A LITTLE BIRD told me that change is happening in the Society of Jesus. The Jesuits are the largest religious order in the Church; once the personal spiritual army of the Pope, the order in recent decades has gone in a direction often at odds with the Papacy. Although it was the premier religious order of the Counter-Reformation, the Jesuits seem to have lost relevance or become rudderless since the Council.

The Society is an active religious order that loomed large in the history of the Age of Exploration, the scientific revolution, and in the development of the Americas. In your opinion, what would a newly-invigorated Society of Jesus do in the world?


UPDATE: I had a poll associated with this post. Here are the results:

• Re-evangelization of the West — 37 (60%)
• Conversion of China — 18 (29%)
• Other — 11 (18%)
• Working towards a political order more in line with Christianity — 10 (16%)
• Development of South and Central America — 8 (13%)
• Establishing new universities — 6 (9%)
• Re-emphasis on science and technology — 5 (8%)
• Evangelization through social media — 5 (8%)

ON THE STLTODAY website is a quiz, featuring photos from the book, St. Louis Parks.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/multimedia/st-louis-city-and-county-parks-quiz/html_cc80f318-a5eb-11e1-bb32-001a4bcf6878.html

I got 10 out of 10, but I had some inside information!

My ranking of Presidential candidates, according to the Candidate Matchmaker poll:

63% Mike Huckabee
45% Duncan Hunter
43% Ron Paul
40% Fred Thompson
38% John McCain
30% Rudy Giuliani
28% Hillary Clinton
28% Mike Gravel
25% John Edwards
25% Barack Obama
25% Mitt Romney
20% Dennis Kucinich



Interesting.

"WHAT LEVEL OF EDUCATION IS REQUIRED TO UNDERSTAND YOUR BLOG?"

Get a Cash Advance

(Or, as a friend of mine said, this blog is unreadable.)

Found over at RPC.

I've been pondering the difference between how a camera photographs an object versus how it appears to the human eye. Just like in moral theology, there are objective, subjective, and relative factors that go into a photograph: and cameras are lousy with the latter two.

The eye reacts differently to a tiny picture on a computer screen compared to how it reacts when it is looking at an object directly, for the eye judges color relative to its wider environment, and there are visual subjective factors due to the fact that we can't interact with the object. There may be sex differences also. Biologically, men's eyes have their color receptors concentrated in the center of vision, while women have them spread out more evenly, which is one reason why (besides bad manners) men tend to stare directly at objects of interest more than women do.

Please take a look at these two photos, which were processed somewhat differently, and select which one you think looks more realistic. Click on the photos to make them larger. Mark your opinion in the poll below!

Photo A:




Photo B:

Select the most realistic photo.
Which photo do you think shows the most realistic color?	Photo A, and I am a male. Photo A, and I am a female. Photo B, and I am a male. Photo B, and I am a female.
	Current Results

Results from my last poll:

How often do you attend Mass? [378 votes total]
Never. I'm not Catholic. (11)	3%
Never. (8)	2%
Not every week. (17)	4%
Weekly. (31)	8%
Usually more than once per week. (99)	26%
Daily. (52)	14%
I CELEBRATE Mass daily. (21)	6%

Here are the results of my last poll:

Are you considering a vocation to the Roman Catholic clergy or consecrated religious life?

No, but once I thought that I had this vocation. 19%
No. 17%
Yes, I might have a late vocation. 16%
Yes, and I am in a seminary, novitiate, or formation program. 14%
Maybe. 10%
I am already ordained Catholic clergy or consecrated Religious. 7%
Yes, and I am a recent convert. 6%
No. I'm not Catholic. 6%
Yes, and I've never wanted any other vocation. 4%
Yes, but not for the Roman Catholic clergy or religious orders. 1%

Here is a new poll:

Mass Attendance

How often do you attend Mass? Never. I'm not Catholic. Never. Not every week. Weekly. Every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation. Usually more than once per week. Daily. I CELEBRATE Mass daily. Current Results

Some good advice from Recta Ratio:

Self-restraint is a necessary accomplishment for a gentleman and benefits him in many ways. It keeps him from drinking too much. It prevents him from smoking too much. It separates him from bad company. It keeps him listening to the most arrant nonsense with the appearance of patience or even respect.

I need to follow good advice on being a gentleman, for sure, and as proof, here is my result from a quiz:

You Are 60% Gentleman

Generally you act like a gentleman, but sometimes you're careless with your manners. Most people know that you're trying your best - and that's usually good enough.

"Good enough" isn't. My mother raised me to have excellent manners, but I was a headstrong and defiant child!

See the sidebar on the right for a new poll on vocations: Are you considering a vocation to the Roman Catholic clergy or consecrated religious life?

You can scroll to the bottom of the pop-up window and add comments to the poll if you wish.

Here the results of the last poll:

What are your favorite architectural styles of churches?

Gothic 27%
Byzantine 16%
Traditional 11%
Baroque 11%
Romanesque 11%
Classical 8%
Russian Orthodox 7%
Art Deco 3%
Colonial Revival 2%
Contemporary 1%
Modernist 1%
Other 1%
Postmodern (no votes)
None (no votes)

Quiz takers could vote for more than one category.

Vote for your favorite architectural styles of churches. The poll is on the right hand side of the page.


My previous poll was: Do you attend a traditional Catholic liturgy? The final poll results are:

• 50% I attend a traditional Latin Mass or Eastern Divine Liturgy.


• 39% I would attend a traditional Catholic liturgy, if one was in my area.


• 6% I have no interest in attending traditional Catholic liturgies.


• 4% I'm not Catholic.

Note: total does not add up to 100% due to rounding error.

Found over at monster.com (registration required).

Yes, I'm looking for a job. Your prayers would be appreciated!



JASPER - The Job Asset and Strengths Profiler
Mark, your answers indicate that you are a Thinker when it comes to your overall work personality. Your JASPER type is a combination of your most prominent work traits and a good indicator of what you're like at work.

"Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it."
-Henry Ford

Mark Abeln

What you want out of work:
To quietly do your work in a thoughtful way without rocking the boat too much.
Your colleagues think of you as:
Introspective, somewhat reserved but easy to get along with.
What you have to offer:
A steady worker who thinks things through before acting.


Traditional. Your leadership style can be characterized as Traditional. This means that you tend to be cautious and steady when you're in charge of calling the shots. You don't take unnecessary risks or make impulsive decisions; instead, you lead with solid direction and purpose.



Introspective.You are more Introspective than Expressive when it comes to your work personality. You have a quiet calm about you and tend to be thoughtful and measured in what you say. You are more cerebral than most people and likely prefer working alone.



Communication skills. You likely are an articulate person, and you probably have received positive feedback on your writing ability or your skill speaking to groups. Even if you don't regularly use this skill, you nevertheless have confidence in your communication abilities.



Trusting. You have faith in the decisions of your superiors and prefer following directions without questioning them. You tend to have an ingrained respect for authority and are accommodating to the needs of your organization and boss, traits that make you quite easy to work with.

A quiz from Blogthings:

Your Scholastic Strength Is Developing Ideas

You can take a spark of inspiration and turn it into a full fledged concept. You are talented at brainstorming, visualizing, organizing, and independent thinking. You should major in: Natural sciences Computer science Creative writing Math Architecture Journalism

No surprises here.

Vote in my new poll off on the right.


Results of my previous poll:

What Mass do you attend?

7% I'm not Catholic
4% Anglican
25% Latin Mass
14% Eastern Divine Liturgy
46% Vernacular liturgy; Mass in English, Spanish, etc.
4% Other

I have received much feedback from my quiz What is your style of American Catholicism?

The various scores on this quiz are based on categories of American Catholics developed by Avery Cardinal Dulles and Deacon Owen F. Cummings. My original article on these categories is: The Seven Types of American Catholics.

Although the quiz was first posted here, it has spread all over the Internet.

Based on the feedback I've received:

Radical Catholic - 10% of total

Most priests and Religious find themselves placed in this category. They aren't Radical like the 1960s hippies, but instead are at the 'root' or radix of Christianity. These are true disciples of Christ, spending themselves in His service.

New Catholic - 29% of total

Most priests and religious get high scores in this category too. And most of the folks who write me say that they aren't young at all—they just have a youthful spirit. People in ths category have been strongly encouraged by the evangelization of Pope John Paul II. Reverts to the Faith tend to get this result. This is the second most popular quiz result.

Traditional Catholic - 36% of total

This is the most popular result of the test, which I find remarkable. People who get this answer often say "Of course I am traditional". They were not surprised by this test result. People who want the traditional Mass with chanting, and who take a negative view of the reforms since Vatican II find themselves in this category. I get many comments from people who WANT to attend a traditional Mass, but cannot due to geography. It would seem that there is not nearly a wide-enough availability of the traditional sacraments. But one person mentioned that he just likes the old style of art, and not the theology.

Evangelical Catholic- 12% of total

This is the third most-popular answer and most people are quite proud to be characterized like this. They typically expected to get this answer. Most Protestants who take this test get this category, as do many converts from Protestantism, and those who call themselves ecumenical.

Liberal Catholic - 6% of total

I get very strong reactions from those who score this category, often they reject this categorization or even the quiz itself. Of course, liberals by definition "do not want to be categorized by any artificially imposed categories", so a person who opposes categorization will almost by natural law get categorized like this. How's that for irony? A person who wants reform of basic Church doctrine will get into this category. They tend to be dismayed by my statement that they are too influenced by American culture, since many are strongly critical of the same, however, they have a very American-style of criticism, and so are ironically strongly influenced by American culture.

Neo-Conservative Catholic - 5% of total

Most people who get this answer are shocked and dismayed. They think that they are "good Catholics" but don't realize that they buy into rather uncharitable social theories. However, some tell me that they put forth a huge effort into raising a family, so the test needs to be modified to reflect this. This is a surprisingly rare test result, considering how many people in the Church could be characterized as conservative. I would suspect that the Church's social teaching is very well known these days. Others say that they know that they are strongly influenced by American culture, while others say that they left the Catholic Faith because of the Liberalism in the Church since the Second Vatican Council. I noticed a number of people scored quite high on both Neo-Conservative and Liberal, which seems contradictory.

Lukewarm Catholic - 2% of total

Typically atheists will get this result. My favorite quote from a quiz taker is "Cathlics SUCK". Often people will oppose what they misspell!

You scored as Ancient View of Sex. Your attitude about the sexes is shared in most all places and times. You think that men and women are different in kind, but not in value, like the difference between dogs and oranges. You may suspect that masculinity and femininity are not just biological categories of living things, but may even have a deeper spiritual or even cosmic meaning. Sex is what you 'are' and not what you 'do'. You think that traditional sex roles should be promoted for the good of society, and that both sexes should sacrifice their selfish desires to uphold these roles; for example women should nurture children and hold together a home, while men should protect and support the family. Ancient View of Sex 92% Modern View on Gender 17% Sex: Are You Modern or Ancient in Attitude? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Gandalf. You are Gandalf! This wise, old mage is loyal and brave. He is known for his counsel and advice to his friends and allies during tough times. "All you have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to you." Aragorn 63% Gandalf 63% Samwise 50% Faramir 44% Eowyn 38% Pippin 38% Frodo 31% Arwen 31% Gollum 25% Which LOTR character are you? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Traditional Catholic. You look at the great piety and holiness of the Church before the Second Vatican Council and the decay of belief and practice since then, and see that much of the decline is due to failed reforms based on the "Spirit of the Council". You regret the loss of vast numbers of Religious and Ordained clergy and the widely diverging celebrations of the Mass of Pope Paul VI, which often don't even seem to be Catholic anymore. You are helping to rebuild this past culture in one of the many new Traditional Latin Mass communities or attend Eastern Catholic Divine Liturgy. You seek refuge from the world of pornography, recreational drugs, violence, and materialism. You are an articulate, confident, committed, and intelligent Catholic. But do you support legitimate reform of the Church, and are you willing to submit to the directives of the Second Vatican Council? Will you cooperate responsibly with others who are not part of the Traditional community? Traditional Catholic 90% New Catholic 57% Neo-Conservative Catholic 41% Lukewarm Catholic 38% Evangelical Catholic 29% Radical Catholic 14% Liberal Catholic 10% What is your style of American Catholicism? created with QuizFarm.com

---

But perhaps this result is more accurate:

You scored as Lukewarm Catholic. You are Catholic in name only. You either live your life just for yourself, or, if you've done that for too many years, you may feel hopeless and that your life has no meaning. Remember, God made you in His image and likeness to share eternal glory with Him. While you still live, it is never too late to repent from past mistakes. The most important things are to love God with all of your heart, mind, and spirit, and to love your neighbor as yourself. If going to church does nothing for you, perhaps you should find a different parish that emphasizes holiness and service to others in need. Spend time with friends who are trying to live a good life and who have a love for other people. And try to pray. Start out by asking God for help. Lukewarm Catholic 74% Traditional Catholic 71% New Catholic 45% Neo-Conservative Catholic 40% Liberal Catholic 19% Evangelical Catholic 14% Radical Catholic 2% What is your style of American Catholicism? created with QuizFarm.com

These categories of American Catholics are from Avery Robert Cardinal Dulles and Deacon Owen F. Cummings, except for the Lukewarm category, which I think is particularly relevant today, especially for myself!

You scored as Classical Humanist. You are traditional and orthodoxy is very important to you. You are most likely Catholic, or else your religion is ancient, with a long continuous tradition. You have a good sense of humor and like to take things easy. You aren't a very exciting person, but are dependable. You think that people need to cultivate the virtues of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice. You think that the study of science is good, but don't often keep up with the products of technological progress. You believe that the study of history has great application to understanding current events. You think that people can govern themselves most of the time, and that government needs to be mainly small; however, you do not expect too much of government. Your favorite philosophers are Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Marcus Aurelius, Augustine of Hippo, and Thomas Aquinas. Classical Humanist 100% Enlightenment Optimist 13% Existentialist 0% Pessimist 0% What's your Philosophical Anthropology? created with QuizFarm.com

There are many popular online personality tests, but here is one that is different:

http://www.testyourcall.com

This tests your call for a vocation to the Religous life. I found out about this website at the Carmelite Monastery in Clayton. Registration is required.