StephenBraunlich.com

Two great things happened today that I want to share with the world:

1. 1L year finished
2. I GOT THE NEW TOBASCO DONKEY’S ALBUM!

I don’t recommend going through the pain to get to the first if you can avoid. I DO recommend doing the second, though!

So I lied.  Here’s one more post before finals, a slideshow of the pictures I took of the Pope’s visit.

I’m putting the blog to sleep until the end of finals.  That means the next post will be on May 10, at the very earliest.

I love the Pope, and today I got to spend a lot of time related to him.  From the Mass at Nationals Park, to helping with his visit to CUA, to actually being in attendance at his talk, it was thrilling and exhausting.  I’m exhausted.

Yet I’m seeing around the blogosphere a lot of criticism of the Mass, and I want to say something about it.  It will be brief.

The Mass was an incredible experience.  It made my eyes water up and my throat choke a bit on more than one occasion.  And no, the choice of music did not take away from it one bit.  There is a lot of criticism of the use of multicultural music.  There doesn’t seem to be a lot of understanding that the history of the Church in the US is not all Gregorian chant.

While the Church East of the Mississippi may have been comprised predominantly of European Catholics, who brought over the “traditional” practices, this was not the case in the West.  Paul Horgan’s biography of Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy (first archbishop of Santa Fe) wonderfully captures how different things were, from the liturgical music to the religious art; this was during the 19th century.  Although I’ve not read much about Africa and Asia, I suspect the practices were similarly different.  In none of those cases would the practices be illegitimate.  In fact, one can’t help but wonder that if these areas were evangelized in 300 AD rather than 1500 AD, they would today be considered a sui generis Church, much like the Syro-Malankar or Byzantine Rites.  Then there  would be complaints about eliminating it, not keeping it the same!

Now I recognize that facts matter, and the fact is that the traditions of Catholic Church in the third world are not as long standing enough to become Traditions.  However, they have been long standing practices in the lands and among the peoples that came to be included in America through slavery, immigration, and expansion.  It seems to me fitting, then, that a papal trip meant to rekindle the Holy Spirit in American Catholics would involve some recognition of how the Spirit has moved through them and into their liturgical practices.  To do otherwise would be akin to the Pope taking a trip to someplace where most Catholics are, say, Byzantine Rite, and only saying a Latin Mass.

I said I would keep this brief, and I will.  But it seems striking to me that so many critics were so caught up in the liturgical music that they didn’t even notice that the Agnus Dei never included the words “dona nobis pacem” because the choir accidentally sang a third “miserere nobis.”  I would hope that even they would agree that it is the explicit content of what’s said that matters more than how it is said.

I am told that the Pope only fields questions from reporters while he is on a flight to and from a visit to another country.  With that in mind, you should go read the very interesting questions and responses from his trip to America.

Of particular interest was his response to the questions on the priest scandal and the religious culture of America.

On the priest scandal, he noted that “it’s more important to have good priests than to have many priests” while drawing a distinction between homosexual priests and pedophile priests.  In the context of the whole answer it appears to be a reaffirmation of the distinction made by John Paul II that passive homosexuality is not sinful, because were both homosexual priest and pedophile priests not “good priests” he wouldn’t have made the distinction at the start of his answer.  It’s a point the media hasn’t picked up yet, which means I’m reading it wrong, they’re not interested in talking about that point, or both.

On America’s religious culture, the fundamental thing that he would look to transport to Europe is “that the public institutions in America, albeit secular, draw on a de facto moral consensus that exists among the citizens.”  Presumably, this means that he believes there is the essential need for Europe to find a moral consensus.  Furthermore, this consensus could still support secular public institutions without harming religion if it is secular “out of love of religion, for the authenticity of religion, which could be lived only in freedom.”

Really interesting interview, and as always the Holy Father’s words are worth mulling over.

Sorry that it’s a day late. Here’s the first thing that popped up on my Pandora jukebox.

I am a man of constant sorrow
I’ve seen trouble all my day.
I bid farewell to old Kentucky
The place where I was born and raised.
(The place where he was born and raised)

For six long years I’ve been in trouble
No pleasures here on earth I found
For in this world I’m bound to ramble
I have no friends to help me now.

[chorus] He has no friends to help him now

It’s fare thee well my old lover
I never expect to see you again
For I’m bound to ride that northern railroad
Perhaps I’ll die upon this train.

[chorus] Perhaps he’ll die upon this train.

You can bury me in some deep valley
For many years where I may lay
Then you may learn to love another
While I am sleeping in my grave.

[chorus] While he is sleeping in his grave.

Maybe your friends think I’m just a stranger
My face you’ll never see no more.
But there is one promise that is given
I’ll meet you on God’s golden shore.

[chorus] He’ll meet you on God’s golden shore.

I’ve been on a bit of a Philmont rip this week, so here’s a photo from the Ranch. The plant is called Indian Paintbrush, and it grows throughout the West.

Then listen to his message to you!

Last Saturday, Catholic University’s 1Ls completed their Lawyering Skills Program with oral arguments presented in front of a panel of judges and practicing attorneys. In celebration of that, Sunday afternoon was set aside for hiking with a handful of friends through the hills of the Virginias.

Our trail for the day was not a long one, just a 5.5 mile out and back along the AT. Nor was it far, just an hour from Falls Church. It was Raven Rocks, near Bluemont. I’ve heard it described as a rollercoaster, taking you uphill and down in rapid succession. However, it was not as bad as I had expected it to be. At left you can see a trail marker we encountered by a damp stream bed.

The trailhead is fairly easy to find, and after zipping through Loudoun County we were soon on the damp dirt trail. It drizzled throughout the day, and at one point early on I slipped upon some damp roots. The impact with the ground smeared the dirt into my pants, and on that trail among the trees I was taken back to a Rayado trek through the Blessed Plot, hiking with youth and telling them not to step upon the wet fallen limbs. Heavier set now that I’m not hiking everyday, with my hairline receding, and trapped in a building most days, that mental trip back to the best summers of my life made me thankful for the times on the trail and to be back among Creation.

Continuing down the trail we went up and over the first few hills. Cresting one ridge, we came to a nice rock outcropping and paused for a lunch break. Off to the west a lone farm broke ground among the forest, enclosed by the mist. One of our party pulled out an Esbit stove and cooked up soup. Steam floated off the back of another. We sipped water, wished for a beer, and talked about our plans for the summer.

A short while later we came upon the Virginia/West-Virginin border. It was an unexpected by but welcome surprise. As you can see at right, some of us were more excited by the fact that we had walked to another state. The way we looked at it we could have gone further north if we wanted to, but were keeping it shorter for the sake of humility. The thought of thru-hiking, another life goal that doesn’t look to be met anytime soon, tugged at my heart as we hiked on.

Just a little while later we came to our ultimate destination, Raven Rocks. The location is fairly named, as there was one of the creatures neatly framed at his perch among the trees. I was too slow to get a photo of him. A house at the far left had what had to be one of the best views in WV, as it stared down this beautiful hollow.

After lingering among the rocks with ash from an unseen fire floating down upon us, we made our way back to the trail head.  Scrawled on the back of the kiosk at the trailhead was an obvious ad for thru-hikers: “Horseshoe Curve Restaurant and Bar, turn right, left at first sharp bend.”  Still thinking about the beers we wanted at lunch we made our way down to the bar and enjoyed some post hike beers and snacks, completing a fun, light hike.

That’s right, The Tobasco Donkeys are back and their new studio album will be shipping out later this month.  You can pre-order your copy at their sweet new website.  While you’re over there, take a little time to poke around and learn some more about the band.  For example, even though I’ve worked at Philmont for three years I’d never heard them referred to as the Spicy Asses.  Evidently, though, they have been.

Anyway, it promises to be a great album.  I’m particularly looking forward to hearing Peter Bingen’s new song, “Orange Blossom Special”, “Sixteen Tons”, and “Poor Wayfaring Stranger”.  So go out and pre-order now!