Cardinal Dulles' article on Capital Punishment from a 2001 edition of First Things is required reading for my juniors. We often forget that the Church has not and does not believe that the death penalty should be totally abolished. Dulles examines Scripture, the Church Fathers, and the subsequent Magisterium to make his case. This article makes note of that quite clearly and summarizes several important points from the original Dulles. From the Weekly Standard:

Seemingly none of the recent obituaries of Avery Dulles, a renowned theologian and Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, has mentioned his crisp, theoretical defense of capital punishment. The Cardinal's careful explanation of his church's teaching responded to the popular impression of blanket Catholic opposition to the death penalty. Liberal Catholic politicians, even when opposing their church's stance on abortion, have sometimes boasted of their supposed conformity with Catholic teaching on capital punishment.

"Self-defense of society continues to justify the death penalty," Dulles told a symposium in 2002. "One could conceive of a situation where if justice were not done by executing an offender it would throw society into moral confusion," he said. "I don't know whether that requires any more than that it remain on the books, symbolically, that it be there for society to have recourse to."

Dulles emphasized that Pope John Paul II and the bishops in recent years have upheld the classical Catholic tradition about capital punishment, affirming its theoretical validity, while warning against its potential for "miscarriages of justice, the increase of vindictiveness, or disrespect for the value of innocent human life."

I wish I could do this... from ANSA:

The Vatican will no longer automatically adopt Italian laws as its own when a new statute comes into effect on Thursday, according to Vatican daily Osservatore Romano.

Jose' Maria Serrano Ruiz, president of the Commission for the Revision of the Code of Vatican Law, said the move was motivated by the ''exorbitant number'' of Italian laws, as well as their ''instability'' and frequent contrast with ''the irreversible principles of the Church''.

Although the Vatican is an independent city-state, its residents are largely recognised as Italian citizens.

Under the current statute signed by Pope Piux XI in 1929, Italian laws are accepted by the Holy See except in cases where there is ''radical incompatibility'' with the basic principles of canon law, Ruiz said.

But the new statute signed by Pope Benedict XVI will mean all Italian laws will have to be examined by Vatican authorities before they are adopted as part of the city-state's own legislation.

Well, I knew that vacation was coming but I got an extra day due to snow. I have two full weeks off from school but it will hardly be a vacation!

Thankfully I'm only playing ten Masses during these two weeks, which when you factor in the fact that it's three weekends, Christmas, and a holy day, it's not half bad. Although the funerals I will play have yet to be scheduled...

I'll be in school all day tomorrow cleaning out all of the many drama closets and reorganizing all of it. Just another day of vacation. I'll also be practicing for Midnight Mass for a couple of hours (hey, we start singing 30 minutes before). I also have to copy the psalm sheets for the next two months (there's no copyright infringement here before the lawyers start emailing me). Of course, there are two choir rehearsals during my vacation and I've set about to plan both the winter Ordinary Time period and the entire season of Lent as well. If I don't do it now, when will I have the time? Unfortunately, I need to write my own arrangement of four or five pieces. Just another thing to do!

Also during my vacation, I'll be planning lessons and reading papers from my job as a Confirmation Director. I also need to write my "Annual Report" to be provided for all the parishioners.

Of course, I'll have to drive two hours to visit family for Christmas and hopefully stay with them and rest for two and a half days.

Then I'll work on this website and update it!

As far as school work goes, the list is manageable:

• Prepare quotes, sayings, and factoids for my quote board for the months of January and February.
• Review and revise mid-term exams for both courses.
• Plan, outline, and prepare two chapters of material for the juniors.
• Plan, outline, and prepare four chapters of material for the seniors.
• Prepare (and make) wall decorations for my classroom for the months of January and February.
• Work on compiling an email list of every parent in our school, sort them by class, and find and upload them into a respectable (and cheap) piece of email software or online service.
• Choose, compile, and edit daily prayer for the entire school for the months of January and February.
• Grade papers and post grades online from the past two weeks.
• Thoroughly clean classroom.
• Create a new vocation project for the seniors.
• Write a set of five short assignments on Catholic culture for the seniors.

I think I'll beat the next person who says to me, "Wow! Two weeks of vacation!" as though I'll be sitting around watching movies, reading books, playing online, and hanging out with friends!

Thanks be to God that I love my work... in fact, this weekend I finished my daily quote board material into March, finished all but two days of school prayer for the next two months, and nearly finished planning winter Ordinary Time music! Not to mention choosing an online email service for the school and compiling and uploading over 50 addresses!

Of course, it's only 6pm here... enough time to finish winter Ordinary Time, practice for Midnight Mass, and write Christmas cards for the choir members!

Oh and I'll probably pray at some point too. And shovel snow.

GOD IS GOOD!

On what date was Jesus really born??

In the grand scheme of things, I don't consider this an important question. The fact of the matter is he was born and we don't know the exact date so celebrating it on December 25 is as good a day as any as far as I'm concerned. Well, there are a few places to look for real answers to this question. You may consider sharing this information with older students who may enjoy the scientific side of their faith.

First up, Touchstone Magazine published an article in 2003 by a historian who debunks the notion that December 25 was chosen to coincide with a pagan festival of ancient Rome. A small taste:

It is true that the first evidence of Christians celebrating December 25th as the date of the Lord’s nativity comes from Rome some years after Aurelian, in A.D. 336, but there is evidence from both the Greek East and the Latin West that Christians attempted to figure out the date of Christ’s birth long before they began to celebrate it liturgically, even in the second and third centuries. The evidence indicates, in fact, that the attribution of the date of December 25th was a by-product of attempts to determine when to celebrate his death and resurrection.

So how does Tighe connect the date to celebrate Easter with the date to celebrate Christmas? Read the whole article to find out! My students are reading it this week as an assignment in fact.

The second interesting article is from an astronomer in England. From the U.K. Telegraph:

The researchers claim the 'Christmas star' was most likely a magnificent conjunction of the planets Venus and Jupiter, which were so close together they would have shone unusually brightly as a single "beacon of light" which appeared suddenly.

If the team is correct, it would mean Jesus was a Gemini, not a Capricorn as previously believed.

Australian astronomer Dave Reneke used complex computer software to chart the exact positions of all celestial bodies and map the night sky as it would have appeared over the Holy Land more than 2,000 years ago.

It revealed a spectacular astronomical event around the time of Jesus's birth.

Mr Reneke says the wise men probably interpreted it as the sign they had been waiting for, and they followed the 'star' to Christ's birthplace in a stable in Bethlehem, as described in the Bible.

Generally accepted research has placed the nativity to somewhere between 3BC and 1AD.

Using the St Matthew's Gospel as a reference point, Mr Reneke pinpointed the planetary conjunction, which appeared in the constellation of Leo, to the exact date of June 17 in the year 2BC.

The astronomy lecturer, who is also news editor of Sky and Space magazine, said: "We have software that can recreate exactly the night sky as it was at any point in the last several thousand years.

"We used it to go back to the time when Jesus was born, according to the Bible.

"Venus and Jupiter became very close in the the year 2BC and they would have appeared to be one bright beacon of light.

"We are not saying this was definitely the Christmas star - but it is the strongest explanation for it of any I have seen so far."

So there you have it.

[Second article h/t to the always imitated but never duplicated, AmP.]

Today is Friday of the First Week of Advent.

Today in Catholic History: Pope Innocent VIII issues the Summis desiderantes, a papal bull that deputizes Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger as inquisitors to root out alleged witchcraft in Germany and leads to one of the severest witchhunts in European history (1484); Niccolò Sfondrati becomes Pope Gregory XIV (1590); Birth of Pope Julius II (1443); Death of Saint John of Damascus (749)

Mass Readings: Yesterday | Today | Sunday

Classroom Ideas:

- Since Saint Nicholas' feast day falls on a Saturday this year (tomorrow), celebrate it today with candy. Be sure to tell the stories and legends associated with this ancient saint.

- Do the Advent Calendar activity now at the end of the first week of the season in order to demonstrate to students the structure and celebrations that will be commemorated over the next few weeks.

- Read the readings for the Immaculate Conception so that students are prepared for school Masses on Monday. Other resources can be found here.

* I had this this all typed out and ready ahead of time and just forgot to post it! Sorry! *

Today is Thursday of the First Week of Advent and the optional memorial of Saint John of Damascus.

Today in Catholic history: In the first Crusade, the crusaders capture Sidon (1110); The final session of the Council of Trent is held (1563); Father Jacques Marquette founds a mission on the shores of Lake Michigan that will later become Chicago, Illinois (1674); Death of Pope John XXII (1334).

Mass Readings: Yesterday | Today | Next Sunday

Classroom Ideas:

- Celebrate Saint Nicholas Day tomorrow since it actually falls on Saturday this year. If you asked students to bring in their shoes today, leave them in your classroom overnight and share some candy tomorrow. Then discuss the life of Saint Nicholas as you enjoy your treat.

- Use Sunday's Angelus message of Pope Benedict as a reflection on Advent.

My resources for the Advent season are posted. They are not as complete as I would prefer, but it's a good start. Please, please offer feedback and if you use any of my ideas, be sure to email me and tell me about it!

Today is the memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, priest.

In Catholic history: Death of Pope Anastasius IV (1154)

Mass Readings: Yesterday | Today | Next Sunday

Classroom Ideas:

- Since Saint Nicholas' feast day falls on a Saturday this year, I will be celebrating it on Friday with my students. I will ask all of them today to bring in one shoe tomorrow to leave in my classroom overnight so that we can have candy on Friday. This is very popular with the students. It's a great excuse for candy, but most importantly, exposes them to an important tradition and to the life of an ancient saint.

- America Magazine is featuring a weekly Advent series by Father DiGiacomo, S.J., a respected Catholic educator. His reflection for this past Sunday is worth reading with older students. Unfortunately it is only available to subscribers.

- To commemorate the feast of Saint Francis Xavier, here's a quote from one of his letters to Saint Ignatius:

We have visited the villages of the new converts who accepted the Christian religion a few years ago. The country is so utterly barren and poor. The native Christians have no priests. They know only that they are Christians. There is nobody to say Mass for them; nobody to teach them the Creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Commandments of God’s Law.

I have not stopped since the day I arrived. I conscientiously made the rounds of the villages. I bathed in the sacred waters all the children who had not yet been baptized. This means that I have purified a very large number of children so young that, as the saying goes, they could not tell their right hand from their left. The older children would not let me say my Office or eat or sleep until I taught them one prayer or another. Then I began to understand: “The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

I could not refuse so devout a request without failing in devotion myself. I taught them, first the confession of faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; then the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Father, and Hail Mary. I noticed among them persons of great intelligence. If only someone could educate them in the Christian way of life, I have no doubt that they would make excellent Christians.

Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians.

I wish they university students would work as hard at converting these people as they do at their books, and so settle their account with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to them.

This thought would certainly stir most of them to meditate on spiritual realities, to listen actively to what God is saying to them. They would forget their own desires, their human affairs, and give themselves over entirely to God’s will and his choice.

They would cry out with all their heart: “Lord, I am here! What do you want me to do?” Send me anywhere you like - even to India!

Today is Tuesday of the First Week of Advent.

In Catholic history: Death of Saint Francis Xavier (1552)

Mass Readings: Yesterday | Today | Next Sunday

Classroom Ideas:

-Show the video at www.adventconspiracy.org and discuss its goals. Then allow students to give their thoughts on how they might follow the ideas they are putting forward.

- In my classroom, I have a Jesse Tree that the students have decorated with ornaments that they made in groups. Each day I go over one or two of the ornaments at the beginning of class. If you don't have one, mention some of Jesus' ancestors. See if they can name some and tell stories. For example, one might recall Abraham and the promise God made to him. This is all to demonstrate that Jesus was born into a particular culture at a specific time which directly impacted his humanity.

Today is Monday of the First Week of Advent.

In Catholic history: Deaths of Pope Leo X (1521) and Pope Pius VIII (1830).

Mass Readings: Yesterday | Today | Next Sunday

Pope Benedict's Intentions for December:
General: That in the face of a spreading of a culture of violence and death the Church through her apostolic and missionary activity may promote with courage the culture of life.
Missionary: That especially in mission countries Christians may show with acts of fraternal love that the Child born in the stable at Bethlehem is the luminous Hope of the world.

Classroom Ideas:

- Introduce the season. Remind the students that Advent is not just about preparing for Christmas but also to prepare us for the Second Coming of Jesus. Yesterday's Gospel is a great place to start a discussion of this important focus.

- Use this reflection to help students internalize this idea and apply it to their own lives. This is from Rocco Palmo's blog, Whispers in the Loggia. He is beginning a new series in which he posts a homily from different priests for each Sunday and holy day of obligation. This week's is well worth using because of its images and its very clear theme.

- Play the short overview of Advent podcast from the Bible Geek at LifeTeen. It's only 4:20.

Those who know me are aware that for the past year or so I've been trying to rebrand this site as a resource for Catholic educators (of which I am one). I've finally done it! All my Advent stuff will be posted by Tuesday night (troubles with my camera today forced a delay). There will be many features of the season, the centerpiece of which will be lesson ideas and useful reflections for high school students. Most of the material is original so you won't see it anywhere else.

I'll post a note on the blog once it's all finished.

One feature that will be on the blog will be a daily (Mon.-Fri.) link to something you could use in class. I'll try to post it at 7pm (Eastern) the night before. Please give me feedback in the com boxes or email me.

Advent is my favorite season... I spent an inordinate amount of time at school this weekend finishing my room. I hope my work can be of some benefit to others. I also hope that it can fill the void for good, solid resources for Catholic teachers on the net.

From today's Boston Globe, a look at the making of hosts for the Eucharist. If you follow the link, there's a video of the process as well. If you teach, students will enjoy this. Consider this an "end of class" change of pace.

There are very few recession-proof businesses left in the world, but the Cavanagh family of Rhode Island thinks they may have one - they make Communion wafers for millions of churchgoers each week.

These days, the company connected to the prayer business is enjoying an uptick.

"When times are tough, more people seem to go to church," said Brian Cavanagh, the chief executive officer of Cavanagh Co. He said sales of the company's altar breads are up as much as 5 percent this year, a possible indicator of the national mood. Sales spiked 10 percent after the Sept. 11 attacks.

In its 62d year of operation, the Cavanagh family business is the nation's leading supplier of Communion wafers. Their commercial bakery in this northern Rhode Island town runs 24 hours a day to make about 25 million wafers a week, primarily for Catholics, but for other denominations as well.

The company's manufacturing floor is a humming assembly line of weird, Willie Wonka-like machines. Contraptions custom-built by the Cavanaghs will thud, click sharply, and whoosh at odd intervals, like the percussion section of a highly experimental jazz band.

This effort goes to make one of the most revered products in the world, which faithful members of the Catholic Church believe will become the body of Jesus Christ.

The family markets its bread as "untouched by human hands" until they are delivered to parishioners in the Communion line. "You just want to make it as perfect as possible," said Andy Cavanagh, a member of the family that runs the business.

Before the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s, Communion wafers were shiny white, much thinner than they are now, and designed to dissolve on the tongue, the Cavanaghs explained. The Church now celebrates the Eucharist with wafers that more closely resembled bread, and the Cavanagh Co. patented techniques to produce thicker unleavened wafers with sealed edges to prevent crumbs, the Cavanaghs said.

The family boasts of an 80 percent market share in the United States, and similar or even greater percentages in Canada, England, and Australia. With those kinds of numbers, the Cavanagh Co. is the Microsoft of altar bread.