Paul Brandt plays for kids in Repatriote.
HAITI — The narrow streets of Port-au-Prince are an array of sights, sounds and contrasts. Bunches of bold-coloured "tap tap" buses rattle past muted grey cinder walls, and a dusty haze hangs over Haiti's green mountains. Cars, people and motorbikes weave in and out of traffic, barely avoiding one another while navigating gaping potholes that lay in wait, large enough to swallow entire vehicles.
For a place that has encountered so much loss, this city is alive — raw, busy, loud, difficult, but so alive.
I've arrived in Haiti with country superstar Paul Brandt and his Build It Forward Foundation, which exists to raise money and awareness to help people in practical ways, both locally and globally. The trip included visits to recently completed projects funded by the foundation, while learning and listening first-hand about some of the daily challenges at hand.
Brandt's relationship with Haiti began during a visit in 2011 to film a television series for CMT Canada. That was a year after a massive earthquake struck, devastating the already struggling nation, and killing an estimated (and often disputed) 100,000 to 300,000 people.
At that time, Brandt met Leon D'Orleans, executive director of Haiti Outreach Ministries. D'Orleans has made it his life mission to re-build Haiti in necessary and practical ways. Brick by brick, the agency is building schools, churches, clinics, clean water facilities, playgrounds and soccer fields to bring life, purpose and education to Haiti's worst-hit areas.
Brandt knew that Haiti not only needed help, but Haitians needed the opportunity to help themselves.
A few months after Brandt's 2011 visit and several thousand kilometres away from Haiti, fires ravaged the town of Slave Lake, Alta. Brandt toured the area and was motivated to host a benefit concert, which raised more than $175,000 for the Slave Lake community. On stage, Brandt shared the stories of devastation in Haiti, and Slave Lake wholeheartedly decided to "build forward" 25 per cent of the concert proceeds to help Haiti.
Connecting two unlikely communities, the funds helped D'Orleans and his team install a new playground and soccer field, and re-build a church in Repatriote that had fallen in the earthquake.
Driving through Port-au-Prince now, nearly four years since the earthquake, the decor du jour is cinder block and exposed rebar. Re-built homes and patched-together structures zigzag up impossibly steep hills like mismatched Lego pieces. Cracks in walls and structures are everywhere. Are they simply age lines from decades of decay or are they newer, more unsettling fractures from the earthquake?
On the side of every road, people sell an endless variety of goods: remote controls, cellphones, clothing, books, food, tools, shoes, prescription pills, liquor, sugar cane. It's chaotic, but seems to have its own order.
Life abounds in a country that has grown up through a series of trials and devastation. Like its tangled street scene, Haiti is complex and misunderstood, saddled with a turbulent history and an uncertain future.
Brandt has applied this approach to Build It Forward's wor: listening, asking questions, then empowering others to help themselves.
The Haitians have a Creole saying, "Deye mon gen mon" — "behind every mountain, there is another mountain." Beyond the physical geography of the nation, which features impressive 2,440-metre elevations, it symbolizes centuries of adversity and resiliency.
By supporting local causes such as D'Orleans' Haiti Outreach Ministries projects, the Build It Forward Foundation has helped create change while developing a relationship with the community. D'Orleans sees great results.
Higher up in the mountains, other opportunities are taking root. Canadian entrepreneur Rob Lehnert started Cafe Xaragua, which imports fair trade coffee beans picked by local farmers and processed in small-scale co-operative facilities. Build It Forward partnered with Cafe Xaragua for its like-minded approach.
"Cafe Xaragua is actively promoting and revitalizing the Haitian coffee industry, and have further committed to the community by planting a new coffee tree for each bag of coffee sold," Brandt explains.
For me, a lasting memory of Haiti is Brandt singing for a large Sunday congregation. They jubilantly rose to their feet while joining in on I'll Fly Away during a church service in the slum of Cite Soleil. On that sunny morning, smiles and a sense of gratitude filled the space.
I came to an understanding from my experiences in the crowded streets, the mountain coffee towns and the joyful church. Beyond the obvious struggles that ravage Haiti, hope abounds. By acting on our responsibility to willingly set sail and face the storms with compassion, there is hope for Haiti.
For more information about the Build It Forward Foundation, visit www.builditforward.ca.


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55-Foot Whale Skeleton Comes to Knox College Campus
Over the next year, Knox students and faculty from multiple departments will collaborate in the reconstruction and preservation of a 55-foot whale skeleton. The skeleton will be on permanent display in the renovated core of the Umbeck Science-Math Center (SMC) on the Knox College campus when it opens during winter term of 2020.
The whale came to Knox from New Hampshire through the efforts of Nick Gidmark, assistant professor of biology. Gidmark, who spends summers teaching at Shoals Marine Lab in Maine, has procured dolphins and other aquatic mammal skeletons for his anatomy students at Knox. When he learned that the renovated SMC atrium was going to be a two-story, 75-foot-long space, he realized that he had the opportunity to bring a larger specimen to the campus.
The skeleton he procured for the College is a 55-foot-long fin whale, the second-largest mammal (after blue whales) on earth. The whale was killed by a ship strike in 2012. The Seacoast Science Center in New Hampshire collected and cleaned the flesh from the whale, which then sat exposed to the elements at the center because there wasn't room indoors for a specimen of that size.
"I contacted the science center and told them that I'd like to procure the whale," says Gidmark. "They said no."
He went back to the center, informing them of Knox's mission of access. "We have so many first-generation students, and we have this great, diverse student body and people from all kinds of places and cultures," says Gidmark. "So many of them haven't had the chance to see anything anywhere close to this kind of magnitude."
After about a month, says Gidmark, "They decided to pass it on to us because we were going to make great use of this incredible specimen."
This summer, Gidmark brought the whale skeleton to Knox. It now resides in a basement lab in the biology wing of SMC.
During fall term, Gidmark and students from his Comparative Anatomy class have been identifying the bones and taking optical scans that will be used to create 3D surface models. This will help them determine how to best position the skeleton in the atrium.
Some finger bones and the pelvic bones are missing, and a few other bones are damaged to the point that they cannot be repaired. Replicas will need to be either 3D printed or sculpted.
During winter term, students will use toothbrushes to begin the tedious work of removing algae, dirt, and other debris from the bones. Andrea Ferrigno, assistant professor of art, has been researching materials used for skeletal cleaning and repairs. Because the bones have been exposed to the elements, they have become porous and fragile. "Using the right materials will be critical for the longevity of this project," says Ferrigno.
Because the specimen will hang in the new atrium and will be exposed to light, the glue and binding materials were selected according to these conditions. "The materials we will be using are the same used for large animal skeletal repairs in the Smithsonian," she explains.
Once the bones are clean and dry, they will be stabilized by injecting or painting on a resin binding agent. "The next step of my research will be investigating materials to make repairs sturdy, seamless, and convincing."
Ferrigno will utilize art students to help with all aspects of the cleaning, stabilizing, and repair process. "This is an incredible opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience working with conservation and restoration practices," she says.
In addition to biology and art students and faculty, the Department of Theatre will also be involved with the project. "I have always wondered who got to make the creative choices about how to light dinosaur reconstructions and things like that," says Craig Choma, associate professor of theatre. "It is akin to architectural lighting in that the goal of the lighting on an object like the whale skeleton is to help reveal form through embracing light and shadow."
Choma plans to bring a few of his top lighting design students on board. "Having the unique experience of learning how to light a whale specimen will be an opportunity to use our design skills in a completely fresh and different way."
Gidmark sees the multidisciplinary nature of the whale project as being emblematic of a Knox education. "There are opportunities here that you don't necessarily predict or know are going to happen. But Knox builds so much intentional flexibility into everything, that students can go capture whatever it is that they want to experience."
"I hope this whale can be a celebration of that experience."
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Pictured above: Renderings of how the whale skeleton will look when mounted in the atrium of the renovated Umbeck Science-Mathematics Center.
See more photos of the whale project on Flickr
There are only four fin whales on public display in the U.S. that are not within 100 miles of a coast.
http://www.knox.edu/news/55-foot-whale-comes-to-knox-college-campus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


On 18th March, Christie Cherian and Peter Spackman officially visited Frontier Lifeline Hospital to see the wonderful work being done by Founder and CEO, Dr K M Cherian. Frontier Lifeline Hospital is a very impressive state-of-the-art cardiac hospital. Dr Cherian himself showed visitors around the hospital. They spent time looking at the ICUs for adults and children where patients recover from surgeries (25% of their patients are from overseas). Dr. Cherian also presented his project on a ground-breaking medicare village on a SEZ-site oulining his vision for scientific studies in the medical field.
The visit was rounded of with BBG Chennai presenting Dr. Cherian with a contribution to commence a fund towards the continued good work in pediatric cardiac surgery for poor and needy children. You can read more about BBG's social initiatives here.
BBG – Bangalore now moves into formation stage with the right founding members coming into place. During a visit to Bangalore, Christie Cherian called on Ian Felton, Deputy High Commissioner, BDHC, Bangalore and met a couple of potential conveners to put BBG – Bangalore into play with Chennai's offer of help and assistance. The Queen's Birthday celebrations on 15th March 2013 hosted by Ian Felton was also an occasion to bring together around 25 potential members. A meeting is planned for 23rd March to initiate the activities.
On 6th of March, the British Deputy High Commission (South India) hosted a reception to celebrate the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The reception was attended by many BBG members apart from various other dignatories. During the course of the evening Mike took the opportunity to round up the events anchored and organised by the BDHC and UKTI. He spoke of the successful Olympics 2012, PM's visit to India and various other visits by Ministers. Mike also had a special mention of BBG Chennai and its successful National Conference in September 2012. Mike congratulated the entire BBG team and Christie for anchoring the activities successfully. He added that BBG Chennai has been striving towards a wider range of activities to improve bilateral trade and commerce. The evening ended with fellowship and a concert by Oscar winner, Tanvi Shah and her band.
For the benefit of BBG Members and ASA clients, ASA & Associates (a BBG member) conducted a very useful seminar reviewing the recently announced Budget. ASA's Ajay Sethi gave an insightful presentation on India's current economic position followed by Sunil Arora's highlights on the Budget. Attendees found the information extremely helpful. Capt. Ramaswamy of Sea Team provided their Training Centre for the event.
Last week, Mike Nithavrianakis accompanied the High Commissioner, James Bevan to Trivandrum. Although this was Sir James's first visit to Trivandrum, he has visited Kerala before; most prominently when he led the largest ever trade delegation to the State for Emerging Kerala in September last year. Last week's visit included calls on the Chief Minister, the Director-General of Police and ISRO. The High Commissioner also visited Technopark and had a very good meeting with UK firms and Indian investors. Many thanks to BBG committee member Vijay Kumar (Test House) for organising the gathering and to Rakesh Gupta of Allianz Cornhill (ACIS) for hosting it at their premises.


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Chemistry, education, political theory, theologian
Mar. 24, [O.S. Mar. 13] 1733
Joseph Priestley was an English polymath. He was particularly prominent in theology, politics, education, and chemistry. He made more than 150 publications, and he was the man who first isolated gaseous oxygen. Priestley's scientific standing was somewhat diluted later in life when he refused to move away from the increasingly discredited phlogiston theory and toward modern a modern understanding of the basic building blocks of chemistry.
His outspoken political views, particularly his support for the French Revolution, also brought him enemies, including within the ranks of British royalty.
Priestley's Early Years
Priestley was born in Leeds in 1733 into a textile-working family. When he was seven, his mother died, and he went to live with his aunt. Priestley was sent away to grammar school but had to return home due to illness. He continued his studies locally and became an exceptional student.
By his teens, he was already well versed in philosophy, physics, and mathematics, and able to speak a number of languages. His health gradually improved, and he was able to enroll at Daventry Academy, a nonconformist establishment in Northamptonshire. During his time there he concentrated on philosophy, science, and history. He was much taken by the writings of David Hartley.
Career Beginnings
In 1755, Priestley began his vocation as a minister in Needham Market, moving to the Cheshire town of Nantwich three years later. He set up a minor school of his own, where he put into practice some of his own ideas: he believed that humanity's quality of life could be advanced by means of science.
In 1761, he took up a post as tutor at another nonconformist school, Warrington Academy. Here, he wrote his first book – Liberal Education for Civil and Active Life – in which he stated that subjects such as arts, sciences, and history were of more use than classical studies to prepare students for industrial or commercial careers.
Priestley followed this up with a book emphasizing the importance of scientific history, then became interested in politics, publishing a book on this subject in 1768. He was a strong supporter of civil liberty, and his statement that a state should act according to what brought its members "good and happiness" was the spark that led to the development of utilitarianism by Jeremy Bentham.
By now, Priestley's works had come to the attention of Benjamin Franklin and Richard Price, and the three men became friends. Their lengthy discussions resulted in a 1774 pamphlet which castigated the British state for not allowing the American colonists their due rights.
Priestley's Radical Politics
The political beliefs that Priestley espoused made him unpopular with his government, while his unorthodox religious views caused the Church to view him with suspicion. In two books he published in the 1780s, he set out some radical ideas, including doubting the truth of the Holy Trinity and the Virgin Birth.
These beliefs, which formed the basis of Unitarianism, were seen as atheistic by a number of people, including King George III. Priestley went to Birmingham and met a number of the Midlands' prominent figures, including James Watt and Josiah Wedgwood. He joined the Lunar Society, and it was then that he made important scientific breakthroughs, including the isolation of oxygen and work on gaseous diffusion.
In 1791, Priestley brought even more hostility upon himself when he put out a pamphlet in support of the revolutionaries in France. He believed that his longed-for "empire of reason" had been brought nearer by events across the Channel, but the associated prediction that the role of monarchy would inevitably change so that they were "servants of the people" upset the British King. The traditional royal parties were especially upset by Priestley's insistence that they would henceforth have to be accountable to the people they ruled, rather than the other way around.
Later the same year, Priestly wrote a further political work in which he put forward ideas similar to those Thomas Paine had expressed in the Rights of Man. He went further and formed a Birmingham Constitutional Society; local Tories made rabble-rousing speeches against it and Priestley's own house was ransacked.
Legacy and Death
As a result, he moved to London and taught in Hackney for a while, but hostility toward him continued and in 1794 he emigrated to Pennsylvania, where he wrote chiefly on Unitarianism, establishing America's first Unitarian Church. He died at home in 1804, having suffered from ill health for three years.


In this last presentation, I want to sum up what we have looked at before and focus in on a step by step tour of our celebration of the Mass. To do this, I plan to begin by presenting a very broad picture, drawing on some things we've already covered, but also bringing in some new perspectives or tools with which we can consider the Mass, and better understand our role in it, as participants and as ministers. Please note that I always include myself, and the role of the ordained priest-presider, when I speak of participants and ministers. I do not exist separate from you, or somehow hovering above you in a position of remote and unreachable holiness and authority. God forbid. Our Catholic-Christian tradition affirms that the priest is first of all one with his people. St. Augustine said: "With you I am a Christian; for you, I am a priest." Without you, I am nothing — I have no reason to exist as a priest. In fact, without you, Jesus Christ is nothing. Without you, he might just as well as stayed home! That's an awesome thought, isn't it?
If you're listening carefully, I hope you can see that everything I'm saying has to do with relationship — how individuals within the community of the Body of Christ relate to one another, including Christ himself — and the notion of relationship therefore is at the heart of what we do and why and how we do it. Our celebration of the Eucharist is fundamentally a dialogue between our human selves and God, which takes place in its fullness in Jesus Christ himself, because he embodies in himself the two parts of that dialogue.
What does "dialogue" mean? It comes from the Greek prefix "dia-" meaning "across," and the root "logos" meaning "word." However, the meaning of "logos" embraces much more than a word in a spoken sense or a dictionary sense. In Greek, "logos" means the thought or idea that is communicated. But your thoughts and your ideas cannot be separated from yourself, can they? Ideas do not exist like a disembodied cartoon light bulb hovering in a balloon over your head. In a very real way, your thought or idea is a vehicle which ultimately contains yourself or at least something of yourself. Remember what we said about symbolic communication, and how an underlying reality is in some way contained in the outward sign — a deeper inner reality (a something) encased and communicated in a perceptible outward reality (a something else). A true dialogue is, therefore, a bridge — a symbolic bridge to be sure, but nonetheless a very real bridge — uniting persons who would otherwise be isolated and unconnected. The word dialogue is pretty much synonymous with conversation. In its Latin origins conversation means a turning of persons toward one another, and is closely related to the word "conversion." Neither conversion nor conversation can be a solo act! A true dialogue or conversation involves both genuine giving of oneself to the other and at the same time receiving the other into oneself. This is true of our relationships to one another, and of our relatoinship with God. It's clear from the witness of Scripture, especially the New Testament — see for example, the Letters of John — that you cannot separate the two relationships. But, this giving and receiving, even in the case of the infinite God, will always be finite, imperfect and partial because of the limitations of the human condition on our part of the dialogue.
As I've indicated before, the Church understands and teaches four modes of Christ's real presence in the Eucharist — in the assembly that gathers, in the persons and actions of the ministers, in his word, and in the sacrificial meal of transformed bread and wine, truly the substance of his body and blood, but localized and perceptible only through the unchanged physicality of the bread and wine. We've noted that these four modes of Christ's presence are the primary symbolic elements that make up the sacramental sign of the Eucharist. In relation to them, everything else is secondary because everything else serves to support or express the primary symbol in some way.
As we look at the parts of the Mass and how they relate to one another, I am going pay particular attention to identifying how the parts of the dialogue unfold and interact and how the primary and secondary elements relate to one another. This will help us to build some general guidelines for our preparation and participation, as well as the performance of our ministries.
To conclude this segment, however, I would like to say something about music. I have already noted that music is a secondary symbolic element, one that exists to serve the primary symbolic elements that make up the sacramental sign. It is nonetheless vitally important. In fact, liturgical documents, even before Vatican II, are strong in affirming that music is integral to the celebration, and a Mass without appropriate music is something less than it should be. The rub, of course, is determining and agreeing on what is "appropriate" music, and this will remain a source of differing opinions and even conflict among liturgical musicians and almost everyone else until Jesus comes again in glory. I venture into dangerous waters here, but am speaking from both professional formation in the science and art of liturgy as well as nearly 45 years of pastoral experience as a priest.
First of all, I am not going to address issues of style or taste. Strong feelings about this abound, but we also have to recognize that the church throughout the ages has been open to a variety of artistic styles in its ritual, even drawing on sources that are sometimes viewed as irredeemably secular. The meaning of the incarnation is that the sacred infuses the secular: the secular can be a vehicle for the sacred. But we have to be careful — and honest — that the secular doesn't deny, ignore, overshadow or squeeze out the sacred. We can find God in all things, but we have really be searching for God, and not use God as an excuse to fulfilll and even glorify our own desires and tastes.
Sung texts also serve to unify the voice of the assembly. When we sing a text, even with a simple one-note tone, for example, we tend to stay together as one voice. When we recite the same text, we are often all over the place, some faster, some slower, some louder, and so on. The result is too often a jumbled cacophony rather than a unified prayer.
Sometimes music serves to accompany an action, such as a procession or the preparation of the offerings or the breaking of the bread. Other times music simply serves to create or accompany a prayerful atmosphere, and may even serve as an enhancement of silence. In these cases the nature of the particular moment and movement governs the choice and style of the music. The underlying question has to be, How does the music serve the presence of Christ in the assembly? There are many ways of answering that question in planning and implementation, but the question itself has to be the overall guiding principle.
There are two particular moments of the Mass that by their very nature call for singing rather than reciting on the part of the assembly. These are the acclamations: the "Alleluia" before the Gospel (which is replaced by a synonymous phrase during Lent) and the three acclamations during the Eucharistic Prayer: "Holy, holy, holy…", the Memorial Acclamation after the "Mystery of Faith," and the "Great Amen" which embodies the full assent of the assembly to the Eucharistic Prayer. Depending on the solemnity of occasion, however, almost every part of the Mass can be sung, including the proclamation of the Gospel and the other Scripture readings.
The Tridentine Mass made a distinction between "Low Mass," "High Mass," and "Solemn High Mass," with a prescribed ritual for each. The Vatican II reformed missal goes back to a more ancient concept of "progressive solemnity" in which various ritual elements, including music, can be included or enhanced according to the solemnity of the occasion and the abilities of the participants. That means, yes, a lot is up to us. And that's why parish liturgy planning requires a variety of participants from various ministries, backgrounds, and experiences engaged in the details of preparation, respectfully listening to and speaking to one another.
The most recent revised translation of the Roman Missal incorporates a lot of sung texts for the presider. You notice that I do not sing any of them. Never have, and I'm not going to start now. I think there is also an important principle involved here. Good silence is always better than bad speaking; good speaking is always better than bad singing. I put a lot of effort into proclaiming my parts of the Mass well, in a way that not only communicates effectively, but also, I hope, engages you, the members of the assembly, in active listening as your way of participating at that moment. Even if I got the notes right, I know that my attempt to sing those texts would ccall attention to itself in a way that would reduce rather than increase the quality of communication. The presence of Christ in the assembly would not be served.
After our break, we'll begin looking in more depth at the various parts of the Mass.
The next vestment is the stole, a long band of cloth in the liturgical color, which, worn around the neck, signifies the ministry of the priest, or, over the shoulder, the ministry of the deacon. This is worn not only at Mass, but whenever the priest or deacon is exercising some official liturgical function, such as the celebration of other sacraments. Finally, the chasuble, which comes fro the Latin casula, meaning "little house." It was simply an outer garment, like a "poncho," from ancient times. Like most liturgical vesture, the chasuble was simply an ordinary piece of clothing that remained in ritual use long after styles changed.
Another point I'd like to address in this overview is the question of to whom are we speaking at Mass? Not only do liturgical ministers have to speak in a way that the members of the assembly can hear, understand, and be engaged in, they also have be aware of to whom are they speaking, especially the prayers. Think about it a minute: to whom are we praying at Mass? Well, with only one exception, all of the publicly spoken prayers of the Mass are addressed solely to God the Father. Liturgical prayer is Trinitarian not in that we address God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — in the same breath as the object of our prayer. We do not pray to the Trinity like a remote God, "out there." Our faith in God as Trinity is that God invites us into the inner life of the relationships of persons in the Trinity. We pray, therefore, from within the inner life of God, from the inside, not the outside. Therefore, all our liturgical prayer, culminating the Eucharistic Prayer itself, is directed to God the Father, in and through Christ, in union with and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Listen carefully to the prayers of the Mass and you'll see what I mean. In fact, if you listen carefully to the prayers of the Mass — something you can do better if you study them beforehand in a Missal or preparation booklet — you can't help but be drawn into them.
Let's look now at the overall structure of the Mass in the chart on the next page. Notice that I haven't included all the details in this chart because I want to highlight the important elements of structure. As we know, there are two basic parts to the Mass, the LIturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. These two parts of the Mass have their ritual origins in the Jewish rituals of the synagogue gathering on the sabbath, and the blessing and partaking of the family meal in a Jewish household. Note that this ritual was true for ordinary meal-time blessings, not just for Passover.
The Introductory Rites and the Concluding Rites serve only to enable the assembly to gather and prepare for the Word and the Eucharist, and to go forth. The sole purpose of the Introductory Rites is to prepare the gathered assembly to hear and respond to the Word and celebrate the Eucharist. It serves as a kind of buffer zone from our normal activities. This is why there is an element of purification in the Penitential Act as well as an element of praise in the "Glory to God." It begins with a sign of the cross and greeting, "The Lord be with you," and concludes with the Collect, the spoken prayer by the priest which serves to collect together the prayer of all of us as we begin our celebration.
A brief note here about the sign of the cross and greeting. Pay attention to the fact that there are only four times during the Mass when the presider greets the assembly, and only four times that the sign of the cross is used. And each of these marks a significant moment in the structure of the Mass.
Of course the Mass begins with the presider leading the assembly in making the sign of the cross, and says the greeting. And in the concluding rites, preceding the dismissal, the presider says the greeting, and blesses the assembly with the sign of the cross.
The same greeting is also at the beginning of the Gospel, and everyone makes a sign of the cross on forehead, lips and breast. The is a sign of the importance of Gospel at the heart of the Liturgy of the Word. The dialogue which introduces the Eucharistic Prayer begins with the greeting, "The Lord be with you," and the sign of the cross is made over the gifts of bread and wine at the epiclesis of the prayer, when we ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to transform them into the body and blood of Christ.
Notice this when you come to Mass. These are the only four times the greeting and sign of the cross are called for in the order of Mass, and they clearly emphasize the importance of what's happening at that moment, or soon to come. Some people and even priests add more signs of the cross out of personal devotion or perhaps habit. But they shouldn't.
We have already discussed the Liturgy of the Word when we spoke in previous sessions about the presence of Christ in the Word and in the ministers, So I'd like to focus on the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Preparation of the Offerings is simply that — nothing more, nothing less. There is sometimes a kind of mystique surrounding the bread and wine for the Eucharist, for example, in the special shape of the unleavened wafer. The law if the Church does require unleavened bread, and that it be made solely from wheat flour and water. This does require some special baking techniques ,which is why convents have usually specialized in making altar breads, often as part of their own fund-raising and support. Having been part of several groups who have tried to promote parishioners' baking altar bread in their own homes and parishes, I can testify that it's a difficult procedures and often produces results that are not very good. We'll stick to the nuns' for supplying them. One little note, however, there is a convent in the midwest that has discovered a way to make virtually gluten-free altar breads that fulfill both the church requirements and are medically determined as safe for people with celiac disease. We make them available here at Good Shepherd for anyone who may need them. Any good wine produced using accepted wine-making techniques is acceptable as altar wine. In fact, the laws of the State of California regarding purity and additives are even stricter than the laws of the church.
Once the offerings of bread and wine have been properly placed on the altar, the rite concludes with another prayer in the "collect" style, with an invitation to pray, a spoken response by the assembly, and a concluding prayer by the priest. There should be a definite pause after this prayer before the greeting and dialogue that begins the Eucharistic Prayer to emphasize that a new and central part of the Mass is beginning.
The Eucharistic Prayer begins with a dialogue, which sets the stage. The word "eucharist" means "thanksgiving," and the prayer for consecration takes place firmly rooted in the context of thanks and praise. The structure of the Eucharistic Prayer derives from the Jewish table blessing, in which we first thank God for the gifts of the past, and then pray that God will bring the blessings of the past into the present. The word "anamnesis," in Greek, literally, "unforgetting" or remembrance, is the first movement of the prayer. We thank God for the gifts of creation and redemption, especially the presence and work of Jesus Christ. "Anamnesis" moves to "epiclesis," which means in Greek "calling down upon," the twofold prayer in which we call upon God the Father, through his Son, to send the Holy Spirit to transform the gifts of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, so that, through our reception of these consecrated gifts, we might become what we receive. If you listen carefully, you can perceive both the prayers for transformation — the gifts and us — in the Eucharistic Prayer. In the text, they are separated by narrating the event of the Last Supper, and the words by which Jesus gave us the Eucharist. Note that, in the context of the prayer, these words are being told to God the Father, in remembrance of what God did through Jesus back then, and seeking the continuation of that saving event here and now.
The "epiclesis" of the Eucharist Prayer continues with intercessions in which we pray in union with Mary and all the saints for the church throughout the world. And the prayer concludes with the great "doxology" or declaration of praise to God the Father, through, with, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. And the assembly concludes with the "Great Amen," which should always great and resounding.
If the Eucharistic Prayer is properly done, there is need for a moment to pause and catch our breath before launching into the Communion Rite. The Lord's Prayer and it's embolism and doxology begin the preparation. Embolism just means an "add-on" and it's kind of a riff on the last phrase of the Lord's Prayer. The doxology ("For the kingdom, the power, etc.") is familiar to us as the ending that Protestants often add to the Our Father. To many people's surprise, it's not found in the Gospel, but there is evidence it was used in the liturgy since the end of the first century.
Then we pray for peace and offer each other the sign of peace, a rite from the most ancient days which was restored by Vatican II. The sign of peace is placed precisely here to be sure our attention is focused on Communion as a communal action, not an individual act of reception. We are compelled to turn toward each other and recognize one another as fellow members of the Body of Christ as an important part of our preparation to share together in Communion.
From earliest days also, the Eucharist was called the Breaking of the Bread — days long before the invention of neat little pre-cut hosts — so the large altar bread is broken at this time. Recalling the ancient practice, the church directs that the principal "large host" at Mass should be large enough that pieces of it can be distributed to the faithful in Communion. The breaking of the bread should be done in a way that is clearly visible to the assembly, and it should be evident that pieces of it are used for distribution. The Lamb of God is sung at this time to accompany the breaking of the bread.
Then, after a brief silent preparation of the priest, he holds up the consecrated bread and wine and invites people to partake in the "Supper of the Lamb," using the beautiful expression from the Book of Revelation.
In the Communion of the Faithful, we need to remember that Communion is not primarily an individual act. It is members of the Body of Christ together being nourished by the sacrificed Body and Blood of Christ. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are not just dispensing the host or cup. They are embodying their own relationship with their fellow members of the Body of Christ, and therefore words and actions need to embody reverence for the people receiving as well as the consecrated bread and wine. A part of that reverence is attentiveness — to be sure that all the communion stations are filled, even if perhaps it's not what you were assigned, and to be sure that the disabled are not forgotten, as, unfortunately happens too often. The disabled, actually, should receive first.
The presider will often place broken pieces of the large host in the other ciboria. Ministers of Communion should be sure to distribute them. They are an important part of carrying the symbolism of "one bread, broken", and should be distributed, not be left in the ciborium. After Communion, the ministers should be ready to do what's needed to take the ciboria and chalices to the side table, place the remaining hosts in the tabernacle, and clear off the altar as needed. "As needed" are the important words here. Don't just stand there or return to your place when some things remain to be done.
There should be a few moments at least for quiet reflection after all is in order, and then all stand for the Prayer after Communion, which formally concludes the Communion rite. Neither announcements nor a "second collection" should ever take place before the Prayer after Communion.
Announcements, brief and well-crafted for effective communication, are an integral part of connecting the Eucharist with the rest of our life as a Catholic Christian community. They should be seen as an invitation to engage in the various aspects of our parish life. Therefore they should not contain extraneous, impossible to remember information, nor should the same thing be repeated week after week. Well planned and well crafted are the important words.


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After Nepal disaster today Japan also shocked on a massive earthquake of 7.8 rec.scale.
As per the latest report, there is no damage and no alert of Tsunami, because of the origin of the shake is too deep in the ocean.
Pacific Tsunami warning centre officially announced, no need of any worries it will not make any changes in coastal area.
Residential buildings in Tokyo swayed for around a minute as the quake built in intensity around 8.30pm (9:30 AEST).
The epicentre was 676 kilometres below the Earth's surface and was centred on a remote spot in the Pacific Ocean around 870 kilometres south of Tokyo, the USGS said.
Yoshiyuki Sasamoto, who runs a traditional guest house on Chichijima, one of the closest inhabited places to the epicentre, told NHK the shaking had been violent.
"Initially a weaker quake hit and it stopped. Then the big one came. It was so strong that I couldn't stand still and couldn't walk," he said.
Both runways at Narita Airport, the main international gateway to Tokyo, were temporarily closed while inspections were carried out.
Trains in Tokyo were also temporarily halted and a football match in the city was briefly suspended.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said there were no abnormalities at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant following the quake.
A massive undersea quake that hit in March 2011 sent a tsunami barrelling into Japan's north-east coast.
As well as killing thousands of people and destroying communities, the waves also swamped the cooling systems at Fukushima, sending three reactors into meltdown.
Saturday's quake was the second sizable shake Tokyo has had this week, after a much less powerful, but far shallower quake hit close to the capital on Monday.
On Friday, a volcano in the far south of Japan erupted, spewing a huge column of ash high into the sky and forcing authorities to evacuate the island on which it sits.
The eruption caused no injuries and no damage was reported, but it served as yet another reminder of the volatile geology of the country.


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Ryūsuke Sakai (; * 7. September 1988 in Moriyama) ist ein ehemaliger japanischer Fußballspieler.

Karriere
Sakai erlernte das Fußballspielen in der Jugendmannschaft von Nagoya Grampus Eight und der Universitätsmannschaft der Komazawa-Universität. Seinen ersten Vertrag unterschrieb er 2011 beim Kyoto Sanga FC. Der Verein spielte in der zweithöchsten Liga des Landes, der J2 League. Für den Verein absolvierte er 99 Ligaspiele. 2015 wechselte er zum Erstligisten Matsumoto Yamaga FC. Am Ende der Saison 2015 stieg der Verein in die zweite Liga ab. Für den Verein absolvierte er 36 Ligaspiele. Im Juli 2016 wechselte er zum Erstligisten Nagoya Grampus. Am Ende der Saison 2016 stieg der Verein in die zweite Liga ab. 2018 wechselte er auf Leihbasis zum Ligakonkurrenten FC Machida Zelvia. Für den Verein aus Machida absolvierte er 27 Zweitligaspiele. Nach der Ausleihe wurde er von Machida fest unter Vertrag genommen. Von 2019 bis 2021 spielte er 57-mal mit dem Verein in der zweiten Liga.

Am 1. Februar 2022 beendete Sakai seine Karriere als Fußballspieler.

Erfolge
Kyoto Sanga FC
 Kaiserpokal: 2011 (Finalist)

Weblinks

Fußballspieler (Kyōto Sanga)
Fußballspieler (Matsumoto Yamaga FC)
Fußballspieler (Nagoya Grampus)
Fußballspieler (FC Machida Zelvia)
Japaner
Geboren 1988
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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The scale of the humanitarian disaster in Venezuela is almost inconceivable. Despite the world's largest proven oil reserves, the economy barely functions. People struggle just to survive. Store shelves are nearly empty of food, medicine and other necessities.
The few goods available are out of reach for most people because of hyperinflation that the International Monetary Fund estimates reached a shocking 1 million percent in 2018. An estimated 3 million Venezuelans have already fled to neighboring countries, and more will likely join them.
Last fall, the Pharmaceutical Federation of Venezuela estimated that only around 20 percent of needed medicines were available; the Medical Federation reported that around one-third of Venezuela's physicians had left the country. The death rate for children under the age of five is similar to that in war-torn Syria, and more than one in 10 young children suffer from acute malnutrition, which can have lifelong consequences in terms of stunted physical and mental development.
This was the backdrop for the speaker of Venezuela's National Assembly, Juan Guaido, to declare himself interim president last month, as Nicolas Maduro was sworn in before his handpicked Supreme Court for a second, disputed presidential term. Supported by popular demonstrations, and a growing number of countries in the region and beyond, including the United States, Guaido is trying to convince the Venezuelan security forces that Maduro must go.
There is now a glimmer of hope that the beginning of the end of this corrupt and repressive regime could be at hand. Guaido claims that Maduro's re-election last year was illegitimate and that his term ended in early January. Much of the rest of the world, including most of Latin America, agrees.
After quickly recognizing Guaido's legitimacy, the Trump administration last week hit the Maduro regime where it hurts the most, imposing sanctions to squeeze Venezuela's oil exports. It froze assets held in the United States by Venezuela's state-owned oil company, PDVSA, and barred US entities from doing business with it.
Sanctions will only do so much, however, as corruption is entrenched in Venezuela and the country is saddled with debts that Maduro took on primarily to save himself. He has mortgaged the country's future with desperate financing deals from China and Russia. The citizens of Venezuela shouldn't have to bear the costs of deals that only served Maduro and his cronies, and they wouldn't have suffered for so long if the United States and other key countries had acted sooner.
Oil is Venezuela's major export and the United States its major source of cash from that trade. Exports to China mostly go to repay the billions of dollars in loans that Maduro sought when international financial markets turned away. Russian energy giant Rosneft provided billions more in loans in exchange for stakes in Venezuela's oil industry. The revenues from these deals kept Maduro in power. Ordinary Venezuelans see few if any of the benefits.
China and Russia are unlikely to get repaid in full. Yet a future legitimate government in Caracas could nevertheless be stuck with those deals because it would face higher borrowing costs if it repudiates them. Under a proposal developed by the Center for Global Development, the United States could have acted much earlier to "pre-empt" these bad oil deals and burdensome loans.
To implement these "pre-emptive contract sanctions," the United States, preferably in conjunction with the Organization for American States, would have declared that a legitimate successor to the Maduro regime would not be bound by contracts, including loans, that Maduro signed after the date of the declaration.
The declaration signatories would not allow the affected contracts, nor any arbitral awards or foreign judgments associated with those contracts, to be enforced in their courts if the successor government repudiated them. Parties to such contracts would face the significant risk that they might be worthless at some point in the future.
The benefits of applying such a tool are clear. First, it would align the lender or investor's profit motives with the declaring countries' goals. Knowing that a successor regime would have a financial incentive, and legal justification, to repudiate previously contracted debt would deter creditors from signing such contracts in the first place.
The illegitimate regime would be starved of external resources, because contracts signed by parties in third countries would be at risk since they would be unenforceable in declaring countries. And, even if the declaration did not succeed in deterring all such contracts, it would protect a legitimate successor regime from having to repay the odious debt without facing higher costs of borrowing.
Consider the experience of South Africa. After apartheid ended and Nelson Mandela was elected president, his government decided that it would repay the debts accrued by previous governments, even though they had used that money in part to enforce apartheid and imprison Mandela and his colleagues.
Mandela's government did so, after careful study, because it feared being punished by international financial markets if it repudiated the debt, however justified that might seem.
Under the best of circumstances, it will take Venezuelans years to dig out from under the economic disaster inflicted on them by Maduro and Chavez before him.
Trump's oil sector sanctions will likely help to accelerate the end of Maduro's rule. But pre-emptive contract sanctions imposed years ago, when the path to disaster first became clear, could have protected Venezuelans from at least some of the costs of the debt now hanging over them.


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People participate in the "March for Hope" rally in Paris marking World Autism Awareness Day (AFP or licensors)
Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson
World Autism Awareness Day: The world turns blue
2 April is World Autism Awareness Day. Throughout the world many initiatives are planned in order to raise awareness about this reality.
By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp
Today, and throughout the month of April, the world turns blue. People, landmarks, buildings, homes, monuments—even Niagara Falls—are decked in blue as part of the "Light it Up Blue" campaign. This campaign not only wants to raise awareness regarding the difficulties faced by people with autism. It also wants to celebrate the unique talents that they possess so that the world community knows how to embrace and welcome their potential and skills.
Autism's challenges and gifts
Autism affects approximately 1 percent of the world's population—that's about 77 million people. They are our children, siblings, cousins, nephews and nieces, aunts and uncles, grandchildren, classmates, neighbors.
People with autism experience a variety of challenges including difficulties with social skills and communication, and repetitive behavior. Other physical conditions, such as seizures, sleep disorders, stomach problems, hyperactivity, anxiety and fear often accompany autism. Many of them also deal with intellectual disabilities.
Many autistic people also possess traits placing them in the "gifted" category. One high-functioning autistic girl spoke in full sentences at 10 months and could read at 15 months. Some people with autism have incredible memories, or are fascinated with numbers. Others become extremely proficient in one area of interest.
The Church weighs in for the occasion
Pope Francis recalled World Autism Awareness Day in his Regina Coeli address before thousands of people gathered in St Peter's Square. "I wish to assure you of a special prayer for World Autism Awareness Day which is celebrated today, he said. And the President of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, Cardinal Peter Turkson released a message for the occasion which corresponds with the Monday after Easter which is still "pervaded by Paschal joy," he writes. "The Church promises to bring the message of hope in Christ the Risen One to all, and in a particular way, to our dear brothers and sisters with Autism, to their families and to all those who daily care for them."
UN's theme: Empowering women and girls with autism
The United Nations is recognizing the World Day by hosting an event on 5 April at its headquarters in New York focusing on the theme, "Empowering Women and Girls with Autism." The UN Secretary General's message highlights this theme in his message for the event. Women and girls "face multiple challenges including barriers to accessing education and employment on an equal footing with others." His message continues saying that the UN hopes that no one with autism "is left behind" and that the UN has committed itself to "promote the full participation of all people with autism, and ensure they have the necessary support to be able to exercise their rights and fundamental freedoms."
Listen to our report


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FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD – an Alternative Lens review
Starring: Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Katherine Waterston (Steve Jobs), Dan Fogler (Balls of Fury), Alison Sudol (Between Us), Ezra Miller (Justice League), Jude Law (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword), Johnny Depp (Black Mass)
Director: David Yates (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
Writer: J.K. Rowling (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
Release Date: 16 November (US, UK)
There are a lot of reviews I've written over the years that I now disagree with, but few more so than my initial opinion on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I came out of that film indifferent but still positive; not as good as any of the Harry Potter films, but still decent. After a few years and attempting to watch it again, I can safely say I was wrong. It's a meandering and often boring exercise in pointless world building, and a clear example that J.K. Rowling has struggled in the transition from writing novels to writing screenplays. If I were to review the film now, I'd probably give it a 5/10. But the adventures of Newt Scamander don't end there, as now we have four more promised instalments to experience, and there was a small amount of hope in me that Rowling and David Yates may have cracked the code this time. Sadly, that is not the case. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald not only fails to improve on the original, but also serves as an example of one of the worst exercises in genre storytelling and expanded universe franchising in recent memory.
Picking up nine months after the events of the first film, The Crimes of Grindelwald suffers from every ailment its predecessor had but to an even worse degree. The film lacks any sense of cohesive narrative flow, with about a dozen plotlines that only connect to each other in the most haphazard way, including several overlong flashback sequences detailing events that could have been exposited more concisely, all leading to an underwhelming climax that only delivers on "shocking" reveals and even more sequel-baiting. There is absolutely no discernable structure to the screenplay or any tangible sense of pacing, leading to an already long and drawn-out film only feeling longer. Take away all of the superfluous action sequences, and there's only about enough meaningful plot here to cover the first act of any other movie, only making it clearer that the material has been stretched thinner to accommodate more movies. The Crimes of Grindelwald has marketed itself on its secrets, but every twist the film has to offer falls flat; those that aren't predictable are only so because they're so convoluted and ridiculous. The cacophony of carnage that is this film's attempt at storytelling only further exemplifies that Rowling not only doesn't know how to structure a screenplay, but has ran out of ideas of what to do with her own creation. There is ample room for exploring new territory in the Wizarding World, but what we have here is just a superfluous junk drawer of unnecessary lore facts that not even most Potter fans will find meaningful.
In all of the mess of the story, The Crimes of Grindelwald fails to even have a distinguishable protagonist, and considering the sheer cavalcade of disposable characters with silly names cavorting about this picture that shouldn't be surprising. Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander ostensibly fills that role, but in practice he doesn't really do that much. The film makes huge leaps to keep him relevant, but the film never really justifies why he needs to be there beyond contrivances (seriously, why do the Ministry of Magic and Albus Dumbledore think the best person to essentially hunt down a terrorist is a socially-dysfunctional zoologist?). Once again, Scamander feels like a loose end in his own movie, and also yet again Katherine Waterston's Tina Goldstein seems like a more appropriate leading role, but she has even less to do here than last time around and her chemistry with Redmayne continues to be dubious at best. Dan Fogler's Jacob Kowalski continues to be the only likable character in this mess, but he amounts to little more than comic relief, and the way they've written themselves out of his arc in the first film is bafflingly underwhelming.
Alison Sudol as Queenie finally seems to have more of a point here, but her arc over the course of the film comes out of nowhere and yet is somehow predictable from her very first scene. Ezra Miller again feels wasted as Creedence, giving little to do despite much of the plot being built around his quest and the big secret around him, which only amounts to yet more empty promises. Callum Turner is drastically underdeveloped as Newt's brother Theseus, Zoe Kravitz's Leta Lestrange remains something of an enigma until the third act when her character turns into something out of a soap opera, and Claudia Kim's role as Nagini is as problematic as you can imagine and (I keep saying this, don't I?) amounts to nothing. They even make a big deal of throwing Nicholas Flamel into the picture, but he does absolutely nothing and him being Flamel isn't even important; they just wanted a name fans would recognise and go, "I understood that reference!"
Now the big draws here are supposedly Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore and Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald, but both are also thoroughly underwhelming. Dumbledore is barely in the film and Law's performance is workman-like at best; he is neither a faithful progenitor to either Richard Harris or Michael Gambon's performances, nor an original refreshing take on the beloved character. Depp fares better performance-wise, but for a film called The Crimes of Grindelwald he really doesn't do all that much (and on that note, not really much of any Fantastic Beasts either. Why did they name this franchise after a textbook again?). After an admittedly fun opening escape sequence, all he does is hide in the shadows facilitating his needlessly complicated puppet master machinations so overwrought that he can't even effectively rebuke his own henchman pointing out the holes in his plan. Also, it's Johnny Depp, and we should all know better than to keep enabling him by putting him in more movies.
There's not really much to say on a technical level here. It's a well-crafted Hollywood blockbuster with all the fancy trappings that come with having access to millions of dollars and some of the best craftsmen in their various fields. The sets, the costumes, the props, the visual effects, the music; all are better than they have ever been. But there is one major flaw, and it's once again something that affects the storytelling: the editing. This has some of the worst structural editing since Batman v Superman, with very little logical flow to when we move from one plotline to the next or sometimes even within the same plotline. It's hard to explain effectively without showing you actual clips, but trust me: there is some amateurish snipping here that screams this was trimmed down from something even more unwieldy and cluttered.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is not only the worst thing to come out of the Wizarding World (yes, worse than The Cursed Child even), but the worst example of a prequel to a major franchise since X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This movie is the cinematic equivalent to reading Rowling's tiresome retcon tweets: trite, laboured, unnecessary, and sometimes even offensive. It both fails as a compelling story on its own terms and as part of the universe it feebly attempts to expand, resulting in an experience that only the most diehard and forgiving Potter fan will find any enjoyment in. It's hard to imagine how much more they can jump the shark with three more instalments to supposedly go, and given how unstoppable a phenomenon Harry Potter is we are all but guaranteed to get them. At this point, I'm only interested in this franchise to witness the train wreck, and the vindictive sadist inside me can't wait to see the next collision play out.
Author Jennifer HeatonPosted on November 17, 2018 Categories Film Reviews
2 thoughts on "FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD – an Alternative Lens review"
Charity says:
I agree with you. I wasn't quite as hard on the film as you are, but it did seem like a mess — she needed someone to ruthlessly go through her script, cut out side characters and unnecessary subplots, and focus the story back on the main characters. I got whiplash from being yanked from one scene to another, with no connections and no character development — a bunch of fractured plot lines that all wove together at the end, but… frankly, her first film was much, much better. And at the risk of a spoiler, the twist with Queenie was a WTF? moment. It could have been ten times more powerful, if she'd actually focused ON Queenie. IMO, making Grindelwald the main character and focusing everything around him would have fixed it.
To me, I didn't think that the movie. Yes, it had its problems, but I enjoyed. However, I think why many disagree with me.
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