text:
You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'old testament' tag.
As Germany's youngest ordinary came into his own, he outlined the goals and direction of the Church in the Diocese of Passau. Bishop Stefan Oster was consecrated on Saturday by Cardinal Reinhard Marx, metropolitan of the province of which Passau is a part, and Bishop Wilhelm Schraml, the retired bishop of Passau, and Archbishop Alois Kothgasser, retired ordinary of Salzburg in Austria, who Bishop Oster succeeded as professor of dogmatics at Benediktbeuern Abbey. The passage below comes from the new bishop's closing remarks, at the end of the Mass at Passau's cathedral of St. Stephen.
"In these biographical notes, something is visible of what in my opinion is central to the direction of our Church in the future. In the first and foremost place it is about relationship. In the very first place a living, deep and supporting relationship with Christ. Be confident that that really exists, that it is not just a matter of thoughts and words, but that the encounter with the Lord really and concrete fulfills, supports, transforms and in the deepest sense of the word can save and sanctify a life.
This is the miracle: the encounter of Jesus with us already exists in all of us, most especially in all who are baptised. The Lord is already there in each and everyone one of us. And that is why we, as Church, are already a community of encounter and witness, even before we do something. But the Holy Spirit likes us to work with Him. That is why all of us, who already belong to Christ, are also called to put this encounter into practice, to deepen it and also to help one another to enter more deeply into this encounter and to open up to one another again – and so to bring our Church in Passau and everywhere else to love in His power. We are called to be witnesses to each other of the presence of Jesus in our lives: in word and action. Another assignment for the future is also that we really open one another up to make new spaces for encounter and communication of faith, in which we can honestly and openly ask, seek, worship God and also give witness. We need this space, because in it the sacraments can once again be new nourishment and a new wellspring for us. We need them because, for example, they allow us not to leave the central mystery of the Eucharist as a 45-minute visit to the Church behind us, but actually the source and summit of our Christian life, as the last Council tells us.
I am also convinced that we do not have to let ourselves be divided into camps, standing against one another in the end. Of course there are more conservative and more liberal Christians, but we must be careful not to become a cliché and a caricature for the other. So I want to invite us: let's maintain the dialogue and share the way. Let's not demonise each other, because the other is seemingly part of the other camp. Let's trust each other, and acknowledge that the other is also honestly seeking God – and for exactly that reason considers certain things especially important.
In the liturgy booklet you have seen that my motto is: "The victory of truth is love". We sometimes find in our Church that some insist perhaps too much on the truth, and then sometimes succumb to the temptation of thinking that honest compassion for the neighbour is secondary, only an option when everything is formally correct. And we also see the opposite, a great multiplicity of affection for the neighbour or even the demand for this gift, but with little concern for the truth, given the great variety of situations in life. Dear sisters and brothers, both lead to marginalisation: truth without love remains abstract and ultimately betrays the one who, as Truth, is at the same time Love personified. And the other way around: Love without truth often does not even deserve the name Love, because it ultimately leads to arbitrariness. The united middle road, truth lived as love and vice versa: Love which testifies of the truth, this middle road leads to victory and has a Christian name: holiness.
Of course, holiness is a very big word, but don't you think that holiness has, in the first place, to do with your or mine ability? It's not a sort of competition sport in prayer or spiritual exercises. Holiness grows in the hearts of all people who always open themselves anew to the love of God, who allow themselves to be really touched and transformed by it. Holiness grows in who honestly seek Jesus, love Him and let themselves be loved by Him. Holiness is then God's will for all of us, not just for bishop or all so-called 'professional' Christians. It is rather that the bishop, the priest, the deacon and all men and women who are called to the service of the Church, also have this vocation, as they help others to discover ever deeper that they are also called to holiness, to the deepest belonging to Christ.
Dear sisters and brothers, everywhere where this mystery of holiness shines out anew in one or more people, there the Church begins to grow anew, there people are being touched by a presence,which works more than a mere assembly of people could. There people are attracted and meaningful, encouraging, yes, life-changing encounter with the Lord take place. And then a prophecy is fulfilled, which the Prophet Zechariah spoke in the Old Testament, before the Messianic era (Zech. 8:23): "In those days," we read there, "In those days, ten men from nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say: We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you." We, the Church of Passau and of course also beyond, we are these Jews. For we live in the time in which the Messiah, the lion of Judah, has already been seen, is already known. We are people who are related to Him, who carry His name. Let us then learn anew to know and love one another, so that the people also come to us and say, "We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you.""
In the run-up to tomorrow's inauguration of King Willem Alexander there has been much attention paid to Catholic notions of kingship. While Christ is the one King, the Church also teaches much about the duties of earthly kings. Bishop Jos Punt's homily is an excellent example of the latter. It also contains an interesting glimpse of the religious landscape of the Netherlands and the role of tolerance, as well as a theological explanation of the globus cruciger. Recommended reading (for Dutch readers, the original text).
A recording of the Mass, by Dutch public television, may be viewed here.
In closing, some words by Father Jim Schilder, priest of the basilica of St. Nicholas:
"Today is the fifth Sunday of Easter. But is also two days before the inauguration of our Crown Prince. That is, you could say, a moment of renewal. A threshold to a new era, without breaking with the past. That is also what we see in this time of Easter. On the one hand it is a time of revolutionary renewal through the resurrection of Christ, and on the other hand a time of a new covenant rooted in the old. It is still about the way that God wants to travel with us, about his continuous invitation to follow Him. We can do this by answering the call of Jesus in today's Gospel: "As I have loved you, so you also should love one another." This goes beyond the two commandments He gave before, and which were already present in the Old Testament: To love God, and your neighbour like yourself. In the Gospel of John He asks us to love each other as He has loved us. His love was characterised by the fact that His entire earthly life was devoted to the other. "I have come to serve." May the same, we pray, also be true for our new head of state."
Photo credit: [1] Isabel Nabuurs, [2] Fr. Jim Schilder.
Just before the March for Life took off in Washington, Bishop Kevin J. Farrell, of Dallas, spoke about the Culture of Life in his homily at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It is one of those homilies that, I imagine, Americans tend to be pretty good at: uplifting, positive and, most importantly, encouraging.
Although the past forty years have seen positive developments in the fight against abortion in the United States, but setbacks still exist, and in the face of them, Bishop Farrell writes, "we may feel like the "chosen people" of the Old Testament who wandered through the desert for 40 years. The Lord made a covenant with them that they would inherit the Promised Land, but with all the setbacks, the discouragement, the suffering and pain and the passage of time, they began to lose hope. Without faith, we too can begin to lose hope of ever changing the hearts of those who do not believe in the sanctity of human life. There is a real danger that we too can become complacent."
But there is a strong reason to not give up: "Dear brothers and sisters, Christ has promised us that His Word will prevail. We cannot lose hope. We must continue the struggle in positive, life-affirming ways. We must pray and we must continue to make our voices heard so that our elected leaders know that there are many who stand for life. We must never give up…"
Good stuff, and an example for Bishop Farrell's brother bishops – and all Catholics – in Europe. For those who want to read the homily in Dutch, you can do so here.
Photo credit: Nancy Phelan Wiechec/CNS photo
I don't know about the custom in other parishes and churches, but I find that homilies often focus on the first reading and the Gospel reading, but tend to skip over the second one. Not to say that the first reading, usually from the Old Testament, or the Gospel reading are not worth spending many thoughts and words on, but the second reading, often from one of the letter of St. Paul, is also usually a rich treasure of devotion and knowledge of our faith. Take yesterday's second reading for example, from the Letter to the Ephesians (1:3-14):
"Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ. Thus he chose us in Christ before the world was made to be holy and faultless before him in love, marking us out for himself beforehand, to be adopted sons, through Jesus Christ. Such was his purpose and good pleasure, to the praise of the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved, in whom, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins. Such is the richness of the grace which he has showered on us in all wisdom and insight.
He has let us know the mystery of his purpose, according to his good pleasure which he determined beforehand in Christ, for him to act upon when the times had run their course: that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the heavens and everything on earth. And it is in him that we have received our heritage, marked out beforehand as we were, under the plan of the One who guides all things as he decides by his own will, chosen to be, for the praise of his glory, the people who would put their hopes in Christ before he came.
Now you too, in him, have heard the message of the truth and the gospel of your salvation, and having put your trust in it you have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit of the Promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance, for the freedom of the people whom God has taken for his own, for the praise of his glory.
Such an intricate text, which constantly doubles back in on itself, qualifying what came before, setting up what comes next. Saint Paul is surely not always an easy read, but one very much worth reading and reflecting upon. It's food for thought, and an inspiration that invites to delve ever deeper into our own relationship with God, to understand it, and Him, and ultimately ourselves as well. Faith, a relationship with God and living life accordingly, is not simplistic or backward. On the contrary, it is challenging and progressive. Just as the Holy Father said at yesterday's Angelus, "[T]he work of Christ and the Church never regresses, but always progresses", so our faith life always progresses, propelling us forward towards the ultimate realisation of who we truly are, "adopted sons, through Jesus Christ".
Art credit: "St. Paul reading and writing," attributed to Guercino.
Yesterday evening I attended an ordination. Although it wasn't a person being ordained, and it wasn't actually called an ordination, the Mass had the basic structure of a priestly ordination. The bishop did the honours, we prayed the Litany of All Saints, there was anointing and a first Mass. What 'got 'ordained' then? A new people's altar.
Together with a new ambo, it was a gift from the parish council to the parish on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the consecration of our cathedral, St. Joseph's. The new altar replaces a fairly simple but heavy wooden table. This one is smaller and therefore makes the entire sanctuary appear bigger. With its flat stone surface and legs crafted into the symbols of the four evangelists, it matches the rest of the sanctuary well. The only distractions are the two candle holders. Blue appears nowhere else in the sanctuary, and although the candles are nice and big, there should be six of them. A minor complaint about an otherwise nice altar.
The smaller size of the new altar means that the number of concelebrants is practically limited. In yesterday's Mass, the bishop concelebrated with his vicar general and the cathedral administrator, and other members of the cathedral chapter were attending in choir. It certainly makes the sanctuary look less crowded.
Why such an elaborate ceremony for what is, essentially, a piece of furniture, though? It shouldn't be a surprise that in a Church, nothing is just a piece of furniture, especially when it's in the sanctuary. That altar, in fact, is one of the most important elements in a church, perhaps second only to the tabernacle. It is where Christ becomes present for us, where His sacrifice and resurrection are made present again for us, from where we receive Him in communion. Everything we do, have and know in our faith comes from there. That is why a new altar needs to be changed from just a piece of furniture into a sacramental. It needs to be prepare for its holy service.
That is why it is anointed., which may be seen in the photo below: Bishop de Korte is anointing the surface of the altar. That is why we pray for the intercession of all the saints, just as we do when a man is ordained to the priesthood. Our prayers will aid in receiving and benefitting from what we receive from the altar. In the surface of the altar, relics are embedded, as an altar exists in connection with the graves of the martyrs and, eventually, with the altars that Abel, Noah, Abraham and other Old Testament Fathers erected. The consecration of an altar is also a public act, since the use of the altar is public: it will allow the community of faithful to receive the Eucharist, and thus be united in faith.
The altar is no longer just a piece of furniture. It is a tool towards our salvation.
'If the wicked, however, renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and upright, he will most certainly live; he will not die. None of the crimes he committed will be remembered against him from then on; he will most certainly live because of his upright actions. Would I take pleasure in the death of the wicked — declares the Lord Yahweh — and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live?
'But if the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong by copying all the loathsome practices of the wicked, is he to live? All his upright actions will be forgotten from then on; for the infidelity of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, he will most certainly die.
'Now, you say, "What the Lord does is unjust." Now listen, House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong and dies, he dies because of the wrong which he himself has done. Similarly, when the wicked abandons wickedness to become law-abiding and upright, he saves his own life. Having chosen to renounce all his previous crimes, he will most certainly live: he will not die.'
In the text from Ezekiel (18:21-28), God today speaks to us about doing good and evil. He recognises two different scenarios: a wicked man denouncing all evil he has done, and a good man turning towards the wicked. This text tells us that God looks more to changing behaviour than to the mere acts of a person. While something like, say, murder is undoubtedly evil, God does not say that the murderer is forever lost: no, a change in his behaviour towards the good, in whatever form, will be redemptive. What form this change takes is a question with many answers, which is not covered by this text.
In the same way, no one is eternally good. We all run the risk of doing evil things, consciously or subconsciously. God seems to take a change from good to evil much more seriously than the opposite. A good person may be expected to be aware of the reasons for his good deeds, especially when he does them out of his faith (and in the Old Testament, this may be expected to be a matter of fact). Now that we know God and have expressed our faith at our confirmation and every day anew in prayer and Mass, we have no excuse not to follow His lead. If we decide to go off the path, so to speak, God will judge us accordingly. We break a promise we made. And taking someone up on that is not unjust after all.
After a state visit which was also a pastoral visit and an opportunity to address issues in both Church and state, during which protesters – once again – failed to leave much of an actual impression (despite media efforts to place them firmly center stage) and politicians who stayed away out of protest made a right fool of themselves, it's perhaps best to focus on what the pope came to say. The texts of the various addresses and homilies are online, and I have paid attention to a mere two of these.
Here is my selection of the most interesting and important passages from the texts, all according to me, of course. It's by no means complete, and I recommend reading the full texts to get a sense of context and further development of the points touched upon.
On being part of the Church
"I would say it is important to know that being in the Church is not like being in some association, but it is being in the net of the Lord, with which he draws good fish and bad fish from the waters of death to the land of life. It is possible that I might be alongside bad fish in this net and I sense this, but it remains true that I am in it neither for the former nor for the latter but because it is the Lord's net; it is something different from all human associations, a reality that touches the very heart of my being." [Interview during the flight to Berlin, 22 September]
The link between freedom and religion
"Freedom requires a primordial link to a higher instance. The fact that there are values which are not absolutely open to manipulation is the true guarantee of our freedom. The man who feels a duty to truth and goodness will immediately agree with this: freedom develops only in responsibility to a greater good. Such a good exists only for all of us together; therefore I must always be concerned for my neighbours. Freedom cannot be lived in the absence of relationships." [Welcome ceremony in Berlin, 22 September]
The pope's responsibility
"[T]he invitation to give this address was extended to me as Pope, as the Bishop of Rome, who bears the highest responsibility for Catholic Christianity." (Address to the Bundestag, 22 September]
On what should ultimately matter for a politician
"His fundamental criterion and the motivation for his work as a politician must not be success, and certainly not material gain. Politics must be a striving for justice, and hence it has to establish the fundamental preconditions for peace. Naturally a politician will seek success, without which he would have no opportunity for effective political action at all. Yet success is subordinated to the criterion of justice, to the will to do what is right, and to the understanding of what is right. Success can also be seductive and thus can open up the path towards the falsification of what is right, towards the destruction of justice. "Without justice – what else is the State but a great band of robbers?", as Saint Augustine once said." [idem]
The limitations of the majority vote
"For most of the matters that need to be regulated by law, the support of the majority can serve as a sufficient criterion. Yet it is evident that for the fundamental issues of law, in which the dignity of man and of humanity is at stake, the majority principle is not enough: everyone in a position of responsibility must personally seek out the criteria to be followed when framing laws." [idem]
The limitations and dangers of positivism
"A positivist conception of nature as purely functional, as the natural sciences consider it to be, is incapable of producing any bridge to ethics and law, but once again yields only functional answers. The same also applies to reason, according to the positivist understanding that is widely held to be the only genuinely scientific one. Anything that is not verifiable or falsifiable, according to this understanding, does not belong to the realm of reason strictly understood. Hence ethics and religion must be assigned to the subjective field, and they remain extraneous to the realm of reason in the strict sense of the word. Where positivist reason dominates the field to the exclusion of all else – and that is broadly the case in our public mindset – then the classical sources of knowledge for ethics and law are excluded.
"In its self-proclaimed exclusivity, the positivist reason which recognizes nothing beyond mere functionality resembles a concrete bunker with no windows, in which we ourselves provide lighting and atmospheric conditions, being no longer willing to obtain either from God's wide world. And yet we cannot hide from ourselves the fact that even in this artificial world, we are still covertly drawing upon God's raw materials, which we refashion into our own products. The windows must be flung open again, we must see the wide world, the sky and the earth once more and learn to make proper use of all this."[idem]
A strong condemnation of Nazism
"The Nazi reign of terror was based on a racist myth, part of which was the rejection of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Jesus Christ and of all who believe in him. The supposedly "almighty" Adolf Hitler was a pagan idol, who wanted to take the place of the biblical God, the Creator and Father of all men. Refusal to heed this one God always makes people heedless of human dignity as well. What man is capable of when he rejects God, and what the face of a people can look like when it denies this God, the terrible images from the concentration camps at the end of the war showed." [Meeting with Jewish community representatives, 22 September]
The relationship between Judaism and Christianity
"For Christians, there can be no rupture in salvation history. Salvation comes from the Jews (cf. Jn 4:22). When Jesus' conflict with the Judaism of his time is superficially interpreted as a breach with the Old Covenant, it tends to be reduced to the idea of a liberation that mistakenly views the Torah merely as a slavish enactment of rituals and outward observances. Yet in actual fact, the Sermon on the Mount does not abolish the Mosaic Law, but reveals its hidden possibilities and allows more radical demands to emerge. It points us towards the deepest source of human action, the heart, where choices are made between what is pure and what is impure, where faith, hope and love blossom forth." [idem]
Jersus' identification with the oppressed Church
"On the road to Damascus, Christ himself asked Saul, the persecutor of the Church: "Why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4). With these words the Lord expresses the common destiny that arises from his Church's inner communion of life with himself, the risen one. He continues to live in his Church in this world. He is present among us, and we with him. "Why do you persecute me?" It is ultimately at Jesus that persecution of his Church is directed. At the same time, this means that when we are oppressed for the sake of our faith, we are not alone: Jesus Christ is beside us and with us." [Homily during Mass at the Olympic Stadium, 22 September]
Christ takes our suffering on His shoulders
"Christ himself came into this world through his incarnation, to be our root. Whatever hardship or drought befall us, he is the source that offers us the water of life, that feeds and strengthens us. He takes upon himself all our sins, anxieties and sufferings and he purifies and transforms us, in a way that is ultimately mysterious, into good branches that produce good wine. In such times of hardship we can sometimes feel as if we ourselves were in the wine-press, like grapes being utterly crushed. But we know that if we are joined to Christ we become mature wine. God can transform into love even the burdensome and oppressive aspects of our lives. It is important that we "abide" in Christ, in the vine." [idem]
God's most beautiful gift
"The Church, as the herald of God's word and dispenser of the sacraments, joins us to Christ, the true vine. The Church as "fullness and completion of the Redeemer", as Pius XII expressed it (Pius XII, Mystici Corporis, AAS 35 [1943] p. 230: "plenitudo et complementum Redemptoris"), is to us a pledge of divine life and mediator of those fruits of which the parable of the vine speaks. Thus the Church is God's most beautiful gift." [idem]
Evil is no trivial matter
"[I]nsofar as people believe in an afterlife and a divine judgement at all, nearly everyone presumes for all practical purposes that God is bound to be magnanimous and that ultimately he mercifully overlooks our small failings. The question no longer troubles us. But are they really so small, our failings? Is not the world laid waste through the corruption of the great, but also of the small, who think only of their own advantage? Is it not laid waste through the power of drugs, which thrives on the one hand on greed and avarice, and on the other hand on the craving for pleasure of those who become addicted? Is the world not threatened by the growing readiness to use violence, frequently masking itself with claims to religious motivation? Could hunger and poverty so devastate parts of the world if love for God and godly love of neighbour – of his creatures, of men and women – were more alive in us? I could go on. No, evil is no small matter." [Meeting with the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, 23 September]
The development of a shallow Christianity
"Faced with a new form of Christianity, which is spreading with overpowering missionary dynamism, sometimes in frightening ways, the mainstream Christian denominations often seem at a loss. This is a form of Christianity with little institutional depth, little rationality and even less dogmatic content, and with little stability. This worldwide phenomenon – that bishops from all over the world are constantly telling me about – poses a question to us all: what is this new form of Christianity saying to us, for better and for worse? In any event, it raises afresh the question about what has enduring validity and what can or must be changed – the question of our fundamental faith choice." [idem]
In the face of secularisation
"Naturally faith today has to be thought out afresh, and above all lived afresh, so that it is suited to the present day. Yet it is not by watering the faith down, but by living it today in its fullness that we achieve this. This is a key ecumenical task in which we have to help one another: developing a deeper and livelier faith. It is not strategy that saves us and saves Christianity, but faith – thought out and lived afresh; through such faith, Christ enters this world of ours, and with him, the living God." [idem]
The fundamental unity of Christians
"Our fundamental unity comes from the fact that we believe in God, the Father Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth. And that we confess that he is the triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The highest unity is not the solitude of a nomad, but rather a unity born of love. We believe in God – the real God. We believe that God spoke to us and became one of us. To bear witness to this living God is our common task at the present time." [Address during the ecumenical prayer service, 23 September]
Man's need of God
"Does man need God, or can we do quite well without him? When, in the first phase of God's absence, his light continues to illumine and sustain the order of human existence, it appears that things can also function quite well without God. But the more the world withdraws from God, the clearer it becomes that man, in his hubris of power, in his emptiness of heart and in his longing for satisfaction and happiness, increasingly loses his life. A thirst for the infinite is indelibly present in human beings. Man was created to have a relationship with God; we need him." [idem]
Why faith is not subject to negotiations
"A self-made faith is worthless. Faith is not something we work out intellectually and negotiate between us." [idem]
Mary, our mother
"When Christians of all times and places turn to Mary, they are acting on the spontaneous conviction that Jesus cannot refuse his mother what she asks; and they are relying on the unshakable trust that Mary is also our mother – a mother who has experienced the greatest of all sorrows, who feels all our griefs with us and ponders in a maternal way how to overcome them." [Marian Vespers, 23 September]
Mary as a channel of grace
"Looking down from the Cross, from the throne of grace and salvation, Jesus gave us his mother Mary to be our mother. At the moment of his self-offering for mankind, he makes Mary as it were the channel of the rivers of grace that flow from the Cross. At the foot of the Cross, Mary becomes our fellow traveller and protector on life's journey. "By her motherly love she cares for her son's sisters and brothers who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties, until they are led into their blessed home," as the Second Vatican Council expressed it (Lumen Gentium, 62). Yes indeed, in life we pass through high-points and low-points, but Mary intercedes for us with her Son and helps us to discover the power of his divine love, and to open ourselves to that love." [idem]
The quality of the saints
"Still today Christ comes towards us, he speaks to every individual, just as he did in the Gospel, and invites every one of us to listen to him, to come to understand him and to follow him. This summons and this opportunity the saints acted on, they recognized the living God, they saw him, they listened to him and they went towards him, they travelled with him; they so to speak "caught" his contagious presence, they reached out to him in the ongoing dialogue of prayer, and in return they received from him the light that shows where true life is to be found." [Homily during Mass in Erfurt, 24 September]
Shared faith
"Faith always includes as an essential element the fact that it is shared with others. No one can believe alone. We receive the faith – as Saint Paul tells us – through hearing, and hearing is part of being together, in spirit and in body. Only within this great assembly of believers of all times, who found Christ and were found by him, am I able to believe. In the first place I have God to thank for the fact that I can believe, for God approaches me and so to speak "ignites" my faith. But on a practical level, I have my fellow human beings to thank for my faith, those who believed before me and who believe with me. This great "with", apart from which there can be no personal faith, is the Church. And this Church does not stop at national borders." [idem]
The hope of union with our closest brothers
"[A]mong Christian Churches and communities, it is undoubtedly the Orthodox who are theologically closest to us; Catholics and Orthodox have maintained the same basic structure inherited from the ancient Church; in this sense we are all the early Church that is still present and new. And so we dare to hope, even if humanly speaking constantly new difficulties arise, that the day may still be not too far away when we may once again celebrate the Eucharist together (cf. Light of the World. A Conversation with Peter Seewald, p. 86)." [Meeting with representatives of Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Church, 24 September]
What the seminary is for
"As Saint Bonaventure once said: the angels, wherever they go, however far away, always move within the inner being of God. This is also the case here: as priests we must go out onto the many different streets, where we find people whom we should invite to his wedding feast. But we can only do this if in the process we always remain with him. And learning this: this combination of, on the one hand, going out on mission, and on the other hand being with him, remaining with him, is – I believe – precisely what we have to learn in the seminary." [Meeting with seminarians, 24 September]
Learning about the present from the past
"In exegesis we learn much about the past: what happened, what sources there are, what communities there were, and so on. This is also important. But more important still is that from the past we should learn about the present, we should learn that he is speaking these words now, and that they all carry their present within them, and that over and above the historical circumstances in which they arose, they contain a fullness which speaks to all times. And it is important to learn this present-day aspect of his word – to learn to listen out for it – and thus to be able to speak of it to others." [idem]
"Faith comes from hearing"
I sometimes say that Saint Paul wrote: "Faith comes from hearing" – not from reading. It needs reading as well, but it comes from hearing, that is to say from the living word, addressed to me by the other, whom I can hear, addressed to me by the Church throughout the ages, from her contemporary word, spoken to me the priests, bishops and my fellow believers. Faith must include a "you" and it must include a "we". [idem]
Faith in a scientific world
"Our world today is a rationalist and thoroughly scientific world, albeit often somewhat pseudo-scientific. But this scientific spirit, this spirit of understanding, explaining, know-how, rejection of the irrational, is dominant in our time. There is a good side to this, even if it often conceals much arrogance and nonsense. The faith is not a parallel world of feelings that we can still afford to hold on to, rather it is the key that encompasses everything, gives it meaning, interprets it and also provides its inner ethical orientation: making clear that it is to be understood and lived as tending towards God and proceeding from God." [idem]
The light of Christ
"While all around us there may be darkness and gloom, yet we see a light: a small, tiny flame that is stronger than the seemingly powerful and invincible darkness. Christ, risen from the dead, shines in this world and he does so most brightly in those places where, in human terms, everything is sombre and hopeless. He has conquered death – he is alive – and faith in him, like a small light, cuts through all that is dark and threatening. To be sure, those who believe in Jesus do not lead lives of perpetual sunshine, as though they could be spared suffering and hardship, but there is always a bright glimmer there, lighting up the path that leads to fullness of life (cf. Jn 10:10). The eyes of those who believe in Christ see light even amid the darkest night and they already see the dawning of a new day." [Vigil with young people, 24 September]
"Dear friends, Christ is not so much interested in how often in our lives we stumble and fall, as in how often with his help we pick ourselves up again. He does not demand glittering achievements, but he wants his light to shine in you. He does not call you because you are good and perfect, but because he is good and he wants to make you his friends. Yes, you are the light of the world because Jesus is your light. You are Christians – not because you do special and extraordinary things, but because he, Christ, is your life, our life. You are holy, we are holy, if we allow his grace to work in us." [idem]
Power and freedom
"There are theologians who, in the face of all the terrible things that happen in the world today, say that God cannot possibly be all-powerful. In response to this we profess God, the all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth. And we are glad and thankful that God is all-powerful. At the same time, we have to be aware that he exercises his power differently from the way we normally do. He has placed a limit on his power, by recognizing the freedom of his creatures. We are glad and thankful for the gift of freedom. However, when we see the terrible things that happen as a result of it, we are frightened. Let us put our trust in God, whose power manifests itself above all in mercy and forgiveness. Let us be certain, dear faithful, that God desires the salvation of his people. He desires our salvation, my salvation, the salvation of every single person. He is always close to us, especially in times of danger and radical change, and his heart aches for us, he reaches out to us. We need to open ourselves to him so that the power of his mercy can touch our hearts. We have to be ready freely to abandon evil, to raise ourselves from indifference and make room for his word. God respects our freedom. He does not constrain us. He is waiting for us to say "yes", he as it were begs us to say "yes"." [Homily during the Mass in Freiburg, 25 September]
Our personal relationship with God
"So let us ask ourselves, in the light of today's Gospel, how is my personal relationship with God: in prayer, in participation at Sunday Mass, in exploring my faith through meditation on sacred Scripture and study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church? Dear friends, in the last analysis, the renewal of the Church will only come about through openness to conversion and through renewed faith." [idem]
The exchange between God and man
"The Fathers explain it in this way: we have nothing to give God, we have only our sin to place before him. And this he receives and makes his own, while in return he gives us himself and his glory: a truly unequal exchange, which is brought to completion in the life and passion of Christ. He becomes, as it were, a "sinner", he takes sin upon himself, takes what is ours and gives us what is his. But as the Church continued to reflect upon and live the faith, it became clear that we not only give him our sin, but that he has empowered us, from deep within he gives us the power, to offer him something positive as well: our love – to offer him humanity in the positive sense. Clearly, it is only through God's generosity that man, the beggar, who receives a wealth of divine gifts, is yet able to offer something to God as well; that God makes it possible for us to accept his gift, by making us capable of becoming givers ourselves in his regard." [Meeting with active Catholics, 25 September]
Detaching the Church from the world
"[I]t is time once again to discover the right form of detachment from the world, to move resolutely away from the Church's worldliness. This does not, of course, mean withdrawing from the world: quite the contrary. A Church relieved of the burden of worldliness is in a position, not least through her charitable activities, to mediate the life-giving strength of the Christian faith to those in need, to sufferers and to their carers." [idem]
Photo credits:
[1], [12] Johannes Simon/Getty Images
[2] AP Photo/Markus Schreiber
[3] AP Photo/Frank Augstein
[4] Reuters/Miro Kuzmanovic
[5] Patrick Lux/AFP/Getty Images
[6] Norbert Neetz/Pool/Getty Images
[7] Reuters/Andrew Medichini/Pool
[8], [10] Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images
[9] Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images
[11] Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images
There is a nice summation of what faith is in the second reading from today's Mass:
"Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen." (Heb 1: 1)*
In his homily, Bishop van den Hende took the opportunity to delve a bit deeper in the definition of faith, and one of the points he raised was the difference between the Old and New Testaments when it comes to faith. In the Old Testament, faith is chiefly about trust in God and the things He does. In the New Testament, the meaning of faith shifts more to knowing, as a sort of completion of trust; we still trust in God, of course, but our faith is strengthened by what we know of Him through Jesus Christ, His Son.
Looking back at the sentence from the Letter to the Hebrews, we may see a sort of basic evolution of faith. We start with hope, we grow to trust and finally we know. That evolution is not only visible in the history of humanity as a whole, but also in each of us
individually. These three steps are steps we all take, I believe. At least I did. The sense of hope, for example, had been there for years before I even considered walking into a church for anything else but sightseeing. I wanted to believe, but had nothing to ground that belief in.
Later, as I got to know the Catholic faith, I found myself able to put some measure of trust into the Church and so also into God. Trust and knowledge go hand in hand, strengthening each other, being each other's basis, so to speak. If we know what we trust in, trust grows stronger. Hope too, grows in depth as trust and knowledge increase. After all, when we learn more, gain more knowledge, we get to know more of what we hope for, and so hope increases.
So faith is never as one-dimensional as some people want to have us believe. It is far more than a factual belief in the existence of someone or something.
*I used the translation from the New American Bible, instead of the New Jerusalem Bible, which I generally use in this blog, simply because this translation appealed to me more.
Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Transfiguration. All three the synoptic Gospels include this occurence on Mount Tabor. St. Luke writes:
Now about eight days after this had been said, he took with him Peter, John and James and went up the mountain to pray. And it happened that, as he was praying, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became sparkling white. And suddenly there were two men talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they woke up and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, 'Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.' He did not know what he was saying.
As he was saying this, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud saying, 'This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.'
And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen.
Gospel of Luke 9: 28-36
This is not the only time that Jesus changes His appearance, but it is the only time before His death on the cross. After the Resurrection, there are multiple instances where He physically appeared to the Apostles (they could touch Him and they ate breakfast together, for example), and where they did not immediately recognise Him. The best example is perhaps the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Only when their fellow traveler broke the bread and said the blessing at the dinner table, did they recognise Jesus.
So the Transfiguration can perhaps be seen as a foretaste of what was to come. After His death and resurrection, Jesus gained a new body, and that, by the way, lies at the basis of the Catholic belief in the bodily resurrection at the end of time. My parish priest mused today that perhaps this was also a means of support for the Apostles, who would be scattered in the days surrounding the crucifixion, and who would suffer greatly. But Jesus showed them here that on the other side of the pain and suffering, beauty and glory lies.
The presence of Moses and Elijah, the Law and the prophets, and of course God's cloud who descends upon the mountain (not unlike how He accompanied the people of Israel out of Egypt – Moses would not have been surprised), firmly places Christ in the history of salvation, in both the Old and New covenants. Not that he didn't have this place before all this, but we, being both us and the Apostles, need to become aware of it.


text:
Rajon Rondo and Glen Davis fraternize with the enemy
Rajon Rondo and Glen Davis were seen partying with Lebron James and Dwyane Wade in Las Vegas on Friday. Maybe that would explain Rondo's performance in Saturday's scrimmage. (The Examiner via Ball Don't Lie)
King James arrived to cheers at Tao Beach and was joined in the grand cabana by a group of friends including new Miami Heat teammate Dwayne Wade and Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets. At one point the fans in the pool chanted his name and James pulled out his camera to capture the moment. Nearby, former NBA player Alan Henderson and Glen Davis from the Boston Celtics also took in the sun and the scene. [...]
Basketball's most wanted man, LeBron James, spent the night at Lavo inside The Palazzo celebrating his recent contract signing with the Miami Heat. James was joined by Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets, San Diego Charger Shaun Phillips, Atlanta Hawk Josh Smith, Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies, Boston Celtic Rajon Rondo and Larry Hughes of the Charlotte Bobcats. Fans of all ages waited outside the celebrity dining hotspot for the arrival of King James, who enjoyed dinner at the Italian eatery after walking the red carpet.
After dinner, James and his friends took over some VIP tables on the dance floor in Lavo's nightclub where they danced and partied the night away, fueled by Perrier Jouët Rose Champagne, Patron Tequila and vodka.
Get mad at this if you want but, really, it doesn't matter one bit. I have a lot of friends I used to play basketball against. And you know what? Every time I played against them I wanted to tear their hearts out and watch them bleed.
7 Responses to "Rajon Rondo and Glen Davis fraternize with the enemy"
that picture is disgusting
Like or Dislike: 0 1
King of what? Unprofessionalism is my bet.
Like or Dislike: 1 0
I have a problem with Rondo being friends with Lebron, not because he's on an opposing team but because Lebron is a douchebag. Though if Rondo is just using that douchebag for his lavish party then I can fully support that.
Like or Dislike: 0 0
Keep your enemies close
Like or Dislike: 0 0

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Note: Live Caribbean Premier League scores on Live Scores offer cricket live scores, final results, Caribbean Premier League 2014 match details with odds comparison and H2H stats. Livescores.co.uk Live Centre (available for major cricket events) provides detailed statistics (balls bowled, overs bowled, wickets taken, runs concede per over, leg bye, whide), player statistics and lineups. Follow Caribbean Premier League 2014 live scores and other North & Central America cricket scores now on LiveScores.co.uk!
Copyright © 2009-14 LiveScores.co.uk


text:
Best Selling
Mystery & Detective (6446)
Fantasy (4029)
Science Fiction (3761)
Literary (3243)
Thrillers (1728)
Occult & Supernatural (1050)
Historical (729)
Horror (674)
Juvenile & Young Adult (379)
Short Stories (329)
Romance (324)
Media Tie-In (254)
Espionage (168)
Classics (162)
Biography & autobiography (15)
Health & fitness (10)
Religion (9)
Cooking (8)
Literary essay (5)
Arts (5)
History (4)
Nature, recreation and sports (3)
Social science (3)
Human Science (2)
American and canadian (18244)
British (3185)
Irish (195)
English (21974)
French (283)
German (19)
Spanish (1659)
Italian (3147)
All (21974)
DRM Free (2354)
Detective Alex Cross is being stalked by a psychotic genius, forced to play the deadliest game of his career. Cross's family--his loving wife Bree, the wise and lively Nana Mama, and his precious children--have...
Who is Zora? Why did you leave such a desperate letter in a copy of the famous novel Perfume by Patrick Suskind? And how did this book end up in a book club in a small American town lost in the middle of nowhere?...
When we encountered the aliens, we thought we knew the story they were telling. But we were looking at the wrong end . . .
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management...
The book no one can stop talking about . . . In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and...
Jack Holloway works alone, for reasons he doesn't care to talk about. Hundreds of miles from ZaraCorp's headquarters on planet, 178 light-years from the corporation's headquarters on Earth, Jack is content...
The greatly anticipated final book in the New York Times bestselling Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss...
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should...
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's...
"After the Battle on Starship Hill" is more than 12000 words of prologue from Vernor Vinge's forthcoming novel, The Children of the Sky. Taking place on Tines World, this mini e-book describes events of the...
A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life.
In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his...
The seals of Shayol Ghul are weak now, and the Dark One reaches out. The Shadow is rising to cover humankind.
In Tar Valon, Min sees portents of hideous doom. Will the White Tower itself be broken?
In the Two...
The first novel in the Equations series: The human race was driven from the Earth in the mid-twenty first century, by an intelligent bio-weapon called Omega. Seven hundred years later, humanity's descendants...
John Grisham has a new hero . . . and she's full of surprises
The year is 2008 and Samantha Kofer's career at a huge Wall Street law firm is on the fast track—until the recession hits and she gets downsized,...
Wildly praised by readers and critics alike, Robert Charles Wilson's Spin won science fiction's highest honor, the Hugo Award for Best Novel.
Now, in Axis, Spin's direct sequel, Wilson takes us to the "world...
The seventh novel in the Equations series: Omega has proved a match for Earther wits, and for Earther arms. Now, as his plague ships simultaneously threaten the Larosian galaxy, the human Freetown colony, and...
Blockbuster author Lisa Scottoline returns to the Rosato & Associates law firm with Betrayed, and maverick lawyer Judy Carrier takes the lead in a case that's more personal than ever. Judy has always championed...
Dirk Pitt returns, in the thrilling new novel from the grand master of adventure and #1 New York Times-bestselling author.
While investigating a toxic outbreak in the Caribbean Sea that may ultimately threaten...
The mutilated body of a young woman. The town doctor lying comatose in the road. A hundred and fifty tablets of Canadian OxyContin. This is the havoc that a merciless killer has wreaked on a sleepy Maine seaport....
In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King—who has absorbed...
NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST NOVELS OF THE YEAR BY TIME AND LIBRARY JOURNAL—AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Esquire • U.S. News & World Report • NPR/On Point • St. Louis...


text:
Kids Interview Bands
Connie Richards and Olivia Midnight of Worthington are the teenage hosts behind Kids Interview Bands. They've interviewed more than 100 musicians on their video blog, with members from bands like the Pixies, Barenaked Ladies and Insane Clown Posse. These girls know how to hold their own.
Surge Columbus
Have you ever dreamed of becoming an artist or musician? To be able to create 3D images on the computer or to edit your own short film? Five organizations recently joined forces to develop Surge Columbus, an after-school program intended to make digital tools and art supplies more accessible to teens.
Coors Western Art Exhibit
When thinking of Western art, many people summon images of cowboys and Indians. But an annual exhibit in Denver aims to change that.
July 30, 2014 – Full Episode
On this weeks Broad and High, we look at the kids behind the hit video blog "Kids Interview Bands", metal creations, an after-school program that provides the resources to help kids develop cutting-edge skills with high-tech equipment, and more!
Blue Butterflies: Migration Across America
Indiana-based artist Tasha Lewis transforms the Conservatory's gallery with thousands of magnetic cyanotype butterflies printed on cotton fabric. Her blue butterflies hover in mid-air and seem to swarm the space, blurring the connection between the natural and artificial worlds.
Globe Trot
Mitchell Rose, professor of dance filmmaking at The Ohio State University teamed up with OSU choreographer Bebe Miller who developed a dance with steps simple enough for non-dancers to execute, and then embarked on a 15-month journey to find participants across the world.
Artist Profile: Daric Gill
Daric Gill considers himself an "interdisciplinary artist" but he makes clear that he doesn't dabble. His formal training is evident, whether through his illustrations and oil paintings or kinetic sculptures and custom furniture pieces.
Pilot Dogs
Pilot Dogs began in Columbus in 1950 and shortly thereafter moved into its home in the heart of Franklinton where they've been ever since. The non-profit organization trains dogs to assist individuals with vision impairments.
July 23, 2014 – Full Episode
On this week's Broad and High, an all local episode featuring a new "Blue Butterflies" exhibit at the Franklin Park Conservatory, a global dance project and more!


text:
This post is sponsored by LELO
After you've entered our Breast Cancer Awareness Month Contest, enter another easy-peasy one from LELO: Just tweet them an image of you in your Halloween costume with the hashtag #HallowINA and you could be one of 2 people who will win our amazing INA 2 rabbit style massager! Whatever internet meme, political gaffe or inappropriately sexy career you choose to be, LELO wants to see it! From now until November 4th they'll be accepting entries and announcing the winners on November 5th…
DOs & DON'Ts:
- DO direct your tweet to us (@LELO_Sweden) with the hashtag #HallowINA
- DON'T depict nudity or anything that can be deemed indecent  – let's keep this PG, or at least PG-13, people.
- DOÂ enter before the last day of the contest on November 4th, and the LELO team will choose their favorite pics and contact you directly.
- DO or DON'T – your choice; show your face in the picture you submit, and don't worry – we'd never dream of using it without your express consent!
- DOÂ be 18 years or older — this goes not only for entrants, but for the person depicted in your picture.
Be sure to also follow LELO on their Twitter feed, and always be among the first to know about future giveaways, and all the latest news about your favorite pleasure people!
Start snapping! And have a Happy (hopefully hurricane-free) Halloween!


text:
Weather Alerts
Using smartphones to track your teensUPDATED 9:18 AM CDT Apr 29, 2013
Would you use your kids' phone to track them? How well do these apps work and can they do more harm than good?
More Video
CommentsThe views expressed are not those of this site, this station or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to accept our terms of use. Your comment will not appear here until you verify your email address with Disqus. KETV NewsWatch 7 encourages users to report violations of our terms of use by flagging the inappropriate comment. Hold your mouse over the comment to reveal the flag on the right side, then click the flag.blog comments powered by Disqus
Latest from KETV Channel 7
AdvertisingBest 7's Sure Bets


text:
I Believe That Dan Has Always Loved The Simpsons?
Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Dan will be lending his voice to an episode of The Simpsons, due to air next autumn. Executive producer Al Jean tells EW the Harry Potter star plays Edmund, a kid vampire whom Lisa falls for. Alas, Edmund's father, a.k.a. Dracula, and Homer try to squash the budding romance. "Daniel was very excited to do The Simpsons," says Jean, "and we kept trying to ask him for secrets from the upcoming Harry Potter movie until we realized that they were all in the books."
Now, no being mean to Twlilight, in comments – they are a teeny, tiny film franchise, and we are bigger than that.
While I am here: it's that time again… Dan is up for Hello Magazine's Most Attractive Man – Weekly Vote. He is behind some pretty stiff competition for the week, and the week's winner faces something of a challenge from November's other weekly winners.
But go here and vote as often as the site and your conscience allow.
Thanks Frenchi, Barbara, radcakesfan and Jen for the links.


text:
We understand that choosing the right location is important to you. Our CareLine is ready to assist you in making the right decision for care needed in CT , DE, NC, NH, NJ, MA, MD, ME, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV. NOTE: For care in all other states, please contact the center directly for more information.
En Español (Spanish Version)
American Psychological Association
Mental Health America
Canadian Psychiatric Association
Canadian Psychological Association
Chronic illness and depression fact sheet. National Alliance on Mental Illness website. Available at: http://www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Mental%5FIllnesses/Depression/Depression%5Fand%5FChronic%5FIllness%5FFact%5FSheet.htm. Updated October 2009. Accessed November 27, 2013.
Co-occurring disorders and depression. National Mental Health Association website. Available at:
http://www.nmha.org/conditions/co-occurring-disorders-and-depression. Accessed November 27, 2013.
Depression. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://dynamed.ebscohost.com/about/about-us. Updated October 31, 2013. Accessed November 27, 2013.
Depression and cancer. National Institute of Mental Health website. Available at:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-and-cancer/index.shtml. Accessed November 27, 2013.
Detre KM. Coronary bypass surgery improves heart attack survival in people with diabetes.
N Engl J Med. 2000;342:33-43.
Mancuso CA, Peterson MG, Charlson ME. Effects of depressive symptoms on health-related quality of life in asthma patients.
J Gen Intern Med.
Pratt LA, Ford DE, Crum RM, et al. Depression, psychotropic medication, and risk of myocardial infarction. Prospective data from the Baltimore ECA follow-up.
Circulation. 1996;94:3124-9.
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
Copyright ©
All rights reserved.
Only show results from the selected categories.
Could your genes put you at a higher risk for a mental health condition? Have researchers discovered a link between certain genes and the development of schizophrenia, de...
Depression affects many Americans each year. How can college students identify and cope with this condition?...
You've just had a heart attack. You want to work towards recovery, so you're focused on your heart and body. But hold on, say doctors, don't lose sight of your mental h...
Men get depressed, as do women. But depression affects men differently from women. Why is this the case? And what does it mean for men?...
Studies suggest that folic acid deficiency may occur in patients with severe depression, and that treatment with the vitamin may enhance recovery of the mental state. Wha...
Depression in the workplace is a serious, yet often undiscussed problem. No job category or professional level is immune to depression and even a formerly outstanding emp...
As winter approaches and the sun sets earlier, does your mood sink lower? Do you find yourself tired, irritable, or unable to concentrate? If so, you may have seasonal af...
You remember a time when little Johnny would hurry home from school, grab an apple, and race out the door to play with his friends. Now he comes home, goes straight up t...
Did you know that some medications can actually cause depression? Find out which drugs are the most common culprits....
Been feeling down or hopeless? Do you find little pleasure in things you used to enjoy? These may be signs of depression. Many Americans are depressed, but have not been ...
Not Sure What Service You Need? Click Here to Request Additional Information from our Care Experts
About Genesis Genesis offers a variety of services in more than 400 centers across 28 states. In addition to our ShortStay and LongTerm care services, we offer Specialized Alzheimer's care, orthopedic rehabilitation, ventilator care, dialysis care and Assisted Living services in a variety of centers near you!
101 East State Street,Kennett Square, PA 19348


text:
<< back to view complete listing for Breckenridge Brewery
Report a Problem With A Review
of Breckenridge Brewery - Breckenridge, CO
Complete the form below to tell us about the problematic review for Breckenridge Brewery, which says:
"Sampled several beers and really enjoyed them all. The food was really good. The Sunday night prime rib dinner was a very good value. "
NOTE: ONLY use this form only to report libel, slander or profanity.
Rebuttals and comments to the original reviewer should be made via the review process.
Your Email Address
Describe the Problem With This Review


text:
Judges' caseloads vary widely in study
WASHINGTON — Federal judges across the nation are shouldering criminal caseloads that vary widely in size, sometimes even among judges in the same courthouse, according to a study released Sunday.
The study by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, or TRAC, at Syracuse University found three courthouses where the judge with the largest criminal caseload had sentenced more than twice the number of defendants as the judge with the smallest caseload from October 2006 through July 2012. They were Los Angeles; Beaumont, Texas; and Camden, N.J.
Read more of this story and more!
7-Day Subscribers have FREE access to everything on rep-am.com and our E-Edition.
CLICK HERE to register and activate your access,.
Not a subscriber?
You can purchase a single-day subscription for only $0.75 to read this and access all of our content and our E-Edition.
CLICK HERE purchase a single day subscription.
Become an electronic subscriber to the Republican-American for only $8 a month. CLICK HERE.
Follow Us
Post a reader commentWe encourage your feedback and dialog.
Please be civil and respectful.
If you're witty, to the point and quotable, your reader comments may also be included on the Around the Towns page of The Sunday Republican.
Readers must be registered and logged in to post comments on the site. Registration is free. Click Here to register.
A Subscription is not required to post comments only a Registration.
Log In
|Register / Forgotten Password?
More stories from National
- AP PHOTOS: Images of U.S. troops at war
- Veterans preserve memories of war with their art
- Obama salutes veterans on their day
- Major hurdles remain to end veteran homelessness
- Europe, rest of world remember 11th hour of 11th day of 11th month
- Nation pays tribute to sacrifices of veterans
- BBC under pressure to restore trust after scandal
- Judges' caseloads vary widely in study
- Fight brewing over Senate filibusters
- Israel, Gaza militants trade fire in escalation


text:
What Your Nails Say About You!
Believe it or not, your fave polish says a lot about your personality! Celeb nail artist Miss Pop dishes on how you can show off your true colorsin your mani!
By Kara McGrath
You're a girly-girl at heart! Back in the day you blew all your allowance on stickers, but now you'll spend your bucks on some pampering.
Try: Nicole by OPI "Tink's In The Pink", $8, Walgreens


text:
4 Hassle-Free Holiday Hairstyles
Get a pretty, party-ready look in 10 minutes or less
By Woman's Day Staff
Braided Beauty
Best for Medium to Long Hair
1. On day-old hair that has been blown dry, make a natural side part by raking your fingers through hair.
2. Create a French braid with three 1" sections of hair along your hairline. To do, take the left section and cross it over the one in the center. Then, take the right section and cross it over the ones in the center. As you continue to work back in the opposite direction of your part, gather up two more small sections of hair (one along the hairline at your temple, another at your ear) to create a thicker French braid. Secure the braid with a small, clear elastic band, leaving about 3" of loose, unbraided hair at the end.
3. Take the end of your braid and the rest of your hair and sweep it into a ponytail. Twist it clockwise into a bun just above the nape of your neck. Secure with bobby pins.
Style Hint: Spritz Aussie Spray Gloss ($3.49; at drugstores) onto the braid and bun to enhance shine and accentuate your hairs natural highlights.


text:
La fille du régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment) is an opéra comique in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Text from the French of Georges Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard.
It was first performed on February 11, 1840, at the Opéra-Comique, Paris.
This opera is famous for the aria "Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête!", which has been called the "Mount Everest" for tenors, as it features 9 high Cs and comes comparatively early in the opera, giving the singer less time to warm up his voice. Many lesser tenors do not quite hit the notes (hitting B natural instead), especially as they come in rapid-fire succession and require considerable vocal dexterity.
The opera is set near Bologna at the castle of the marchioness. (In the original the soldiers are Austrians, but on the stage they have been portrayed as Frenchmen.)
Marie, having been found on the battlefield as a baby by the soldiers of the second regiment, is adopted by them and follows her "fathers" as vivandière. Her life is saved by the young Swiss Tonio. She loves him, and as she has sworn only to belong to a member of the regiment, he enlists. She is separated from her lover, however, as she is recognised as her niece by the marchioness from letters which the honest sergeant Sulpice has saved. Marie bids farewell to her beloved regiment and to her lover and follows her relative.
The second act takes place at the castle of the marchioness. Marie's only pleasure, notwithstanding her riches, is conversing with old Sulpice, who has become an invalid and is living at the castle. She is to marry the son of the duchess of Craquitorpi and is almost reconciled to her fate when she hears martial music. Her old regiment arrives and with it Tonio as an officer. She throws all her finery into a heap, joyfully hails the troops and rushes into Tonio's arms. The duchess indignantly retires, and when the marchioness, who loves Marie as a daughter, gives her consent, amid universal rejoicing she is married to Tonio.
Act I
Chorus and ensemble. Duet between Sulpice and Marie: "Ha, it is she, the thunder, the joy"; Marie's song: "On the field of honour." Ensemble.) Tonio is to be shot as a spy, but is rescued by Marie, who declares that he has saved her life. (Marie's song of the regiment: "Does the world not know, does the world not say"; Love duet: "You love me"; Finale, chorus of soldiers; Tonio's song of the recruit: "I join your flag"; Marie's farewell: "Farewell, dear brothers."
Act II
Scene: "The young day arises"; Marie's aria of joy at the appearance of her old regiment: "Hail to thee, my country"; Terzett between her, Sulpice and Tonio: "At last we are united.") Finale: Marie tells the story of her life, the marchioness gives her consent and unites her with Tonio. (Final chorus: "Hail to thee, O my country."
Commercial Recordings


text:
Harvest Natural Resources CEO Discusses Q2 Results - Earnings Transcript
Actual results may differ materially from the company's expectations due to changes in operating performance, project or drilling schedules, oil and gas prices as well as other technical, political and economic factors.
Additional detailed information concerning a number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from today's information is readily available in the company's SEC filings under the heading risk factors and disclosure regarding our reserves. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form-10K which is available from the SEC or on our website.
At this time, I would like to turn the call over to James Edmiston, Harvest Natural Resources' President and Chief Executive Officer.
James EdmistonThanks Keith and thank you for joining us this morning. I trust you've had a chance to review our earnings release this morning and I'm going to provide a brief operation summary and then Steve is going to go over the second quarter financials. I'll discuss briefly that our previously announced transaction involving our Venezuela business and after that we'll open up for questions. So starting with Petrodelta, operationally Petrodelta delivered about 3.3 million barrels of oil or 36,418 barrels of oil per day to PDVSA during the second quarter compared with 2.8 million barrels or 30,680 barrels per day in the same period one year ago. That's an increase of about 19% year-on-year. Current productions north of 39,000 barrels of oil per day. July averaged about 37,500 barrels of oil per day and on July 17th Petrodelta eclipse the 40,000 barrel a day mark for the first time. Two drilling rigs are currently active in the field, one in El Salto and one in Temblador, while our third rig, a new build modular rig is currently rigging up in the Isleno field and should begin operations in September. Petrodelta is currently scheduled to receive two additional new modular rigs in the remainder of the year. So as we indicated in the previous call we expect both CapEx and production growth to be higher in the second half.
Select the service that is right for you!COMPARE ALL SERVICES
Action Alerts PLUSTry it NOW
Jim Cramer and Stephanie Link actively manage a real portfolio and reveal their money management tactics while giving advanced notice before every trade.
Product Features:
- $2.5+ million portfolio
- Large-cap and dividend focus
- Intraday trade alerts from Cramer
- Weekly roundups
TheStreet Quant RatingsTry it NOW
Only $49.95/yr
Access the tool that DOMINATES the Russell 2000 and the S&P 500.
Product Features:
- Buy, hold, or sell recommendations for over 4,300 stocks
- Unlimited research reports on your favorite stocks
- A custom stock screener
- Upgrade/downgrade alerts
Stocks Under $10Try it NOW
David Peltier, uncovers low dollar stocks with extraordinary upside potential that are flying under Wall Street's radar.
Product Features:
- Model portfolio
- Stocks trading below $10
- Intraday trade alerts
- Weekly roundups
Dividend Stock AdvisorTry it NOW
Jim Cramer's protege, David Peltier, identifies the best of breed dividend stocks that will pay a reliable AND significant income stream.
Product Features:
- Diversified model portfolio of dividend stocks
- Alerts when market news affect the portfolio
- Bi-weekly updates with exact steps to take - BUY, HOLD, SELL
Real Money ProTry it NOW
All of Real Money, plus 15 more of Wall Street's sharpest minds delivering actionable trading ideas, a comprehensive look at the market, and fundamental and technical analysis.
Product Features:
- Real Money + Doug Kass Plus 15 more Wall Street Pros
- Intraday commentary & news
- Ultra-actionable trading ideas
Options ProfitsTry it NOW
Our options trading pros provide daily market commentary and over 100 monthly option trading ideas and strategies to help you become a well-seasoned trader.
Product Features:
- 100+ monthly options trading ideas
- Actionable options commentary & news
- Real-time trading community
- Options TV


text:
Love comes in many forms and involves a varying degree of commitment. Probably, the most unequivocal love is that which a mother feels for a newborn child. Nothing special is required from the baby to justify the parent's attention and concern. That feeling is a biological imperative. Mothers do not simply walk away from their children. In fact, there are laws commanding a mother to take care of her child. But even that love has limits. So it seems. In ancient times, in certain cultures, a child who was born deformed was left out in the wilderness to die. It is thought that in prehistoric times a child who was born in the midst of a famine to a family that already had too many mouths to feed would also be condemned to death. But no one knows for sure. Sometimes, even in this day and age, a severely mentally retarded child will be sent to an institution rather than kept at home. Sometimes there is no alternative.
The unconditional love referred to above extends into the child's adolescence more or less unchanged. It is easy to imagine parents risking their lives to extract their children from a burning building or from a flooded river. Parents often work at jobs that threaten their health and well-being so that their child may thrive. In later adolescence, however, children reach a level of autonomy where sometimes, rarely, a young boy or girl behaves so badly, so destructively to other members of the family, that the family is driven to expelling him or her. An example of this sort of behavior is the young man who steals from parents to obtain drugs, or who is violent to a sibling or even to a parent. Invariably, in those unhappy circumstances parents engage in increasingly desperate attempts to save that adolescent from himself. All sorts of treatment have been contrived to deal with recalcitrant youths. These include psychotherapy, and ultimately jail. If nothing works, the family in final desperation will make him leave. Some parents despair quicker than others, but there is a point beyond which even the most committed parent cannot go. Parents have a responsibility to other children and to themselves. No such parent commands his or her child to leave the home, though, without feeling guilty.


text:
MLC Women Make Tournament as Fifth Seed
last modified 2010-02-20 09:28 PM
NEW ULM, Minn. - The MLC women's basketball team finished the regular season in fifth place in the UMAC, giving them a spot the UMAC tournament next week.
The women will play at Northwestern College at 7:30 p.m on Tuesday, February 23. The two teams split a pair of regular season match-ups this season, with MLC taking the second game by a score of 71-61 on February 6 at Northwestern.
Six teams make the UMAC tournament in basketball, with the top two seeds receiving a bye in the first round.


text:
May 23rd, 2013 By Pedro Fernandez
San Francisco, CA- How would you like to win a pair of Olympic Gold medals, go unbeaten in an abreviated professional career, handilly beat one of the elite top three 'pound for pound' fighters in the world in Nonito Donaire, and yet still be raked over the coals by the ex-HBO Godfather Larry Merchant and others?
Oh, and unlike the Chinese two-time Olympic champion, Zou Shiming, whom the Godfather recently covered in Macau, Rigondeaux was not benifited by near-criminal scoring. Truth be told, Larry is not alone in his dissing of Guillermo Rigondeaux, as the Cuban has drawn a lot of heat for his April 13th WBO 122 lb. title win over the now 31-2 Donaire at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
The detractors are for the most part are people who have endurred a threshold of pain equivalent to getting hit across the backside by a parent.
Some of us that have boxed found Rigondeaux's "hit and not get hit" style masterful! I mean, how else would one be able to beat the hardest one-punch knockout artist in the game today? With corpses like Vic Darchinyan, Fernado Montiel and s number of lesser names either horizontal or unconsious, engaging with Donaire would be akin to jumping off a 30- story building in real life or in other words, commiting boxing suicide!
Rigondeaux reminds me of Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker. He is not only fast, but has good ring mechanics and excellent defensive skills. He is never going to generate the excitement of Felix Trinidad or JC Chavez. He is all about hit and not be hit.This is why the sport is named BOXING .
U know what Pete? Ur right!! In a society that only appreciates violence how can these bafoons appreciate a true great and future hall of famer? The man is like art and he punches like a mule!!! Reminds me of Whittaker with power. It's sad that people like merchant are hofamers and bring down the sport with request of violence. I hate to be sacreligious but I find most of Ali's fight super boring. Rigo beat the ish out of a future h.o.famer. How can u complain about that? It's hit and not get hit. If that azzhole what's blood and guts he should just watch tuff man contest!!!!!! I think Rigo and most Caribbean Hispanic fighters should fight mostly in Florida and some in NY. With proper promotion he'd be ok. Also would be best if he keeps picking up those belts! Nothing like an undisputed champ. Nobody above or below can avoid them. And yes JRock to be the best u gotta beat the best, and dare to be great, unlike most fighters today. Rigo and bonito dared. There are some fighter who fight not to loose, if ur fighting the best comp eventually u will loose(sorry Floyd) but u have waited for ur comp to get old or loose a step or fought slow fighters. U should've fought pacman at his best
Nice short take Mike..
I just don't like the way folks saying Nonito was this P4P great fighter. Yeah he should be in the top 20 P4P. Yes he KOd Vic and Montiel. Those are the 2 best fighters on his resume, not bad so I don't want to take away from those wins but who has he fought since then. The asian dude had been off for 15 months and was about to retire, can't really get to much credit for that fight especially since the guy did not punch back. Had nothing to do with Donaire. From the start he was not punching, every fight he had was a showcase fight and he didn't always look good. If you are in a showcase fight it is your job to look good and he rarely looked good unless he was extremely bigger than his opponent. So he fights someone that is not scared of him and will punch back and look what happens. He also gets fighter of the year, he didn't fight anybody of merit. If that was the case they could of given the award to Wilder. Not impressed with Donaire. He did impress me with those 2 KO's of Vic and Montiel but this is a sport of what have you done for me lately and those 2 wins where a very long time ago. And then when he gets beat what does he do, comes up with excuses. Terrible
Rigondeaux is the business, but I can't agree with anyone Pedro included, that had Donaire up at the very top of the heap. Donaire has obvious and glaring faults, the worst of which is that when his athleticism won't carry a fight for him he doesn't have the boxing knowledge/skill/technique to adjust. I've said it many times before, what you see in round 1 with Donaire is what you'll get the entire fight. Kiss of death against someone at the skill level of a Rigondeaux.
nice take on it Pedro…i REALLY want to see how rigo fares against Mares, the other top gun around his weight class…I dont see anyone at 122 that gives Rigo problems…I hate to say it, but people want gore and brutality, and wouldnt be able to see excellence if it was taped to the inside of their glasses when it comes to the sweet science…most people that havent been in a fight in their life are the ones criticizing…just look at Donaire AFTER the fight..he got BEAT UP! no shame in that considering he lost to one of if not the best slick defensive fighter around who also hits like a mule…Its all about who can impose THEIR style to win…the only way to make everyone happy is put on a fight on the undercard that will deliver the action people want…ive always said that in order to keep fans interested, you have to set up fan pleasing types of matchups…with shortening attention spans, and bloodthirsty ghouls, its just the way it is unfortunately
on a side note….mad props pedro on having everyone beat on that story you put out about the boston nut cases involved in the tripple homicide…one guy involved fessed up but got killed while being interviewed by the FBI!
Thanks, 1200. No bragging, but sometimes I'm so far ahead of people I get lonesome!
He's been abused because the establishment doesn't favor Cubans. They only favor Mexicans or other latino fighters, but not black Cubans generally. Also the Cuban style is effective and not the most crowd pleasing and most are avoided because most have the ability to beat the top guys out there. Guys like Rigo, Abril and Lara are a stylistic nightmare for anyone out there and they are all southpaws. Most can't appreciate boxing skills, they just want to see street brawls. When guys like Mayweather and Rigo make world class fighters look like amateurs people make suggestions like" Donaire should have thrown more punches, or the guy ran, or he wasn't in shape." They fail to realize that the reasons why there opponents look so bad is because Rigo or Floyd, don't allow their foes to dictate the pace. The fighters look clueless because they are masters of ring generalship. It's the most overlooked part of the game of boxing, positioning and footwork. Most people who watch boxing think guys just go out there and start throwing punches, and it looks great when two limited guys are slugging it out, but when they meet a master they get exposed. Not as a bad fighter, but bv someone who is a student of the game. It's much easier to beat or KO a fighter who just stands right in front of you. For all the people that diss Rigo obviously have never been in a fight. Even in a street fight the object isn't to take punishment. If you can win without getting clipped, why take a chance? Thats why I lack respect for most of the boxing writers out there. They just don't understand that styles make fights. I bet if Rigo was fighting the caliber of foes that Donaire was facing, face first brawler types he's be more exciting, but then he'd get criticized for fighting bums. You just can't win with some people.
Rigo reduces Donaire to a novice type in the twelfth round, busted him up and gets criticized for it from writers like Dan "toot my own horn" Rafael and Kevin "I should stick to MMA" Iole. These guys are part of the problem. They are just mouthpieces for promoters. It's hard to say a guy ran when he landed all the significant blows in the fight and won just about every round. Donaire was reduced to just plodding around ineffectively, yet Chuck "Stuck in his own world" Giampa of Ring Magazine has Doanire ranked ahead of Rigo pound for pound? I am starting to think there's a racial tone here…The same hate many throw towards mayweather. I can't stand the guy as a person, he just perpetuates the stereotype, but as a fighter he's proven himself. Hasn't fought everyone we wanted him to, but who has? I have never in my like seen a fighter beat another elite fighter so decisively and be shitted on from the media. They're just mad because their BWA fighter of the year got his head handed to him on a platter.
The juice is in the action
Explain your comment Ted, please?