Comic relief, featuring my son!

I can never seem to stay away from controversy for too long, so before I dive back into it, I thought I'd provide some comic relief. This short video has made me laugh all day. (Granted, it is my 17-year-old son and his friends who star in this small masterpiece, so that could be why I think it's so hilarious!)

If you are from Arizona, you will appreciate this piece. For everyone else, it's a chance for Arizonans to finally dispel the many stereotypes about our beloved state and way of life. ;)

For the next three minutes and forty-three seconds, please enjoy

Tales of the Cacti...

*Most of the material was improvised by the kids, all high school seniors. A special shout out to Lizzie Whitfield, producer, director and cinematographer. Lizzie is not seen in the film, but she is the genius behind it. 

Answers to Doctrinal Quiz Show: Amazing Grace! Plus, Bubble Awards!

*This just in: Hannah Rose was born this morning to Kaitlin at More Like Mary, More Like Me! Praise God and congratulations!!




Welcome back, Bubble contestants! You've all been waiting patiently, probably sitting by the computer all weekend, so let's get to our answers.


The question was:


Name and describe the different types of grace.


And the answer....


The two kinds of grace are sanctifying grace and actual grace.


Sanctifying grace is the very life of God (let that sink in!). It is interior grace, which dwells in the soul and transforms it, making it holy. The ordinary way we receive sanctifying grace is through the sacraments.


Actual grace is supernatural help from God (like nudges). It is external grace, working on us from the outside only; it does nothing to change the state of our soul. Everyone receives actual grace, and it comes to us when we need it. We have the free will to cooperate with it or ignore it.


Let's go into a little detail about each.*

Sanctifying Grace

I'll start with an analogy that was very helpful to me: We all know that our human nature is not equipped to live in the ocean. We will die there unless we have something outside of (or above) our nature to sustain us. Scuba gear is the apparatus that allows us to transcend our human nature and live underwater. Similarly, our human nature is not equipped to live in Heaven. Sanctifying grace is the "apparatus" that allows us to transcend our human nature and live in Heaven. We need sanctifying grace, for in our merely human state, we are simply not equipped to live in the presence of God.


When God created our first parents, Adam and Eve, He immediately infused them with the extraordinary gift of sanctifying grace (i.e., a sharing of His divine life). This undeserved gift elevated them above their own human nature and allowed them to live in the direct presence of God. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve threw away this supernatural gift when they "fell from [sanctifying] grace" by choosing to sin. Without sanctifying grace, they were now separated from God, and Heaven was closed to them.


Since the Fall, humans are no longer given the gift of sanctifying grace at their creation. However, thanks to Jesus Christ and His atoning death, we are able to receive the gift of sanctifying grace through the sacraments of His Church. At our baptism, our souls are infused with sanctifying grace (God's very life!), and we become fit for Heaven. Assuming we continue to live in God's friendship and not commit mortal sin, this grace can continue to grow in our souls throughout our lives (through our prayers, acts of mercy and love, penance, etc.), making us increasingly holy. We hope to die in a state of grace.

Actual Grace

Actual grace is like little nudges from God. These nudges can take many different forms and come to us from many different places (and people). Actual grace could come in the form of your mother reminding you not to miss Mass on Sunday, or a friend telling you that you should get to confession. It could be a catastrophic event which leaves you on your knees before God, when before you wouldn't have gone near Him. It could be the promptings of your own conscience when confronted with your sins. It might be a class you took or a book you read which compelled you in the direction of justice or righteousness or humility. It could be the unexpected presence of a holy person or the feeling of awe you get when you look at a coastal sunset. It could be just about anything which moves you closer to the Lord.


Actual grace can be acted on or it can be ignored; but just like a train, there will always be another "nudge" coming around soon. God never abandons anyone, and every human being on the planet receives as much actual grace as is necessary to prompt one to seek out salvation. Unlike sanctifying grace, actual grace does not touch the interior of a person, but only works from the outside. Actual grace does not change the state of a person's soul, but is merely the agent that pushes a soul to seek out and receive sanctifying grace.


Now to the bonus question:

What is "the source and summit" of the Christian Faith?


I was thrilled that so many of you knew the answer! The Eucharist is "the source and summit" of the Christian Faith, because the Eucharist is truly Jesus Christ -- Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. He is the source and summit of everything, and we have Him with us! We are truly blessed!


Now let's seamlessly transition into the presentation of the Bubble Awards!!

The Just Because I Feel Sorry For Her Award goes to... Mary! Her multiple comments, heartfelt pleas, brutal honesty, clever wit ("the little girl I used to babysit"), liberal use of smiley faces, and general DQS enthusiasm struck a soft spot in my heart.

The Oh No, Wait a Second, Do They Know More Than I Do About This? Award goes to... Stacy Trasancos and her husband for throwing out big themes of grace that left me thinking I needed to do more research because they sounded really theological and scholarly, while I was going off something I read from a little tract. (Wait, I see now that you commented a second time, taking yourself out of the competition. I hereby revoke this award. Maybe I'll give it to Calah and the Ogre instead.)

The "Are You Proud of Yourselves?" Romper Room Award for Juvenile Behavior on a Doctrinal Quiz Show goes to... Beth and Cathy! For reasons which are well known to them. (That last line is from the book Mommie Dearest. Can anyone tell me, without cheating, the context of that line?)

The Making Excuses, aka Quit Yer Whining, Award goes to... JoAnna and Brenda! (And remember, blame-shifting is not a Christian virtue.)

The Just in the Nick of Time Award goes to... Sew! Because I always promised to give her an award anytime she participated. See, Sew, I am a woman of my word!

And, the GRAND PRIZE BUBBLE AWARD for getting the correct answer goes to:

NUBBY!!!!

My dear Nubby, you are not only the winner of the incredible DVD documentary, Watch With Me, but you also get to put the coveted Bubble Award Icon on your mantle at home (or start a blog and put it there)! Hooray!!!

Please send your mailing address to littlecatholicbubble@gmail.com, and I will get your DVD sent out to you right away!

(Anyone wanting to purchase a copy can go to this link. Thank you, All You Who Hope!)

Now, if for any reason Nubby is unable to fulfill her duties as the Bubble Award Grand Prize Winner, the First Runner Up will assume her title, prizes, and glory. The First Runner Up is...

GOD ALONE SUFFICES!!!!!

(Dear GAS, this is the first time I've decided to designate a runner-up! Congratulations! You got the right answer, but Nubby beat you by about 20 hours.)

Okay, folks, that's all for this episode of Doctrinal Quiz Show!! Tune in next time when I ask you to list all 265 popes by memory! Start studying, y'all!

{applause, applause, applause, and fade....}


*When I taught myself the Catholic Faith in the mid-90s (before I had internet), I bought this great set of little tracts from Catholic Answers. They were chock-full of practical, easy-to-understand information, and much of what you are reading here is from those tracts. You can find all of that today on their website.

Doctrinal Quiz Show: Amazing Grace!

Welcome, contestants, to the very first Doctrinal Quiz Show of 2011! It's been waaaay too long! 

And, I've been waaaay too lazy: DQS requires two posts, lots of wit (often in short supply here), complete accuracy, and careful, heart-wrenching award decisions (I know that many of you are left devastated -- but that's the nature of the game show).

Let's go our surprisingly short DQS question:

Name and describe the different types of grace.

And just for fun, I am going to throw in a bonus question:

What is "the source and summit" of the Christian Faith?

Remember: No cheating, googling, reading others' answers, rule-breaking, lying, deceitfulness, fighting, detraction, calumny, slander, or apostasy allowed! Remember, this Bubble is now blessed, so this is sacred space, people! Respect it!

Now, I realize that no prize can equal the holey soap award of old, but I am very excited about our Grand Prize this time around!

Our very own All You Who Hope is a documentary film maker in her spare time (in other words, she's not making any films at the moment), and she is donating a copy of her incredible documentary on Eucharistic Adoration, Watch With Me.

Here's the trailer:

With that incentive, I know you are all chomping at the bit to win this thing, so... GO!

Oops, they did it again....

A second video has been released showing yet another Planned Parenthood worker aiding and abetting underage sex trafficking.

Think about what underage sex trafficking is. It is one of the greatest evils I can imagine.

Any feminists out there want to condemn the actions of these Planned Parenthood affiliates who willingly help perpetuate the misery and serial rape of little girls?

Anyone care to speculate why it takes an ordinary citizen, Lila Rose, to uncover these horrors instead of the mainstream media (who have plenty of investigative journalists, I believe)?

Any idea why Lila Rose is being slammed (instead of lauded) by liberal feminists and others who claim to champion the cause of women and children?

I am outraged and baffled.... this is one of those things that make my brain twist, trying to understand why all decent people are not up in arms and demanding action.

Help?


(If you'd like to tune in to a webcast tonight as many pro-life leaders discuss the sex trafficking scandal, go here for info.)

Random thoughts...

Just sorta thinking out loud here. (Is this like a "Quick Takes"??)

1. No "pro-choicers" -- not one -- commented on this post. They debate and march and legislate for this one specific "choice" and yet they will not look and defend what they advocate? Perhaps they did watch, but could not defend it? I ask that any "pro-choicer" reading this take four minutes to watch the entire video, and then defend what you see. I hear only crickets so far....

2. There is breaking video today of a Planned Parenthood clinic aiding and abetting underage sex trafficking. I guess this should be shocking, but it's simply the latest in a long line of atrocities exposed by the brave Lila Rose at Live Action. I thought feminists were supposed to care about women and children, so where is the outrage? And where is the mainstream media?

3. A question for "pro-choicers": Have any of you read Abby Johnson's book, Unplanned, yet? If so, I would love your thoughts. Do you think she was fair to your side? I was actually surprised by how gracious she was to her Planned Parenthood colleagues, especially considering the ending scenes.

4. How had I never heard of the Elliot Institute and its work before before yesterday? It's a wealth of resources! I found this page on forced abortions to be particularly important considering discussions we've had on this blog about whether or not abortion is freely chosen in America. Anyone ("pro-choice" or pro-life) who cares about women should read that link. The more I think about it, the more I want to bring that aspect of abortion to the forefront. Nobody seems to pay much attention to it.

5. On this post we had an interesting discussion about some highly offensive "pro-choice" protesters at the San Francisco March for Life. One comment came from a new reader, Demrie, who said this:

I was on that side not so long ago. I attended Marches. I held up pro-choice signs. I enjoyed the party-like atmosphere created by such outlandish and extravagant people. But as I got to know many of them, I discovered nearly all of them to be lost souls with such damage lives they have turned to living in the moment and using shock value to get attention. It wasn't even about the causes they protested or supported: it was about dancing on the edge to see how far they could go before they fell off. I am going through my own struggles now as I've not only returned to my Christian roots, but am going through RCIA to become Catholic which has greatly offended family and friends. 

Dear Demrie has started her own blog, and I hope you will go and welcome her at A Woman's Catholic Journey. I think you will find her story quite compelling and heart wrenching, and I pray that our blogger community can be a support to her as she goes through the RCIA process.

6. Miss Gwen, what did you think of the post I wrote for you? I promise I'm not hurt that you didn't comment. (Okay, I'm a little hurt!!)  ;)   **Update: Christina pointed out that Miss Gwen did comment! Thanks Miss Gwen, and sorry for the mistake! (Refer to #7 for more about my mistakes, ha ha!)


7. Blog stuff: I am in the "something's gotta give" place in my daily life. I am reading all the blogs, but I have not commented as much as I'd like to. I hope no one is offended if I am not modeling good blogger etiquette anymore. Forgive?? And, I probably don't say this often enough: If you ever see that I have misrepresented Church teaching, please bring it to my attention (my email is at the bottom of this page), and I will correct my mistake as soon as possible. I would also like to thank the people who have gently chastised me behind the scenes when I have not been as charitable on this blog as I should be. I always welcome correction, even though it smarts a bit at first. Chances are, I will agree with you and make a change.


(Oh my goodness, it ended up being seven random thoughts! I think I just did my first "Quick Takes" by default! And it's not even Friday!)

Answering Miss Gwen: The distinction between a person and his actions

In our discussions on a previous post, Miss Gwen asked a great question about the distinction between a person and a person's actions. She said, "I'm trying to see it, but I just don't." So, I thought the subject deserved its own blog post. Miss Gwen's words are in red.


I don't always see a clear distinction between the person and their actions. Maybe you can help me understand. I mean, does that entail "seeing" Hitler as a misguided person who performed bad actions? 


First, we don't necessarily say that Hitler was "misguided". We don't know what he was. All we know is that his acts were gravely sinful, terribly evil. As Christians, we can say that part loudly and clearly, because we know what sin and evil are, without ambiguity.


What we cannot say is that Hitler was irredeemable. We don't (ultimately) know anything about the state of his soul or whether he repented of his monstrously evil deeds at the moment of his death. We just don't know. It is not our place to damn him to hell; it's only God who can read souls and pronounce ultimate judgment. When Jesus told us not to judge, this is what he meant. We may judge actions, but not people's hearts or the state of their souls. Only God can read a human heart, and only He knows the state of a soul.


Or a serial killer as someone with a troubled past who unfortunately gruesomely killed a lot of prostitutes because they were easy targets? 


Same as Hitler. We can and must speak clearly that these actions are evil. Even if the killer had a troubled past, his actions are still evil. Even if he is mentally ill, his actions are still evil. Even if he committed his crimes under hypnosis by an evil genie, his actions are still evil. We can agree on that, right?


However, culpability -- i.e., whether or not a person is fully responsible for his actions -- is a separate issue. We can all understand that someone who is truly insane and completely out of touch with reality is not morally responsible for his actions. The actions of an insane killer are still objectively evil, but the killer may not have total (or even partial) moral culpability. [Note: Lack of moral culpability does not mean that a dangerous person is free to roam the streets; the state has an obligation to protect its citizens via humane and appropriate means of incarceration. And we should all hope that a mentally ill prisoner would receive treatment for his disorder.]


If we leave judgment to a higher power, then why is it so easy to point fingers at what people do and call it satanic or sinful?


Distinction: We leave judgment of souls to a higher power (God). But judging "what people do" (i.e., acts), is legitimate. We must speak clearly about what is right and wrong. Imagine a society, or even a family, that fails to identify or distinguish between good and evil.... What would that look like? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to live there. 


Oh, and the reason we find it "easy" to call something sinful is that we know what sin is. Sin's been around pretty much forever, and it's not hard to identify. There are no new sins, just variations on the old.


And if we separate the actions from the person then all the good things we do aren't part of us too? 


Please don't misunderstand: I've been talking about judging a person's soul vs. judging a person's actions. I have not been talking about what is or isn't "a part of us".


We have all been given the incredible gift of free will. Each individual "owns" his choices, good or bad. The good and the bad are both "part of you" -- but the bad is not "good for you". Does that make sense? It all comes down to our will. God does not touch our free will, and our actions are our own. 


Maybe this is a good time for...

A little something about our human nature:


Human beings are essentially good. God did not create anything that was evil or corrupt. 


Tragically, sin entered the world by our first parents' choice, and mankind fell from God's grace. Since then, humans have been afflicted with concupiscence, i.e., the tendency to sin. Where once humans had perfect integrity of body and soul, we now are easily tempted to evil. However, human beings, who are made in God's image and likeness, are still essentially good.* Every person, without exception, has inherent dignity and was made for the glory of Heaven. 


So (going back to the original subject), that is why we can love the sinner. 


And that is why we hate the sin. 


We hate the sin because sin is destructive to the human person. Sin demeans. Sin enslaves. Sin offends against human dignity. Sin harms not only the sinner, but others as well.


Think of it this way:


A father discovers that his beloved child has been engaging in theft and vandalism. He loves his boy. He loves his boy with every ounce of his being and would be willing to give his very life for his son. But he hates the sin. He hates it with a red-hot hate, because it demeans his son, it enslaves his son, and it offends his son's human dignity. It twists and distorts that which is good in his son, thwarts his potential, and blocks his true destiny. The father pleads, works and prays for his son's conversion. It is precisely because he loves his son that he will not accept the sin as a legitimate choice.


The father hates the sin and loves the sinner. He is a good father. 


Is that so hard to imagine?






*Note that this is quite different from the Protestant belief in the "total depravity" of human nature after the Fall. That is a post for another day.

Lord, have mercy.

I do not advocate using graphic images of aborted babies when sidewalk counseling at abortion mills. However, in other contexts, the photos of abortion need to be accessible. The first time I saw photos of aborted children in a book my parents had on their shelf, I knew I would always be pro-life. These photos and images have their place.

I am going to link you to something here that warrants a HUGE warning. I am still sitting here sick to my stomach as I type this. I don't know if I will ever forget what I have just seen. If you have a weak stomach, or if the thought of seeing an abortion take place makes you recoil, then you don't want to look. Consider yourself warned. It is very graphic.

My simple hope is that one fence-sitter will look at this video of an abortion (juxtaposed with a late-term abortion clinic's soothing video extolling "goodness and love") and come over to the side of life, human dignity, and true love.

Here it is, from Jill Stanek's site: The Most Shocking 4-Minute Abortion Debate You Will Ever See.

God forgive us.

The Bubble is blessed!!!!

I recently asked my wonderful priest (and friend), Fr. Vietor, if he could somehow bless this blog. He graciously agreed, and look what I just received!

Dear Leila,

January 28, 2011

Thank you for asking for a blessing on Little Catholic Bubble. Your blog is a “Center of Social Communication,” linking people together through the technology of the internet. And while there is no one physical place that may be blessed, there is still the physical and human reality of the connection that is established between the people who read and post on your blog. I have Little Catholic Bubble open right now on my computer as I say this prayer of blessing:

Lord God Almighty, we humbly praise you, for you enlighten and inspire those who by probing the powers implanted in creation develop the work of your hands in wonderful ways. Look with favor on your servants who use the technology discovered by long research. Enable them to communicate truth, to foster love, to uphold justice and right, and to provide enjoyment. Let them promote and support that peace between peoples which Christ the Lord brought from heaven, for he lives and reigns with you for ever and ever. Amen.

Please feel free to copy and post this message on Little Catholic Bubble as you may see fit.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Rev. Oliver R. Vietor

Praise God! Thank you, Fr. Vietor!

Not your average "pro-choicers"

Jen at Conversion Diary attended the Walk for Life West Coast last weekend in San Francisco, and I was fascinated by the photos she posted of the "pro-choice" counter-protesters (who were a tiny handful compared to the throngs of pro-lifers).

Now, I realize it's San Francisco and all, but I am interested in the average liberal's reaction to the following pictures, which Jen was kind enough to permit me to use:

The generous use of sacrilege, via anti-Christian signs and open mockery of Christian symbols, is clearly an important tactic for these folks as they show their support for abortion.

This sign was so offensive that I took Jen's cue and obscured part of it. Note the upside-down cross on the women's face who is holding the sign.

The elaborate costumes and disguises are interesting.... It reminds me more of a gay pride parade than a pro-abortion protest.

How terribly heartbreaking to see a young girl dressed up in costume and holding an anti-Catholic sign. Children are naturally pro-life, so I can only imagine what this girl has been told about the need to terminate the unborn.

In case you think that all "pro-choicers" want abortion to be rare, please note that this man's "halo" reads, Thank God for abortion. Many others wore the same sign. Again, the message on the banner was so vulgar that I have obscured it.

What you can't see in these disturbing photos is what Jen saw in real life: "Some of them put on little impromptu plays where they’d pretend to be Jesus or Mary and pantomime lurid sexual acts, shouting profanity-laden narration all the while."

Sigh.

When I got past my initial revulsion of it all, including the outrageous (but expected) anti-Catholic bigotry, I was left with a deep sense of sadness for these people. Despite the exaggerated display of "happiness" you find on some of their faces as they mock the pro-life marchers (check the first three photos), they are clearly deeply troubled souls. My heart goes out to them. There's a lot more I want to say about that, but I will just suggest that they need our love and prayers.

Meanwhile, here are some questions that come to mind, and I welcome the thoughts of any atheists/secularists who want to help me understand:

1) Why do you think that this largely homosexual group is so invested in abortion rights? What is the connection?

2) What do you think of the anti-Catholic bigotry that you see on display here?  (Or, do you even see bigotry?)

3) Do you think this is a fringe group of "pro-choicers" and do you denounce their tactics? Or are you proud to have them courageously carrying the "pro-choice" banner for the rest of you?

Please feel free to answer any or all, or add your own thoughts and comments.

Thanks!

The power of a nun in a habit

Power is a secular value, and many spend their lives chasing after it in one form or another. Women in particular are told that the key to ensuring our own empowerment is "reproductive rights" --  i.e., the right to abort our unborn children.

But what is true power, and where is its source?

Who possesses real power?

Like so many of you, I have been engrossed in Abby Johnson's book, Unplanned, for a few days now. I read a chapter or two whenever I can steal a quiet moment, and every page has compelled and educated me in surprising ways. However, there was one scene in Chapter 9 that stopped me in my tracks.

One day, as she worked as the director of a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic, Abby heard a coworker gasp. She went to investigate:

I walked over to the window to look, and soon several of us were gawking out the window. The temperature was near 100 degrees that day, yet there in the hot sun was a nun dressed in a heavy, dark brown habit that swept the ground. Her head and hair were completely covered so that only her face showed, a face lifted toward heaven, eyes closed, clearly praying. Believe it or not, I'd never seen a nun in full habit before.

.... 

"Her face looks so sweet," said one of our clinic workers. "But anguished." There was an awkward silence. Then, one of our clients, who had just had an abortion, was escorted out the door and to her car by one of our volunteers. Our eyes were glued to the nun as, her eyes fixed on the client, she moved from the center of the driveway to the side, making room for the client to pull out of the drive. And then she began to weep. She fell to her knees and wept with with such grief, such genuine personal pain, that I couldn't help but think to myself, She feels something far deeper than I ever will. She is honestly pained. This is real for her -- this grief at knowing that client had an abortion. A sense of shame washed over me. I tried to shake it off but couldn't get past the fact that a nun was grieving over what was happening inside my clinic.

....

Several of our clinic staff were Catholic, but even those of us who weren't sensed a shared discomfort, as if we all felt embarrassed or ashamed. We tried to get back to work, but every few minutes someone would look out the window and offer an update on the sister, like, "She's still weeping," or "Look, one of the pro-lifers is consoling her now." It was agony just knowing she was out there.

Sister Marie Bernadette became a presence at the clinic on abortion days:

The truth was, the sister's simple, prayerful presence bothered most of us, Catholic, ex-Catholic, Protestant, and unchurched alike, as if she somehow represented our consciences. 

....

Over time we found ways to tease ourselves about the "power" of Sister Marie Bernadette as we came to realize we all avoided going outside when she was present. I found it eerie that her presence seemed to pervade the entire clinic every time she showed up at the fence.

Her simple presence always reminded me of confession.

And this from a non-Catholic abortion clinic director.

All because of a nun in a habit.

I didn't grow up seeing nuns in habits, and so when they began to permeate my world as an adult, I was moved, enchanted and... quieted. The religious habit, like the cross, is a sign of contradiction. It's a sign of poverty, chastity and obedience in a world which values money, sex and power. It's a sign of prayer, humility, and God's grace. It's a wedding gown adorning the brides of Christ.

Ultimately, the habit is a sign of love, which is the source of true power and which is irresistible. Instinctively, the ladies at the abortion clinic understood that. All worldly power -- financial, sexual, academic, political or otherwise -- is rendered impotent in love's presence.

The remarkable, joyful footnote to this story is that Abby Johnson and her family are now preparing to enter the Catholic Church.

Here's to the power of a nun in a habit!



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