Kitchen Table Chats

I just returned from the Catholic New Media Celebration in San Antonio. I have much to write about on that, but for now, consider this article on the dissolution of the President's Council on Bioethics.

This is a topic near and dear to my heart as I finish up my final paper for my certification in bioethics from the National Catholic Bioethics Center.

Here is how I marked the beginning of the Year for Priests.

St. John Vianney, ora pro nobis!

Pope Benedict offers some powerful words about the Eucharist.

This little girl will be able to say, "Don't mess with my mama. She fought off a cougar with her bare hands!" When Maureen Lee saw a cougar pounce on her daughter and pin her to the ground, the mother acted quickly:

"She was on her back and (the cougar) had his paws on her head, and I just knew I had to react quick.

"So I just jumped in there and wedged myself between the cougar and her on the ground."

Then "I just got up and threw it off my back and grabbed" Maya and ran, she went on.

Even a wild cougar is no match for motherly love. However, do go and read the entire article and most especially the comments. The major concern seems to be the welfare of the cougar. There is outrage that the cougar was hunted and killed.

Consider this comment by tracie:

of course it had to be put down! it was only in its increasingly depleteing habitat! lets just put all wild animals down! disgusting! the animal gets shot again and again and again i give up on the huma…

I am supposed to be diligently working on my final paper for my certification in bioethics. I am writing a paper on the unethical nature of age-based rationing of health care. Of course, these events at the Basilica sound much more enjoyable!

This is the second of the three big feasts that follow the Easter season. Read more here.

I spent several hours today at the Ordination Mass for the Diocese of Arlington and the reception that followed. It was an inspiring, enjoyable, and grace filled day. More details here.

The whole dust up between David Letterman and Sarah Palin has been all over the internet for several days now. You can read about it here, here, and here. The bottom line is David Letterman was vulgar and insulting and thought it was funny. He still sees no need to apologize. He excused his "joke" about Palin's daughter being "knocked-up" by Alex Rodriguez by saying he was talking about the 18-year-old Bristol Palin and not the 14-year-old Willow Palin. That makes it okay?

What I find interesting is the following exchange between MSNBC reporter Contessa Brewer and John Ziegler, a media critic who recently interviewed Sarah Palin.



I am truly amazed that Ms. Brewer can dismiss Sarah Palin's offense at being called "slutty" by David Letterman as overly sensitive hurt feelings yet gets visibly irate when John Ziegler suggests the NBC network acts less than classy. Does she really believe that a woman should laugh off misogynous epithets but come unglued…

We are enjoying the blessings of ordinations in the D.C. Metro area. Remember that next Friday on the Feast of the Sacred Heart we begin the Year of the Priest.

Still lots of feasts for the month of June. The Feast of Corpus Christi, like the Feast of the Ascension in many places, has been translated to Sunday. But don't wait to start your Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which traditionally starts on the Thursday Feast of Corpus Christi. That starts today. Here are a couple of options:

Novena to the Sacred Heart

Say once a day for 9 days, especially beginning on the Feast of Corpus Christi and ending on the Feast of the Sacred Heart

O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore Thee, I love Thee and with a lively sorrow for my sins, I offer Thee this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Thy will. Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Thy blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy dea…

Have you ever heard of Servant of God, Francis J. Parater? He is a model for all of us, but if you have sons, make sure they know his story!

You may remember that it took numerous tantrums, phone calls, emails, and faxes to get my daughter seen in a timely fashion in the government run military health system when she ruptured her ACL last year. Recently, one of my son’s teammates had a knee injury. For months the mother tried to get a referral to an orthopedic surgeon. No luck. Finally, when the physical therapist noted an abnormality the pediatrician following the mother was able to convince them to give her a referral. He might be able to see the orthopedic surgeon within three weeks. Then an MRI could be scheduled which would be another five weeks. Fed up with the system, the parents opted out of the military HMO plan and went with a standard point of service plan. It meant more money out of their pocket, but their child would be seen promptly.

David Gratzer reminds us that this is the primary way governments ration care. And countries that have had government run health care for decades are backing away and embracing p…

I had the opportunity to interview Thomas Peters of American Papist fame. He was very gracious to make the time for my little column. Read it here.

Take this ice cream maker


Use the strawberry ice cream recipe from this cookbook.





Use strawberries picked at their peak of sweetness like the ones I got at Saturday’s farmers market. Heaven must be something like this.

There is more to eating like a Catholic than fish on Friday. Take a look!

My children are long past the Little Tikes toy stage. However, this article brought back many memories. My children didn’t have a cozy coupe. We had the black pickup truck instead. Many of their friends did have the Cozy Coupe. The neighborhood sidewalks often looked like the Beltway at rush hour.

While my children were enmeshed in the Little Tikes stage I was working at an urgent medical care office. One of the doctors I worked with was a gentleman over age fifty who had no children. He had just seen a child with a broken arm and was concerned the mother had not given a believable story. He was wondering if she was covering up abuse. Her account of the injury went something like this: Her five year-old had just been watching a surfing show on television. He wanted to try surfing. He climbed up on top of his Cozy Coupe and asked a friend to push him around while he tried to balance just like a surfer. He then tumbled down suffering a broken arm on the landing. My colleague questioned …

Is it just in the D.C. Metro area or is everyone else seeing images of Obama plastered on cars, T-shirts, water bottles, and key chains? Think Mao or Che Guevara. It is so pervasive that when I saw the new Pepsi advertising campaign I thought the Pepsi symbol was more Obama worship. Seems a little too similar to me!


Now we have the editor of Newsweek comparing Obama to God:



This is not healthy for our nation. This is not healthy for democracy.

One more reason I will be on my knees praying to the real God!

There are lots of reasons to celebrate June from a Catholic perspective.

The Secretary for the Congregation for the Clergy expressed some concerns about Catholics and confession. He is right to be concerned, but we may need more than the handbook he is offering.

On Sunday, after abortionist George Tiller was murdered, the White House issued this statement from President Obama:

I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence.

I completely concur with this statement. It was entirely appropriate for President Obama to issue such a statement.

In addition to issuing this statement, the White House had time to issue a proclamation of June as National Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Pride Month.

No thank you. June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Apparently, what the White House does not have time to speak about is the shooting death of a military recruiter in Arkansas. Is not the death of an American soldier at the hands of an anti-military Muslim convert as worthy of condemnation as the death of an abortionist at the hands of an anarchist?

I noticed li…

The murder of George Tiller was not the act of someone who is pro-life. But how should pro-lifers respond? My answer is here.