Black Friday is the high feast day of our thing-centered cult-ure

Black Friday is the high feast day of our thing-centered cult-ure

By Carson Weber

The English term "culture" is derived from the Latin cultus: worship or reverence.  It's a mode of being, a way of life, a world view, a paradigm.  Like the air you breathe, your culture influences the way you dress, the manner in which you treat your neighbor, the food on your table, and all the rest.  It is an inescapable lens through which you view the world, and it shapes your priorities.

The prevailing culture stems from what a society worships or gives worth to (i.e., worth-ship).  A contemporary example rests in the manner professional sports fans spend their discretionary income and leisure time.  Reverence of the San Francisco Giants translates into action.  Businesses shut down for the day to give employees ample time for the liturgical procession along Market Street, adorned with the festive colors of black and orange.

We are wired for worship, and we will stop at nothing to fill that inner trajectory of the human spirit for the infinite. In the post-modern, secular, materialist culture we find ourselves situated within, this orientation has brought us to adore the work of human hands. The high feast day of the liturgical calendar of this thing-centered cult-ure is Black Friday. Millions of American lives center upon inanimate objects, which devour our limited time and treasure.

The early Christians' liturgy of the word consisted of synagogue worship on Saturday. Before Sunday sunrise, these followers of the Way would gather in the dark to sing hymns to the Christ and consume his flesh and blood in the liturgy of the Eucharist as daylight broke (cf. Pliny's Letter to the Emperor Trajan, A.D. 112). In like manner, American consumers pay reverent attention to the word proclaimed by multicolored mailers in the days leading up to the great pre-dawn gathering, wherein chants of "open" give way to the great consumption of goods.

Amidst our overcrowded and efficiency crazy American work schedule, we are graced with a blessed holiday (etymology: holy-day), and how do we choose to spend it? By spending it. We shackle ourselves anew to the work of rising before dawn to trample our brother in hopes of attaining more stuff. The insatiable craving of the soul has no end. Or does it?

Thank God for Moses who gave us Saturday and Jesus who gave us Sunday. Also, thank God for my employer who graciously gifted me rest from work this Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday. You'll find this overachiever lounging with a good friend over a cold glass of Guinness, enjoying the warmth of family life, and warming a pew at a Cathedral Mass - far away from the mass of bling-bling - gifting back praise to the Almighty, who truly satisfies.

Now don't get me wrong. I might just have to hop onto Apple.com for ten minutes to satisfy my thirst for things temporal and possibly land a sweet deal. But, that's for later. Priorities first.

Carson Weber resides in Sacramento and is the author of the Understanding the Scriptures Podcast at CatholicBoard.com. He holds a BBA from Texas A&M University and an MA in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Family and the Holidays

 

I am not a real Fan of Dolly, but the song speaks words of wisdom.
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With so much pain and suffering in the world, the holiday time should be set aside for families to gather, rejoice in their bonds, love each other, and share in their common experiences. There are many families who have fought, who have not acted kindly to each other, and hold strong grudges. Yet, all can be forgiven. Isn't that the message of Christ.

Sometimes it takes just one person to set aside who was "Right" and just move on. It just takes one step to begin the process of healing. Often the most stubborn has the most hurt, carries the most sin, and often cannot feel Christ's love at all in their life. 

Maybe you can be Chrsit to that family member this Thanksgiving and Christmas Season.

Memorial Day - Family and Friends!

We woke up this morning and along with a few friends drove to the lake for some family fun!

Kayaks always lead to more fun.

But one has to eat to live......

Then the clouds blew in.

Then the rain poured from above....

So we packed up and headed back to home, but not before we had a lot of fun.....

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

I must say that I have never really realized the significance of this man or this day entirely. Yes I have studied the history and have heard of the injustice, but I was raised in a family and small community with Blacks, Whites, Mexicans, and a variety of races that all worked together, played together, and socialized together. I didn't witness racism personally so it never seemed to be a significant issue to me.

Maybe because I was raised in an Irish family, and the fact that my father's generation endured prejudice, had felt the pain of injustice and hate, that we were raised understanding that all men are created equal. Maybe it was our strong Catholic Faith that teaches that we all have a soul and are precious to God, that we are all created in his image, that sheltered me from the reality of the hate and evil that existed.

Regardless, this man, together with other great men like Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt have had an impact on millions of people, and have contributed to what has made the United States and the freedom that we enjoy today.

The full version of Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream" speech.
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So Who am I Really?

Have you ever heard your own voice after being recorded?

Doesn't really sound like you thought you sounded.

Have you seen pictures taken of you that really don't look like you?

Or at least what you thought you looked like.

After a quick study of the above picture, I realized who I must look like to most of the world, not at all what I thought I looked like, but now I realize that to all of you, I look like Santa Clause in workout clothes!

HA!

HO HO HO

All Hallow's Eve Party (Our Lady Of Mercy Parish)

As we were looking for costumes for the party, Sean said "hey Dad, can I wear your old navy clothes." They actually fit.... You look great Sean.

Our Family: Mackenzie a Fairy, Mom a Weird Jailbird, Dad a Coach, and Sean the Sailor.

Smile ladies...

Beautiful Mackenzie

Art the Engineer

Father Jonathan with the kids

Mark - great costume, and he had the accent down great as well.

AJ the fireman

It was so nice to have so many families come together and spend time visiting and playing in a safe environment.

The little girls were beautiful and they danced all night long.

Two of the young adults.

There was an activity going on in every classroom.

But my favorite room was the "Adult Room" where the beer was cold

and the fellowship was great.

There was plenty of food and CANDY!

The Karaoke room was a hit.

Father Uriel and the kids.

Some of the singers were really good.

It was so much fun!

The Guitar Hero Room

I couldn't believe how good some people are at this game.

Faster......

The little ones just loved all the excitement!

Superman!

Funny!

Smile

The guys hanging out in the Adult room.

Boy did the stories get larger and larger.....how big was that fish that got away?

Some new friendships made as well.

Basketball

Everyone wanted a turn.

Saint Valentine - The Real Story !

Valentinus, a priest in Rome and a physician, was beheaded there under Claudius the Goth on February 14 and buried on the Flaminian Way, where a basilica was erected in 350.

On the same day in the Roman Martyrology is celebrated another Valentine who was bishop of Interamna (Terni) about sixty miles from Rome and who was scourged, imprisoned, and then beheaded there by order of Placidus, prefect of Interamna.

Tradition has it that the two are the same, ------that the bishop of Interamna had been a Roman priest who became bishop and was sentenced there and brought to Rome for his execution.

The custom of sending Valentines on February 14 stems from a medieval belief that birds began to pair on that day.

Claudius had ordered all Romans to worship 12 gods. To be a Christian was a crime punishable by death, but the threat of death did not frighten Valentinus who was imprisoned.

During his last weeks the jailer asked him if he would teach his daughter Julia: she had been blind since birth. Valentinus agreed and described to her the beauty of God's creation, and taught her how to pray.

Julia believed what the Saint taught her and asked God to cure her blindness.

As Valentinus and Julia prayed for this, a bright light shown in the jail and she was healed.

On the eve of his death, Valentinus wrote a last note to Julia telling her to always stay close to God.

He was Martyred the next day, February 14, 270 A.D.

It is thought that she planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave.

California Skiing / Snowboarding (Mount Shasta)

I had a vision last night that Mount Shasta Ski Park would be beautiful and sunny and that I just had to take my family there today.......

OK, maybe not a vision but I did look at the weather report and it said

"Sunny and 35 degrees"...... So we planned to go skiing / boarding.

I grabbed my son (Sean)

and my daughter (Mackenzie)

Sean grabbed his friend (Steve),

we woke up at the crack of dawn, and were on the slopes at 8:30 am.

It was Steve's first time boarding,

so Sean and Steve hit the bunny hill for a few pointers.

Mackenzie and I hit the lift and made it to (Easy Street)

Mackenzie's favorite run.

Here is Mackenzie, each day she gets better and better.

Watch out Sean!

And Mackenzie took off down the slope.

Sean worked with Steve for a little while on the bunny hill.

Before you knew it, it was time for lunch

(Hot Chocolate and a Bean and Cheese Burrito).

Then back on the lift and off we went.

I would like to introduce you to Mr Steve Kim, better known to us as

Steve Kim "The Korean Heart Throb of Red Bluff."

Steve has been in this country for 3 months as an exchange student from Korea. Steve attends school with Sean and Sean deceided that it would be a good idea to teach Steve to snowboard.

He is Steve on the Bunny Hill.

Here is Steve getting off the lift on top of the mountain after 30 minutes of intense lessons from Sean "The self-proclaimed instructor to the stars."



Here is superstar Steve heading down the mountain for the first time.
Are you ready for 9 seconds of action packed adventure.....

(All kidding aside for a moment, Steve is a wonderful young man with many great qualities, It is an honor to know him.....And yes, he has a great sense of humor)

Here we are ready to go home.
Sean with a smile of content, and Steve with a "Concussion."