Thanks for the feed back. I’ve always had reading to my kids planned as something I really wanted to do, I just thought they weren’t old enough till know. My daughter can handle me reading books with no pictures better than my son but I figure he’ll grow into it as I continue.

I’m hoping to “graduate” them to some C.S. Lewis books at some point in the future and then to Tolkien.

The Brothers Grimm rocks! How do parents expect kids to get into reading if their kids don’t get excited about the stories? Keep reading your kids stories that are peppered with words they don’t know; they’re quick little beggars on putting together what those words mean, so don’t ease up on ‘em. There’s a reason we call simplified texts “dumbed-down.” Of course, you’re probably already aware of how quickly they pick up the words you’d rather they didn’t.

Have a great weekend! It’s waffle night here, and I make the best waffles this side of Belgium.

It think I should clarify what I meant by “rebels”. I don’t think traditional Catholics are rebels. I was specifically talking about the SSPX priests who were excommunicated for for ordaining priests without permission from the Vatican and not repenting. An excommunication that has since been lifted. The Catholics who went to Mass under the, then, excommunicated priests, where not under that same excommunication. Only the priests. Those where who I referred to as rebels.

I’m not SSPX, but I don’t quite consider them rebels, either. The history of the SSPX is complicated, and a good case can be made for them having gotten the dirty end of the stick. They (correctly) believe it is wrong to be obedient to error. The arguments come when we discuss what error is. I have attended a Confirmation and a retreat at SSPX parishes, and can say firsthand that not only do they consider Benedict XVI the pope, they pray for him more than most Catholics.

I guess that’s the thing that bothers me about “traditional Catholics” being stigmatized or called rebels: the average traditional Catholic knows more about their Faith and does more to practice it than the average “regular” Catholic. They pray their Rosaries daily, attend Eucharistic Adoration regularly, go to Confession regularly and not only attend Mass every Sunday, but know that not attending Mass every Sunday without a darn good reason is a mortal sin, making you liable for eternal damnation if you die without confessing it. They also go to Mass looking like they’re there to worship God, not like they just happened to be in the neighborhood and dropped in.

You make excellent points about our separated brethren, but “no salvation outside the Church” isn’t merely a stick to beat on others with, it’s meant as an exhortation to the faithful that if they don’t preach the Gospel and convert non-Catholics, those souls might be lost - and we’ll be called to task for them being lost. I don’t think screaming, “REPENT!” is the right approach, but neither is giving them a pass because they’re good people who didn’t do the actual rebelling. V2 itself may have merely recognized the validity of their baptism, but the practice since the Council has been to de-emphasize missionary work and conversion, which puts many souls at risk.

I like where you’re coming from, Luis. I like the way you practice your faith, and that you blog about it as well. Our approaches differ more in nuance than substance, and I agree that things are looking up, though my optimism may be a little more cautious.

Oh, and thanks for waving your shiny new bishop in my face; my beach is a little south of yours, so we still have another year or so to wait.

God bless.

Yes, I understand the language of VII is vague, which is the reason why we have Tradition and Dogma to interpret it by, in spite of the fact that many of those who where in the council, tried to undermine Church teaching. It did not succeed, but it did hurt us.

My calling SSPX “anti-protestant” may have been an over simplification (I was writing to a non-Catholic so I was trying to make it simple), but saying the Church has spent all it’s time trying to figure out how to call Protestants Catholics is also a simplification.

Enough time has pass since the persons who rebelled against The Church with full knowledge and full consent are long since dead. The Protestants of today have NEVER known the fullness of Christ’s Church. Telling them their going to hell isn’t going to convert them anymore than having them tell US we’re going to hell is going to convert us to Protestantism. We can’t fault them for what they don’t know they’re missing. Many of them live far more pious lives with the little bit of the True Church they have than many Catholics do with the fullness of what WE have. The dogma that there is no salvation outside the Church is still there and it’s still true, but there is ALWAYS hope for God’s mercy and compassion. VII merely acknowledges their baptisms. A sacrament which can be done by anyone when done correctly. This means they have one toe in the Catholic door and that MIGHT be enough. We don’t really know. We hope.

Vague wording or no. Damaging as the council may have been. The Church is still THE CHURCH, and the gates of hell will NOT prevail against it. To rebel against it, is not an option. You want to change the Church from within? Do it like it has been done for thousands of years, become a Saint. We need Saints not rebels. That’s what really annoys me most about the “orthodox” that rebel. It only goes to show they aren’t orthodox at all.

I will say this though, there is a definite trend within the Church today, lead by the Pope himself, returning us to clearer orthodoxy. Just look at who the Pope appointed to be the new Bishop of L.A. Praise God!

Pax Christi.

Take, for instance, your comments on the SSPX being “anti-Protestant.” Prior to V2, the Church’s position was that Protestants needed to be converted to be saved. Since V2, there has been more emphasis on ecumenical discussions than conversions. The only problem is that extra ecclesiam nulla salus - outside the Church there is no salvation - is de fide dogma, which is the absolute highest level of dogma, and MUST be believed by all Catholics. Since V2 the Church has spent all of its time trying to figure out how Protestants can be considered Catholics, when the last thing Protestants want is to be considered Catholics. That’s just one quick example of how an orthodox Catholic might feel post-V2 doctrine conflicts with pre-V2 doctrine.

Sadly, the typical good Catholic these days has no idea what went on at the Second Vatican Council, or more importantly, what the Council pronouncements said. V2 documents are notoriously ambiguous, and have been (mis)interpreted in myriad ways. Many, many books have been written about these concerns, so I’ll never do it justice in a combox - I apologize for the long post as it is. I would recommend pretty much anything by Michael Davies (who’s rather level-headed) or The Rhine Runs Into the Tiber, which gives a play-by-play of the Council.

I’ll leave you with a simple, but important, example of how closely the documents of V2 are being followed in the Church today. Christ died on a Friday, and it was the custom of Catholics to abstain from eating meat every Friday in penance for the sacrifice He made for us on the Cross. At V2, it was recognized that giving up meat on Friday was not the most meaningful penance for some people (vegetarians, people feasting on lobster, etc.) and gave them the option to substitute a more meaningful penance of their choice. The documents stress that giving up meat on every Friday (not just in Lent) should be the norm, but if you want to substitute something more meaningful, you may. Now, how many Catholics do you know that are aware of this, and how many of them don’t eat meat on Fridays or do some other penance?

That, btw, might be part of the reason your Lents haven’t been as fruitful as you’d like: could it be you’ve overlooked the beauty of penance, the gift we give back to God when we do it well?

I hope this is helpful to people.

I’ll look among my pictures to see if there’s anything worth showing you.

Wow, I wouldn’t have figured you for an introvert since you do so well being social. I’m a total introvert. Being around people drains all my energy. My wife’s best friend is a total extrovert. She gets drained NOT being around people. She gets energized by them.