A Pope From This Hemisphere

Argentina is home for our new Pope, Pope Francis I.

I think seeing the first Pope from the Western Hemisphere is significant. Though a Jesuit, he chose the name Francis of Assisi to, clearly, bridge to the Franciscan order. That's a good thing too.

I pray for Pope Francis.

Life in a Swing State: Decided By The Nuns?

Much attention has gone to the fact that three Catholic nuns, in full habits, we're spotted at a Romney-Ryan Rally recently. USA Today ran a story Saturday taking on the issue.

The Catholic vote in Ohio could be the swing vote in the swing state. Rick Santorum nearly won Ohio's Republican Primary on that vote, particularly in suburban areas.

The visual of a nun deciding the election? Stranger things have happened.

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This is one in a series on Life In A Swing State aimed at pushing Ohio's Swing State status in the state's favor just a little bit.

Just One Hour

Mass, like my preference for most meetings, should last one hour.  That's it.

Who's with me on this?

I was happy when the first four masses under the new Roman Missal were under an hour.  Regrettably, that didn't last and the last three have not been.

The Lord Be With You. . .

. . . is now responded to with, "And with your spirit."

Change came to the Catholic mass this Sunday. It's the largest change I can remember in my lifetime. We'll all get used to it, though.

I can especially get used to Mass ending in less than an hour too. That's a change I like indeed.

Facing My Sphenisciphobia

This is a metal sculpture, part of the public art on display at the Edward Lowe Foundation campus in Southwest Michigan.  It's one of countless pieces found in a stations of the cross garden at the grounds.  I had to share it.

It made me think of the nuns.

It's not nuns, though, since nuns are a Catholic creation.  The stations of the cross depict Jesus' final hours and, by definition, are pre-Catholicism.

Nonetheless, I interpret this piece as nun-like.  The mix of iron with rust, the sternness, the cold stare on their otherwise expressionless faces, and the overall eeriness of this piece invokes the nuns for me.

I'm certainly reading into it more than I should.  Anyone who has faced the nuns in Catholic schools in decades past can share in this interpretation I bet, though.

Even though I truly respect the nuns and credit them for an education that has been the foundation of my life's success, I must admit to a fear of nuns. One Yahoo questions piece bluntly puts a name to it:  Sphenisciphobia.  It's a fear of nuns phobia.

Perhaps taking and sharing of this photo is part of my therapy.  Enjoy.

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UPDATE:  Spenisciphobia needs some explanation.  The word I got from a Google search appears to be someone's creative word creation.  I can't find it actually exists.  The term Sphenisciformes refers to the order of penquins.   Get it?

End of Revenge Against the Nuns

I joke that my kids would some day get revenge against the nuns for me.  And, even though there aren't nuns at my kids' Catholic school anymore, that has pretty much been true. 

My kids' behavior, often, mirrored mine in school.  The same behavior that got the nuns' ire against me has been multiplied.  I have four kids so that's four times the revenge.

It ended yesterday, though.

My son, John, got recognized at an all-school Mass for "Virtue of the Month" in his second grade class.  I'm a proud papa.

A Platt recognized for virtuous behavior in Catholic school?  That's simply amazing.

No Platt, including my parents, my uncles, my brothers, nor I, were ever recognized for good behavior by the Catholic schools we attended.  Ever.

My kids, in fact, lasted, collectively, the equivalent of almost 17 school years in Catholic school without such recognition.

John's recognition ended a glut of good behavior recognition for the equivalent of over 100 years of Catholic school attendance among my immediate family. 

The revenge time is now over.  Time for a truce.

Praying For the Steelers

We are just a little too far west of the 'Burgh to expect our priest to honor my request for a "Go Steelers" from the altar to close today's Mass. More than a handful of Steelers' jerseys means the collective prayers are there nonetheless.

Go Steelers!

Two Pieces of Candy

I'm sure some parent advocate or child psychologist would say I'm wrong to do this, but I bribe my kids to behave in church.

If they behave all Mass, they get to pick up a piece of candy afterwards.  Conversely, if they misbehave, they get to watch their siblings get candy while they don't.

It works.

My kids, often, get complimented for their behavior during Mass.  It's not that they are perfect (they aren't), but people are surprised to see three young kids not behaving badly.

Of the three, Brooks has missed more than a few shots at candy during his mass-going days, but when he misses getting it, he feels the pain.

Today, though, he got two.

That's a rare thing.  I almost never reward with two pieces.  And Brooks rarely behaves well enough to even merit the thought.

Today, he did.

We are Left Side Sitters

Sunday, delayed and getting to the church just seconds before Mass began, we were ushered to a seat.  It was, gasp, on the right side of the church.

In 8+ years of Mass at St. Francis de Sales in Newark, I don't recall ever sitting on the right side.  Not once.  This was our first time over to the other side.

It's not a political thing--sitting right or sitting left.  There actually seems to be more Democrats sitting on the right side, but one prominent county GOP leader sits over there too.

It's a habit thing.

My mother always had us sit on the left side.  Her mother did too.  I don't know how far back this family habit goes, but I suspect I have embedded it enough that my kids will do the same. 

That would make it at least four generations of left side sitters.

Today, we'll be back.  And we'll be on the left side.

The Nun

This photo of a nun stared over the "Kitchen Table" at Buca daBeppo tonight.

Enough said.

Predictability

Another nun story.  This one is a fifth grader's lesson in predictability.

You could count to five.

When Sister Mary C. left the classroom and, five seconds later, didn’t peer through the classroom door's little window, that meant she was probably only going to be gone a brief period of time down the hallway.

However, if you counted to five and her head popped up in the window, that was a sure sign that she was going two buildings over to the principal’s office and her absence would be a lengthy one. That was a signal that we fifth graders had time to goof off before she got back.

And so we did.

Turn the Other Cheek

Every once in a while, I have to tell a nun story.  I'll withhold the real names but my sixth-grade classmates know this is a true story.

Sister Mary Name Withheld saw my hand coming down at the same time a wad of paper hit her.

She came from across the room and wacked me across my face. My head hit the back of the desk and my glasses went askew.

“Sister, what did I do?, “ I declared.

My classmates spoke up too, saying, “Sister, Ricky didn’t do it.”

Two seats back, Jimmy soon confessed to throwing the paper, but he got no slap. Instead, she ordered him to apologize to me.

Then, she said, “Richard, you may not have deserved it this time, but I’m sure there was a time you did that I didn’t catch you.”

And that was that.

You Aren't on Facebook? Think Again

Now I gotta watch it with those nun stories. Sister Kathy, my third grade teacher, became my 501st Facebook “friend” the other night.

She’s the 57th person on my list associated with my old elementary school. Over 80 out of 200 of my high school graduating class are on Facebook planning our 25th high school reunion.

My family is on there too.  My daughter got me started two Summers ago.  Now, all but one brother and one uncle of mine are on there. So is my mom.

You aren’t on Facebook? Think again.

The flood of photos on Facebook continues and chances are pretty good that if you ever went to elementary school or high school or ever took part in some family event and posed for a photo that your face is on Facebook even if you are not.

Catholic Humor

My daughter Brynley and I brought the gifts up at Mass yesterday evening.

Brynley said to her brother, "I got to bring the blood up."

Brooks replied, "Wow. Did you get to see any?"