Theology of Marriage

Theology of Marriage


When Fr Edison approached us about offering testimony to you, about to wed, I believe it was not coincidence, but a nudge from God, leading him to call on us to offer to you that which we truly believe; the call to aid and enlighten as you prepare to enter into the most paramount journey of your lives.

Quoting a statement from Pope John Paul II “The very preparation for Christian marriage is itself a journey of faith. It is a special opportunity for the engaged to rediscover and deepen the faith received in baptism and nourished by their Christian upbringing. In this way they come to recognize and freely accept their vocation to follow Christ and to serve the kingdom of God in the married state.”

Did you ever look at marriage as a vocation? We’ve surly heard the more common descriptive concerning marriage such as institution, but I really never considered it a vocation. Even now, as God leads me to speak to you, I learn more and understand one more piece of this marvelous mystery.

What you’re about to enter into is a covenant, so special, so glorious that it has been raised by our Lord to the dignity of a sacrament. The unending circle of our Christian faith bonds us more intricately into the woven intimacy of one flesh with each other and Christ. In other words, God sees this and claims “This is very good.”

I think to the most casual observer, we can all agree that our society has evolved into one in which the atmosphere is thick with the temptation to become complacent to so much of which clearly goes against God’s wish for us. Our divorce rate is nothing to write home about. I can attest to that on a much more personnel level and but for the grace of God, have I been tempered and reminded of his unchanging plan for us, always more perfect than I could ever imagine.

Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman, and thus the first original marriage, continues to speak again and again of its mystery, God’s plan for it, his meaning for it and concludes, leaving us with the vision of the “wedding feast of the Lamb.” It’s no coincidence; Jesus begins his public ministry at a wedding. Again and again, his teachings revolve around marriage, even commenting on the guidelines given by Moses, reiterating marriage’s “indissolubility”, according to the will of God. Through the good times and the bad, in sickness and in health, till death do us part. Forever, period.

There is a perfect plan for us all, one in which we are guided (if we choose to be) as we journey down roads that we cannot possibly see but for all the twists and corners, roads that with faith, we too can walk on water like Peter, overcome any and all obstacles in the mystery of life, including the sting of death. God reasoned, “It is not good to be alone” so he created woman to be man’s helpmate, companion, mother of his children, mother of all life. This may seem so insignificant but if we look deeper, God’s perfect plan is revealed over and over. We were meant to be with one another, as one; one body, one blood, one perfect unity with Christ, who in us and through us spread the harvest of our covenant, to our children and to their children, until we all meet at the wedding feast of the Lamb.

It started with your baptism, the long journey that to God is but a breath, taking you through your childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and now to this sacred sacrament of marriage. I can’t imagine life without my wife to be there for me, as I for her, two minds and souls, melding, nurturing, loving, as God asks of us. Through the origin of sin were we granted the pain of childbirth and the sweat of our toil but by the grace of God are we enabled to rise above our frailties be filled with the holy Spirit, radiate peace and spread love. The Catechism, 1615 words it so eloquently, stating “By coming to restore the original order of creation disturbed by sin, he himself (Christ) gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension of the Rein of God. It is by following Christ, renouncing ourselves, taking up our own crosses will we be able to “receive”
the original meaning of marriage and live it with the help of Christ. This grace of Christian marriage is a fruit of Christ’s cross, the source of all Christian life.” How wonderful it is to know that our marriage is a fruit, a fruit of that wonderful cross, graced with Christ’s blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant.

Right to free Speech ?

I realize how hard we have fought to attain our constitutional rights but now I wonder if people are getting away with moral crimes by exercising their precious free speech. I'm referring to the Westboro Baptist Church that attends military funerals and protest the allowance of homosexuality. There is a time and place for everything but disrupting a funeral is about as un-christian and act as I've ever seen. I can't imagine the pain and humiliation on the part of the deceased soldier's family and friends. A funeral is a time for saying goodbye, grieving, and above all, giving honor and respect to a loved one.

This Westboro Baptist Church, mostly made up of one family, is taking it upon themselves to protest and disrupt over what they feel is important. I am arguing their right to do so, I am stating that they don't have the moral right to place themselves in a position to cause more pain and suffering on people atop of having to bury their loved one.

The issues they are protesting for, I somewhat agree with, however, there are moral obligations to be considered as well as their 1st amendment right. I personally believe that our country is decomposing from our lack of moral ethics. I don't even watch TV because most of what is aired, to me is terrible. Even our sit-coms early in the night, are filled with sex, dissipation, most of what I feel is not appropriate for young children to be exposed to.
Our laws are continually changing to eliminate God from our society. We can not have any photos, monuments, crosses, or anything depicting Christianity on display publicly. We have sold out God and put false gods, pagan gods, and idols in place of our Father. As our grandparents and parents used to say: "We're going to hell in a hand basket."

Still, what this so-called church is doing with their protesting, I call blasphemy. As Christians, we are called to follow Christ's teachings, and preach the Gospel, not disrupt funerals, causing so much pain needlessly. I could stake my life that members of the Westboro Baptist Church are not sinless. Every single human being is a sinner. It is not our duty or direction to go about causing disruption and tongue wagging. The sad part is, our constitutional laws are protecting these creeps.

Oswald Cane

This is not the first time I've had to use Oswald. I had to acquire it last winter to help me after a fall. After that, I kept it in the back of the Volvo, finding it useful for hooking and pulling items to the back of the hatch. After Monday night's situation on the hall stairs, Oswald was brought out of the Volvo and employed once again. Good ole Os. I found it more handy for more than just supporting me when I walk. The end of the handle is perfect for hooking things from about the room. Last night, I woke up chilly and Os hooked and pulled my afghan off a shelf, without getting up. So, with a little imagination, I can keep Os busy for a while!

VistaPrint is eviil!

You've probably heard of them VistaPrint. They offer business cards for free or next to nothing. A few years ago, I ordered some and they were OK (the cards) About two years ago, I ordered some other cards from them and while I was at the checkout window and they already had my debit card no. a box opened up offering $ 10.00 off the amount. I clicked on it. That's when the trouble started. Now's a good time to advise everyone to scrutinize their bank statements as soon as they come in. I did not. A couple months went by and my bank account was kinda low, but I was aware of it. One day, I got a note from the bank advising my of a bounced check. I looked into it and discovered that VistaPrint was drawing a few bucks out and had been the last few months. I called them to resolve it and they told me that I had authorized them to for some service. I told them I did not authorize anything of the sort. They claimed I did not read the fine print. Well, the fine print must have been printed by an ant. I told them to stop that action right away and complained about the NSF fees from the bank. They told me to send them the bank statements and it would be straightened out. I again demanded them to stop this bogus service. I thought I had it straightened out and forgot about it and decided to lick my NSF wounds and move on. The next month, I got many NSF charges for bounced transactions. I contacted them once more and really got the run around. I printed out the last few months bank statements and went to the bank to deposit the money to bring my account back up to at least zero. While I was there, I asked to see the bank manager. I explained to her the problem. She went into my account and verified what I told her to be true. She cancelled my debit card and ordered a new one with a new number so VistaPrint could not continue to dip from me. She then waived all the NSF fees and instead of being minus $ 60.oo, I ended up with plus $ 145.00. It was three days before Christmas. I started to thank her but burst into tears. She smiled and wished me a merry Christmas. I am writing now to warn everyone how we all can't be too careful with our on-line transactions. I later saw a news article about just my problem and they mentioned VistaPrint and other so called legit firms doing that.
Nuff Said!

In my own words Pope John Paul II

It is a beautiful and salutary thought that, whereever people are praying in the world, there the Holy Spirit is, the living breath of prayer. It is a beautiful and salutary thought to recognize that, if prayer is offered throughout the world, in the past, in the present and in the futture, equally widespread is the prersence and action of the Holy Spirit, who "breathes" prayer in the heart of man in all the endless range of the most varried situation and conditions.

More, In my own words Jouhn Paul II

The Holy Spirit is given to the Church as the source of strength to conquer sin. Only God has the power to forgive sins, because he alone sees right into the human person and can measure human responsibility completely. Sin remains, in it's psychological depth, a secret which God alone has the power to enter, in order to say to a person the efficacious words: "Your sins are forgiven you, you are pardoned."

Past New Years Reflections

Here we are; another New Years Eve. Just trying to remember some of the celebrations I've played in bands over the years. The specific years are all fuzzy, but I remember a couple (at least) with the Back 40 Band at the Geneva Moose Club. It started with a climb up narrow stairs with the equipment, through the kitchen, to get to the main room and set up. Then there was the let down of the party woodchucks coming in to celebrate. The band sounded good, but the spirit was hard to conjure up in a room of strangers, smoke, laughter, and tipsy folk on the dance floor, doing their best to knock my teeth out, bumping into the mic stand! In the 80's, the pay scale, even at the Geneva Moose was probably better than today's pay on New Years.

I seem to remember a couple New Years Eve parties at the Ontario Fire Hall, playing with the Shortbread band. I probably did know more folk at those occasions, as I grew up in Ontario. Still, it was not the most exciting place to be on New Years Eve. I remember one time there, my wife and the bass player's wife took off bar hopping while we were playing and didn't come back till way after the ball dropped. Lord knows where they went, but my wife was not able to stand on here own two feet, and I found her outside, fertilizing a snow bank with tequila, vodka, and Cognac. That was a memorable occasion for sure.

The most profitable New Years Eve I ever played was the California Brew Haus, solo, six sets, from 9 to 3:30 AM. Dickie, the proprietor, got a special permit to stay open till 3:30! It was quite a night. By midnight, I lost my voice, ran out of material, and reverted to songs I've never performed, like Doo Wah Diddy. I only knew one verse and repeated it, stretching out the song for the dancers. The funny thing I remember was people requesting the stupid song again! By 2:00 AM, I managed to retrieve my voice, continued singing, playing, and amusing myself with the antics of the crowd. One drunk gal got up and sang with me, her breath, stinking of booze, me, bobbing and weaving, in a feeble attempt to escape her breath. I was smart and did not drink any booze. Good thing, too, for I passed through two road blocks on my way home.

In my own words Pope John Paul II

Materialistic concerns and one-sided values are never sufficient to fill the heart and mind of a human person. A life reduced to the sole dimension of possessions, of consumer goods, of temporal concerns will never let you discover and enjoy the full richness of your humanity. It is only in God--in Jesus, God made man--that you will fully understand what your are. He will unvieil to you the true greatness of yourselves: that you are redeemed by him and taken up in his love; that you are made truly free in him who said about himself: "If the Son frees you, you will be free indeed" (Jn 8:36).

In my own words Pope John Paul II

The incarnation of the Son of God attests that God goes in search of man. Jesus speaks of this search as the finding of a lost sheep. It is a search which begins in the heart of God...If God goes in search of man, created in his own image and likeness, he does so because he loves him eternally in the Word, and wishes to raise him in Christ to the dignity of an adoptive son. God therefore goes in search of man who is his special possession in a way unlike any other creature.

Bucky's Peanut butter & Jelly Cocktail Meatballs

Yep, it sounds crazy, but it turned out good!

The sauce:
With the slow cooker on high, add
1/8 Cup Olive Oil
12 oz chili sauce
10- oz grape jelly
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 vinegar
1/2 cup red wine1/3 cup water

The Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 course ground pork butt
1 cup sauteed onions
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 grated Romano cheese
1/4 parsley
2
TB Cayenne pepper
1/4 red wine
1 beaten egg
2 Tb caraway seeds
Salt & Pepper

Mix it together nicely, and form small meatballs. I fried some in olive oil, and roasted some in the oven at 375; both ways were fine.
When the sauce is hot, add the meatballs and bring up to a bubble. Reduce cooker to low and simmer.
Sweet, spicy, Bon....you know!

Pope John Paul II 1987

The name of Jesus, like the Word of God that he is, is a two-edged sword. It is a name that means salvation and life; it is a name that means a struggle and a cross, just as it did for him. But it is also the name in which we find strength to proclaim and live the truth of the Gospel: not with arrogance, but with confident joy; not with self-righteousness, but with humble repentance before God; never with enmity and always with charity.

Pope John Paul II
In My Own Words

Opps!

Yesterday, a nice day for a drive, I took the Lake Rd. from Webster, intending to travel to Pultneyville, to visit a friend. After driving a short distance in Webster, through a beautiful winding, woodsy area, I noticed each time the car encountered a knoll to climb, it began to cough and choke. After about a mile of that, it lost all power. I scanned the road for a safe shoulder to pull off; nothing. As I began to slow down to a slow coast, I had to make a judgement call and bail into a nearby driveway. I was now off the road. Trying the starter, I could tell it was not getting gas. The stiff-headed Sicilian in me, counseled that one of the two fuel pumps had quit. I reached for the cell phone and called AAA. I advised my situation and position, adding that there was a freak chance I had run out of fuel. As I was blocking some one's driveway, they put a priority on the call. The sun was shinning, and I stepped out of the car to enjoy the woods across the road. Both sides of the road where lined with heavy barked trees, climbing 75 to 100 feet. I was entranced by the song of the tree limbs, squeaking against each other and swaying to and fro. Once in a while, one of the trees would raise it's voice above the rest with a loud snap. It had been quite a while since I had the chance to be in the woods, quiet, alone, serenaded by the trees. Nice! Within 15 minutes, a guy from the Webster Fire Dept. pulled up to make sure I was off the narrow road in a safe spot. He advised me the tow truck would be along in a couple minutes. The tow gut arrived, I advised him of the possible out of gas scenario. He dispensed a couple gallons in the tank. I hit the starter a few turns, but nothing. As the car was parked on the steep incline of the driveway, he thought maybe by lifting the back end up level, it would move the fuel forward. Up went the rear of the Volvo, round went the starter, and no response from poor ole Gustoff. He continued to hitch it up to the tow truck and we headed off back to the city, Volvo, following behind. He backed it into my driveway, unhooked it, I thanked him and away he went. I was about to go in the house to warm up a bit when I decided to try the starter once again. After a couple turns, the car responded with a quick sputter. I cycled the starter again and this time it fired and started with a powerless idle. I stepped on the gas pedal and it stalled. I counted to 10, hit the ignition switch again, and it started up like nothing was ever wrong! I stepped on the gas once more and it roared into action. The last time I ran out of gas was about 28 years ago. I reckoned I was about due again. I thanked God that it was a nice day, I was not on some goat path of the Finger Lakes in the dead of night, and that I did not have to plan on a repair bill one week before Christmas! Long live AAA!

A quote from Pope John Paul II

Christ himself carried a burden, and his burden--the cross--was made heavier by the sins of us all. But Christ did not avoid the cross; he accepted it and carried it willingly. Moreover, he now stands beside those weighed down by trial and persecution, remaining beside them to the end. It is for all people and with all people that he carries the cross to Calvary, and it is there that for all of us he is nailed to his cross. He dies the death of a criminal, the most humiliating death known to the world at that time. That is why to those in our own century who carry terrible burdens he is able to say: "Come to me! I am your Brother in suffering. There is no humiliation or bitterness which I do not know!"

Hotface

What is Prayer?

It is commonly held to be a conversation. In a conversation, there are always an "I" and a "thou" or "you". In this case the Thou is used with a capital T. If at first the "I" seems to be the most important element in prayer, prayer teaches us that the situation is different. The "Thou" is more important because our prayer begins with God.

Pope John Paul II

Ultimate Toddy for a cold

So, I've got another crappy cold. Got overtired last week, got run down, you know. COLD..........

Yesterday, day 2 of the cold, I chopped up some ginger root, about the size of half my thumb. I got that boiling in some water, added a bunch of cinnamon, 1 Tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 cloves, 1 teabag black tea, 2 jiggers whiskey, 1/3 fresh squeezed lemon juice and let that bad boy simmer for a while.

While it simmered, I took advantage of the steam from the pan and covered my head with a towel and breathed in the steam and vapors. Nice. The ginger and whiskey vapors went right to work on my head.

I ended up drinking the better part of my teapot of the wonderful stuff!

Cold go away yet? No, but I was only seeking relief from the sneezy, coughy, temple pounding, throat burning ..........I could go on forever, but, try the toddy!

Killer Meatloaf with twice baked taters and green beans

Killer Meatloaf with
Twice baked potatoes,
Green Beans with honey roasted peanuts and Caraway,
Garlic Sticks


The Meatloaf

2 ½ lbs ground beef
1 onion chopped fine
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup oats
2 tbs pepper
Salt to taste
1 can cream of celery soup (Don’t add the water)
1 hot pepper

Well, there’s the list; throw them together. Once you add the soup, it’s a sticky mess till it’s mixed together! It did not fit into the usual bread loaf pan; I put it in a longer cake dish. Bake about 1 ¼- 1 ½ hours at 350

The Potatoes

Wash and cut potatoes in small pieces and boil till tender. Drain water, return to bowl, mash, adding butter, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. I always leave the skins on! Place in bread loaf pan, sprinkle shredded Romano cheese on top and bake with meatloaf, an hour or so at 350

The Green Beans

I used frozen French cut beans and steamed them for 3-4 minutes. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil, garlic, crushed fine, the beans, ¼ cup honey roasted peanuts chopped and mashed in bowl, and lastly, sprinkle a tbsp or so, caraway. Stir fry a few minutes, blending everything.

The Garlic bread

I had some day old whole wheat bread and thought I’d jazz it up. I cut thick slices, cutting the slices into 2 ½ inch strips. I had seeped crushed garlic in olive oil, and placing the bread on a baking sheet, I spread liberally, my garlic/oil mix over the top and threw in the same oven with my meatloaf and potatoes, baking the bread at 350, almost ½ hour.


I enjoyed that dinner to the max!

Buckybob's Stir Fry Extravaganza!

Buckybob’s Stir fry Extravaganza!



Carrots, sliced thin like French Frys
Potatoes, sliced thin like French Frys
Get the above steaming for bout ½ hour

Slice up water chestnuts, lots of garlic, one big onion
Some French Green Beans
Chicken Breast (already cooked)

Get your fry pan ready with olive oil, or canola, brown the onion, garlic water chestnuts while adding some Sweet&Sour dipping sauce, horseradish, some cranberry sauce, and Chinese Mustard.

Add all the rest of the stuff, season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and stir fry together for a few minutes.

Buckybob's Rye-Wheat Rolls

BUCKYBOB’S RYE-WHEAT ROLLS


Got about four hours to bake? I made these tasty treats last night.


2 ½-3 cups warm water
1 ½ TBS yeast
1 TS salt
½ cup corn meal soaked in warm water a bit
2 Cups rye flour
2-2 ½ Cups wheat flour
1/8 Cup molasses
1 TBS coco
¼ Cup honey
1 TBS anise

Combine yeast, water, salt, molasses, honey, coco, and corn meal . Start adding the flours, bout ½ cups at a time and mix. Add anise. Add and mix with big wood spoon till you can no longer add any more flour. Dust a kneading area with flour and turn the mixture out of the bowl and start to knead. Add flour over and under the dough as it gets too sticky to handle. Knead dough at least ten minutes or more. When the dough is tacky but not too sticky, the kneading is most likely complete. Grease a large bowl, place dough in, cover with towel, and place in warm area to rise. Allow about 2 hours to rise. Back out on floured board, punch down and spread out on the board like pizza dough. Grease lightly, a cookie sheet, sprinkle some corn meal on sheet and coat lightly. Cut from the dough, and form your rolls, place on cookie sheet. It’s OK if the rolls touch each other. Cover again with the towel and back to the warm rise area. Allow 45 minutes to an hour to rise, heat the oven to 400. Bake for 10 minutes, reduce oven to 350 and bake remaining 45-50 minutes.

You should have produced crusty bottoms and tops, soft and chewy bread inside.
Don't just stand and stare; eat up!

Wonders never cease

Good morning, Rochester, NY
Just a quick update on my life.
I am no longer doing guitar repairs at Echo Tone Music. The closed minded owner went crazy when he found out I was advertising to do repairs in my home shop as well. Keeping in mind, I have no store front, no real advertising, and expect very little return for my efforts, the store owner still went nuts about it. The truth of the matter is, I was not doing a ton of repairs at his store and only was trying to add a few more bucks per week to my income. Maybe I shot myself in the foot by even trying to add more customers to my repair slate, but now it seems this music store shot themselves just below the belt area with their actions. If I loose $60.00 of income in a week or so, the store will forfeit $ 160.00 in repairs not done, plus the loss of a qualified tech. This all could have been resolved and smoothed over if the store owner had just called me and spoke to me without going postal on me with e-mails, threatening me with Federal Trade Com. copyright breech, bashing me in my own blog and on Cragslist.
So, I am planning a new web site to cater to my guitar repairs, my music compositions, my gigs and my impact in the Rochester NY area. I am sorry for all the customers who bring back their instruments to the store for future work, for now I won't be there. As far as I can tell, and I realize there are most likely a few customers not happy with my work and did not inform me, I am at 100% satisfaction with the majority of the work I completed. So, with the help of some small adds, I must rely on word of mouth by those familiar with my work to keep the repairs and restorations coming in. At the moment, I have a very old Bauer Mandolin to resotre and a vintage Kay banjo from the early 60's to work on.
REPAIRS ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!