tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post61862744484979725..comments2024-03-05T14:07:28.062-08:00Comments on Ask Sister Mary Martha: And Also...Sister Mary Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580244097177195453noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-10507580673210414082008-09-15T17:29:00.000-07:002008-09-15T17:29:00.000-07:00I'm forced to just tell you. I'm helpless against ...I'm forced to just tell you. I'm helpless against your bunny rabbit photo with the caption about 'mah feets.' I'm in love, heart AND mind. :] !!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-9797460019718924612008-09-11T03:29:00.000-07:002008-09-11T03:29:00.000-07:00Kainey, the ten-bead thing with a crucifix is usu...Kainey, the ten-bead thing with a crucifix is usually referred to as a chaplet. They can be used for rosaries, but there is also an entire class of prayers meant just for them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-67757583535608959622008-09-06T12:59:00.000-07:002008-09-06T12:59:00.000-07:00"We're Catholic. We don't care about money." ?????..."We're Catholic. We don't care about money." ?????? I must belong to a different Catholic church. I'm so tired of the bishop having his fingers in the till. All that money they paid out "not from collections" is definitely being restored that way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-47281425419731811342008-09-06T12:41:00.000-07:002008-09-06T12:41:00.000-07:00If tarot cards are only symbols, albeit symbols de...If tarot cards are only symbols, albeit symbols deliberately created in order to do things such as tell fortunes, and they receive theri only power from our attribution of them as such, our thought of them as ill-things, then how do we stop that from flying around and biting us in the back, so to speak? Are not all crosses two pieces of wood joined together, nothing in themselves, and all rosaies 59 beads joined together in a pattern, nothing in themselves? The power these objects have to do good comes from our thoughts and attributions in the same manner as our thoughts affect the power of tarot cards.<BR/>One could go on to deduce logically that if good and evil inhere in objects or actions only by human thought and attribution only and not by the presence of qualities of good and evil as real, non-relativist properties.<BR/>If good and evil (as intangible properties) cannot be bound up with tangible objects in anyway, then water blessed by a priest remains ordinary water as water qua water, and the same for wine, and the same for bread. There would be no real or discernable difference between a first class relic, a third class relic and my handkerchief.<BR/>If symbols of an evil thing are only symbols, then symbols of a good thing are only symbols and there is no real presence in the sacrament of the eucharist. Additionally, there can be no soul as we commonly conceive it because it too is seen to be an intangible entity residng in a tangible body. Sin, too, becomes problematic: it loses its absolute quality (such as venial, mortal) and becomes relativistic.<BR/>Evil acts are to be avoided above all, but if one sees evil to have a positive existence rather than being simply the absence of good, then it follows that that evil, which can inhere in both an action and a soul, must also be able to inhere in tangible objects and symbols.<BR/>It is not just human thought that makes tarot cards objects of the bad anymore than it is just human thought that makes the eucharist the real presence of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. It's a slippery slope down the road to consubstantiation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-63976117030095592832008-09-05T21:35:00.000-07:002008-09-05T21:35:00.000-07:00Flip... whatever kind of teacher he is, he is very...Flip... whatever kind of teacher he is, he is very handsome. Shame that I am old enough to be his mother.....Kiwi Nomadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13351034705766073667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-85824128114557533762008-09-05T18:39:00.000-07:002008-09-05T18:39:00.000-07:00Interesting blog! I clicked over from a friend. I ...Interesting blog! I clicked over from a friend. I am also Catholic. I would invite you to read more about yoga and meditation. The notion that you are supposed to empty your mind is a common misunderstanding. Not thinking is not possible, of course. The goal is to be mindful of thoughts instead of running away with them, to bring the attention to a single point rather than the 100 points we are usually flitting among. Thomas Merton's old friend Thich Nhat Hahn has many good books on the subject that make clear that this kind of mindfulness is not a matter of becoming Buddhist or joining any other religion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-4837851735412628522008-09-05T13:29:00.000-07:002008-09-05T13:29:00.000-07:00Not to mention, its not a contest! Its the nun non...Not to mention, its not a contest! Its the nun non-contest, there is no winner. The idea of choosing a winner is besides the point. Rather, its a recognition of all the amazing nuns out there doing good work. Although its cliche to say, "They're all winners", Its still so true.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-36893572161725411062008-09-05T07:05:00.000-07:002008-09-05T07:05:00.000-07:00Dolls are totally missing the boat on this contest...Dolls are totally missing the boat on this contest. It's not about looks. It's about the beautiful things these nuns devote their lives to. It's the vision of Christ shinging thru them that we love. Their beauty lies in their willingness to let Jesus work through them. It's not about their bodies, their clothes, their wealth. It's about their faith, their hope and their charity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-19744590859841099632008-09-05T06:51:00.000-07:002008-09-05T06:51:00.000-07:00What about Tai Chi?What about Tai Chi?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-26717506377638886302008-09-05T04:07:00.000-07:002008-09-05T04:07:00.000-07:00Hmm.Based on my reading of the Catechism I had dec...Hmm.<BR/><BR/>Based on my reading of the Catechism I had decided that Lying was a mortal sin. Father of lies and all, you know. <BR/><BR/>Reading it again I see I see that it is qualified based on the damage done to the virtues of justice and charity.<BR/><BR/>Welp, best just not to lie. I'll worry about it when it gets down to lying about whether my wife's dress makes her look fat or not.DaveWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01835113560041006697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-33964922826446785372008-09-04T17:49:00.000-07:002008-09-04T17:49:00.000-07:00I have a question about a chaplet that I received ...I have a question about a chaplet that I received as a prize at our parish kermess (cultural festival) this spring. It was given by our associate pastor, who has since retired to his native Colombia, so I can't ask him. It has ten beads in a circle and three on the chaint to the crucifix. I used it today for a rosary, as I forgot to take one with me this afternoon, but that's when I noticed that it has no "Our Father" beads. Do you know anything about it?Katneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13702911535481192870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-91068347463251866292008-09-04T17:14:00.000-07:002008-09-04T17:14:00.000-07:00What about nun dolls? There are a lot of beautifu...What about nun dolls? There are a lot of beautiful nun dolls out there. Maybe you could have a separate contest for beautiful nun dolls. Or would that be a sin?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-52677469780744360782008-09-04T17:07:00.000-07:002008-09-04T17:07:00.000-07:00If you are getting a lot of nun photos, I suspect ...If you are getting a lot of nun photos, I suspect there will just be too many to pick just one as a "winner." Might I suggest that we "award" honorable mention to as many of the nun photos as we feel like? After all, all nuns are honorable, and they should enjoy being mentioned!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-74923460189520891222008-09-04T15:14:00.000-07:002008-09-04T15:14:00.000-07:00I'm with Mel, I don't like to see anyone humiliate...I'm with Mel, I don't like to see anyone humiliated for entertainment value. As far as luck goes, does that mean we really shouldn't buy lottery tickets? And what about horse racing - my dad used to like a daily flutter - God rest his soul.joannaB73https://www.blogger.com/profile/06375449214052411277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-79642013247217106292008-09-04T14:25:00.000-07:002008-09-04T14:25:00.000-07:00Sister, what are your thoughts on the apparitions ...Sister, what are your thoughts on the apparitions to Rosario Toscano in Sicily (http://www.rocciadibelpasso.it/messaggiusa.htm)? They've not been validated yet, have they? I know it's a matter of personal choice to believe or not... but, if it is Mary, I don't feel comfortable ignoring her...<BR/><BR/>Also, you know the warnings that many apparitions have given about coming 'chastisements', what do those take the form of? Is it possible that those are natural disasters and so on? Or what? Like what Our Lady of Akita spoke of: "...if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never have seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead..."<BR/>Worrying...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-64621916237991080352008-09-04T11:33:00.000-07:002008-09-04T11:33:00.000-07:00Tarot cards have an inextricable connection to the...<I>Tarot cards have an inextricable connection to the occult/new age practice, and no amount of equivocation by changing the name or comparing it to a regular deck of playing cards can change that.</I><BR/><BR/>Historically, Tarot cards *began* as playing cards. The "divination" stuff came later (I believe Wikipedia says there's no record of them being used for divination before the 18th century). There's not really a "comparison" between Tarot and regular playing cards because, ultimately, they're the same thing.<BR/><BR/>If there's a drawback to collecting Tarot decks for the artwork--which, I must admit, I've thought of doing, but they're expensive--I'd think it would be the assumptions people might make about you.<BR/><BR/>Go ahead and play poker with that Rider-Waite deck, if you want to. It's not going to kill anyone.<BR/><BR/>(That's being facetious, but I agree wholeheartedly, Sister. The things don't have *power*, they're just paper.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-48970986942989369522008-09-04T10:55:00.000-07:002008-09-04T10:55:00.000-07:00I share your low regard for "reality" shows - I be...I share your low regard for "reality" shows - I believe there is a special ring of hell reserved for the creators of such drivel. <BR/><BR/>However, the "lying" a contestant does is not sinful - it is a GAME, and to win you lie. <BR/><BR/>Ordinarily, punching someone in the face or knocking them unconscious would be a sin - but if it is done in the context of Boxing or Football then it is OK. This has certainly been accepted by the Magisterium and approved by the US Bishops - otherwise, the CYO and Notre Dame University would be in big trouble!AndyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17668230729522669805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-53837894221200731752008-09-04T05:57:00.000-07:002008-09-04T05:57:00.000-07:00You are so funny. :)I like the comment about using...You are so funny. :)<BR/><BR/>I like the comment about using the humiliation of others as entertainment. My family *loves* American Idol...I have always been uncomfortable with it for just this reason, especially the early shows where these sad souls that have no shot at all are mocked and laughed at.melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06637174816423519588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-56257871971550512952008-09-04T05:15:00.000-07:002008-09-04T05:15:00.000-07:00Sister, Could you elaborate on the "knock wood" tr...Sister, <BR/>Could you elaborate on the "knock wood" tradition coming from the rosary?<BR/><BR/>Never heard that before, and love those kinds of stories!<BR/><BR/>Thank you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-43808245442653707892008-09-03T18:35:00.000-07:002008-09-03T18:35:00.000-07:00Ooo make the contest end Nov 1! All saints day! An...Ooo make the contest end Nov 1! All saints day! And nun's are saints! At least the ones I know!<BR/><BR/>It's also my wedding day *big grin* we thought having *all* the patron saints possible will benefit our marriage...ha!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com