My Archdiocese has addressed it; it will be in this week's Catholic paper and is making its way around the parishes.

I don't plan to change anything on Saturday (we've been reminded that everything remains the same for the weekend Mass), but they've given permission to use the Mass for Various Needs and Occasions II. Civil Needs, For the Preservation of Peace and Justice.

Here in St. Louis, it would only affect the Saturday morning Mass and not the Sunday Vigil. Archbishop Carlson said:

Here, in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, I ask all parishes celebrating Saturday morning Mass to consider using one of the following: in the Roman Missal, Third Edition, "Masses and Prayers For Various Needs and Occasions" - #15. For Promoting Harmony; #30. For the Preservation of Peace and Justice; #31. In Times of War and Civil Disturbance.

Does anyone have any of these proper antiphons set to music? Or good hymn suggestions? No peace is flowing like a river! ;)

The Choral Graduale Simplex also has an appropriate introit: Give peace, O Lord, in our days (see p. 128):

My congressman, an honest decent guy, will not vote for any attacks against Syria. He also had the courage to stand up to his party and vote against the Iraq war. However, Tennessee senators are a lost cause. Instead of attacking Syria, maybe we could send our two senators, who will do them much more damage.

No word yet from the local diocese on anything we might be doing.

Just read a posting, "why did he do this without more notice, when we are having a fund-raising pancake breakfast that morning at church."

It's THEIR church....

I agree with what my Congressman, Rep. John Duncan of TN, said on the floor of the House, when he indicated that we had no national interests at stake in Iraq. I quote:

"Duncan voted against authorizing the War in Iraq based on opposition to what he believed to be an unnecessary foreign involvement. He also opposed and voted against a June 2006 House declaration in support of the war...Duncan and Ron Paul were the only two Republicans to vote against funding for the Iraq War on May 24, 2007. Duncan voted, along with three other Republicans, to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by April 2008 on July 12, 2007...On March 10, 2010, Duncan again joined three other Republicans in voting for the removal of troops from Afghanistan. Duncan and Paul were the only members of Congress to vote for the removal of troops from Afghanistan and against all recent bailout and stimulus bills."

He also voted against the Wall Street bailouts. My kind of Congressman. I was against getting involved in Iraq, and am also against the current plans for Syria. I believe it is the right thing to do!

I had the misfortune to not get to penance services in my parish a few years ago. Easter was drawing near, so I had to go to a trendy, posh, wealthy parish to the west. They sang elevator music and a lounge pianist played all the way through confession time. All the elite Xanax crowd dreamily formed lines for "counseling" with various priests.

However, there was this one older lady accompanied by husband of similar age with walking stick, that she ran around from one line to another. She was desperate for a shorter line. She turned to me and said, "I'm missing my program!" Kind of like the pancake breakfast. The whole point had been missed and priorities misplaced.

You would be surprised at the number of folks who have never figured out how to operate one of those.

Well, I was part of the minority that was strongly against the Iraq war before it started, and as best I can tell sentiment here in bluest Massachusetts is running strongly against military intervention in Syria. So far, Democrats polled appear more against than Republicans. FWIW.

Oremus.

Not for the first time, I wish that America's foreign policy was in the hands of The Onion:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/poll-majority-of-americans-approve-of-sending-cong,33752/

And that's exactly what I was talking about.

I'm going to try and get to our parish church with my older boys and simply sing some chants they know from Choristers. And pray the rosary.

I had misgivings about Iraq. The only reason that I really had for supporting it was to finish business that had been left unfinished by Bush the Elder. With hindsight, I would not have. Like Andrew suggested, we grow.

The current would-be conflict cuts across party lines, both pro and con. And I am more embarrassed and outraged by the warmongers on my own team. Or should I say "my former team", because I see both as being totally useless. Fasting and prayer seems a lot more useful now.