have I been telling / of all the judgements of thy mouth.

14 I have had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies, / as in all manner of riches.

15 I will meditate upon thy precepts, / and have respect unto thy ways.

16 My delight shall be in thy statutes, / and I will not forget thy word.

Then shall be read THE FIRST LESSON as appointed, and before each Lesson the Minister shall say, The First [or Second] Lesson is written in such a book, in such a chapter, beginning at such a verse. And after the Lesson he shall say, Here endeth the First [or Second] Lesson.

I Samuel 2:27-35

²⁷And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? ²⁸And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? ²⁹Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? ³⁰Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. ³¹Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. ³²And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. ³³And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. ³⁴And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. ³⁵And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

After the First Lesson shall be sung or said the Hymn Te Deum Laudamus. But the Canticle Benedicite, Omnia Opera, page 26, is suitable of use in Advent, in Lent, on Ember Days (except those in Whitsun Week), on Rogation Days, and when the third chapter of Daniel is read as the First Lesson.

At the discretion of the Minister, the third section of Te Deum may be omitted.

TE DEUM LAUDAMUS.

WE praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.

To thee all Angels cry aloud, the Heavens and all the Powers therin.

To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry,

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts;

Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory.

The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee;

The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee;

The noble army of Martyrs praise thee;

The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee,

The Father, of an infinite Majesty;

Thine honourable, true, and only Son;

Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

THOU art the King of Glory, O Christ.

Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.

When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.

We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.

We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with thy Saints, in glory everlasting.

O LORD, save thy people, and bless thine heritage;

Govern them, and lift them up for ever.

Day by day we magnify thee;

And we worship thy Name, ever world without end.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.

O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.

O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in thee.

O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.

Then shall be read in like manner THE SECOND LESSON as appointed; and after that the following Canticle, except when it forms part of the Gospel or Second Lesson appointed for the day.

Matthew 7: 15-27

5Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. ¹⁶Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? ¹⁷Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. ²⁰Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

²¹Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? ²³And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

²⁴Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: ²⁵And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. ²⁶And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: ²⁷And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Benedictus. St Luke 1:68

BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel; / for he hath visited and redeemed his people;

And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, / in the house of his servant David;

As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, / which have been since the world began;

That we should be saved from our enemies, / and from the hands of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, / and to remember his holy covenant;

To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, / that he would grant us

That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies / might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him, / all the days of our life.

AND thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: / for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people / for the remission of their sins;

Through the tender mercy of our God; / whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;

To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or instead Jubilate Deo, the 100th Psalm, page 457.

Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles' Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after the Creed these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling, the Minister first pronouncing:

The Lord be with you;

People. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say:

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

People. And grant us thy salvation.

Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;

People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

People. And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest. O Lord, save thy people;

People. And bless thine inheritance.

Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People. And evermore mightily defend us.

Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow THE COLLECT OF THE DAY , together with any other Collects appointed to be said, and these two prayers in order.

Collect of the Day

O ALMIGHTY God, who into the place of the traitor Judas didst choose thy faithful servant Matthias to be of the number of the twelve Apostles: Grant that thy Church, being alway preserved from false Apostles, may be ordered and guided by faithful and true pastors; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Second Collect, for Peace.

O GOD, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom: Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Third Collect, for Grace.

O LORD our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for the Clergy and People.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our Bishops and Clergy, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Then may be read any of the Occasional Prayers or Thanksgivings, or any prayers sanctioned by the Ordinary, always ending with the Prayer of St Chrysostom and the Grace; and before any of the prayers may be said Let us pray for —, and before any of the thanksgivings, Let us give thanks for —.

A Prayer for all Conditions of men.

* This to be said when any desire the Prayers of the Congregation.

O GOD, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for the good estate of the Catholic Church; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those, who are any ways afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate; [* especially those for whom our prayers are desired;] that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them, according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.

A General Thanksgiving, to be said by the Minister alone, or by the Minister and people together.

* This to be said when any that have been prayed for desire to return thanks.

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, We thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks For all thy goodness and loving-kindness To us and to all men; [* particularly to those who desire now to offer up their praises and thanksgivings.] We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; But above all for thine inestimable love In the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; For the means of grace, And for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, That our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, And that we show forth thy praise, Not only with our lips, but in our lives; By giving up ourselves to thy service, And by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, To whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

Rush on the mortgage bail-out

Some vintage Rush Limbaugh:

We have a toxic disease in this country, and it's the media. We've got toxic assets as a result of the government tampering in the mortgage business. We've got debt out the wazoo. We have people who lived lives of substance when there was no "there" there and they wanted to keep up with the Joneses. Nobody's innocent here, except those of you who have no clue any of this was going on, you're playing by the rules, you're going to your lender, you're getting your mortgage, you don't know it's being packaged and sold at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, you don't know that it's being used to subsidize people that can't pay, and now all of a sudden, you're being told for things you had nothing to do with that you are the ones getting punished, that you have to pay for these people who couldn't pay in the first place, 'cause it's just too tragic. And now they're saying, what happens if that home next to you is in foreclosure? What happens to the value of your house? The answer is what the hell have you done to the value of my house already without these foreclosures? And, by the way, a foreclosed house -- this is the market speaking -- is a hell of a buy opportunity.

Do you know the California first-time buyer market is up 85% on sales of the purchase of foreclosed houses 'cause you can get in them much cheaper than you ever could, starter houses, first time buyers. Just get out of the way, the market will work. We are the market. The government tampers with the market. The government sucks things out of the market in the form of taxation, deficit spending, and now the government's in the business of laughing at the free market. The government is an albatross on the market. If left alone, we adapt, we respond to all kinds of market conditions, including artificially low interest rates created by the Fed which helped create the boom Brian Williams and Lauer don't talk about. Poor people respond to government policies pushed by leftists that make loans available to them to buy homes they can't afford. The market didn't create these conditions. The market is responding to them. The market's responding by short selling the stimulus. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 53 right now. It's been down as much as 200 today. The investors, the people who are the real poll on the state of the economy are not investing. They are betting on the market continuing to go south. They're taking their money out of it in general. Some stocks are doing better than others. But the overall DJI is down, and it's been down over 2,000 points since Obama was immaculated. Well, since he was elected. From November 4th through February 12th the market has plunged more than it plunged in September and October under Bush. You don't know that because it's not being told to you because of the toxicity in our system that is the Drive-By Media and it's poor excuse for journalists and reporters. So we're trying to adapt to it, everybody's trying to react to the market. You heard Dave LaRoe call from his little restaurant in Grand Rapids, Ohio. He's watching Oprah and Suze Orman tell people not to go out to eat. He adapts, he calls here. He does something. He's gotta counter all of this negative attention being focused on the private sector. But there's not a fix. Folks, Obama doesn't have it, God doesn't have it. Biden doesn't have it. Reid doesn't have it, Pelosi doesn't have it, Barney Frank doesn't have it. There is nothing that is going to come along tomorrow and restore the value of your house, replenish your 401(k) and your kids' college fund, take the Dow back to 13 on the way to 15; it isn't there. It could be again, but not with the leadership we have now. The leadership we have now is continuing to stand idly by while the market continues to plunge, unemployment continues to rise, they're spending money hand in fist claiming it's going to stimulate the economy, $1.7 trillion, that should be some stimulus. There ought to be some new jobs out there. There ought to be some positive attitude. There ought to be somebody that's feeling good, willing to invest in this economy. So far, we don't see it. We see Obama promising it, but we don't see it. If all this stimulus that we've already done is so magical that it's going to start the immediate uptick of the economy, somebody tell me when.

Change the culture rather than the politics

So says Andrew Breitbart in an op ed in the Washington times. I think we have to aim at doing both. And I did my bit in trying to change the culture by writing The Defilers, a novel that not only I think would make a great movie. But unless you conservative readers of my blog support me, the novel is going to drift down past the 2 million mark on the Amazon rating.

I remember years ago, when the novel was still unpublished, going for a walk with a friend of mine who had just seen a very literate Hollywood movie. Can't remember the name of it. Had to do with Virginia Wolf and various characters committing suicide as a moral option. She was deeply troubled by the message behind this otherwise very attractive film. I went into a rant about why I was so driven to get my novel published because of the importance of telling well-crafted stories with a Christian worldview, and about how we needed to have the equivalent of a Christian Oprah to promote good writers. I worked my buns off like I have never worked on anything in my life to make sure The Defilers was well-crafted. It is not an icky first draft covered with coffee stains and tears that I'm claiming God told me to write. If we take on Hollywood, we have to have a respectable level of writing craft and movie craft. Too often the label "Christian" has become pejorative.

Breitbart writes:

Art, music, film and new media must be at the center of a reborn conservative movement. Hollywood should not simply be ignored, reviled and condemned by detached intellectuals, talk radio and elected officials caught in her crosshairs, but taken on head-on.

There are thousands of creative and business minds toiling in anonymity in Hollywood who want the conservative movement to bring them aid, cover, money and a mission to finally take on a generation of one-party creative rule.

The conservative student movement that in the Reagan-era 80s encouraged action in the legislative world must commit to heading to Hollywood to begin to change things in the creative world.

The millionaires and billionaires who feed the conservative think tanks and underwrite those who run for office need to join their high-rolling liberal brethren like Barry Diller and David Geffen and realize their political dollars are better spent making movies and nurturing the culture.

My biggest fear is that later this week I will be among the legions at CPAC rearranging the furniture. Instead, the conservative movement needs to think in revolutionary terms.

And the revolution must begin in Hollywood.

Fellow conservatives, how about picking up my novel The Defilers and seeing whether it might be something for Hollywood conservatives to consider, no? There is a lot of good material already out there, material that just needs to have a taste arbiter like a Mark Steyn or an Andrew Breitbart praise.

And I'm not the only good example out there. There are many that are mainly ignored even by our own constituency.

Mark Steyn and the Binks on Chris Selley's smug tripe

Mark Steyn weighs in:

So which response to this issue is, in Chris Selley's words, "a few chick peas short of a falafel"? The Misses Geller and Shaidle? Or the sensible, reasonable, moderate, measured approach of the PC eunuchs at Canada's most-watched TV stations and major metropolitan newspapers?

When Ezra Levant went nuclear on the "human rights" regime's medieval ass, wise old birds like Catsmeat Kinsella cautioned that Canadians wouldn't put up with some bezerk loon trashing "their" beloved human rights commissions. Really? Whether or not we achieve the repeal of Section 13 and its provincial equivalents, I doubt The Globe & Mail, Professor Moon, and even very tentatively the House of Commons would even be considering the question had it not been for Ezra going ballistic. That's what it took to drag the debate even half-an-inch in the direction of sanity.

I have no views on Chris Selley one way or the other. But I note his response to the Prime Minister's interview with Ken Whyte:

Principal Harper Ends The Free Speech Food Fight.

Each to his own. I don't happen to think of the Queen's first minister as the "principal" with me and the rest of the citizenry as his charges. The head of government is no more or less than just that: He is not my "leader", and certainly not on inalienable rights. But the headline seems to sum up Mr Selley's approach: the judicious arbiter settling midway between two extremes.

Not for me. As I've said re the so-called "global consensus" of the UN, if you mix half-a-pint of vanilla ice cream with half-a-pint of dog feces the result will taste more like the latter than the former. Likewise, if you split the difference between me and Commissar Barbara Hall, or Ezra and Jennifer Lynch, QC, you're still quite a long ways down the road to tyranny. "Moderation" - of the CTV/Gazette school - is a euphemism for drift, for letting the culture be tugged gently, imperceptibly, remorselessly into darkness:

I like the way Deborah Gyapong puts it:

You know why I want to defend Kathy Shaidle? Because she helps keep me honest about whether my civility really is a choice and not a blind or fearful conformity to the pressures of political correctness. She helps me to think about where I might be influenced by group think and the progressive air we breathe in Ottawa. She reminds me of where the line is between kindness and weakness.

Just so. Self-suppression is the most cost-effective form of tyranny. Or as Andrew Klavan says:

The whole way liberals work is to redefine manners and morals in such a fashion that conservative common sense automatically becomes hateful. If you note that women and men are different, you’re misogynistic. If you denounce the destruction of marriage in black communities, you’re racist or moralistic. If you call for the defense of America against the world-wide Islamist menace, you’re a bigoted warmonger. If we take this garbage seriously even for an instant, we spend our whole lives playing catch-up, saying sorry, going on defense.

The Binks adds:

~ WORD HAS IT NATPOST SCRIBBLER CHRIS SELLEY thinks Pam Geller and the Binks family and all the others who wanted a decent memorial stone for honour-slaughtered Canadian teen Aqsa Parvez are not very sensible people.

Ottawegian journalist Deb Gyapong weighs in; as has the inimitable Kathy Shaidle, Pam herself, and others. I had this to say a little while back, in a letter to Jason Kenney. Looks like Teh Steyn has chimed in, too.

Catses & Meeses

OK– imagine: There is a big cat around, which most of the mice are afraid to mention, let alone ponder belling. Some of the mice are even into denying the existence or intent of said cat, and consider the concerned mice or pro-bell mice to be dangerous trouble-making catophobes (technically speaking, Ailurophobes). Even mentioning mice freshly eaten by the cat causes outrage and fear: better just blame those crazy cat-conspiracy mice for bringing it up.

The cats change, but the cowardly mice are always with us, seeking peace with the cat; cat-denial; blaming other mice; writing books about how all the cats are actually the best friends of mice, and are gravely misunderstood. The save-your-ass at the expense of others instinct; the feeding of other mice to the cat, hoping you might be last; the half-conscious denial of the whole cat-problem. Can you say “Peace In Our Time” with kindly Herr Hitler? Meanwhile, the dead mice pile ever up, lives needlessly sacrificed, in various ways and for various noble-sounding reasons, but no less dead.

Morning Prayer Feb. 21, 2009 St. Mary on Saturday

Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say:

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall be said or sung this Psalm following; except on days for which Proper Anthems are provided. On the nineteenth day of the month, this Psalm shall be omitted in the ordinary course of the Psalms.

At the discretion of the Minister the last four verses may be omitted.

Invitatories may be said or sung before this Psalm and after the Gloria Patri which follows it, as provided on page 25.

Invitatory: The Word was made flesh: O come, let us worship.

Venite Exultemus Domino. Psalm 95

O COME, let us sing unto the LORD: / let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, / and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the LORD is a great God, / and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth: / and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it: / and his hands prepared the dry land.

O COME, let us worship, and fall down, / and kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God; / and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

TO-DAY, O that ye would hear his voice: / 'Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation, and as in the day of Temptation in the wilderness;

When your fathers tempted me, / proved me, and saw my works.

Forty years long was I grieved with that generation, and said, / "It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways";

Unto whom I sware in my wrath, / that they should not enter into my rest.'

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS.

PSALM 106. Confitemini Domino.

PART 1

O GIVE thanks unto the LORD, for he is gracious, / and his mercy endureth for ever.

2 Who can express the noble acts of the LORD, / or show forth all his praise?

3 Blessed are they that keep judgement, / and alway do righteousness.

4 Remember me, O LORD, according to the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: / O visit me with thy salvation;

5 That I may see the felicity of thy chosen, / and rejoice in the gladness of thy people, and give thanks with thine inheritance.

6 WE have sinned with our fathers; / we have done amiss and dealt wickedly.

7 When our fathers were in Egypt, / they regarded not thy wonders;

8 They kept not thy great goodness in remembrance, / but were disobedient at the sea, even at the Red Sea.

9 Nevertheless, he helped them for his Name's sake, / that he might make his power to be known.

10 He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up; / so he led them through the deep as through a wilderness.

11 And he saved them from the adversary's hand, / and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.

12 As for those that troubled them, the waters overwhelmed them; / there was not one of them left.

13 Then believed they his words, / and sang praise unto him.

14 BUT within a while they forgat his works, / and would not abide his counsel.

15 But lust came upon them in the wilderness, / and they tempted God in the desert.

16 And he gave them their desire, / but sent leanness withal into their soul.

17 They envied Moses also in the tents, / and Aaron the saint of the LORD.

18 So the earth opened, and swallowed up Dathan, / and covered the congregation of Abiram.

19 And the fire was kindled in their company: / the flame burnt up the ungodly.

Then shall be read THE FIRST LESSON as appointed, and before each Lesson the Minister shall say, The First [or Second] Lesson is written in such a book, in such a chapter, beginning at such a verse. And after the Lesson he shall say, Here endeth the First [or Second] Lesson.

Genesis 27:44- Genesis 28:-end

⁴¹And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. ⁴²And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. ⁴³Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; ⁴⁴And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away; ⁴⁵Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day? ⁴⁶And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

Genesis 28

And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. ²Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother. ³And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; ⁴And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. ⁵And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.

⁶When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padan-aram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; ⁷And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padan-aram; ⁸And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; ⁹Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

¹⁰And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. ¹¹And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. ¹²And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. ¹³And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; ¹⁴And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. ¹⁵And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

¹⁶And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. ¹⁷And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. ¹⁸And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. ¹⁹And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. ²⁰And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, ²¹So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: ²²And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

After the First Lesson shall be sung or said the Hymn Te Deum Laudamus. But the Canticle Benedicite, Omnia Opera, page 26, is suitable of use in Advent, in Lent, on Ember Days (except those in Whitsun Week), on Rogation Days, and when the third chapter of Daniel is read as the First Lesson.

At the discretion of the Minister, the third section of Te Deum may be omitted.

TE DEUM LAUDAMUS.

WE praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.

To thee all Angels cry aloud, the Heavens and all the Powers therin.

To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry,

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts;

Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory.

The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee;

The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee;

The noble army of Martyrs praise thee;

The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee,

The Father, of an infinite Majesty;

Thine honourable, true, and only Son;

Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

THOU art the King of Glory, O Christ.

Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.

When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.

We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.

We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with thy Saints, in glory everlasting.

O LORD, save thy people, and bless thine heritage;

Govern them, and lift them up for ever.

Day by day we magnify thee;

And we worship thy Name, ever world without end.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.

O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.

O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in thee.

O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.

Then shall be read in like manner THE SECOND LESSON as appointed; and after that the following Canticle, except when it forms part of the Gospel or Second Lesson appointed for the day.

Matthew 22: 34-end

³⁴But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. ³⁵Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, ³⁶Master, which is the great commandment in the law? ³⁷Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. ³⁸This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

⁴¹While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴²Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. ⁴³He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, ⁴⁴The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? ⁴⁵If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? ⁴⁶And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

Matthew 23: 1-12

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, ²Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: ³All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. ⁴For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. ⁵But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, ⁶And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, ⁷And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. ⁸But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. ⁹And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. ¹⁰Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. ¹¹But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹²And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Benedictus. St Luke 1:68

BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel; / for he hath visited and redeemed his people;

And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, / in the house of his servant David;

As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, / which have been since the world began;

That we should be saved from our enemies, / and from the hands of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, / and to remember his holy covenant;

To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, / that he would grant us

That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies / might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him, / all the days of our life.

AND thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: / for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people / for the remission of their sins;

Through the tender mercy of our God; / whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;

To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or instead Jubilate Deo, the 100th Psalm, page 457.

Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles' Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after the Creed these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling, the Minister first pronouncing:

The Lord be with you;

People. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say:

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

People. And grant us thy salvation.

Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;

People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

People. And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest. O Lord, save thy people;

People. And bless thine inheritance.

Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People. And evermore mightily defend us.

Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow THE COLLECT OF THE DAY , together with any other Collects appointed to be said, and these two prayers in order.

Collect of the Day

O GOD Most High, who didst endue with wonderful virtue and grace the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord: Grant that we, who now call her blessed, may be made very members of the heavenly family of him who was pleased to be called the first-born among many brethren; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Second Collect, for Peace.

O GOD, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom: Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Third Collect, for Grace.

O LORD our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for the Clergy and People.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our Bishops and Clergy, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Then may be read any of the Occasional Prayers or Thanksgivings, or any prayers sanctioned by the Ordinary, always ending with the Prayer of St Chrysostom and the Grace; and before any of the prayers may be said Let us pray for —, and before any of the thanksgivings, Let us give thanks for —.

A Prayer for all Conditions of men.

* This to be said when any desire the Prayers of the Congregation.

O GOD, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for the good estate of the Catholic Church; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those, who are any ways afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate; [* especially those for whom our prayers are desired;] that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them, according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.

A General Thanksgiving, to be said by the Minister alone, or by the Minister and people together.

* This to be said when any that have been prayed for desire to return thanks.

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, We thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks For all thy goodness and loving-kindness To us and to all men; [* particularly to those who desire now to offer up their praises and thanksgivings.] We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; But above all for thine inestimable love In the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; For the means of grace, And for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, That our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, And that we show forth thy praise, Not only with our lips, but in our lives; By giving up ourselves to thy service, And by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, To whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

On letting words fly

In a Full Comment post yestoday, Chris Selley goes after Atlas Shrug's Pamela Geller. I'm not going to recap the whole thing. Go read Selley, then read the comments section. And go read Atlas' for yourself.

Then read Kathy's response in: "Chris Selley must be afraid I'd beat him up or something."

When Kathy Shaidle writes headlines like "All Arabs are violent retards" I cringe. I wish she would not use that headline. [That's not the only one I don't like]. But I defend her right to say rude, childish, stupid and insulting things on her own blog that none of us pays for with taxpayer's money or is compelled to visit. I recognize her blog is a venue for a kind of Internet artform and her writing style is deliberately provocative in the way Flannery O'Connor's short stories were deliberately weird and shocking. If there is one thing about Kathy, she is principled about defending freedom of speech, even if she shocks us frequently with her polemical style.

How come I and thousands of her readers know that when she writes the retards headline she is engaging in self-described "Seventh Grade name-calling" and that she does not for a moment believe all Arabs are violent retards? It's a kind of performance art. It's definitely not meant for the literal-minded.

Kathy thinks everyone should know that of course all Arabs are not violent retards and know that of course she is not so stupid as to believe they are. To her, it is "Duh!" But she refuses to qualify every statement with what Mark Steyn called the obligatory "of courses." As Andrew Coyne wrote "fat lot of good it did him" when it came to the Maclean's human rights complaints.

I use the "of courses" and the qualifiers because I think there are a lot of very stupid people out there. Kathy thinks so, too, but I have more patience with them than she does. I try to use gentleness and respect in my approach to defending freedom of speech, because I would choose to be civil even if there were no human rights commissions, litigious people or smear artists out there.

A while back, Kathy linked to a most illuminating post about the smear tactics used against people like Ann Coulter or herself.

Beyond Potok's frothy prose, what is worth examining here is the application of what a friend of mine who's been smeared by the SPLC (we are legion) has called their "ransom note method" of quotation: A phrase here, half a sentence there -- the words are cut and pasted together like a kidnapper assembling a ransom note from cut-up magazines, with the SPLC's own interpretative comments helpfully interlarded to tell their readers exactly what to think about the target.

This ransom note technique was used repeatedly against Mark Steyn as well. Quotes taken out of context, missing quotation marks, all assembled to put him in the worst possible light.

Johann Hari, who used ransom note tactics against Mark Steyn, is finding that no one is immune from this tactic, now that he is getting smeared for being racist himself.

I don't recall ever having read Chris Selley before, so obviously his writing has either been so bland as to escape my notice, or he's the resident left-wing polemicist at the National Post but some day someone will do to him what he did to Pamela Geller and he will rightly cry foul.

The smear campaigns are used not because the smearers even really believe the smears, but because they are tactics that work in marginalizing enemies for partisan purposes. Thankfully, those tactics are working less. They failed to keep Kathy Shaidle off a recent TVO program, for example.

You know why I want to defend Kathy Shaidle? Because she helps keep me honest about whether my civility really is a choice and not a blind or fearful conformity to the pressures of political correctness. She helps me to think about where I might be influenced by group think and the progressive air we breathe in Ottawa. She reminds me of where the line is between kindness and weakness.

The Anchoress wrote today:

In our politically correct age, where everyone is afraid of giving offense, being misconstrued-and -then-sued, or simply fearful of falling out-of-step with the trendoids, we almost never hear or read anything that is uncontrolled.

But “free speech” cannot be controlled or it is not “free” at all. And we in America have for too long engaged in self-censorship in favor of “niceness.”

Sometimes, you have to lose control and let the words fly, and if you cannot do that, you are not free.

Kathy is not afraid of giving offence, being misconstrued or any of the above. She lets words fly.

There is a time and a place and a season for everything. There would be occasions and places and venues where letting words fly would be simply wrong. Kathy would agree. If you were to meet Kathy in person, she is polite and normal, not the performance artist in her blog persona.

There are times when tact and kindness are the better choice. But if tact and kindness were no longer a choice but enforced by government, then we have entered a dangerous totalitarian world. Civility is a virtue that should be encouraged and freely chosen by the individual and encouraged by civil society, not legislated by the state.

Free speech: use it or lose it

The Anchoress writes (and please follow the link and read the whole post):

Think of all the stories you have known about but not seen covered by the Mainstream Press, from the robust economy that defined most of Bush’s presidency but was constantly called “recession” to our successes in Iraq to the recent protests of the stimulus bill? If a story does not serve the “established narrative,” it either does not get mentioned, or is quickly buried. The press has betrayed the public trust.

The press is not free, but for a little while we can still live without them. Until the internet and talk radio are regulated into dreary sameness, charged with “hate speech”, and rendered politically impotent, they are our best vehicles for free speech with some reach.

If we lose our freedom to speak out - to opine loudly, to mock, to question, even to demand - then we have lost everything.

And the truth is, we have already - thanks to political correctness and self-censorship - fallen into the mindset that our speech should be controlled, measured and unfree.

And that is why Rick Santelli’s rant today was riveting, and fascinating, and incredibly necessary.

Speak up. This is still America - in this nation, for now, you are free to do so. The more you shut yourself up, the more easily others will shut you up, down the road.

Don Martin: "angry anti-abortion protests"? Really?

I get a kick out of Don Martin. I usually enjoy his columns and his radio and TV punditry. But this line in today's National Post offering about the Obama visit has this line (my bolds):

At the risk of sounding Pollyanna, smiles went epidemic on a Parliament Hill which is too often the repository for grim economic news and the site of angry anti-abortion protests.

I beg to differ. I have attended just about every National March for Life in the past four or five years and anger does not characterize these events. Yeah, a cynical news crew might find the odd angry individual (of course! what do you expect if the story has been written in advance and Central casting has to supply the actors?), but the dominant emotion at these marches is joy. Not joy in the sense of "enjoy" but joy in the sense of a deep, heartfelt gratitude for the love of God, coupled with a solemnity and resolve to protect and advance the most important human right there is, the right to life. It's also a yearly reunion for people from across the country who have labored in the movement's trenches to get together. It's often a family time of picnics on the lawn. You may see tears, too.

No, it's not anger it is hope that motivates the vast majority of the people who turn up every year. Hope that hard hearts can be changed, that perseverance will pay off, that maybe if we pray, fast, organize and protest peacefully we can turn the culture around to one that celebrates life instead of death.

So Don, why don't you come outside May 14 during the next March for Life and see for yourself, eh? Stop trafficking in stereotypes about the pro-life movement, 'k?

Do the young people in the picture look angry? I don't think so.

Pro-life man arrested for anti-Obama anti-abortion sign

Gateway Pundit reports:

In his first 48 hours as president, Barack Obama, the most radical pro-abortion president in history, signed legislation to fund foreign abortions with US taxpayer money.
...But, don't criticize Dear Leader or you may get arrested.

An Oklahoma man was pulled over for taping an anti-Obama sign on his vehicle.
Later, the secret service searched the man's home because of his blasphemous sign against His High Holiness.
News OK reported

An Oklahoma City police officer wrongly pulled over a man last week and confiscated an anti-President Barack Obama sign the man had on his vehicle.

The officer misinterpreted the sign as threatening, said Capt. Steve McCool, of the Oklahoma City Police Department, and took the sign, which read "Abort Obama, not the unborn."

Chip Harrison said he was driving to work when a police car followed him for several miles and then signaled for him to pull over.

''I pulled over, knowing I hadn't done anything wrong," Harrison said in a recent phone interview.

When the officer asked Harrison if he knew why he had been pulled over, Harrison said he did not.

''They said, 'It's because of the sign in your window,'" Harrison said.

''It's not meant to be a threat, it's a statement about abortion," Harrison said.

He said he disagrees with the president's position on abortion.

''I asked the officer, 'Do you know what abort means?'" Harrison said. "He said, 'Yeah, it means to kill.' I said, 'No, it means to remove or terminate.'"

Harrison said his sign was to be interpreted as saying something like: Remove Obama from office, not unborn babies from the womb.

The officers confiscated Harrison's sign and gave him a slip of paper that stated he was part of an investigation.

I'm not crazy about the Abort Obama part. It makes the guy sound like a crank. But I do think it's an over-reaction on the part of authorities.

Morning Prayer Feb. 20, 2009

The Prayer Book Society (The Book of Common Prayer, Canada, 1962)


O Lord, open thou our lips.
Answer. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Priest. O God, make speed to save us.
Answer. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here all standing up, the Priest shall say, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Priest. Praise ye the Lord.
Answer. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall be said or sung this Psalm following; Except on Easter Day, upon which another Anthem is appointed; and on the nineteenth day of every month it is not to be read here, but in the ordinary course of the Psalms.

Invitatory: The Lord is glorious in his saints: O come let us worship.

Venite, exultemus Domino.
Psalm xcv. COME, let us sing unto the Lord : let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving : and shew ourselves glad in him with Psalms.
For the Lord is a great God : and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are all the corners of the earth : and the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it : and his hands prepared the dry land.
O come, let us worship and fall down : and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is the Lord our God : and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
To day, O if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts : as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness;
When your fathers tempted me : proved me, and saw my works.
Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said : It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways.
Unto whom I sware in my wrath : that they should not enter into my rest.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.

Then shall follow the Psalms in order as they be appointed. And at the end of every Psalm throughout the year, and likewise at the end of Benedicite, Benedictus, Magnificat, and Nunc dimittis, shall be repeated,
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;
Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.

PSALM 103. Benedic, anima mea.

PRAISE the LORD, O MY soul: / and all that is within me praise his holy Name.

2 Praise the LORD, O MY soul: / and forget not all his benefits;

3 Who forgiveth all thy sin, / and healeth all thine infirmities;

4 Who saveth thy life from destruction, / and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness;

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, / making thee young and lusty as an eagle.

6 THE LORD executeth righteousness and judgement / for all them that are oppressed with wrong.

7 He showed his ways unto Moses, / his works unto the children of Israel.

8 The LORD is full of compassion and gracious, / long-suffering, and of great goodness.

9 He will not alway be chiding: / neither keepeth he his anger for ever.

10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins, / nor rewarded us according to our wickednesses.

11 For look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth, / so great is his mercy also toward them that fear him.

12 Look how wide also the east is from the west, / so far hath he set our sins from us.

13 Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children, / even so is the LORD merciful unto them that fear him.

14 For he knoweth whereof we are made: / he remembereth that we are but dust.

15 THE days of man are but as grass; / for he flourisheth as a flower of the field.

16 For as soon as the wind goeth over it, it is gone; / and the place thereof shall know it no more.

17 But the merciful goodness of the LORD endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him, / and his righteousness unto children's children;

18 Even unto such as keep his covenant, / and think upon his commandments to do them.

19 THE LORD hath established his throne in heaven, / and his kingdom ruleth over all.

20 O praise the LORD, ye angels of his, ye that excel in strength, / ye that fulfil his commandment, and hearken unto the voice of his word.

21 O praise the LORD, all ye his hosts, / ye servants of his that do his pleasure.

22 O speak good of the LORD, all ye works of his, in all places of his dominion: / praise thou the LORD, O my soul.

Then shall be read distinctly with an audible voice the First Lesson

First Lesson:

Genesis 26

And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. ²And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: ³Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; ⁴And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; ⁵Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

⁶And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: ⁷And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon. ⁸And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife. ⁹And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. ¹⁰And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us. ¹¹And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. ¹²Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. ¹³And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: ¹⁴For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. ¹⁵For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. ¹⁶And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.

¹⁷And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. ¹⁸And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. ¹⁹And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. ²⁰And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him. ²¹And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah. ²²And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. ²³And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba. ²⁴And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake. ²⁵And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac’s servants digged a well.

²⁶Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army. ²⁷And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you? ²⁸And they said, We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee; ²⁹That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the Lord. ³⁰And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. ³¹And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. ³²And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water. ³³And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.

³⁴And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: ³⁵Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

TE DEUM LAUDAMUS.

WE praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.

To thee all Angels cry aloud, the Heavens and all the Powers therin.

To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry,

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts;

Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory.

The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee;

The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee;

The noble army of Martyrs praise thee;

The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee,

The Father, of an infinite Majesty;

Thine honourable, true, and only Son;

Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

THOU art the King of Glory, O Christ.

Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.

When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.

We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.

We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with thy Saints, in glory everlasting.

O LORD, save thy people, and bless thine heritage;

Govern them, and lift them up for ever.

Day by day we magnify thee;

And we worship thy Name, ever world without end.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.

O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.

O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in thee.

O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.

Then shall be read in like manner the Second Lesson, taken out of the New Testament. And after that, the Hymn following; except when that shall happen to be read in the Chapter for the day, or for the Gospel on Saint John Baptist's Day.

Matthew 22: 1-33

And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, ²The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, ³And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. ⁴Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. ⁵But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: ⁶And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. ⁷But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. ⁸Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. ⁹Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. ¹⁰So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

¹¹And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: ¹²And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. ¹³Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ¹⁴For many are called, but few are chosen.

¹⁵Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. ¹⁶And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. ¹⁷Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? ¹⁸But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? ¹⁹Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. ²⁰And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? ²¹They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. ²²When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

²³The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, ²⁴Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. ²⁵Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: ²⁶Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. ²⁷And last of all the woman died also. ²⁸Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. ²⁹Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. ³⁰For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. ³¹But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, ³²I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. ³³And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.

Benedictus. St Luke 1:68

BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel; / for he hath visited and redeemed his people;

And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, / in the house of his servant David;

As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, / which have been since the world began;

That we should be saved from our enemies, / and from the hands of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, / and to remember his holy covenant;

To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, / that he would grant us

That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies / might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him, / all the days of our life.

AND thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: / for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people / for the remission of their sins;

Through the tender mercy of our God; / whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;

To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Then shall be sung or said the Apostle's Creed, by the Minister and the people standing : Except only such days as the Creed of Saint Athanasius is appointed to be read.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after that these Prayers following, all devoutly kneeling: the Minister first pronouncing with a loud voice,
The Lord be with you.
Answer. And with thy spirit.
Minister. Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Then the Minister, Clerks, and people shall say the Lord's Prayer with a loud voice. UR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say, O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
Answer. And grant us thy salvation.
Priest. O Lord, save the Queen.
Answer. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness.
Answer. And make thy chosen people joyful.
Priest. O Lord, save thy people.
Answer. And bless thine inheritance.
Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord.
Answer. Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.
Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us.
Answer. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow three Collects; the first of the day, which shall be the same that is appointed at the Communion; The second for Peace; The third for Grace to live well. And the two last Collects shall never alter, but daily be said at Morning Prayer throughout all the year, as followeth, all kneeling.

Collect of the day:

ALMIGHTY God, by whose grace and power thy Martyrs the African Missionaries and Martyrs were enabled to witness to the truth and to be faithful unto death: Grant that we, who now remember them before thee, may likewise so bear witness unto thee in this world, that we may receive with him the crown of glory that fadeth not away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The second Collect, for Peace. GOD, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom; Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The third Collect, for Grace. LORD, our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day; Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for the Clergy and People. LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who alone workest great marvels; Send down upon our Bishops, and Curates, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom. LMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise, that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians xiii. HE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

The Obama/Harper news conference

Well, it was interesting to be there but there were no mesmeric electrical waves issuing from the great Obama, nor was there any sense that journalists had drunk the Kool-Aid.

He seemed presidential, normal, and in an odd way, very much like Harper, except Obama, in televised shots as he entered Centre Block and stopped to wave to the crowd, seemed a lot more at ease with the spotlight and the friendliness of the 1,000 or so people who gathered on the snow-covered lawn. Both were articulate, well-informed, talked a long time in answer to four questions, two from Canadian journalists, two from American. Obama didn't smile much, except when CP's Jennifer Ditchburn asked him the Canadian English-language question.

There was nothing scary about him. He said all the right things, hit all the right notes. Again, he and Harper sounded very, very much on the same page on trade issues, the environment, security and Afghanistan. But then these things are usually pretty scripted, no?

I don't know what's up with my expression the photo. Kind of hideous. Maybe one of the other photographers pushed me aside or something, I dunno.

update:

The Washington Times Christina Bellantoni blogs:

OTTAWA, Canada - President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper just started their joint news conference, the first such dual podium event for the new president.

The newness is showing - the president began his remarks with, "It's a great pleasure to be here in Iowa - Ottawa."

Obama says "it's great to be" pretty much anywhere he goes. Iowa was a key battleground state, but also the Jan. 4, 2008 caucus was his first win during the Democratic primary election. It swung his way in November, and a Downtown Des Moines rally on Halloween was one of his last campaign stops before winning the presidency.

Flubbing the name of a location has happened to many politicians, and has happened to the president before.

Republicans had great fun mocking Obama the candidate last year when he goofed Sioux Falls and Sioux City; and Sunshine and Sunrise.

I'm in the front row, far left, and Obama will call on two U.S. journalists while Harper will call on two Canadian journalists, one of whom will ask a question in French.

Now there's news that Obama didn't head straight for the airport. Instead he stopped at Ottawa's Byward Market, a historic area with a lot of boutiques, bars and restaurants, and gladhanded the people.

I think the man really does prefer campaigning to governing, and he looked like his day with Harper sort of bored him. It's like the chameleonic Obama took on Harper coloration. Odd.

Obama Gravol

I find some aspects of Obamamania fascinating and disturbing, even nauseating. Well, Small Dead Animals via CJunk has published a link to what has served as Gravol for the Obamanausea.

Obama’s speeches are unlike any political speech we have heard in American history. Never a politician in this land had such a quasi “religious” impact on so many people. The fact that Obama is a total incognito with zero accomplishment, makes this inexplicable infatuation alarming.

Obama’s speeches are grandiose. They are other worldly. He may talk about the war in Iraq, taxes or social security. It does not matter how mundane is the subject, he makes them sound transcendental and his audience is moved to tears. His worshippers do not go to listen to his plans. He has yet to offer any that is workable and different. They go to bask in his glory, to get high. Obama presents himself as someone with a unique vision and grasp of the entire problems affecting, not just the nation but the world, a pretense that is incomensurate with his track record. When in a meeting with House Democrats waxing lyrical about his trip to Europe, he concluded, “this is the moment, as Nancy [Pelosi] noted, that the world is waiting for.” The world is waiting for Obama, according to Obama. In one of his rallies he reiterated this delusion of grandiosity and said, “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for." This sentence is logically absurd. What actually Obama wanted to say, which he masked with fake modesty is “I am the one the world has been waiting for.”

When you fall for someone to the extent that Obama’s followers have fallen for him, you surrender your reason and individuality to him willingly. When millions of people surrender their hearts and their minds to one person the result can be catastrophic. This is what happened in Germany with Hitler, in China with Mao, in the Soviet Union with Stalin, in Cuba with Castro, in Iran with Khomeini, and so on and so forth. Today, we think these men were monsters, but that was not what millions of their worshipers thought. Those people loved them. Dictators can’t dictate, unless peole are willing to be dictated.

Is Obama a pathological narcissist and the adulating crowds his narcissistic supply? The article may also provide some insight into Father Maciel, who sounds to me like another pathological narcissist. Here are some of the characteristics, according to Sam Vaknin, an expert on narcissistic personality disorder:

Another crucial division within the ranks of patients with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is between the classic variety (those who meet five of the nine diagnostic criteria included in the DSM), and the compensatory kind (their narcissism compensates for deep-set feelings of inferiority and lack of self-worth).
Obama displays the following behaviors, which are among the hallmarks of pathological narcissism:

* Subtly misrepresents facts and expediently and opportunistically shifts positions, views, opinions, and "ideals" (e.g., about campaign finance, re-districting). These flip-flops do not cause him overt distress and are ego-syntonic (he feels justified in acting this way). Alternatively, reuses to commit to a standpoint and, in the process, evidences a lack of empathy.

Ignores data that conflict with his fantasy world, or with his inflated and grandiose self-image. This has to do with magical thinking. Obama already sees himself as president because he is firmly convinced that his dreams, thoughts, and wishes affect reality. Additionally, he denies the gap between his fantasies and his modest or limited real-life achievements (for instance, in 12 years of academic career, he hasn't published a single scholarly paper or book).

- Feels that he is above the law, incl. and especially his own laws.

- Talks about himself in the 3rd person singluar or uses the regal "we" and craves to be the exclsuive center of attention, even adulation

- Have a messianic-cosmic vision of himself and his life and his "mission".

- Sets ever more complex rules in a convoluted world of grandiose fantasies with its own language (jargon)

- Displays false modesty and unctuous "folksiness" but unable to sustain these behaviors (the persona, or mask) for long. It slips and the true Obama is revealed: haughty, aloof, distant, and disdainful of simple folk and their lives.

- Sublimates aggression and holds grudges.

- Behaves as an eternal adolescent (e.g., his choice of language, youthful image he projects, demands indulgence and feels entitled to special treatment, even though his objective accomplishments do not justify it.)

Most interesting.

Ezra on the importance of politically incorrect history

I had the privilege of hearing Ezra Levant speak to a group of museum curators and historians attending a conference at the Canadian War Museum last night on the importance of politically incorrect history. I was going to write up his talk this morning, but I see Ezra has beat me to it!

He writes:

So, in the end, I decided to spend half my time describing the threat to freedom of expression and free intellectual inquiry posed by Canada's human rights commissions -- and giving specific examples of how museums were at risk. It was troublingly easy to come up with plausible examples of museums running into trouble, ranging from an "insensitive" display at the War Museum about the Taliban, to an art museum that might display a cartoon of Mohammed. The room seemed genuinely concerned.

I did use some of my pre-written remarks about the "importance of politically incorrect history" -- the subject of my speech. But my own views on the kind of history that ought to be taught are less important than the larger point: that whatever our personal views are, we should have the legal right to discuss history without government censorship.

That said, here are a few excerpts from my prepared remarks that I delivered:

...It is becoming increasingly difficult to tell stories about Canada’s wars, and those who fought in them, and why they fought. And if you think it’s becoming difficult to talk about wars in a frank manner, that’s nothing compared to how difficult it is to wage wars today, in an environment of media hyper-sensitivity, where for most journalists, expressing a sense of patriotism is viewed as downright un-professional; where gotcha journalism is deployed against our own side; where military secrets are breached to earn the next day’s scoop; where any derogatory words about our enemy are regarded as bigoted – such as Gen. Hillier’s comments about the Taliban; and where eight years of anti-American – or, at least anti-George Bush – sentiment has blurred into a general anti-war ballast, which has weighed on Canada’s noble efforts in Afghanistan.

If it’s no longer culturally correct to verbally call for the death of Taliban opponents – terrorists specifically not covered by the Geneva Convention, which requires combatants to be part of a chain of command, wear a uniform, and bear their arms openly – then imagine how hard it is to actually kill them. Thank God that our historic wars for freedom happened before the age of extreme political correctness.

It’s not just political correctness, though; because political correctness is merely a mannerism, a style of speaking that uses euphemisms to avoid calling things the way they are. ...museums are supposed to be about looking at things the way they are. A museum that attempts to force history to fit into our current political fashions is revisionist at best – but really, it’s not an act of history at all. It’s an act of therapy.

Today, a single soldier’s death in Afghanistan, while tragic for that soldier and his family, precipitates a cycle of Jerry Springer-style coverage, with a generally anti-war media overcompensating for their regular disinterest in the war when it’s going well, by replacing it with maudlin displays of national grief, including the historically novel call for the flag to be flown at half mast for each such casualty.

Even once-neutral symbols, like the flag, are symbolic weapons in this fight to deracinate our military history. Even our national anthem has become a football in this fight. You might recall headlines last month that a New Brunswick school teacher shut down the daily singing of the anthem, which had been championed by two schoolgirls, who led the singing as an act of remembrance for their cousin, who died in Afghanistan. The teacher... had spoken out on many occasions as an opponent of the war in particular, and all wars in general. His unilateral decision to ban the anthem created a backlash, but one wonders how much longer before [that] view becomes the new normal.

Unlike in previous generations, the question is no longer does Canada – or indeed any Western ally – have the military might to win a war; that’s beyond dispute. The question is now can the popular culture sustain such a war in the face of even a handful of casualties? Our politicians know it; our generals know it. And our enemies certainly know it. We live in an era where terrorist groups like Hezbollah have media relations units, complete with bilingual business cards. That’s the battlefield now.

Which is all the more reason why we need to know why we’re fighting. Which means we need to know who we are, as a country and as a culture. What are the values we prize so highly that we would kill for them and die for them?

That means knowing why we have fought before.

Waiting for Obama

I don't have any particularly strong feelings either way about President Obama. I'm glad the United States has its first black president. I wish him well, even though I have concerns about the direction he wants to take America. Though I am not crazy about Porkulus, I hope that he will eventually find it wise to govern from the centre and that he will lose his naivete on foreign policy without some crisis removing it. But then Jimmy Carter never did learn, did he?

What bothers me though is the unexamined adulation of the man. I had to leave my home early this morning because they closed off the road in front of Parliament Hill at 7:30 a.m. and if I left any later I'd miss the opportunity to get a parking spot.

It's snowy, slushy and damp, with snowflakes still coming down. What I could NOT believe was there was already some people waiting near the crowd-control steel fences that mushroomed all over the Hill the last few days.

The red carpet is laid down, the Hill is crawling with security and police.

But I must say, the security still isn't like it was for the pope in New York last April. Then, every day before we left on the bus to events, we had police dogs sniff our laptops and cameras and Secret Service details going through our purses and briefcases. Then we were sequestered until we left.

The security seems much much greater for Obama than it had been for George W. Bush's visit a few years ago. I remarked on this while traveling up to the Hill on one of the green buses that take people from building to building and one of the security guards quipped, "He [Obama] is more important."

I said well Bush was far more unpopular when he came so wouldn't there have been more concerns something would happen to him?

"No one wanted to see him," the guard replied.

Well, Bush had demonstrators lining the route from the airport, protesting his visit.

At the news conference he said he wanted to thank all the Canadians who welcomed him along the route, "especially those who waved with all five fingers."

I'm going to get some breakfast. More later.

Excellent post on the Fr. Maciel and the Legionairies of Christ

via Mark Shea, this piece by John Zmirak is excellent:

We assumed that whatever "charism" could help form people like this must be
of God. That the system of sanctification he had discovered, even if it wasn't
to our taste, must be legitimate. It had sanctified these people, so it must
have been real, an original contribution to the spiritual treasury of the
Church. Which meant that the man who'd developed it, who vouched for its
effectiveness, who'd forged it in the crucible of his own prayer life, must be
the real deal. Or at any rate, a practicing Catholic.

So we
swallowed it, some of us -- right up until the moment Pope Benedict XVI silenced
Father Maciel. Would this pope allow an unjust decision to stand against an
innocent man? Would any pope willingly wound one of the only orders he could
rely on? It was hard to believe, which is why only men and women trained in the
Legion and Regnum Christi's rigidly self-abnegating discipline believed it. They
clung to every ambiguity in the verdict like White House loyalists during
Watergate, pretending that the 18-and-a-half missing minutes in the tape
consisted of Nixon singing the Ave Maria.

The house of holy cards
crumbled with the revelation that Father Maciel really was a father -- of at
least one child (maybe more), and that he'd kept a slush fund in cash to cover
his "extracurriculars." Which forced even loyalists to ask themselves: What else
was he lying about? Suddenly the stories we'd all put out of our minds
backflushed like a bus station toilet. The stomach-churning tales of predatory
sodomy and sacrilege that rank among of the worst of all the "filth" that Pope
Benedict bemoaned has infected the priesthood. This man, this Maciel, who some
had ranked alongside saints like Loyola and Escriva, really belonged in the
company of Paul Shanley and John
Geoghan.

Or of two pedophile Latin Mass priests who snookered
me, Carlos Urrutigoity and Timothy Svea. I met both men, and thought each one was
surely a saint. When I heard Svea speak in New York City, I actually said to
myself: "This is what St. Paul must have sounded like." There is indeed a spirit
that can make itself like unto an angel of light. I have met this Enemy, face to
face.

Irwin Cotler abroad

'What we are witnessing today – and which has been developing incrementally, sometimes imperceptibly, and even indulgently, for some thirty-five years now – is a new sophisticated, globalizing, virulent and even lethal Antisemitism, reminiscent of the atmospherics of the 30s, and without parallel or precedent since the end of the Second World War,' he says.

Mark Shea turns the tables on ignorant journalist

Heh heh heh. This is a great, instructive story. Remember this tactic next time you get asked a stupid "Do you take the Bible literally?" question.

I was being interviewed by the umpteenth UK journalist and answering, for the umpteenth time, the question, “But seriously. You don’t mean to tell me you, a man of the 21^st Century, take the Bible literally, do you?”

I had tried repeatedly to answer that question with long, wordy distinctions and carefully parsed sentences over the course of several interviews with different reporters, only to see one MSM Brit after another glance at their watches in the middle of my nuance-filled replies and abruptly cut me off with something like “Mmmhmm. Look, we’re up against the clock. Thanks for talking about your quaint backward religion, which we totally respect. Next up: Posh Spice and Paris Hilton go bar hopping!” Then the firm handshake, the walk to the studio door, and the distinct sound of snickering just before it closed.

This time, however, was different. I was tired from running all over Dublin. It was the end of the day and this was my last interview. So when he asked The Question in that “What a maroon!” tone of voice and looked at me across the table in the radio studio with that “Let’s see if the American Howdy Doody wahoo can form a coherent sentence” look, I wearily mumbled “Which part of the Bible do you mean?”

The sneer slowly melted into a blank look of bewilderment. Through the fog of exhaustion, as I watched him quietly begin to panic, it dawned on me that I’d accidentally been clever. So I pressed him: “Do you mean to ask if I take it literally that David hid from Saul in a cave? Or do you mean to ask if I take it literally when Genesis speaks of talking snakes and the psalmist says his life is poured out like wax?” By this time, he looked pretty shaken and muttered something about how he didn’t know anything about the Bible. Now fully awake and suddenly unexhausted by the smell of prey, I suggested to him that he perhaps should stop asking that question if he didn’t know what he was talking about. It was a gratifying moment after a week of having reporters talking to me like I’d just fallen off the turnip truck.

Fairness Doctrine to extend to Internet

Senior FCC staff working for acting Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps held meetings last week with policy and legislative advisers to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman to discuss ways the committee can create openings for the FCC to put in place a form of the "Fairness Doctrine" without actually calling it such.

Waxman is also interested, say sources, in looking at how the Internet is being used for content and free speech purposes. "It's all about diversity in media," says a House Energy staffer, familiar with the meetings. "Does one radio station or one station group control four of the five most powerful outlets in one community? Do four stations in one region carry Rush Limbaugh, and nothing else during the same time slot? Does one heavily trafficked Internet site present one side of an issue and not link to sites that present alternative views? These are some of the questions the chairman is thinking about right now, and we are going to have an FCC that will finally have the people in place to answer them."

H/t Gateway Pundit, who writes:

More hope, change and fascism...
Democratic leaders are not just looking at extending the Fairness Doctrine to radio but also to the internet.

Hopeful signs on the human rights front

When the idea of having the House of Commons Justice Committee review the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) was brought up last year, I viewed the attempt as futile. The committee was so dysfunctional it stopped meeting, so how was it going to mount a serious review?

But now there are hopeful signs that the Justice Committee actually will deal with this matter.
Last week Conservative MP Brian Storseth was supposed to introduce his motion for reviw of the CHRA but there was also a motion from Bloc Quebecois MP Real Menard to include "social condition" as an enumerated ground. There was some discussion at committee about whether these two motions should be merged. So Storseth's motion was not voted upon. He and Menard were supposed to talk about a new combined motion.

Last week I spoke with Menard about his motion. He told me social condition (or similar words ) was included in the enumerated grounds of provincial commissions and he wanted to see it included in the federal law. For him, the main purpose concerned protecting people on welfare from being discriminated against when it comes to housing or jobs.

I asked him whether he has concerns about freedom of speech.

"Yes, that's the reason on the Bloc Quebecois we want to discuss with the witnesses," he said.

Though he has not decided whether he would like to see the controversial Section 13 hate speech provision abolished, he said he wanted to "understand the benefits to abolish clause 13."

He said he had not spoken with Conservative MP Brian Storseth yet, but he was happy to have his motion combined so the justice committee could examine the whole act.

This is a good sign. If the Bloc votes to have this review and all the Tories do also, then the committee has enough votes to see this through.

Tories include the chair Ed Fast; Rob Moore; Brian Storseth; Rick Norlock; Daniel Petit; and Brent Rathgreber. I would expect all of them would support a review.

Liberals include vice chair Brian Murphy; Ujjal Dosanjh; Dominic LeBlanc.

Bloc includes vice-chair Real Menard and Marc Lemay

The NDP includes Joe Comartin, who is one record supporting Section 13.

I told Real Menard that I wrote primarily for Catholic papers and reminded him that I covered the time that Bishop Fred Henry appeared before the justice committee in 2005 and tore off his clerical collar in response to Menard's questioning. Menard then took off his tie.

I said that while it was wrong for the Christian majority to put gays in the closet, it was wrong now for human rights commissions to be forcing Christian believers who hold a different view of marriage into the closet. He agreed.

Better start preparing your briefs with strong, rational arguments why the Canadian Human Rights Commission has no business determining what Canadians can say, read, hear, or publish in books, newspaper, magazines or on the web.

Ezra Levant writes of other hopeful signs here and here.


BTW, I'll be covering Ezra's dinner speech tonight on the importance of preserving politically incorrect history at the War Museum. Say hello to me if you come.

The pope used Pelosi visit for a teaching movement

Long live Pope Benedict XVI.

The annoying and ill-informed U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the pro-abortion but public Catholic who claims to know more about Church teaching on when life begins than the Magisterium, met with Pope Benedict today. The Vatican released a statement (h/t American Papist):

Following the General Audience the Holy Father briefly greeted Mrs Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, together with her entourage.

His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development.

Israeli Apartheid Week--for the CBC its a free speech issue

Local Ottawa CBC radio ran a story this morning about Carleton University administration tearing down posters for Israeli Apartheid Week on campus. The poster was described as showing a helicopter launching a rocket that was heading towards a Palestinian child labeled "Gaza." They had two Jewish students who commented, one who called the poster hateful, the other who trumpeted his proud Jewishness yet agreed with the apartheid week material.

I kid you not, but the CBC ran this story as a free speech issue. The CBC that has neglected to cover anything on human rights commissions (except for a couple of good Rex Murphy commentaries and the odd local story including the shameful one trying to smear MP Keith Martin because some white supremacists liked his motion to fix the Canadian Human Rights Act) is playing the Carleton reaction to the new form of anti-Semitism as suppression of freedom of speech.

They had some outraged faculty members angrily denouncing the suppression of free speech. I ask you, where were these faculty members a few years ago when Carleton University's student council passed a motion, calling pro-life activities "hate" and "anti-women" and forbidding club status to a pro-life student group? Though that issue has since been resolved, I wonder whether any of the vocal faculty who spoke up for freedom of speech on the Israeli apartheid front would do so for pro-Jewish groups that would say invite say Benjamin Netanyahu to speak. Heck, would these faculty members even raise a whisper if a bunch of campus thugs shut down a visit from President George W. Bush or Donald Rumsfeld?

I believe the Israeli Apartheid movement is the new face of anti-Semitism now fashionable on the Left. I think it is odious. It's also singles out the Jewish state without looking at the much greater violations of human rights that go on in Muslim states such as Saudi Arabia, where you can't even bring a Bible into the country. Jews come in different races---Ethiopian Jews, for example--- and its Arab citizens have more rights than Muslim Arabs have in any other Arab country. Israel is not perfect. But if there are Muslim states, why not one tiny Jewish state?

As I say, the Israel-apartheid viewpoint is now fashionable. If I were Jewish I would be afraid. Very afraid.

From a free speech standpoint, I think this odious week needs to be censured right and left but not shut down. What needs to be shut down is the thuggery that often goes with these weeks. People who go around wearing masks or covering their faces with scarves and pushing Jewish students around or making threats need to be arrested and charged, and expelled. People who make a practice of shutting down other peoples' meetings through disruption, shouting down the speaker, blocking people from entry should have SWAT teams remove them if necessary. People making death threats or inciting violence should face criminal charges. If they are from overseas, they should be deported.

The people who want to make odious claims about Israel should be free to do so, just as people who make odious claims about Muslim countries should be free to do so. It is when people start interefering with the speech of others through bullying, threats, mob action and violence that the campus needs to move in with the help of outside police forces if necessary.

The United States of America probably would not be as racially integrated today if U.S. marshals had not accompanied the first black students into hostile white schools. But the U.S. government back then was much more serious then about protecting the civil rights of minorities. Where are Canadian governments in protecting the real civil rights of minorities? They use human rights commissions to go after little people with unfashionable views, like a priest running a Catholic magazine, but do little to stop real violations and threats that rise to Criminal Code standards.

Today, if you are a minority voice whose opinion is unpopular or unfashionable, and the thugs on your campus get upset, guess what? The campus police tell you to move elsewhere, or they disinvite the controversial guest.

This has got to stop.

We should be able to have a robust, pluralistic society with lots of ability to agree to disagree about all kinds of sacred cows and smelly orthodoxies. But we must respect the security of person of each individual even if we find their opinions abhorrent. If a mob is threatening that security, then the state should move in. The state must move in. But now the trend is toward protecting the resentments of people who get angry, upset and hateful, blaming their hatred on the victim for provoking it. The victim is seen to be the person who is offended and angry rather than the person bearing the brunt of that anger. The real victims are ignored, but the fake victims, the easily-offended crowd, are all the fashion rage.

Human rights commissions are powerless against the kind of mob rule that is increasingly the norm on college campuses. They are more likely to go after the critics of the mob rule than the thugs.

Morning Prayer Feb. 18, 2009

The Prayer Book Society (The Book of Common Prayer, Canada, 1962)


O Lord, open thou our lips.
Answer. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Priest. O God, make speed to save us.
Answer. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here all standing up, the Priest shall say, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Priest. Praise ye the Lord.
Answer. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall be said or sung this Psalm following; Except on Easter Day, upon which another Anthem is appointed; and on the nineteenth day of every month it is not to be read here, but in the ordinary course of the Psalms.

Invitatory: The Lord is gracious and merciful: O come let us worship.

Venite, exultemus Domino.
Psalm xcv. COME, let us sing unto the Lord : let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving : and shew ourselves glad in him with Psalms.
For the Lord is a great God : and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are all the corners of the earth : and the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it : and his hands prepared the dry land.
O come, let us worship and fall down : and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is the Lord our God : and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
To day, O if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts : as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness;
When your fathers tempted me : proved me, and saw my works.
Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said : It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways.
Unto whom I sware in my wrath : that they should not enter into my rest.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.

Then shall follow the Psalms in order as they be appointed. And at the end of every Psalm throughout the year, and likewise at the end of Benedicite, Benedictus, Magnificat, and Nunc dimittis, shall be repeated,
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;
Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.

PSALM 92. Bonum est confiteri.

IT is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, / and to sing praises unto thy Name, O thou Most High;

2 To tell of thy loving-kindness in the morning, / and of thy faithfulness in the night-season;

3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the lute, / with a melody upon the harp.

4 For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy works; / and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of thy hands.

5 O LORD, how glorious are thy works! / thy thoughts are very deep.

6 An unwise man doth not well consider this, / and a fool doth not understand it:

7 When the ungodly are green as the grass, / and when all the workers of wickedness do flourish,

8 Then shall they be destroyed for ever; / but thou, LORD, art on high for evermore.

9 FOR lo, thine enemies, O LORD, lo, thine enemies shall perish; / and all the workers of wickedness shall be destroyed.

10 But mine horn hast thou exalted like the horn of a wild ox; / for I am anointed with fresh oil.

11 Mine eye hath seen its desire upon mine enemies, / and mine ears have heard of the doom of the wicked that rise up against me.

12 THE righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree, / and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Lebanon.

13 Such as are planted in the house of the LORD / shall flourish in the courts of our God.

14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age, / and shall be full of sap and flourishing;

15 That they may show how true the LORD is; / he is my strength, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

THE EIGHTEENTH DAY

Evening Prayer

PSALM 93. Dominus regnavit.

THE LORD is King, and hath put on glorious apparel: / the LORD hath put on his apparel, and girded himself with strength.

2 He hath made the round world so sure, / that it cannot be moved.

3 Ever since the world began hath thy throne been established: / thou art from everlasting.

4 THE floods have lift up, O LORD, the floods have lift up their voice: / the floods lift up their waves.

5 Mightier than the roar of many waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea, / the LORD, who dwelleth on high, is mighty.

6 Thy testimonies, O LORD, are very sure: / holiness becometh thine house for ever.

Then shall be read distinctly with an audible voice the First Lesson

First Lesson:

Genesis 23

And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. ²And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

³And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, ⁴I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. ⁵And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, ⁶Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead. ⁷And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. ⁸And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, ⁹That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you. ¹⁰And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, ¹¹Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead. ¹²And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. ¹³And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there. ¹⁴And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, ¹⁵My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. ¹⁶And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

¹⁷And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure ¹⁸Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. ¹⁹And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. ²⁰And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

BENEDICITE, OMNIA OPERA.

The Song of the Three Children.

O ALL ye Works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O YE Heavens, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Waters that be above the Firmament, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O all ye Powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Sun and Moon, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Stars of Heaven, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Showers and Dew, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Winds of God, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Fire and Heat, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Winter and Summer, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Dews and Frosts, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Frost and Cold, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Ice and Snow, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Nights and Days, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Light and Darkness, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Lightnings and Clouds, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O LET the Earth bless the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Mountains and Hills, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O all ye Green Things upon the Earth, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Wells, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Seas and Floods, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Whales, and all that move in the Waters, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O all ye Fowls of the Air, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O all ye Beasts and Cattle, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Children of Men, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O LET Israel bless the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Spirits and Souls of the Righteous, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye holy and humble Men of heart, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: / praise him, and magnify him for ever.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Note that the words praise him, and magnify him for ever may be sung at the end of each verse, or any group of verses, as desired.

Then shall be read in like manner the Second Lesson, taken out of the New Testament. And after that, the Hymn following; except when that shall happen to be read in the Chapter for the day, or for the Gospel on Saint John Baptist's Day.

Matthew 21: 1-22

And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, ²Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. ³And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. ⁴All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, ⁵Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. ⁶And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, ⁷And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. ⁸And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. ⁹And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. ¹⁰And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? ¹¹And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

¹²And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, ¹³And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. ¹⁴And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. ¹⁵And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, ¹⁶And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

¹⁷And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. ¹⁸Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. ¹⁹And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. ²⁰And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! ²¹Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. ²²And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Benedictus. St Luke 1:68

BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel; / for he hath visited and redeemed his people;

And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, / in the house of his servant David;

As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, / which have been since the world began;

That we should be saved from our enemies, / and from the hands of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, / and to remember his holy covenant;

To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, / that he would grant us

That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies / might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him, / all the days of our life.

AND thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: / for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people / for the remission of their sins;

Through the tender mercy of our God; / whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;

To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Then shall be sung or said the Apostle's Creed, by the Minister and the people standing : Except only such days as the Creed of Saint Athanasius is appointed to be read.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after that these Prayers following, all devoutly kneeling: the Minister first pronouncing with a loud voice,
The Lord be with you.
Answer. And with thy spirit.
Minister. Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Then the Minister, Clerks, and people shall say the Lord's Prayer with a loud voice. UR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say, O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
Answer. And grant us thy salvation.
Priest. O Lord, save the Queen.
Answer. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness.
Answer. And make thy chosen people joyful.
Priest. O Lord, save thy people.
Answer. And bless thine inheritance.
Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord.
Answer. Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.
Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us.
Answer. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow three Collects; the first of the day, which shall be the same that is appointed at the Communion; The second for Peace; The third for Grace to live well. And the two last Collects shall never alter, but daily be said at Morning Prayer throughout all the year, as followeth, all kneeling.

Collect of the day:

O LORD God, who seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do: Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The second Collect, for Peace. GOD, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom; Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The third Collect, for Grace. LORD, our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day; Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for the Clergy and People. LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who alone workest great marvels; Send down upon our Bishops, and Curates, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom. LMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise, that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians xiii. HE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

I'm waiting for the definitive book on Fr. Maciel

I'm fascinated by the story emerging about the founder of the Legion of Christ.

How did such seemingly good fruit emerge from such an apparent fraud? How was he able to get away with such rampant sexual abuse and convince people like Pope John Paul II and Father Neuhaus that he was a genuine man of God. He had many convinced he was being persecuted because he was conservative.

I hope someone with great research skills and a love of the Church and a love of the truth writes this story in a book that explores the personality of this priest, those in leadership around him, the many people who got caught up with him. Someone with psychological insight and an understanding of the deep longings people have to find other human beings holy. I don't want a whitewash, but I don't want someone who wants to use whatever ugly diabolical behavior he uncovers to advance an anti-Catholic agenda. I want someone who understands the faith.

Over at First Things, Father Raymond de Souza writes about the need for the National Catholic Register, a Legion owned paper, to correct the record.

We now know that what the National Catholic Register reported about Fr. Maciel was not the whole truth. That may be understandable, as it appears that Fr. Maciel devoted his considerable energies and talents to obscuring the whole truth about his life. If what we have heard repeatedly is true—that those who lived with him for years had no inkling that anything was awry—then the National Catholic Register was just another in a long line deceived by a master fraudster.

Yet that does not let the Register off the hook when, as a newspaper, it chose not to pursue the truth with any vigor. Even at this late date, it has never reported the full extent of the accusations against Fr. Maciel. Worse still, it published what was false. Even if we once thought it to be true, we now know it to be false. Ordinary Christian morality demands of that the newspaper correct what it published. Fundamental journalistic ethics demands the same. Simple justice demands it.

Here's the Hartford Courant's 1997 expose of the scandal.