7 Quick Takes Friday, May 31st

For More Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

- 1 - This is just one piece of the crazy stuff I'm asked to understand where I work:

Seriously - some days I don't feel qualified to work here!

- 2 - Last week I finally did it - I ran 2 straight miles!  What an accomplishment!  Now working on being able to do 3.1 to finally master the Couch to 5K!

- 3 - This series (that's the 4th installment, you can find the rest in the first few paragraphs) has been an interesting find...  In the Cafeteria Catholicism Discussion, this part was particularly fascinating:

Cafeteria Catholicism is rooted in two basic problems. The first is a foundational relativism. What I mean by “foundational relativism” is the sort of relativism that is simply woven into American culture. Nobody thinks about it or discusses it. It is just there as a founding principle of the American worldview. This relativism can be stated as “I know what’s best for me” or “everybody has their own truth–what works for you doesn’t work for me.” Nobody thinks this through. It’s just part of the American air we breathe, but it’s poisonous air when it comes to the practice of the Catholic faith.

The other thing which has exacerbated the problem of Cafeteria Catholicism is a poor understanding and poor exercise of Church authority. Too many Catholics regard the teaching of the Catholic Church to be a sort of arcane theory of life for saintly people–not something for ordinary folks like them. They have a vague notion that the Pope is infallible, but see no real reason or way that the Church speaks to them in their ordinary life. Why is this? Because too many priests have been dishing out saccharine Oprah Winfrey self help homilies rather than teaching the faith.

Furthermore–and the most damning–they have seen the clergy and bishops living just like all the other materialistic compromising American Catholics. To often the clergy and bishops themselves have not lived the life they profess and preach. Why should the people take the authority of the church seriously when their own clergy and bishops don’t seem to take it seriously? They have been picking and choosing which parts of Catholic faith and practice they want to observe. Why should the laity be any different?

- 4 - This week was our first play off game and WE WON!!! 12 to nothing!  Oh, and I scored a run, yeah, you read that right, I scored my first run!

- 5 - Talked with Elisabeth last week, friend from St. Marys who lives in Denver now, and really want to fly to see her over the 4th of July.  Tickets are sooooo expensive though...$505, although my favorite travel search site (bing.com/travel) says price is 80% going to drop by $50!  Will it happen?

- 6 - Really missing my guy Lino this week while he's on vacation ... at least he's uploading beautiful pictures:

At least of beautiful places ... but can't say I don't think God did some good work there!  Excellent job Lord!

- 7 - New Roommate moves all her stuff in today!  Pretty excited ... yeah, welcome Lisa to the crazy house. It seems to be only one of three kinds of people live with me: ladies preparing for marriage, women who are crazy (ie: don't trust the bank system and keep their cash in a safe in my apartment and have a car parked out front that doesn't even work), or discerning becoming a cloistered nun (left the convent, lived with me, decided best option in life was to go back to the convent).  Which will Lisa turn out to be? any guesses...

Head on over to Jen's place for some quicker quick takes with her peeps!