His Brain, Her Brain

A piece back I posted about a study of how newborn infants reacted to certain stimuli within the first day after birth. The study found that girl babies were more attracted to faces above their crimbs even at this very early age, while boy babies were more attractice to mobiles hanging above their cribs. This was congruent with the long-standing observation that in certain respects girls are more drawn to personal and boys to impersonal things, as when girls are more interested later in childhood in playing with dolls while boy are more interested in playing with cars.

Even though this study was one at only one day of age, an extreme "sex doesn’t matter" type might claim that it was nevertheless some form of covert socialization in the first day after birth that produced the difference.

This claim, of course, would be insane. Children one day old cannot be socialized–certainly not in so subtle a manner. The neurology the need for that kind of socialization just ain’t there yet.

But lest we leave a stone unturned, let’s try a similar experiment with vervet monkeys.

Only we don’t have to, ’cause someone already did.

EXCERPT:

Several intriguing behavioral studies add to the evidence that some sex differences in the brain arise before a baby draws its first breath. Through the years, many researchers have demonstrated that when selecting toys, young boys and girls part ways. Boys tend to gravitate toward balls or toy cars, whereas girls more typically reach for a doll. But no one could really say whether those preferences are dictated by culture or by innate brain biology.

To address this question, Melissa Hines of City University London and Gerianne M. Alexander of Texas A&M University turned to monkeys, one of our closest animal cousins. The researchers presented a group of vervet monkeys with a selection of toys, including rag dolls, trucks and some gender-neutral items such as picture books. They found that male monkeys spent more time playing with the "masculine" toys than their female counterparts did, and female monkeys spent more time interacting with the playthings typically preferred by girls. Both sexes spent equal time monkeying with the picture books and other gender-neutral toys.

Because vervet monkeys are unlikely to be swayed by the social pressures of human culture, the results imply that toy preferences in children result at least in part from innate biological differences. This divergence, and indeed all the anatomical sex differences in the brain, presumably arose as a result of selective pressures during evolution. In the case of the toy study, males–both human and primate–prefer toys that can be propelled through space and that promote rough-and-tumble play. These qualities, it seems reasonable to speculate, might relate to the behaviors useful for hunting and for securing a mate. Similarly, one might also hypothesize that females, on the other hand, select toys that allow them to hone the skills they will one day need to nurture their young.

GET THE STORY.

Incidentally, the "what baby monkeys like to play with" difference is only one of a number of interesting sex-based mental differences the article discusses–both among different kinds of animals and among humans.

The Theological Depth-Charge?

A reader writes:

No response required, Jimmy;

    I just wanted to thank you for your blog.  I’m a 30-something cradle-Catholic (five years old to orthodoxy).  Your site is a daily affirmation (shudder at the word) that I can be orthodox AND rant against the death of Trip Tucker (a death about which I am particularly bitter.)  The mix of apologetics, canon law, pop culture, and sci-fi (etc) on your site are a real pleasure.

    Anecdote: Also thought I’d mention that a friend and I recently partook of that drink touted by some as the Theological Depth-Charge (a shot of Benedict dropped into a pint of Heineken or other German beer.)  My buddy and I are highschool religion teachers up here in Canada and we recently went to a religious educator’s conference in the mountains (nice Rocky Mountain locale, too many leftists.)  One day we noted that we had yet to hear of our pontiff spoken of in any better terms that "Ratzinger" or more commonly, "Jospeh Ratzinger."   There was no respect there. 

So, we decided that we could somehow defend our pontiff by partaking of the Theological Depth-Charge (which we renamed the B-16… it works on so many levels!)  We marched down to the lounge and were dismayed to hear they had no Benedict, only B&B.  We forged on, using the B&B instead (an Ecumenical B-16.)

    The drink was foul (brandy in beer?  who’d’a thunk?) but we were triumphant, at least until my gut started to churn.  It was like our pontiff saying "Thanks, boys, but you know… there are consequences to what you do."  The next day we heard similar comments but, as we had found that the B-16 was a more rigorous experience than we’d expected, we chose to speak up instead.

I’m afraid that I haven’t heard of Benedict (the brandy, not the pope) or B&B (bed & breakfast?). Perhaps they are distinctly Canadian brands (or perhaps not; I’m ignorant of such things).

Was intrigued to hear of your unique idea for "defending" (in the sense of honoring or commemorating) our beloved holy father, though I tend to think y’all should go with the telepathic communique you got from him: In wartime or not, depth charges should be treated with great caution.

The Diet Of Worms

IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not pronounce "Diet of Worms" as it it was a new weight-loss fad involving nematodes. A "diet" is an assembly and "Worms" is a German place-name pronounced with a /v/ sound on the front of the word. "Diet of Vorms" is more how it sounds. Think: Frau Blucher!

Today–May 25, is the anniversary of the Edict of Worms, which was issued in 1521 against Martin Luther and his writings.

GET THE STORY.

Confirmation Age

A reader writes:

I think it’s canon 891 and 883 or there abouts, also CCC 1307 that talks to the Sacrament of Confirmaion.

It’s canon 891 that determines the age under universal law. (Canon 883 deals with another matters, and the CCC is not a legal text and so does not establish legal requirements.)

Here is what canon 891 provides:

The sacrament of confirmation is to be
conferred on the faithful at about the age of discretion unless the conference
of bishops has determined another age, or there is danger of death, or in the
judgment of the minister a grave cause suggests otherwise [SOURCE].

The reader asks:

Does the term "the age of discretion" as the reference point for receiving Confirmation mean that children should be confirmed at an early age (7 years old)?

Yes, as a general matter. (Compare CANON 11.)

How does that sync with many parish programs that have the child wait until a later age (teens in High School)?

See below.

Are they vaild programs?

Educational programs are not valid or invalid. I assume taht you mean: "Is it licit to administer the sacrament of confirmation to children only after they are in their teen years?" Yes, in the United States. See below.

 

Does the Church accually spell out a specific age for Confirmation?…in the Latin Rite?

No, it doesn’t.

The universal law of the Latin Church as found in the Code of Canon Law provides that the sacrament of confirmation, in general, be adminsitered at about the age of discretion, which is generally taken to be seven years old.

However, you will note that canon 891, quoted above, provides that the conference of bishops may determine a different age. In the United States, the conference of bishops has passed (and the Vatican has ratified) the following complementary norm:

The National Conference of Catholic Bishops, in accord with the
prescriptions of canon 891, hereby decrees that the Sacrament of
Confirmation in the Latin Rite shall be conferred between the age of
discretion and about sixteen years of age, within the limits determined
by the diocesan bishop and with regard for the legitimate exceptions
given in canon 891 [SOURCE].

So, presently in the United States, confirmation can be licitly administered at a wide variety of ages, dependent on the will of the diocesan bishop.

As an aside, it seems to me that this situation may not last. Given the current mobility of American society, folks move from one diocese to another all the time, making it very easy for individuals to "fall through the cracks" and not get confirmed. This creates a pastoral situation that may well be redressed by re-mandating a single age of confirmation at some point in the future.

Fun While Dieting

Now, I am not a medical authority, so I cannot recommend any particular diet plan, but in the last few months I have been trying to lose some weight.  My sister passed on to me a tip for watching one’s calories while eating out that has caused no end of laughter whenever we’ve used it.  And it works too!

Scenario:  You’ve ordered a standard meal — and restaurants tend to portion such meals to an adult male — and find that you’ve eaten enough to satisfy you.  You could ask the waiter to box it up for you to take home, but by the time you flag him down and he brings you a box you have finished eating the meal through picking at it.  Even if you manage to hold off and take home the leftovers, they are more likely to become your midnight snack rather than tomorrow’s lunch.  What do you do?

One solution:  Ruin the food. 

Yes, that’s right.  Make the food unpalatable.  After all, if you leave it on the plate the restaurant will throw it out anyway.  The staff won’t box it up and send it to the starving kids in China or even to the local food pantry.  It goes in the trash.  So, you might as well have fun with the food before it is disposed of.

For example, after seeing Revenge of the Sith Saturday night with my sister, we went to Denny’s for dessert.  We each ordered a chocolate sundae, not realizing that the portions were going to be huge.  (We could easily have shared one if we had known beforehand the size of the portions.)  So, when I ate all I knew I should eat, I picked up the pepper shaker, unscrewed the lid, and dumped some pepper into the remains of my sundae.  My sister did likewise to hers with sugar packets and table litter.  Voila!  The sundaes were no longer appetizing and we had a ball while depriving ourselves.

It’s especially fun when the wait staff notices what you have done.  One waiter actually missed a step when eyeing another dessert to which I’d added a liberal amount of salt.  When asked to explain — which has happened once or twice — the wait staff I’ve encountered have loved the idea and have said they’d be trying it too.

One caveat:  Not everyone will be impressed by your brilliance in happily destroying your leftovers.  I’ve had friends plead with me not to do it in their presence because they are either grossed-out or want my leftovers for themselves.  As long as they are willing to lay claim to the food and thus remove the temptation from me, I am more than happy to accommodate their more delicate sensibilities.

Feel free to share your own diet tricks in the combox.

Chilly Chili

In one of his recent posts, Jimmy made reference to cold pizza in such a way as to make one speculate that he appreciates the occasional refrigerated snack. I have nursed a private affinity for chilled foods for some years, but until now have never publicly acknowledged my secret.

Hello, my name is Tim, and I like cold food.

I’m not talking about things you would normally eat cold, like yogurt or deli meat. I’m talking about those things that you would normally heat up before consuming. The merits of cold fried chicken, of course, are well documented. That’s one that would fall into the category of socially accepted cold food. One could eat this without receiving weird looks from friends or family.

I am advocating more adventurous and creative dishes: cold mashed potatoes and gravy, cold chicken and rice casserole, or (my personal favorite) the cold spaghetti sauce sandwich. The latter has to be made with meat sauce, and the more meat the better. Vegetable-only spaghetti sauce just won’t hold together. It should also be  made with some good bread; leftover garlic toast or a hoagie roll work nicely. Steer away from the pasty white sandwich bread. The same can be done with cold chili.

Cold food has several advantages over warmed-up food: It is great when you are in a hurry, it requires no sauce pan or anything like that, and it will never FRY THE ROOF OF YOUR MOUTH as a result of being heated far beyond natural limits in a microwave oven. A piece of microwaved pizza can be a real health hazard, far hotter than anything served straight from a regular oven. Molten cheese behaves like napalm at those temperatures.

Now one thing I have noticed about cold foods: This seems to be a phenomenon associated with the x/y chromosome combo. In other words, it seems to be a guy thing. Often when indulging my cold-food jones, I am met with incredulous looks from the female members of the household, and remarks like "Aren’t you going to warm that up?", or "Put that on a plate, you’ll enjoy it more.". Obviously this is a pleasure that simply remains opaque to many bystanders.

I am no longer ashamed of my love for congealed beef stroganoff. If the French can have their vichyssoise, I am entitled to my wedge of macaroni and cheese or a quivering slice of chicken and dumplings.

Mm-m-m-m-m…

Annulment For Non-Catholic?

A reader writes:

A friend of mine is catholic.  He plans to marry a woman who is divorced from a man who abused her. 

Okay. She might have grounds of an annulment if the abuse is a product of a fundamental misunderstanding on the part of the former husband about the nature of the marriage commitment.

She was married in a Baptist church and they don’t have annulments in the Baptist Church.

Wouldn’t matter if they did. The Church only honors its own annulments since nobody else applies the same standards that it does to this situation.

They have asked several priests and they say nothing can be done.  That seems wrong. 

It sure does.

If she were catholic and it is a marriage that would be given an annulment, shouldn’t the Church be able to grant some kind of annulment to her since her church won’t or at least recognize it somehow so they can be validly married? 

It certainly can do this. The mere fact that the lady in question is not a Catholic does not prevent her from having a Catholic marriage tribunal examine the marriage and determine whether or not it was valid. Catholic marriage tribunals hear the cases of divorced individuals seeking to marry Catholics all the time.

It’s hard for me to imagine that the priests they talk to were ignorant of this point, it is so common in parish life. My suspicion is that there was a misunderstanding of some kind–that the question wasn’t put to them in a manner that would elicit the desired information.

I suggest that she simply call a local parish, state that she is a non-Catholic hoping to marry a Catholic and that she needs to pursue the annulment process. They should be able to help her get the paperwork needed to begin this.

That being said, there are no guarantees that her first marriage really was null, or that it can proven to be null. As a result, she should not be making any kind of definite wedding plans (with the Catholic gentleman or anyone else) until it can be shown that she is free to marry. Christ was rather strong on this point (Mark 10:11-12).

Hope this helps, and God bless!

Liturgy Of The Hours

When most folks think about liturgy, they think about the Eucharist, but the Eucharistic liturgy is only one of several in the Church. Each of the other sacraments is performed in the context of a liturgy. But there is an additional liturgy that the Church celebrates: the liturgy of the hours.

Recently I received some questions about the liturgy of the hours and asked <Rule 15b>Fr. Stephanos of the Order of St. Benedict</Rule15b> if he would be so kind as to answer them for the folks on the blog. I figured it could be a real service for the reader since so few of us layfolks know much about the liturgy of the hours.

I hope y’all will join me in thanking Fr. Stephanos for taking the time to help us to better understand this liturgy of the Church.

Here goes!

===========================

SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE CANONICAL HOURS OF THE LITURGY

 

++++

 

First of all, a striking affirmation!

 

The “canonical hours of the liturgy” make up a  “prayer/worship system” that, beyond the Mass, constitutes the Church’s OFFICIAL AND PUBLIC prayer life.  In fact, the Church regards the “hours” as an extension of the “Liturgy of the Word” that makes up the first “half” of the Mass.  Because of this the Church obligates priests and members of religious orders to offer up daily the canonical hours.

 

So, in union with the Pope, the Bishops and the priests, the order of obligation and devotion is:  (1) the Mass, (2) the Liturgy of the Hours, (3) all other forms of personal, private devotions, prayers, reading, etc.

 

Many laypersons take up the canonical hours privately.  It unites them to the Church’s formal, public mission of both worship offered to God and intercession offered for the world.

 

++++

 

THE QUESTIONS

 

How closely do modern-day monasteries follow the classical forms of worship based on the canonical hours (Matins, Lauds, Prime, Compline, Vespers, etc.)?

 

And more specifically — it’s been my impression (as a layperson whose knowledge of this material has been gained largely from reading fiction set in medieval times) that the services of the canonical hours are primarily prayer services with closely prescribed orders of worship, such that most of what happens is scripted reading/response.

 

Therefore, two questions: in general, how much discretion would a monastery’s religious leader have over the Scripture readings used in a given service (i.e. do monasteries typically adhere to liturgical calendars prescribed by central authority)? And in which of the daily services – if any — would the presiding priest typically give an original or personally drafted homily or sermon?"

 

++++

 

Now, some answers follow.

 

++++

 

First of all, a little explanation of the “hours.”

 

Although the history of the liturgical hours of worship is older than St. Benedict of Nursia (who died in A.D. 547), most of that history since he died has been dominated or at least influenced by his arrangements for monks.

 

St. Benedict arranged to have his monks gather in church to pray (by singing or reciting) certain Psalms at certain hours of the day.  His arrangement provided for all 150 Psalms to be recited within the course of one week.  Together with the Psalms, he provided for other “song-type” passages of Scripture to also be prayed.  Sections of the singing or recitation would be interrupted by shorter or longer readings by a lector.  There would also be responsories, hymns, intercessions.

 

Certain Psalms, because of what they say, fit certain times of day better than others, so they are deliberately scheduled for those times of day.  Other Psalms are just distributed for the sake of distribution.

 

++++

 

Here is the schedule of the classical hours together with some of the various names for them throughout history).

 

2 or 3 A.M., MATINS (also called Vigils or Office of Readings).  This is the longest liturgical “hour” of the day.

 

A shorter or longer break.

 

Around sunrise, LAUDS (Morning Prayer).  Psalms 148, 149 and 150 all begin in Latin with “Lauda” (Praise!).  These three psalms always concluded the Psalm section of this hour and are the source of the name “Lauds.”

 

Shortly after Lauds:  PRIME (first hour after sunrise).

 

Midmorning:  TERCE (from the Latin for “third”, since it is roughly three hours after sunrise).

 

Midday:  SEXT (six hours after sunrise; the Latin for “sixth hour” is “hora sexta”).  This is followed by a scheduled rest or nap.  You would do the same if you had arisen at 2 or 3 A.M.  The Spanish word “siesta” comes from the Latin “sexta.”

 

Midafternoon:  NONE–rhymes with “bone”.  Comes from “hora nona”—“ninth hour” in Latin.  The Latins reckoned the day in rough three-hour shifts; they called the period from midday to midafternoon “nona”—from which English gets “noon.”

 

Sundown:  VESPERS (Evening Prayer).  “Vespers” is from the Latin for “evening.”

 

Bedtime prayers:  COMPLINE (Night Prayer).  The Latin is “completorium” for this service that completes the hours.

 

++++

 

The longest service among those hours is Matins (Vigils or Office of Readings).  In St. Benedict’s arrangement it is basically:  six Psalms, a long reading from Scripture, a responsory, six more Psalms, another long reading from Scripture, a responsory, a few Scriptural canticles, a reading from the Fathers of the Church, a responsory, a reading of the Gospel, two hymns.

 

Lauds (Morning Prayer):  Several Psalms and canticles, a short reading from Scripture, a responsory, a hymn, the Benedictus canticle, intercessions, Our Father.

 

Vespers (Evening Prayer) has the same structure as Lauds, except it has the Magnificat instead of the Benedictus.

 

The other hours (prime, terce, sext, none, compline) are all basically three psalms each, with a few other elements.  These hours are usually called “The Little Hours.”

 

++++

 

The monastery’s work periods, the meals, the times for solitary prayer and reading are woven in and out of the basic framework of the liturgical hours.

 

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There are not enough Psalms to fill out the one-week structure that St. Benedict arranged.  So, he provided that for Wednesday through Saturday, at the hours of prime, terce, sext and none, the monks would repeat at those hours the same Psalms they had used at those hours on Tuesday.

 

Since the hour of prime really just sort of got tacked on at the end of Lauds, the Vatican (after Vatican II) directed the entire Church to set aside the obligation to pray prime.

 

Monasteries are free to still arrange to pray all 150 Psalms over the course of one week.

 

The Vatican’s official publication of the “Liturgy of the Hours” is a four-volume set with the Psalms basically spread out over the course of four weeks.  Since it is spread out over four weeks instead of one, the individual hours (particularly Matins and Lauds) are not as long as St. Benedict had them.  Diocesan priests, members of religious orders, all monasteries, deacons, etc. may all legitimately make use of this publication.  Religious orders, including those that usually live in monasteries, have some legitimate permission to restructure somewhat their own procedures of the Liturgy of the Hours.

 

++++

 

Monasteries adapt  the universal liturgical calendar to legitimately approved usages proper to the monastery.  For instance, the universal calendar has July 11 as the memorial of St. Benedict.  However, Benedictine monks also observe March 21 (as a feast or even a solemnity that supercedes Sunday), since it is the day St. Benedict died.

 

Monasteries may use the readings the Vatican published for the calendar of the hours, or they may select other Scripture readings.  Some religious orders, with legitimate permission, have assembled their own selection of readings into an outright Lectionary.

 

As for homilies preached during the canonical hours … this may be done … but it practically never is.

 

The correct places for a homily:  after the Gospel during Matins (Vigils); after the short reading at Lauds or Vespers.

 

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It is legitimate to incorporate the hours into the Mass.  This is regularly done in many monasteries and even at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

 

For instance, say a monastery is going to incorporate Lauds into the morning Mass.  The priest vests as for Mass.  The entrance song is sung.  Lauds begins—but just the psalms.  Then, the priest offers the Opening Prayer of the Mass, and then the Mass proceeds as normal from there.  At communion, instead of the communion song, the Benedictus for Lauds is sung.  (The same structure for Vespers with evening Mass, with the Magnificat for Vespers sung at communion.)

 

One occasion when Vespers is always incorporated into the Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome:  the annual Papal Mass for the Opening of the Academic Year.

 

++++

 

Final comments about the personal advantage of using the “Liturgy of the Hours.”

 

It unites you to the official, round-the-world prayer and worship of the pope, all bishops, priests, deacons and religious orders.

 

The themes expressed in the Psalms and throughout the Liturgy of the Hours don’t necessarily line up with your own concerns and moods and moments.  So, if you let it do so, the Liturgy constantly calls you to a bigger picture than your lonely only.  It is to be offered up as a sacrifice of praise and a sacrifice of intercession.

 

It can ground you in the two major movements of EVERYTHING:  (1) the worship of God, (2) the world’s salvation (in all matters big and small).  You end up praying God’s Word about himself, and praying God’s Word for the world and yourself.

 

“GLORY TO GOD in the highest … and on earth PEACE TO MEN on whom his goodwill rests!”  (That does cover EVERYTHING, folks.)

 

++++

 

Father Stephanos of the Order of Saint Benedict

All About Books

I haven’t yet been tagged in the book meme going around St. Blog’s Parish, but the questions about books interested me, an inveterate reader, so I figured I’d leap into the fray untagged.

  • Total books owned:  Likely in the thousands.  Every few years, I tend to collect enough to open a used bookstore in my house.  I purge them by donating to libraries or used bookstores, and then the vicious cycle starts again.  My name is Michelle and I’m a bookaholic.
  • Last book purchased: We Have a Pope!, an upcoming biography of Pope Benedict XVI by Matthew Bunson.  I bought it through Catholic Answers and am eagerly anticipating receiving a copy when the shipment arrives.  <Commercial>If you want to purchase a copy, too, GO HERE.</commercial>
  • Last book read:  Benedict XVI by John L. Allen Jr.  Although some of Allen’s later books, such as Conclave and All the Pope’s Men, are very good, I understand now why Allen himself thinks this book (originally written when the Pope was Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger) is not one of his best.  It is not so much a biography of the Holy Father but uses him as a pretext to discuss Allen’s own liberal views.  Allen said recently that he wished he had been able to write new material to preface the U.S. edition of the book, but did not have the opportunity.  Apparently, though, the U.K. publisher did allow for a new preface.
  • Five books that mean a lot to me:  The Bible (natch), God Help Me! These People Are Driving Me Nuts by Gregory K. Popcak (very helpful), Catholicism and Fundamentalism by Karl Keating (first Catholic book I read), Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer (favorite romance novel), Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (favorite book growing up).
  • Tagging:  Since I wasn’t tagged myself, I won’t tag another blogger; but feel free to answer one or more of the questions in the comments box.  Consider yourself tagged, if you like. 🙂

(Nod to Selkie for inspiration to do the St. Blog’s Book Meme.)