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JIMMY AKIN.ORG

Jimmy Akin's Blog

R.I.P. Richard John NeuhausYesterday

Ratzinger Fan Club has an archive of his works (HT: Phat Catholic Apologetics).

And First Things reposts an essay on death by Fr. Neuhaus.

Over at Arts & Faith my friend Nick Alexander writes:

When I first converted to Catholicism, my old Episcopal priest (in NYC) told me I had to have lunch with this Catholic priest, a good friend of his. He would set it up.

It was Fr. Richard Neuhaus. He was very gracious, and we had a very interesting conversation about the nature of conversion, and what we had discovered in Catholicism (he, too, was a convert from Lutheranism, but he was committed to ecumenical thought throughout his life).

I had witnessed him preside over the liturgy once or twice soon after, and was very impressed at his oratory skills, even as his erudite writing became a little bit more easier to understand to the mixed congregation on East 14th Street.

He had done great things for a

Appreciating Beauty vs. ConcupiscenceJanuary 6

A reader writes:

This is regarding "looking at girls".

I am very clear that obviously pornography is a grave matter.

I also am clear that deliberately engaging in lustful thoughts, lustful desires, or trying to arouse yourself (outside marriage) with full knowledge and full consent is also mortal sin. Of course thoughts without these aspects are either venial or not a sin.

What I still struggle with is the question of "deliberately looking at an attractive or shapely girl". And liking to do so.

I had understood that one could deliberately look at an attractive girl and admire her beauty -even the beauty of her form- and that the pleasure one finds in seeing her beauty and shape was not sinful to consent to and one could just ignore any "reactions of concupiscence" that happen.

Of course one must take care ..and know yourself ...as well as at times use custody of the eyes --particularly if she is very immodestly dressed.

Also that one could even look at a work of art that is nude etc (that is not lustfully done --that shows the dignity of the person) and admire the form and beauty and ignore any "reactions of concupiscence".

Is this treating a girl as an object? Am I wrong in doing this? Is it sinful?

In this context, treating someone "as an object" mean improperly treating a person as an instrument of sexual gratification and thus not properly recognizing the dignity o

Sign of Peace UpdateJanuary 5

I know I said I'd do some reader question next, and I will be doing those shortly, but I ran across something in the CDW Newsletter that I thought I'd pass on while I was thinking about it.

Remember back in 2005 when Pope Benedict presided over the Synod of Bishops that was addressing the Eucharist?

Good.

Well, the post-synodal apostolic exhortation document that came out after that was widely anticipated, particularly because of Pope Benedict's known interest in the liturgy and improving it and . . . the document was largely a let-down. It took forever to come out (even Benedict complained publicly about how long it was taking the people doing the prep work to get it done), and when it came out there was very little that was new or noteworthy in it.

One thing that was noteworthy was relegated almost to a footnote (in fact, if memory serves, it may actually have taken the form of a footnote).

That was the announcement that the question of where the Sign of Peace is located in the Mass had been forwarded to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. (Actually, I think it referred to the appropriate dicasteries, but the CDWDS would be the key one.)

The idea, which Benedict himself wrote in support of when he was still Pre-16, is that the Sign of Peace isn't optimally placed in the Mass, coming as it does right before Communion. Placed there, it can be disruptive (especially when priests go romping all over cr

Some More Good NewsJanuary 2

Now that I've been able to report that my relative is doing better, I thought I'd also talk about something I've been hoping to share with readers for some time.

Long-time readers of JA.O know that one of my hobbies is square dancing. It's something I started doing several years ago as a way of getting exercise, having something to do evenings and weekends, and enjoying the simple pleasure of moving to music that God built into human nature.

I also do other forms of dancing, such as round dancing (ballroom dancing with cued instructions) and a little bit of contra and line dancing, but square dancing is the form I enjoy most. It's dynamic, cooperative, social, and basically just good, wholesome fun.

It's also liquid geometry set to music.

And these days, it goes way beyond its country roots, using a blend of musical styles including rock, jazz, world beat, and others. (Maybe sometime I'll put up some brief, non-copyright-infringing samples so you can hear what I'm talking about.)

What I haven't talked about on the blog up to now is a project I've been working on for some time.

Basically, I've learned to call square dances.

This has been a very difficult skill to acquire. The only thing of comparable difficulty that I've ever tried is studying another language.

In fact, square dance calling is a lot like speaking a language. Depending on what what level you're calling at, you have up to 100-200 (or more) commands that are part

Good News for the New YearJanuary 1

I want to wish everyone a blessed celebration of Mary, Mother of God and also a Happy New Year.

I'd also like to share some good news and thank everyone who has been praying for my close non-Catholic relative.

I'd also like to give a special thank you to SDG and Tim J, who have been providing their always-welcome contributions to the blog, and particularly while I've been dealing with my family situation and the on-top-of-it-all busy holiday season (December was already going to be a massively busy month for me even before the family situation arose).

The news is that, although my relative has a very unusual condition, whose cause is unknown, but which responds well to treatment.

Although my relative is still in a precarious position, and will need months to recover, my relative is no longer in imminent danger and is making steady if slow improvement. My relative has been moved from ICU in an acute care hospital to a physical therapy center. It is expected to be quite some time before the relative could go home, however, so prayers are still very much appreciated!

Best of all, after my relative regained consciousness I was able to explain the anointing of the sick, and my relative requested and received it.

I am very thankful to all who have been praying. Being able to make sure that my relative's sacramental needs are met is truly an answer to prayer, and I am profoundly grateful.

Praise God, and thank you all!

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