March 5, 2009

I have a religious experience.

On Library Mall:

DSC00032

A photograph is consented to, and I am given a prayer card. It says, among other things, that I ought to recite this 3 times:
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
I haven't recited it 3 times, but I have blogged it once, and you can reread it as many times as you want.

52 comments:

Peter Hoh said...

Shall we count the blogging as 1 and start a running total? I added 3 verbals, bringing us up to 4.

TitusSingFromTheHighestMountain said...

If that was the guy giving out the cards I would do him.

Ann Althouse said...

Yes, he was the card-giver.

Icepick said...

I actually recited it three times, and I'm not even a believer. But we need all the help we get, so what the Hell, right?

TitusSingFromTheHighestMountain said...

He's cute. I will join.

Where's my holy hog?

AlgonquinS said...

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on my mutual funds and on my whole porfolio.

sonicfrog said...

Who will be the first brave soul to type something about sloppy seconds, especially since that would be following after Titus______ ______ _____ _____ into the depths of depravity?????? :-)

Yes, he's hot! But I imagine he probably has one of those really really high squeaky voices (this is the only way I can resist volunteering for SS's - he's bleeding cute)

George M. Spencer said...

"The U.S. Financial System is Effectively Insolvent."

"You cannot rule out another bear market suckers' rally in 2009, most likely in the second or third quarters. The drivers of this rally will be the improvement in second derivatives of economic growth and activity in the U.S. and China that the policy stimulus will provide on a temporary basis. But after the effects of a tax cut fizzle out in late summer, and after the shovel-ready infrastructure projects are done, the policy stimulus will slacken by the fourth quarter, as most infrastructure projects take years to be started, let alone finished."

Roubini

TitusSingFromTheHighestMountain said...

We are talking about whether we would do the prayer card give Father George.

Focus please.

UWS guy said...

Cthulu fathgn! Ai! Ai!

AllenS said...

TitusSingsWithShitInHisMouth.

Christopher in MA said...

That's the Image of the Divine Mercy, for any non-Catholics in the Alt-house, a vision of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. www.faustina.org tells you about her.

If you're interested. If not, don't go there.

bearbee said...

Hmmmmmm.....pic doesn't look like O man.....maybe up close?

sonicfrog said...

That's the problem with Catholicism - there's so many damned saints, you can't keep them all straight!

TitusSingFromTheHighestMountain said...

He's not an OH MAN I would do him. Just a I would do him.

He's fine. Doable. Acceptable.

He is not a I have to get in his pants. I want him so bad I can taste him-no, no, no that's not it.

Just sure, give me a prayer card, now let's find an alley.

Freeman Hunt said...

You can use a rosary to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

C R Krieger said...

I said two to complete the three.  We all need a little prayer help from time to time.

Regards  --  Cliff

Kirk Parker said...

"... you can reread it as many times as you want."

You've just invented the bloggish version of the Buddhist Prayer Wheel. Isn't technology wonderful???

Richard Dolan said...

Interesting how Ann's blog posts form little circles intersecting each other in unexpected ways. This one has the same vibe as yesterday's post about the gay cellist, the fellow who used abstinence to get rid of all the "internal garbage" before reconciling with his Christian upbringing and belief in God's unconditional love. Through his music he was reaching for the same idea of the Divine Mercy, more or less, as today's card giver.

One wonders what the cellist and the card-giver might say to each other should their paths cross.

Anonymous said...

@Richard:
Amen.

Chip Ahoy said...

Thank you for clearing that up Christopher. I was thinking it was an image of Jesus ♥ the visible spectrum.

Michael Haz said...

Titus,

Religious belief and practice is important to a few people in the Althouse neighborhood.

Do you think you might exercise some forbearance in your constant theme when religion is the topic?

UWS guy said...

Or we'll deny you basic civil right for another election cycle Titus.

So learn to genuflect at some catholic minor godess of the hearth.

KCFleming said...

Ah, Titus, our resident Dr. Strangeloaf.

One suspects there will be few atheists in the foxholes we're digging now **Dow currently 6,662.22 -213.62 (-3.11%)**, and these cards may come in rather handy then.

William said...

A young man sets out in the morning to spread the word of God. Instead he inspires some mildly lascivious thoughts among a subset of the gay community. The most idealistic efforts produce the most unexpected results.....This is a metaphor for Obama's plans to rework our economy.

Peter Hoh said...

The most idealistic efforts produce the most unexpected results.....

This is true of GOP idealists, too.

Freeman Hunt said...

So learn to genuflect at some catholic minor godess of the hearth.

God or Christ is not some minor "Goddess of the Hearth." Or, if you're referring to saints, saints are not gods and have no "powers" beyond praying for others. (Some may mistakenly practice differently, but that's not Catholic teaching.)

Not saying that Titus has any obligation to respect Catholicism or any other religion, but couldn't let some snide snark about Catholicism based on an untruth go without response.

Maggie Goff said...

Freeman, there is a Divine Mercy Chapel at the church where I attend Bible Study twice a week. It is the most peaceful place I've ever been. It is a very active, vibrant parish. I'm making plans to move there within the next couple of years. Currently it's a 60 mile round trip for me. My values have changed considerably, and I really don't fit in any longer in the New Agey town that I live in now. Kind of ironic, because New Age stuff is one of the reasons I moved here 8 years ago, then 9/11 happened and it totally changed me. Not all at once, but it got me questioning my values, and acceptance of moral relativity.... which in turn led me back to the Church after 41 years away. I've never felt such peace in my 63 years on this earth. I am truly grateful.

Michael Haz said...

Or we'll deny you basic civil right for another election cycle Titus.

uws - that was neither inferred nor implied in my comment.

If you are going to state your belief or opinion, then state it as your own, and not as something you project onto another person.

Trooper York said...

I have a personal devotion to our Blessed Mother and I often say the rosary before Mass on a Sunday.

As a Catholic I know that it is very easy for so many to attack and mock our beliefs and practices in the most vile and contempous manner. But I don’t sweat it very much.

Dog shit on paintings of the Madonna, crucifixes in urine and washed up pop stars using the symbols and practices of our faith to titillate are par for the course in our secularized and polarized society. We of course have to take it without complaint because it is no where as vile as Danish cartoon.

But I have faith in the forgiveness and forbearance of Our Blessed Mother and pray for her intercession in these perilous times. I hope she will help me and give me strength.

And I am very cheerful in the thought that those who mock and defame her will burn in hell for all eternity.

Smilin' Jack said...

Freeman Hunt said...

...saints are not gods and have no "powers" beyond praying for others.


Really? I thought you had to perform a bunch of miracles to even be considered for sainthood.

Anonymous said...

Smilin' Jack: Through that putative saint's intercession, God performs a miracle. It's their intercession, but it's God who performs the miracle.

Saints are simply ordinary people with extraordinary holiness. There may seem to be many, but that allows us to be befriended by one or more who knows what we're going through.

Freeman Hunt said...

Really? I thought you had to perform a bunch of miracles to even be considered for sainthood.

Helen explained it perfectly. I have nothing to add.

Anonymous said...

@Maggie45:
Welcome Home!!

Deirdre Mundy said...

So is that the Catholic student center in the background, or are secular buildings advertising the "Year of St. Paul?"

What an awesome way to introduce people to the Divine Mercy devotion!

Cool. I'll have to tell the young, Catholic, High School juniors I know to investigate UW.....

TitusSingFromTheHighestMountain said...

I wasn't mocking anyone's religion.

I just thought the guy was kind of cute.

Michael Haz said...

Titus,

These...

Where's my holy hog?

He is not a I have to get in his pants. I want him so bad I can taste him-no, no, no that's not it.


Do not sound like this...

I just thought the guy was kind of cute.

But I accept your explanation.

paul a'barge said...

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Really? I thought you had to perform a bunch of miracles to even be considered for sainthood

The miracles are performed through the Saint, not actually by the Saint. God performs miracles, we are merely the instruments and the witnesses.

TMink said...

William wrote: "Instead he inspires some mildly lascivious thoughts among a subset of the gay community."

I do not think he had to be very inspiring, debasing the faith is a full time job and involves LOTS of people.

Christopher, thanks for the link, that is very interesting. As a Protestant, some of that more Catholic approach is frankly challenging for me. But the exercpts I read were powerful and (cautiously) inspiring.

I do not see repetitive prayer as powerful to God. God is God, He knows my prayer before I utter it. I think repetitive prayer sometimes comes out of a lack of faith and sometimes comes out of the emotional need to pray as a way of calming ourselves. I heartily endorse and practice repetitive prayer as a source of solace for the prayer, but the Creator of the universe cannot be bugged into doing things!

Trey

Anonymous said...

Some people view prayer as a simple psychological activity, others as an effort of concentration to reach a mental void. Still others reduce prayer to ritual words and postures. Many Christians unconsciously regard prayer as an occupation that is incompatible with all the other things they have to do: they "don't have the time." Those who seek God by prayer are quickly discouraged because they do not know that prayer comes also from the Holy Spirit and not from themselves alone.

Smilin' Jack said...

I do not see repetitive prayer as powerful to God.

I can understand why people think it's necessary. If He exists, God must be kind of a dimwit. I mean, seriously, toenails? Repetition may help in getting a request through His thick skull.

Darcy said...

I have great respect for the Catholic faith and Althouse certainly has a classy bunch of Catholic commenters. Thanks for the interesting reading, as always.
Bless you.

Anonymous said...

Trey: I find that Luke 18:1-8, the parable of the persistent widow, praises those who 'call out to him day and night.' But the nature of repetitive prayers like the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is often misunderstood. It is meditative prayer. The repeated prayers and phrases allow one's mind to be lifted toward God. It is the metronome of the symphony of prayer.

Trooper York said...

Very true. It is soothing.

Smilin' Jack said...

Well, I have to say that the Buddhists are way ahead of you Christians in the matter of repetitive prayer. Instead of being bored out of their skulls chanting the same thing over and over, they write it on a wheel and spin it (from http://www.dharma-haven.org/tibetan/digital-wheels.htm):

Tibetan Buddhists believe that saying the mantra (prayer) Om Mani Padme Hum, invites the blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion. They also believe you can produce the same effect by spinning the written form of the mantra around in a prayer wheel (called "Mani wheels" by the Tibetans). The effect is said to be multiplied when more copies of the mantra are included, and spinning the Mani wheels faster increases the benefit as well.

You can attach the wheel to a propeller, so that the wind spins it for you, and prays to God while you go inside and have a beer and watch TV. Chenrezig is pretty much the same as Christ, so if you just replace "Om Mani Padme Hum" with "Holy God, Holy Mighty One etc." it should work for Him too.

Even better, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, has said that having the mantra on your computer works the same as a traditional Mani wheel. As the digital image spins around on your hard drive, it sends the peaceful prayer of compassion to all directions and purifies the area.

The above web site includes instructions for converting your computer hard drive into a prayer wheel. Modern hard drives run at 7200 RPM, and will hold millions of copies of "Holy God, Holy Mighty One etc." By picking up a few bargain drives from Best Buy and doing a little tweaking I bet the average Christian could become a saint in no time.

traditionalguy said...

A prayer life to a God who knows what you will ask before you pray is not so hard to understand if you accept that God has chosen to need us. He can do everything without us, but he awaits our participation in his ruling of the Universe. He is an all powerful God who wants to work with us and not overwhelm us. Go figure.

blake said...

Tibetan Buddhists believe that saying the mantra (prayer) Om Mani Padme Hum, invites the blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion.

Buddha would roll over in his grave, if he were in it.

Kirk Parker said...

Pogo,

"Dr. Strangeloaf"

That's truly sublime.

DaveW said...

I pray the Divine Mercy at least three times a week, this week it has been every day. It requires less time than the Rosary and I like to sing it...though I doubt anyone else would like to hear me sing it, except perhaps God. Divine Mercy can be prayed in less than 10 minutes in a car at lunch time.

TitusJustFartedReallyLoud said...

I like Dr. Strangeloaf too. that was good.

William said...

C.S. Lewis pointed out that we pray not to change God's mind about us but to change our mind about God.