I left my heart in Hampton

     There are few experiences I cherish in this world as much as my Thanksgiving vacations in VA. (Disclaimer: A statement like that could get me in trouble with others in my family, but they are part of the other couple experiences I cherish that are not the subject of this particular post.)
     On the first day of our vacation, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law open the door to a world in which I can truly escape my daily life. Although not a spiritual retreat, our visit is a retreat in the true sense of the word for me. I am miles from the cares of work and my obligations at home and become part of an entirely different home. Not only do they willingly open the doors of their house, but their hearts, allowing the four of us to come piling in with all our "accoutrements". Some might consider the visit a practical invasion, but in their case, I can only believe it is a welcome one, since they keep feeding and entertaining us. :-)
     The invasion goes beyond the physical space of the home as there are some philosophical differences as well. I enjoy an honest discourse on all the forbidden topics (religion, politics, parenting, Coke vs. Pepsi, video-games). I believe people like me need such conversations, no matter how uncomfortable they may be. I want to be challenged and I like to be challenging. (After all, the goal of my weekend was to beat my 12 year old nephew at Wii boxing.) Thankfully, we all willingly and openly discourse on such matters reasonably and with charity.
     Then there are the other aspects of my personality. My wife is accustomed to most of these, but to subject her sister's family to them intermittently over several years may not be very constructive. Nonetheless, they receive me, my wife, my children and our accompanying quirks with all the dignity due to human persons. They treat many others the same way, which is an important and virtuous practice lost on many these days.
     Despite all the potential for division in one week, we are family, with a bond that such differences ought not sever. I actually believe our open dialog, mutual acceptance, and having some home-spun fun and tradition makes that bond stronger. So, to my dear family in VA, I send all my love. Thanks for helping me experience the true meaning of Thanksgiving every year. May God grant us countless more.

Nueva Entrada

     Well, this is strange. I decided I would take some of my very valuable time tonight to actually post an entry to my blog and I discover everything is in Spanish. For some, this might pose a problem. Thankfully, I know the language and navigate quite easily with it. In any case, this is but a brief intrusion into the blogosphere. Of most worthy note are my studies. I am reading The Tripersonal God by Gerald O'Collins, S.J. Quite informative if you're seeking to understand the limits of what we know from divine revelation and reason about the Godhead, but comprehension of that mystery will always elude us.
     At times, I feel uncomfortable with mystery. I want to know the truth about the object I am studying. I want to know it in its entirety so I can make the best possible judgment I can. Not surprisingly, I cannot do so with God. Though He is simple in regards to His being, He remains beyond the grasp of the greatest human intellect. We can only begin to understand him through analogy, and in that we must be resigned to say that whatever similarities He has to His creation, he is utterly distinct from anything in creation. We also use the way of negation. God is NOT mortal, NOT measurable, NOT visible, NOT limited, NOT finite, NOT made of parts, NOT bound to time, NOT, NOT, NOT. (That should suffice for the point.)
     So, I hope you have enjoyed this short foray into my studies. I would write more, but I have to read the rest of that book for Saturday. On second thought, I would like to correct the language problem with my blog, but nothing seems to be working. All indicators are that this is clearly the work of the Ghost of Cervantes.

Out 'til December

I am really sorry to all those who actually come to this wasteland of a blog looking for new content. I wish I could offer more, but I cannot. Not now at least. I have very much reading to do for the diaconate program and the blog is just not on the top of the list. Perhaps in December, when the semester is over, I can bring you all that I have been wanting to share.

I Got a Golden Ticket

     Although I wouldn't mind a trip to the chocolate factory, that's not the kind of ticket I received. It is a ticket to something far sweeter, the joys of which will be everlasting. After one very packed year of study, service, and scrutiny I have received a positive answer to my prayers in the form of a letter from my beloved bishop. The letter states that he has accepted my petition and the favorable recommendation of my evaluators; and so, this September, I will be installed as a "candidate" in the "Diaconate Formation Program" in the Diocese of Harrisburg, PA. Now, having made it thus far, there is still no guarantee that he will eventually grant me the grace of the "laying on of hands", but it is nonetheless a significant milestone on the path to becoming a Deacon.
     Many Christians today do not see the significance in being ordained a Deacon. Practically all modern denominations have demoted the deacon to the ranks of an adviser or trustee. Far worse, it is not even an ordained office in their eyes, so they wonder what the big deal is. The Deacon, however, has been a significant ordained office in the Church since the time of the Apostles. We see in scripture how the Deacons were ordained for service by the apostles in Acts and had the authority to preach, teach, and represent the Church in an official capacity. The lives of Stephen and Phillip come to mind as do the passages from Saint Paul that speak of being "sent". Elsewhere we can read the words of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, a disciple of the Apostle John, who says

"Indeed, when you submit to the bishop as you would to Jesus Christ, it is clear to me that you are living...as Jesus Christ.... [D]o nothing without the bishop, and that you be subject also to the presbytery [priests], as to the apostles of Jesus Christ.... It is necessary also that the deacons, the dispensers of the mysteries [sacraments] of Jesus Christ, be in every way pleasing to all men. For they are not the deacons of food and drink, but servants of the Church of God." (Letter to the Trallians 2:1-3 [A.D. 110]).

     The invitation to candidacy could not have come on a more significant day for it was the "Feast of the Queenship of Mary". For particular reasons, I had confided my prayers to the Blessed Mother, whom the Sacred Scriptures have revealed to be the queen of all those who follow Christ and keep his commandments.(Rev 12) I truly expected that I would have my letter in hand on August 15th (the Feast of the Assumption), but with faith in Christ, I continued steadfast knowing He would hear our prayers. I am very thankful for this gift so close to my birthday and look forward to another year sitting at the feet of the Master.

So-Called Weekend Projects

     If anyone here has ever truly finished a do-it-yourself, home improvement type, "weekend project" in one weekend, in its entirety, without a single item left unfinished for the next three years when you finally "get to it", please raise your hand. I am not talking about your simple, run of the mill, paint job or putting together your new grill. What I am pretty much working toward here is that no matter how much time you think you need to get it done, it's going to take longer.
     In addition, I find that there is always something you didn't count on. So far - praised be to our beloved Lord - I haven't hit that one yet, but I'll give it some more time. Why more time? Well because if you look at the timestamp on this post you'll see that the weekend is over. Sadly, the project is not finished, but it's looking good. I'll have to get a shot of it. After bed, after peeling my aching body out of bed, and after work tomorrow. I hope someone out there is praying for me by now!
     Good night.

2 Days 'Til Vacation

     I have two days to go before leaving for a much-desired, eagerly-anticipated, and dearly-needed vacation. Yet, I fear that I have so much to accomplish in the next two days for stability's sake that, if I don't get it all done, I will be thinking about it during vacation. Part of me wants to just say, "Oh well, it's a good thing no one will be able to reach me in the distant hills of wherever". (Location ommitted in case anyone had any ideas of tracking me down.) The more responsible side of me thinks I would be derelict to leave it all behind especially if it's incomplete. The best I can do at this point, instead of trying to get it all done, is to stop wasting my lunch time on this blog and start getting people comfortable with the status of everything and letting them know who will handle it, if anyone, and what will happen when I get back. Does that sound fair? I hope so, because if it's not, I'll waste my vacation worrying about it.

Willing Souls

     I will be finishing up my internship at the prison next Wednesday. I am saddened by that thought, although I am quite happy to see what two willing souls can do in eight weeks. Eight weeks ago, if you asked me what difference I would make in the lives of 15-20 Christian prisoners, I couldn't have told you. I went to listen and to learn how to make a difference. Not surprisingly, the Holy Spirit had other plans.
     Basically, my friend and I expected to have a mentor during this internship. Well, we didn't. On the first day we sat in the prison lobby, waiting for the prison chaplain to escort us into the chapel area. I wasn't afraid, but it was uncomfortable not knowing how to break the ice with these men. Then, by an act of God's grace, she showed up. We had heard about her steadfast ministry to the inmates in the past, as well as her love and commitment; but, she had cancer and was too sick from cancer and treatment to continue her ministry at the prison. We had no expectation that she would be there, yet there she was, like an angel from the Lord sent to guide these inexperienced and unknown interns through their first three weeks.
     You would never have guessed that this woman was suffering from anything, such was her joy in the Lord. She was practically the epitome of "true religion" a la James 1:27. From the moment she greeted us we could tell the Holy Spirit was present and active.
     Bodies scanned, bags checked, and hands stamped, we were all escorted into the facility together. The loud large doors were opened and we entered the outer yard. I may have been antimidated by this first-time exposure, but I wasn't. I was ready an willing to help, an attitude I can only attribute to the Holy Spirit within me.
     Inside the chapel, we could see clearly that she had developed a very deep and holy relationship with these men that was making a difference in their lives. She saw the inherent dignity that these men had as human beings created in the image and likeness of God. She brought them Jesus Christ and, like Christ, in the hours that followed, she raised them up out of the dust and blessed them with unconditional love.
     After the third week, our angelic guide had to return to her treatements. For the past five weeks we have raised the standard in her stead. We did not have the history with the men that she had, but we had the heart. In the following weeks I found that there is something about being a Christian that sparks to life when you are truly doing what the Lord has commanded or called blessed. Ultimately, if there is a greatest need these men have it is for continued and consistent love and discipleship.
     But for the grace of God, I might be where they are today. Because of that grace, I long to be with them as often as I can to listen, pray, teach, and worship with them. I won't be able to do that as often after this internship, nonetheless, I am committed to continue working on their behalf for years to come.
     You know...it's amazing what a difference 15-20 Christian prisoners can have on two willing souls.

Being "Mates" with Inmates

     I am quite disappointed to see that I have not blogged since June 15th. I was incredulous when my inspiration for blogging said it was so. So, I believe I owe the four or five of you an explanation.
     I have been deeply involved with prison ministry this past month. I go every Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday to give spiritual support, counsel, and fellowship to the inmates. They are a great group of men. I am very drawn to the ministry there and really wish I did not have to leave. These men are hungry for answers. They also desire to be seen as human beings. There is a terrible loss of dignity when you are an inmate. I hope that the few hours I have with them will help restore that dignity which comes from being made in the image and the likeness of God.
     I only have a few weeks left. I know the men will miss us and we them, so I am trying to find someone to fill in for me when I return to classes. Please take the time to pray for them. It's not an easy life, especially if the rest of it will be in prison.

One Eternal Choice

     I was working on a really thought-out, philosophical post for my blog today to finish up my free will in heaven series. I have given up on that one. Not that I do not have adequate material, but I just don't have the time to make it coherent. Besides, my posts have just been way too long. Maybe because they are former five-page philosophy papers made to fit in a blog post. At least, that's one theory.
     For now, I am concluding that there is free will in heaven and that choice may be something foreign to eternity. God is what we willed all along as we sought to satisfy any desire, rightly or wrongly. We are hard-wired to want Him, but there's that original sin thing that obscures our vision. Then, there was the day we chose Him and not our own selfish misguided ends. By His grace we saw how eternal communion with Him was what we were longing for all along. Nothing else compares; and so, we wait for the day when our wills will be absolutely free from any distraction. They will be at rest in the very God whom we've longed for in every desire we sought to satisfy.
     When our wills are at rest, we no longer have to choose. Making choices is just another burden anyway. Especially if you're me. I won't even tell you how long it took me to decide whether or not to scrap the initial post for this one. Its a sickness, but you can bet I'm not going to see a doctor about it. (That's an easy choice.) Lord, haste the day when I can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the rewards of the one choice that is eternal. Loving God.

Free Willy

     Spurred on by important comments (1, 2), I will continue to "spout" off some more about free will. I want to FINish this before midnight so I will try to be brief.
     By Nature, our souls are created to desire "the good"; but, because of original sin, our minds (intellect + will) are clouded; so, we at times perceive things to be good that are actually not good. We would never choose something we did not perceive to be good. If we choose evil it is because we have seen some benefit in doing it. If someone chooses evil for the sake of evil, they are pathological or under diabolical influences.
     In heaven, we are perfected, and so our wills always clearly perceive "the good" accurately; moreover, we see the very source of all that is good face to face; hence, all our choices are compatible with the Divine Will of God. The choices are still ours and they are still free.
     Concerning the existence of sin before the tree of the knowledge of good an evil existed: As discussed here, we see that Satan and the other fallen angels could and did sin before the tree existed. I maintain that if man does not always have free will, he ceases to be human. Free will is the evidence of the image and likeness of God in man. Man had it before and after the fall and, to remain truly human, will have it in eternity. A will does not cease to be free just because it does not have any evil to choose. A will can still be free in heaven to choose between two or more perfectly legitimate goods.

Sin in Heaven: Part Two

Before I could finish and post Sin in Heaven: Part Two, Tranquil Thunder stole my thunder with this comment on Sin in Heaven: Part One: "If 'No evil can be conceived of in heaven,' then why did Lucifer get tossed out? How did Jesus see 'Satan fall like lightning from heaven'" (Luke 10:18)?

     In Part One I concluded that those in the presence of the Divine Essence cannot sin; but, as Mr. Thunder (may I call you Tranquil) accurately quoted in his comment, I used the word "heaven". I should have thought better of the term. "Heaven" in scripture can mean the sky, outer space, or any "level" up to and including ultimate bliss in the presence of his Divine Essence. (Paul speaks of a 3rd heaven in 2Cor 12:2) In my conclusion, I am referring to the face to face encounter with God. When the scripture says that "Satan fall like lightning from heaven" or that he was "thrown down" from heaven (cf. Rev 12:7-9) it is referring to one of the former concepts, not the face-to-face vision of the Divine Essence.
     Concerning the angels, the Compendium to the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us:

Satan and the other demons "were angels, created good by God. They were, however, transformed into evil because with a free and irrevocable choice they rejected God and his Kingdom, thus giving rise to the existence of hell." (74)

Like Adam and Eve and their descendants, the angels "have intelligence and will"[1] and they also have choices to make. Their first choice, whether or not they would love God above all else, is clearly not unlike the one we must make in our lifetimes.
     With the understanding we have gained, we can correctly conclude that God did not create the angels in the immediate presence of His Divine Essence (or beatitude), for if he had, then some could not have fallen. So, Satan and the demons have not fallen from the state of being in the abode of God; rather, they presumed upon it when they sought to ascend to it and rebelled against God (Isaiah 14:12-15). Conversely, the holy angels were granted eternal communion with God as their reward for choosing Him.

1 Catechism of the Catholic Church (1993), 330.

Sin in Heaven: Part One

Can there be any sin in heaven?

     The simple response to the first question is "No," but it does require a more in-depth, philosophical answer. According the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

"[T]he souls of all the saints...who died after receiving Christ's holy Baptism have been, are and will be in heaven. [T]hese souls have seen and do see the divine essence with an intuitive vision, and even face to face, without the mediation of any creature. This perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity is called "heaven." Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness." (1023-1024)

Here, the key words are divine essence, vision, ultimate end, and supreme happiness. Using the reason of Saint Thomas Aquinas to define these terms can help us provide an appropriate answer to the first question.
     The divine essence is God. God exists eternally in and of Himself and is the primary cause of everything that exists; therefore, every existing thing derives its essence from God. Saint Thomas tells us that there are five transcendental attributes that each thing receives from God as part of its essence. They are "being", oneness, goodness, truth, and beauty. God possesses them in absolute perfection, but everything else possesses them at various, lesser degrees of perfection. The transcendental attribute pertaining to our current argument is goodness.
     Since humans comprehend things through the senses, we come to know that something is "good" when we desire it; hence, the essence of goodness is desirability. "Now it is clear that a thing is desirable insofar as it is perfect."[1] If you had to choose between sleeping on a lumpy old mattress and a brand new one made of the space-age foam they use in the space shuttle, you would likely choose the latter because it is more desirable, or better (more perfect), than the former. If you merely desire the good, space-age mattress, though, you will not be happy. In order for your will to be satisfied, you must actually have the mattress and delight in it (which in my case means sleeping on it). But, alas, even this mattress will become old and lumpy some day and your happiness will be lost and you will desire anew.
     What you really desire is supreme happiness, "the perfect good which lulls [satisfies] the appetite altogether...This is not to be found in any creature, but in God alone"[2] as alluded to above. God is the most desirable since he is perfect goodness and the source of all goodness. As Saint James tells us in his epistle, "All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" (1:17 NAB). So, the lesser goods of earth are just shadows of God’s goodness. Their goodness directs us to Him as our ultimate end because "God...created man to...share in his own blessed life [i.e., heaven]."[3] Which is to say: Our purpose for existing in the first place is to be in perfect communion with God forever. Or, in a more thought-provoking manner, "the last end is considered first because it determines everything else in life."[4]
     Herein, we must discuss the term vision, namely that eternal face-to-face encounter with the Holy Trinity in heaven, for "perfect happiness can consist in nothing else."[5] This vision, therefore, must extend beyond simply knowing that God exists to knowing what His very Essence is because "the object of the intellect is what a thing is...[w]herefore the intellect attains perfection."[6] In other words, if you don’t know what a space-age mattress is, you won’t desire it; yet, if I tell you about the mattress and all its benefits, you may then desire it, but you still won’t know what it is until you see it and experience it. Once you do, your intellect will be more perfect in regards to the mattress since your desire to know will be satisfied. In this manner, we desire to know God and supreme happiness.
     Finally, we arrive at the heart of our answer. In order to be supremely happy, your desires must be at rest without any fear of losing the delight you have gained. In addition, you must be assured of retaining that delight; else, you have not attained perfect and sufficient goodness.[7] Aquinas argues that "the vision of the Divine Essence fills the soul with all good things since it unites it to the source of all goodness;" hence, it would be impossible for you to reject it by seeking something better.[8] Unlike the things we seek on earth, which are insufficient to satisfy since they come with some inconvenience, God fulfills every longing completely and perfectly; therefore, no evil can be conceived of or perpetrated in heaven even though we retain our free will.

---

1 Peter Kreeft, Summa of the Summa (San Francisco: Ignatius, 1990), 91.
2 Summa of the Summa, 375
3 Catechism of the Catholic Church (1993), 1
4 Summa of the Summa, 349, footnote 2
5 Ibid., 381
6 Ibid.
7 ibid., 396
8 Ibid., 397

Real-Time: Part Two

     I concluded Part One saying, "Since God, being eternal, is outside of time and has no beginning or end, how does time, which has a beginning and continues to unravel unto an end, intersect with that eternity?" Putting the substance issue aside, I wish to focus on how God knows the end from the beginning whilst addressing the related issue of His sovereignty and our free will.
     Many people err by rejecting free will in the face of God's sovereignty, as if God could not be be truly sovereign and create beings along with physical laws that are totally free, independent of His will in every way except that He allows them to exist and act. On the one hand, to say he would not or could not implies that God is not all-powerful, but he is and he can. On the other hand, to deny the free will of mankind denies that we are created in the image of God for surely it is not our bodies, but our souls which bear the image of God. We manifest His image through the operations of intellect (reason) and free will (choice). Additionally, if men and women do not have an absolutely free will, then we are not really persons, but pre-programmed automatons. As Dr. Theresa Farnan (book, series) said in my philosophy class, "We experience our personhood in a unique way every time we freely choose something."
     Now, free will may seem like a fly in the ointment of eternity and sovereignty, but I don't think it's all that complicated. (Trying to fathom it is the hard part.) Since God is eternity, the creation of time along with everything else, is an eternal (timeless, outside-of-time) action. The result of that action has a beginning, middle, and end; but, we must make every effort to avoid understanding it as if God is thereby subject to time. In this eternal action, God sees the whole chain reaction of all the physical laws and the free choices of all men and women which God, in His sovereignty permitted. Intrinsically to the action, God knows about the fall of man, the need for a Redeemer, and how He wants it all to end. So, for lack of a better way to say it, God "decided" at what points to inject Himself into time in manifest ways to draw us to Himself as our ultimate end.
     The most important intersection of time and eternity is the crucifiction of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is the focal point of all history. These encounters with God that occur in time are all part of the eternal action to begin with (if we can even use that terminology). We see this in Sacred Scripture, especially in Revelation 13:8 where we are told that Jesus is "the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world."
     Ultimately, we cannot accuse God of any mistakes. His plan was The Plan all along. It is an eternal plan in which we are totally free, permitted by His sovereignty to choose. As part of the plan, God guarantees that every person will have been offered sufficient grace to be saved from final damnation, but they must choose to receive it. In this way, He remains a merciful Father and just Judge.
     It is at this point that I have discerned how highly improbable an entirely satisfactory conclusion* on the matter is attainable in my lifetime; however, I won't let that keep me from seeking one.

*Note: Satisfactory Conclusion = Full knowledge and understanding of the matter.

Real-Time Part One

     I have spent a lot of time thinking about time in the past year. Ever since I began studying how you can prove the existence of God as a metaphysical reality without appealing to faith, I have spent many moments pondering time. The connection may seem loose at the moment, but it all has to do with the nature of God.
     God is an eternal being, and the supreme being for that matter, who created all things. Time is one of those creatures. Additionally, we only exist because God wills us to, as Saint Luke says, "In Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28)
     Now, many would say that time is unraveled like a time line on the table in front of God, but I struggle with this concept. Not that I doubt the infinity of God, but because I don't think that there is any substance to the past and the future. I propose that the present is the only aspect of time with substance; therefore, any notion of time travel introduced into science fiction ruins the story for me because I find it not only unrealistic, but unrealizable. I can't even bring myself to imagine it just for the sake of the story. (Basically, Star Trek IV and Star Trek: First Contact were impoverished by the time travel plot.)
     To say the future is unraveled before God would imply that it has substance already, but it doesn't exist yet even if God knows what we are going to choose and how it all ends beforehand. Since God, being eternal, is outside of time and has no beginning or end, how does time, which has a beginning and continues to unravel unto an end, intersect with that eternity? That remains a great mystery to me, at least for the moment.

Underwear Rags

     My wife claims it isn't funny; but, I never claimed it was funny. Although I did laugh.
     I had placed an old undershirt on the end of the couch saying that I had another rag for her. She glanced at it and declared with slight disgust, "I don't do rags from underwear." Her odd statement combined with mistaking the undershirt for underpants (gross) was humorous to me. I corrected her, still chuckling, and she replied with slight disgust, "It's not really funny."
     At this point I was just overcome with the masculine counterpart to "the giggles" and offered it up as the topic of my next blog entry. She predictably persisted that "It wouldn't be funny."
     Now despite all the chuckling, I never said it would be funny. I simply said it would be the topic of this blog, though not seriously. Unfortunately, I was pushed into it just to prove her wrong. So, here you have it. Are you laughing yet?

Too many accounts

     Well, to express the sentiment of the "I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" commecials: I am coming to a sad realization. Namely that I have way too many online interests to deal with. I find the whole facebook thing fun and interesting, and I have my work email, my personal email, and now my own blog. Now, it may not sound like much, but I have no time to keep up with them all, do my online shopping, read my favorite online news sites, take care of my wife's and children's technical problems, and watch the latest Strong Bad Emails all in one week. ( I can already feel your sympathy. )
     In any case, the one that has my attention for the time being is the blog. It forces me to have to think long enough to compose something that is an expression of myself for potentially no audience at all. Now why would I want to do that? I don't know, maybe because I'm the kind of person who talks to himself on a regular basis and this is just another form of that. So, I guess I do have an audience even if it is just me. The good thing is, my self-talk outside of a blog tends to be more as a result of the negative. Here, I feel more positive.
     So, here I shall post, but refrain from "going postal". See, I feel better already :-)

We are free

Happy memorial day!
     Here is my small tribute to those who made it possible for me to sit here a freely type whatever I want on the internet. Well, almost whatever. Which makes me think of how many people mistake freedom for all-out unrestrained license. There are rules for a reason, and many people don't think any rules apply to them. Instead of being free, they are slaves to their vices. True freedom is choosing what's right, not choosing what seems best to me, or what makes me happiest. That philosophy has led many down self-destructive paths.
     The men and women who died in the wars of our nation saw beyond their own personal liberties, their comforts, and their lives to ours. Now, I know there are those who fought for less noble reasons, but I want to focus on those who put themselves into harm's way nobly. From wars past to modern-day Iraq, men and women are seeing the need to be self-sacrificial in their love of their fellow man. They have freely chosen to do what others cannot, or what others refuse to do. And what other kind of love is there really? If it is not totally self-giving, is it truly love? They could have chosen to avoid their duties, preserve their own lives and comforts and liberties, but in fighting for our country they loved people they didn't even know -- you and me. Now that's freedom!
     May God bless them all and may the souls of the faithful departed truly rest in peace.

Welcome to my first post on the Gregorian Chant blog site. My wife says I should call it Gregorian Rant, but I just don't feel like ranting. I do have my opinions and if I ever have enough time I might share them here, but I would rather not go on about my own ideas as much as I would like to speak of matters in terms of realism and reason.

Stay tuned and something might happen here.