tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38402484732769626842024-03-13T17:22:11.999-05:00Catholic Tech GeekSteven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-83396744066139076362020-02-14T14:13:00.002-06:002020-02-14T14:13:35.556-06:00Taking a Cue From Saints Cyril and Methodius on Language and UnionToday, February 14, has traditionally been the feast of Saint Valentine in the Latin church. However in the newer calendar for the Latin rite, it is the feast of the apostles to the Slavs, Saints Cyril and Methodius. In the byzantine calendar, this feast concentrates only on the death of Saint Cyril, as the 2 brother saints have their own feast day together in July.<br />
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First, let me start with a (seemingly) controversial statement: the Latin church has throughout history, at times, has played a part in stifling reunion with the eastern churches. The story of Saints Cyril and Methodius can help illustrate this fact.<br />
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To make a summary if you have never heard their life story, Saints Cyril and Methodius were originally of the city of Constantinople. In 862, Prince Rastislav of Moravia petitioned the byzantine emperor and the patriarch of Constantinople to send missionaries to Moravia after not being satisfied with efforts of Latin missionaries in the area. Saints Cyril and Methodius were chosen for this endeavor. As part of their efforts, Cyril devised a written alphabet, the Glagolithic alphabet (which would later develop into the Cyrillic alphabet), in order to have a written script for the sounds of the Slavic language and translated the bible into Old Slavonic so that the people they would be ministering to could have scripture in their own language. Their efforts turned out to be very successful among the people, much to the chagrin of Frankish missionaries that were encountered around the area. The Frankish clergy did not like the brothers' efforts one bit, as they insisted absolute uniformity with the Latin language and the Roman Mass and saw the two brothers as encroaching onto their territory.<br />
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Eventually, Pope Nicholas I got word of their missionary efforts and the conflicts and invited Cyril and Methodius to come to Rome to meet with him. The two took him up on his offer and traveled to Rome. By the time they got to Rome, Pope Nicholas I had died and his successor, Pope Adrian II welcomed them with open arms when they arrived in Rome, being pleased with the success of their missionary efforts with the Slavs. As part of this, he gave his full blessing for the Divine Liturgy to be said in Old Slavonic instead of Latin and ordained the 2 brothers and 3 students of theirs as priests. 2 other students of theirs were also ordained to the diaconate. Later, before leaving Rome, the plan was for the 2 brothers to also be consecrated as bishops. Unfortunately, Cyril would die in Rome and only Methodius was consecrated a bishop and sent back to continue his work.<br />
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Coming back, he did not return to Moravia due to politics at the time, but went to Pannonia, a part of the region over which he had episcopal authority. The Franks still did not like Methodius or his (legitimate) claims to the authority of an archbishop. As a result, they captured Methodius and held him captive in a monastery in Germany for 2 and a half years. After getting word of this, Pope John VIII ordered that Methodius should be released and the Frankish bishops who set him up should be punished (but the pope asked Methodius should stop using Slavonic in the liturgy). After being freed, Methodius went back to Moravia where he had many years of no disturbance since <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Rastislav's nephew was ruling now and had expelled the Latin church clergy from the area. However, the Frankish clergy eventually made their way back to Moravia and accused Methodius of heresy and using Slavonic instead of Latin. Methodius was summoned to Rome for these charges which he successfully defended himself against and reaffirmed his commitment to orthodoxy. There, the pope (convinced by his defense) gave him full permission (again) to use Slavonic and sent him back again.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Unfortunately, upon the death of Methodius, things got much worse. The successor Methodius had chosen to replace him was not recognized by the new pope, Pope Stephen V. The successor that was chosen instead forbade the use of Slavonic in the liturgy (after the directive of Pope Stephen) and forced the students and followers of Methodius into exile. Many of those ended up in Bulgaria where they organized the church there.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">What can this story teach us? First, the vernacular is not evil (despite what some radtrads might tell you). Every liturgical language used for the Divine Liturgy or the Mass was the vernacular at some point in time. If a language has developed enough where it is capable of being raised to the level of the sacred, there is no reason why it could not theoretically be used in the Divine Liturgy or Mass. Also, trying to trying to force uniformity in language where more fruit is produced by use of the vernacular than with this other lanuage is not good. The vernacular is good, but we should also know how to worship in the liturgical language of our respective churches as well (being able to work with both is the goal, but whichever you use more is up to the compentant authority).</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Second, unity does not mean (absolute) uniformity. Both the eastern and western churches both profess the same faith, the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic faith handed down to us from Jesus Christ by his 12 apostles and their successors. How we express that faith may differ between particular churches, but it is still the same faith. Just because one church expresses the faith differently from yours does not make it wrong or inferior to the way your church expresses it. If the Frankish bishops and priests (and later the popes after Pope John VIII too) had seen the good that the efforts of Saints Cyril and Methodius had wrought and just left them be instead of having a nutty over what they were doing was not done the exact way they expected it to be, we might have had even more fruit produced than what we saw after the deaths of Saints Cyril and Methodius.</span><br />
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On another look on perhaps the same ideas, I was reading about the history of the Russian Greek Catholic Church. The church started after a Russian Orthodox priest and a few others made the conscious decision to enter communion with Rome. In 1917, the Russian Catholics got their own exarchate and Saint Leonid Feodorov was chosen to be the bishop to lead it. In the 1920s, Saint Leonid managed to get a meeting with the patriarch of Moscow, Patriarch Tikhon, to discuss union of the Russian Orthodox Church with Rome. During the meeting, the patriarch said he was open to union, but was weary of efforts of Latin clergy (mainly the Polish, but there were others too) to go sheep snatching to make the people Roman Catholic. Saint Leonid tried to stop the latins from taking advantage of the political situation in the Russian church and causing too much trouble to ruin his attempts at producing union, but alas, he was mostly ignored and union was never realized (the arrest of the patriarch by the Soviet police did not help with union either). If we would have given it the time it deserved and let talks of union happen naturally rather than having overly ambitious Latin clergy go proselytizing from the start, we might have had union between the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church today. I got most of my source on the Russian church from this link (<a href="https://holyunia.blogspot.com/2010/12/historical-destiny-of-russian-catholic.html">https://holyunia.blogspot.com/2010/12/historical-destiny-of-russian-catholic.html</a>). It is a definite must read for anyone, but especially for Roman Catholics (who may not know much about the east).<br />
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Saints Cyril and Methodius have certainly played a great part in bringing Christianity to the Slavic peoples. Most of the Slavic churches today use a language that even bears his namesake, the Cyrillic alphabet. Saints Cyril and Methodius, pray for us!<br />
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Comments are very much welcome below. I would very much like to see your thoughts on this issue.Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-697827563783096772019-11-06T16:48:00.000-06:002019-11-09T00:19:04.063-06:00NCR's Rebuttle on the Latin MassWell, I'm finally back to writing on the blog again. A lot has happened since my last post. I just didn't think this would be the topic to finally coerce me to.<br />
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Anyway, this morning I noticed a certain piece from the National Catholic(?) Reporter on the topic of the extraordinary form (a.k.a. traditional Latin Mass) of the Roman rite. This piece has been getting quit a bit of buzz both on facebook and twitter. After reading it, I realized it needs a rebuttle. Well, I guess I will take it piece by piece then.<br />
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<blockquote cite="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/latin-mass-becomes-cult-toxic-tradition?fbclid=IwAR1kxXTpQ8UF5vrtZONi0V_by9JtXtN9ouM-D-pxTYjy4fxX0ZZKtCxNKWc">
The Latin Mass fosters clericalist structures in the church. The liturgy — spoken in an ancient language no longer in modern vernacular usage — places all power in the hands of the priest. The priest keeps his back turned to the people for most of the ceremony. Aside from making occasional responses, the congregation plays no active part in worship. All people inside the church are expected to kneel on cue at various points. The priest is at the center of the spectacle. He is separated from the people he is supposed to serve by an altar rail — a barrier that gives him privileges. To receive the Eucharist, people must kneel at his feet. </blockquote>
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The Mass is liturgy, the work of the people. The Mass fosters order. As part of this, each person has his or her role within the Mass to play (it's a shame that the minor orders have declined in the Roman church so much that you don't really see them in the Mass on the parish level very much if ever). As for this lack of participation here, I blame too much Low Mass (much to the detriment of the Solemn Hight Mass, the normal form of the Mass for the Roman rite). In the Solemn High Mass, the people are actively engaged in the Mass. The Low Mass encourages a kind of liturgical free-for-all that promotes the idea that the laity can do whatever they want during the Mass (rosary during Mass anyone??) as long as the priest is doing his thing instead of paying attention to all the prayers of the Mass and uniting your own prayers and intentions for the Mass with the priest's. It might surprise readers that there have been instances throughout history where the extraordinary form of the Mass was NOT done in Latin. One example here is the various native americans had a translation of the Mass in the language of their tribe. Another example is in parts of eastern Europe, permission was given to offer the Mass in Slavonic instead of Latin and this permission has never been rescinded. At any time, the church could give the blessing to offering the extraordinary form in the vernacular, but for various reasons the church has not (unless for English you count the edition of the Mass that the Anglican ordinariate uses). The kneeling is part of the rite. (disregarding any arguments from the east) I see no reason to find offense at kneeling at various parts in the Mass (it's just part of the program). How could the altar rail give the priest give the priest any "special privilege"? Any that you can think of probably come from the Church from ordination and the expectations that the Church has of the priest. I will not get into the kneeling part there are arguments for both kneeling and standing, just respect tradition of that rite.<br />
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<blockquote cite="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/latin-mass-becomes-cult-toxic-tradition?fbclid=IwAR1kxXTpQ8UF5vrtZONi0V_by9JtXtN9ouM-D-pxTYjy4fxX0ZZKtCxNKWc">
Meanwhile, the Latin tradition oppresses women. Women are expected — indeed, in some cases commanded — to wear skirts instead of trousers, cover themselves with long clothing and wear veils over their heads. No such rules exist for the men. It is discrimination, and therefore the Latin Mass actively endorses sexism. Instead of a unifying form of worship, the Latin Mass has become an instrument of oppression and a gathering point for Catholic fundamentalists. </blockquote>
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What is expected is that both men and women dress modestly for the Mass. Yes, the women-wearing-pants haters do exist, but by no means is their case a rule. The Christian tradition of veiling comes from Saint Paul's first letter to the Corinthians <span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "roboto" , sans-serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: inherit; font-variant: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">(1 Corinthians 11:4-16)</span>. There is an even older tradition of the church of men and women sitting on opposite sides of the church during the divine services, and it is even practiced in some parts of the church today (particularly in the eastern parts of the church). What would the author say to this tradition?<br />
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<blockquote cite="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/latin-mass-becomes-cult-toxic-tradition?fbclid=IwAR1kxXTpQ8UF5vrtZONi0V_by9JtXtN9ouM-D-pxTYjy4fxX0ZZKtCxNKWc">
In most cases, it is useless to politely disagree with people in the Latin Mass sect. Their attitude creates blindness — not only to true faith, but to their own behavior. They treat others with pride and animosity, but their conscience fails to kick in because they are convinced their way is holy and other ways are not.
Anyone who may accuse me of not knowing what I'm talking about — a favorite indictment of the Latin Mass ideologues — would be wrong. My opinion is based on facts and personal experiences.</blockquote>
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This right here is a blanket statement and does not apply to everyone. Yes, you will have those triumphalists that think the extraordinary form of the roman rite is the only legit Catholic rite, but don't let them get you down. Concentrating on this and having this kind of pride does no good for anyone spiritually.<br />
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<blockquote cite="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/latin-mass-becomes-cult-toxic-tradition?fbclid=IwAR1kxXTpQ8UF5vrtZONi0V_by9JtXtN9ouM-D-pxTYjy4fxX0ZZKtCxNKWc">
Needless to say, anything in the church looking remotely female was completely veiled. The people had the humor of a gallows crowd and the pastor, arrayed in lavish vestments, was more like a Renaissance baron. After over an hour spent every Sunday drowning in incense smoke and getting sneered at, we did not feel any closer to God. </blockquote>
And lavish vestments are a bad thing? God deserves the best and if the lavish vestments are the best we have, we should use them. I've seen the phenomena of people being too serious and cold at celebrations of the extraordinary form and I don't like it. The Mass is a time to be joyful. After all, we are receiving God in it, first in his word and then in himself under the auspices of bread and wine. If we are disposed to receive it, why would we ever look cold and not happy.<br />
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<blockquote cite="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/latin-mass-becomes-cult-toxic-tradition?fbclid=IwAR1kxXTpQ8UF5vrtZONi0V_by9JtXtN9ouM-D-pxTYjy4fxX0ZZKtCxNKWc">
Rules, also, were a strange issue. For example, the color red was forbidden to be worn in the church. A confessor there hit one of my family members with a "permanent daily penance"— a rosary every day, forever, to atone for an alleged life of iniquity. After some while of this torture, my mother spoke with a different priest about the unbearable situation. He advised her that genuine Catholic faith did not forbid wearing certain colors or allow priests to inflict a "lifetime penance" for sins. Immediately we stopped going to Mass at that parish. </blockquote>
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I don't know where she gets this point from. Red has never been a color forbidden to be worn in church (for anyone). After all, it is used for feasts of martyrs and the Holy Spirit. That second priest she consulted is generally right about the first confessor. As for the penance, that one isn't too hard to accomplish (you just have to remember it).<br />
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<blockquote cite="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/latin-mass-becomes-cult-toxic-tradition?fbclid=IwAR1kxXTpQ8UF5vrtZONi0V_by9JtXtN9ouM-D-pxTYjy4fxX0ZZKtCxNKWc">
After almost leaving the church as a teenager, I chose to stay Catholic by practicing my faith as a free agent — belonging to no parish, attending different churches for Sunday Mass. On one instance, a priest noticed I was showing up semi-regularly and approached me with a persuasive speech to convert me to the Latin Mass faction — disguising discrimination as encouragement. "You should come to the Latin Mass instead and wear a veil. Women look the most beautiful in church when they are veiled," he tried to persuade. "The long veils are the best kind — the really long ones, past the shoulders. I recommend that for you — you have such pretty red hair, but it would even look nicer if you wore a veil over it. I think the long kind would be best for you."
Most disturbing about this conversation was his effort to make repression sound positive. Of course it made no sense that my hair would somehow look better if people couldn't see it. Indignant, I asked him to explain why he thought I should consider covering my head. </blockquote>
I am glad she committed to being a practicing Catholic in her teenage years. Too many children make the horrible choice not to. The priest said more than what he needed to in order to make his point, but I can't see how what the priest says amounts to repression.<br />
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<blockquote cite="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/latin-mass-becomes-cult-toxic-tradition?fbclid=IwAR1kxXTpQ8UF5vrtZONi0V_by9JtXtN9ouM-D-pxTYjy4fxX0ZZKtCxNKWc">
When asked why it was disrespectful to show the hair that God gave me — and why men in church did not have to cover their hair — he was not able to answer. He reacted badly because I challenged his authority. Anyway, I had no intention of listening. I knew I was free to take my belief in God elsewhere. I never returned to that church afterwards.
The priest's attitude towards veiling women is typical of Latin Mass cultists. They seem to believe that women look better in church when people can't see them. They try to sell the veil to girls as a symbol of feminine piety. They hold that covering up and hiding yourself is beautiful although such a practice is the very opposite of natural beauty.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter how pretty, lacy or colorful the veils may seem to potential wearers — the veils are meant to conceal female beauty and prevent people from noticing women. By promoting the veil, Latin Mass fundamentalists rob women of freedom, while trying to make it seem like a liberating choice. Their attitude is not much different from religious extremists in the Middle East and Asia.
Given such practices, it should come as no surprise that a contingent of men active within the sectarian Latin Mass environment have sexist worldviews. These types believe they are superior to women simply because they are male. </blockquote>
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I don't know why the priest when asked why did not cite Saint Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Perhaps he forgot, we don't know. But as to why women veil, it is because we veil what is sacred (and precious), only to be revealed to those who it is appropriate for. The veil on the tabernacle hides the dwelling place of the body of Christ under the appearance of bread and is brought out for the communion of the faithful. We veil the sacred vessels because they hold the body and blood of Christ. Among other arguments (and women out there reading this please correct me if I am off the rails here), women veil because they are precious, being able to bear and nurture life in their own bodies, only being (fully) revealed to the husband she is married to. On a practical level, she mentions how women may veil to "<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">conceal female beauty and prevent people from noticing women". Considering that the purpose of the Mass is to worship Almighty God, the less distractions the better. It is not a bad thing that women are endowed with beauty by God, but men are visual creatures. It is also for our benefit so we can concentrate on the prayers of the Mass instead of a woman's beauty (there is a time and place for everything, but the Mass is not it).</span>
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<blockquote cite="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/latin-mass-becomes-cult-toxic-tradition?fbclid=IwAR1kxXTpQ8UF5vrtZONi0V_by9JtXtN9ouM-D-pxTYjy4fxX0ZZKtCxNKWc">
I cite two examples to support my view. One occasion that remains burned into my memory was when I attended Mass at a Catholic university. It was a busy Sunday and my schedule demanded I attend Mass at a particular time. I did not know it was a Latin Mass until I stumbled over the doorstep. The atmosphere was typically medieval. I was surprised to recognize some people there. One of them was a professor who was known to be a chauvinistic person. When I saw his wife, I was shocked — and suddenly realized the ugly extent of his prejudices. His wife was a mere ghost of a woman. She was covered from head to foot. Her dress was so long that it dragged on the floor. Even her entire neck and her hands were covered. She kept her head bowed and always walked behind her husband. She carried a rosary and looked physically weak — almost ill.
The professor, by contrast, looked swaggering and hearty. He strutted around and chatted with others in church as she followed him like a pale shadow. Seeing this, I believed I had witnessed a very dark side to the professor's spirituality. His religion was a mechanism of abusive control. </blockquote>
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I don't see how the actions of a few account for the whole group. Just because this professor had issues does not mean everyone there has the same issues too. Some people are there because the traditions and practices and the particular Catholic rite of the liturgy is most conducive for his or her spiritual life. I can't comment on the professor or his wife themselves because I don't have the whole picture here from all the needed angles, but I will say something that sticks out here is perhaps an overkill on modesty.<br />
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<blockquote cite="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/latin-mass-becomes-cult-toxic-tradition?fbclid=IwAR1kxXTpQ8UF5vrtZONi0V_by9JtXtN9ouM-D-pxTYjy4fxX0ZZKtCxNKWc">
My second example concerns a younger Catholic age group — many of whom are apparently falling victim to the ultra-traditional Latin Mass ideology promoted in Catholic activity groups and on college campuses. A female acquaintance of mine, about my age, decided to brave the Catholic dating scene — a recipe for disaster, in my personal opinion. Among the stories I heard from her were of traditional Catholic males shopping for wives, asking her and other girls, "Are you willing to be veiled?" before agreeing to date them. These men did not want to associate with women whom they couldn't religiously dominate.
Men she met in this traditional Catholic peer group would interview girls about theology before deciding to spend time with them — they were arrogant and believed they were somehow morally superior to the women. Instead of standing up for her own dignity, she decided to cave into the pressure — go to traditional services and start wearing veils. I still don't understand why she wanted to associate with that group, or why she decided to give in to oppression.</blockquote>
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There are a couple of reasons young people choose the older form of the Mass. For the dating part, it is good that if a couple is going for marriage, they ought to be in agreement on different matters. These young men do not ask these questions in order to religiously dominate. They just want to make sure both are on the same page. It just makes life smoother if they get to the point of marriage preparation and eventually the sacrament of matrimony. No matter what you do these kinds of topics will come up at some point in time. Personally, not willing to veil is not a dealbreaker for dating, for me, as such matters can be changed later, but this is just one man's opinion. I still don't get the whole oppression thing: the guy leads the family, but the guy also has to do what he can to support the woman (and the rest of the family).<br />
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<blockquote cite="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/latin-mass-becomes-cult-toxic-tradition?fbclid=IwAR1kxXTpQ8UF5vrtZONi0V_by9JtXtN9ouM-D-pxTYjy4fxX0ZZKtCxNKWc">
It is very unfortunate that younger generations of Catholics seeking to deepen their faith are getting sucked into this vortex of toxic, traditional radicalism. I saw many young families at a Latin Mass recently when I was invited to attend a speaking engagement at a traditional church. I happened to arrive before Mass was quite over — having nowhere else to go before the event, and wishing to receive Communion, I decided to sit in on the Mass. Unsurprisingly I found myself surrounded by veiled women who entertained themselves in between kneeling bouts by casting disapproving glances at my leggings and earrings.
Looking around, I was astonished to see many college-aged men and women among the crowd. The priests seemed to be in their 30s. Clearly these people were too young to remember times before Vatican II. Yet something had drawn them here. Parental influence? Doubtful. It seemed to be a shared spirit of ultra-conservatism. I found it frightening to reflect on how the closed, Latin Mass mindset had managed to replicate itself over time and spread like a virus.
Unsurprisingly, while there I had another memorably bad experience. I asked to receive Communion in the hands. Most traditional-type priests I'd encountered in my lifetime would give me the Eucharist in the hands. Not this pastor. He literally made a scene at the altar and jerked the Eucharist away from me when I reached out to receive it — as if my hands would contaminate the very Jesus who, according to the Catholic faith, seeks Communion with my soul. I seriously considered walking out of the church at that point, but decided to receive the Eucharist instead since I wanted to pray. After Mass I gave the priests a piece of my mind. </blockquote>
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Who cares if we don't remember the times before Vatican II? We can connect the dots here that the previous generation didn't do the best job at catechesis and deprived us of the riches of the older form of the Mass. Can't we young folk decide for ourselves if the older form of the Mass is a good thing instead of listening to older Catholics bicker about how bad things were in the church before Vatican II? We should be careful about commenting on another's dress unless it is downright immodest (and no one would disagree with that conclusion). I once heard a story from a priest in his own experience how he finally got one woman to come back to the church after decades away and the people there gave her a hard time because she didn't exactly fit in and dressed exactly as they did, so she never came back. The pastor could have definitely handled this situation a lot better than he did. While serving the extraordinary form myself, if a person put their hand out while trying to receive the eucharist, I would just position the paten under the chin and the priest would give communion on the tongue as normal and then we would both carry on. The Mass is not the time to make a scene.<br />
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<blockquote cite="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/latin-mass-becomes-cult-toxic-tradition?fbclid=IwAR1kxXTpQ8UF5vrtZONi0V_by9JtXtN9ouM-D-pxTYjy4fxX0ZZKtCxNKWc">
Clericalism defined the response I received. When I informed an assisting priest that the pastor had been very rude to me at the altar and asked that my views be relayed, he replied: "I won't throw our pastor under the bus. He's the pastor. I refuse to tell him to correct his behavior," the priest said.
I reminded him that, as a priest, he was supposed to be of service and value my feedback as a believer. The priest took a step back and looked at me in astonishment, as if the notion of service had never occurred to him. "Very well. I'll tell the pastor what you said," he said condescendingly. "But I don't think he did anything wrong."
His attitude was a trademark example of the culture within the Catholic Church that encourages abuse. His first reaction was to default to absolute loyalty to his pastor, then dismiss my views. When pressed further, he flat-out denied all wrongdoing. To clericalists, complainers are always the problem — not those who belong to the herd, and certainly not clergy. </blockquote>
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As a priest, when a parishioner comes to you with a problem, you better listen. There is a thing called fraternal correction and priests are not exempt from it. The better thing for the priest here would have been to talk to the pastor later about this and not throw it out the window under the guise of "I won't throw the pastor under the bus. I refuse to correct his behavior". If you don't do your part, you're part of the problem.<br />
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<blockquote cite="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/latin-mass-becomes-cult-toxic-tradition?fbclid=IwAR1kxXTpQ8UF5vrtZONi0V_by9JtXtN9ouM-D-pxTYjy4fxX0ZZKtCxNKWc">
With feudalistic rigidity, the priest argued in defense of his pastor against the traditions of the "novus ordo"—a derogatory term used by Latin Mass cultists to denote regular English-language Masses. He said the Masses I regularly attended were invented "only 40 years ago" — as if that devalued them somehow —and insisted they were only "allowed to exist, but not standardly recommended." He claimed the church only allowed Communion in the hands "in extreme cases." Of course, I know this is not true. He capped his radical fundamentalist arguments by saying the Latin Mass is a solemn rite equal to Byzantine and Coptic rites and that rules cannot be changed for anyone. He accused me of being "rude" by expecting them "to change their rites."
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Honestly, I tire of these Tridentine vs Novus Ordo arguments. If the extraordinary form does the most for your spiritual life, stick with the extraordinary form. If the ordinary form does the most for your spiritual life, stick with the ordinary form. If the Byzantine Divine Liturgy (and other parts of the Byzantine tradition) does the most for your spiritual life, stick with that. The church gives us choice because everyone is different.<br />
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From what I see, the author has had a bad experience with the extraordinary form. This is unfortunate, but it is nothing that can't be cured with a bit of catechesis on why it is done the way it is (whether the person is willing to listen and do the homework is another issue entirely). Anyone that reads her article should be willing to listen, but do your homework on the misconceptions present here and experience the rite yourself. I hope I have done a good job at pointing out some of the misconceptions the author writes and giving some oversight on how it could better.<br />
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Comments are certainly welcome and encouraged. Just post them below and comment away.Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-10657283792355604522018-05-15T11:36:00.003-05:002018-05-15T11:44:21.049-05:00So Ya Wanna Be a Priest's Wife?<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yesterday, I posted a piece on married priests. I think it's only fair that I concentrate on the role of being the priest's wife as well. Granted, some of this might be rehash from the married priests post, but it still counts. (N.B. I wrote this from an eastern perspective since the married priesthood is an ancient custom in the East, but this would also apply in the Latin church if it suddenly changed course on it's celibacy discipline.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As the priest's wife, your role in the family is critical to making it all work. Once your <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">husband </span>is accepted for priesthood formation, he needs to go to seminary. In regards to how seminaries handle families, the policy differs from seminary to seminary. If your husband ends up going to Saints <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20.8px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA, it depends on how your family is. If it is just you and your husband, they offer a dorm section which is meant specifically for married couples. If you have children and you don't want to go the "husband stays at seminary and you stay home with the kids the whole time he's in seminary" route, you and your husband will have to buy a house close to the seminary and live there for the years he is in seminary. You will also be invited to take part in various events with your husband throughout the year (like weekly Sunday evening Vespers which is open to the public) and might be asked for input on formation at various times.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20.8px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20.8px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I should mention that your "Yes" makes the difference whether your <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">husband </span>gets ordained or not. If you say "No", the bishop will not ordain him. Once your <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">husband </span>is ordained and assigned to a parish, you will have to help him run it. As your <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">husband </span>goes about his priestly duties, it will be your job to manage the children (and of course he will take time to be with the kids too). If your <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">husband </span>doesn't make enough as a priest to make ends meet, are you prepared to take a job to help support the family? Even if he does make enough as a priest, can you deal with the stress of your <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">husband </span>frequently taking time away from the family to fulfill his priestly duties?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20.8px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20.8px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Once your husband is ordained, he will be at the call of the bishop. If the bishop wants to move the priest from one parish to another, he will have to accept as part of his promise of obedience to the bishop. These days, it seems that moving priests around is a popular tactic for bishops instead of keeping them in a given parish for life. If your bishop says "I want you to go here", can you deal with moving every few years? Given the size of some eparchies or dioceses in the US, you might be asked to move a great distance from where you are currently located. </span></span><br />
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As a priest, your <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">husband </span>will have to interact with other female parishioners. It is important that you not let jealousy act in any way here. Your <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">husband </span>will not forget that he is married to you when dealing with other female parishioners.<br />
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The support of a priest's wife is critical. If the priest is having a hard time, the priest's wife's help and support can be just what he needs to lift his spirits and keep going through the day. You as the priest's wife are to be a good feminine example for other ladies in the parish in living a good Christian life. As part of the vocation of priest's wife, you also help keep your husband accountable as well.<br />
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This is all I can think of for the role of priest's wife specifically at the moment. If Priest's Wife is watching, any input to improve this post would be greatly appreciated.Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-91531528554624316272018-05-14T17:06:00.000-05:002018-05-17T15:32:17.712-05:00So Ya Wanna Be a Married Priest?In case you're wondering where the topic of this post came from, I got a tip-off from the Byzantine Catholic facebook group I am part of about a certain tweet put out by his excellency Bishop Tobin. For reference, I will display the tweet below.<br />
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This tweet started a firestorm of replies from those who know about the Eastern tradition of married men being ordained priests. Reintroducing married priests (without special exceptions) into the Latin church is an idea that has been thrown around in recent years, but nothing has happened yet. If you have been wondering how that could work out (or how it does work out in the East), let me give you some idea. For the record, I am single (and looking towards the celibate priesthood), but I have priests friends who are married priests (including my current pastor/spiritual father).<br />
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First, before anyone in the media attempts to twist my post, I will state how it works: married men can be ordained priests, but priests cannot marry. Why is this you may ask? Well, upon ordination to the subdiaconate (if you are a member of the Roman church who doesn't know what a subdeacon is, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subdeacon" target="_blank">read up on Wikipedia</a>), the man makes a promise of celibacy. What the status of the man is (at time of ordination) will influence how this promise is lived out. If a man is single at time of ordination, he cannot marry at any time for the rest of his life. If a man is married, however, he continues to live with his wife, but if his wife happens to die before he does, he is forbidden from marrying again. Because of this, there have been times where a man will delay ordination if he knows he will be married first. For the traddies and rad-trads out there, the priest's marriage status matters not sacramentally. A priest is a priest is a priest. The fact that he may be married does not change the fact that he can do anything that a celibate priest can do. The only exception is that married priests cannot be elevated to the episcopacy (while his wife is still alive).<br />
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The life of a married priest is one of sacrifice. As a married priest, he has the obligation of fulfilling his marriage vows (helping his wife and kids to get to heaven) and the obligation of his work as a priest of Jesus Christ (being the shepherd that the bishop has put in place to help the flock of sheeple he has been entrusted with get to heaven). This is no easy task.<br />
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As a married priest, there will be times where priestly duty will necessarily interfere with family life. Imagine, for a moment, the priest's wife has just finished making a delicious dinner for the whole family after a long day and everyone in the family has sat down and is ready to eat. Just as you've said grace and Father has given the blessing, the phone rings. A parishioner is in the hospital almost about to die and needs to be given the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Father lets his wife and kids know what is going on and heads out to take care of his parishioner. As we can see, the duties of being of a priest can interfere with events in family life. Are you prepared to deal with that? A side effect of this is that family events often get planned around what is happening in the parish and in the church calendar that week.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">If you think the priest's wife has little part to play in this, think again. The priest's wife supports the priest in helping to run the parish. If the priest doesn't make enough money from his work as a priest to support his family, the wife will have to take a job. Even though this doesn't really happen in Eastern Catholic circles, I have heard of stories from Orthodox circles where the priest's pay wasn't enough to provide for his family, so the priest himself had to work a secular job just to make ends meet for his family. To me, no priest (Catholic or Orthodox) should ever have to worry about things getting that bad, but it happens sometimes (unfortunately).</span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
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For the married priest, priesthood formation involves the wife just as it involves the man. In order to even be ordained, the wife has to say "Yes" to her husband presenting himself for ordination. If the wife says "No" to the whole thing, the bishop will not ordain him. There is an important bit of information I got when I went to the Come And See Weekend last year at Saints Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA. "As a married man, your first duty is to your family. If you have young children or newly married, it might be best if you wait a few years before you enter seminary". In other words, a married man thinking about ordination must have a stable household first. If you don't have a stable household, what makes you think you can manage both your own family and a parish family?<br />
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I suppose I should add this section for any Latins reading this post. Unless the current discipline on celibacy in the Latin church changes, the Eastern bishops are fully aware of the celibacy discipline of the Latin church and are on the lookout for men applying for seminary in their churches just because the Eastern churches allow married men to be ordained priests and the Latin church does not. If you are (currently) ascribed to the Latin church and you want to get ordained in one of the Eastern Catholic churches, there needs to be some other good reason why you want to be ordained in one of Eastern Catholic churches.<br />
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Even though the East has a history of ordaining married men as priests, celibacy still exists in the East and is still appreciated. All monastics are required to be celibate. In order to be elevated to the episcopate, a priest cannot be married. As a result, there are many times where the next bishop of an eparchy (eparchy <=> diocese, same thing) will come from among the monastics, but not always. In the East, a married priest must be free from sexual relations for about 24-48 hours before he is to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. This is why you don't usually find daily Divine Liturgy in the East (the married priest is busy fulfilling the marital part of his life).<br />
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I think I have covered a good bit on the life of a married priest. If I am missing anything you think should be added to this, let me know in the comments and I will try for a part 2 with all the information I missed.<br />
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On the priest wife end, I have <a href="http://www.catholictechgeek.com/2018/05/so-ya-wanna-be-priests-wife.html" target="">this</a> as well.Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-68626110999074196562018-05-13T15:21:00.000-05:002018-05-13T15:31:53.031-05:00Happy Mamas Day<div>
Today in the US is Mother's Day. I want to first wish all of our mothers out there a most happy and blessed day today.</div>
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When people mention Mother's Day, everyone usually thinks of the typical mom in the nuclear family (that has existed since Eve and Adam got together to produce the first children) that gave birth to us. However, Mother's Day covers more than that. We think and pray for all mothers out there, not just our own.</div>
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On this day, we remember our own mothers, the one woman that brought you into this world. We thank her for all the sacrifices she has made for us and for putting up with us all these years.</div>
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For those of you that are married (I'm not), we thank our wives out there for helping us bring children into the world and raise them to be good God-fearing people.</div>
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On this day, we remember Grandmas and all mothers whose children are out living on their own.</div>
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On this day, we remember all those women out there who are currently pregnant and will be new mothers soon. We pray that they may have a successful pregnancy and give birth to a healthy child.</div>
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On this day, we remember all the mothers out there who have children that have died either after birth somehow or who have had a miscarriage. We realize this is a painful moment in a mother's life and we pray for healing for all those in this situation.</div>
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On this day, we remember all those mothers and potential mothers that have had an abortion in their past. We pray that (if they have not yet) they realized the horror from that action and receive forgiveness and healing from Christ through the church so those women can move forward in their lives.</div>
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On this day, we remember all those women that have tried (with their husband) to get pregnant and have failed. We pray that they may eventually have success and if not, that they be open to possibly adopting a child that needs a good home and a good father and mother.</div>
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On this day, we pray for all those whose mother has passed away and that their mother may (if not there yet) eventually enter into heaven through our prayers and supplications.</div>
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Motherhood can encompass more than just biological mothers. On this day, we remember all those women out there who are spiritual mothers, either in religious/monastic life or simply a spiritual mother to another girl or woman.</div>
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Last, let us not forget about the Theotokos and ever virgin Mary, the greatest mother God put on this Earth. She said "Yes" to God and it is through her that the mystery of the incarnation, God taking on flesh and dwelling with us, happened.</div>
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Thank you for all those mothers out there for choosing life and bringing wonderful children into the world. May God bless you all.</div>
Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-1204617363066280152018-05-10T17:55:00.001-05:002018-05-10T18:15:15.983-05:00The Feeding of the 1,200 of Prince Harry and Meghan's Wedding PartyIt's almost time for the next royal wedding and more mayhem ensues for the press (and the tabloids). Putting aside the (obvious) moral implications of the wedding (mainly with Prince Harry marrying a woman who has already married with a still-living husband without an annulment, no <span style="font-family: inherit;">matter what the Church of England rules may say) for a moment, we have gotten <span id="goog_1890786727"></span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/03/bring-your-own-picnic-royal-wedding-guests-bemused-by-lack-of-catering" target="_blank">word<span id="goog_1890786728"></span> from The Guardian</a> that Meghan and Harry have invited not only 600 guests which will attend the w<span style="font-family: inherit;">edding, but also 1,200 other people whose purpose will be to stand outside the chapel to wish them well and "<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #121212; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations too</span>". This is great, right? Wrong..the 1,200 extra that were invited have been asked to "<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #121212; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">bring a picnic lunch as it will not be possible to buy food and drink on site".</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #121212; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #121212; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #121212; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">To me, this is very rude to those guests. Clearly, we will not be having the feeding of the 1,200. Jesus had not one, but two events involving the feeding of a multitude, the most famous being the feeding of the 5,000, and everyone got enough to eat. Jesus had pity on the crowds and provided for their needs. This also smacks of pride and superiority as well. It's almost as if through this act, Harry and Meghan look down on them and give the impression of "oh you don't know us well enough or are not rich and famous, but we'll let you feel as though you are part of this anyway". The decent thing would be to provide some kind of food for everyone or at least make sure that food is available to be obtained somehow. Jesus did, so why don't Harry and Meghan follow his example? If you are going to bother to invite them, needs should be met.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #121212; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Thoughts?</span>Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-23152722605882681722018-05-09T22:48:00.001-05:002018-05-09T22:48:46.030-05:00The Blog is Back and Your Easter so FarFirst, let me take the chance to say that the blog is officially being revived. I realize that I should have been writing, but I have been neglecting it. Much has happened since I last wrote here. I have moved to the Midwest to the great state of Texas for work (I do miss West Virginia though), but I still remain active in the church as ever. Who would have thought that God would send me to a location where I not only have the largest F.S.S.P. parish in the US available, but also a Ruthenian Greek-Catholic church and a Ukrainian Greek-Catholic church as well?<br />
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As of now, I am technically a Roman Catholic. However, through my learning on the interwebz and participating in the parish life of the Ruthenian Greek-Catholic church near where I live, the east has definitely grown on me. After having moved here in 2015 until this year, I had been mainly active at the F.S.S.P. parish and went over to the Ruthenian parish when the men's schola wasn't singing. As of this year at the recommendation of my spiritual father (he said I needed to place all my eggs in the eastern basket if I was to get his recommendation for seminary), I have been going full time to the Ruthenian parish. To get a feel for what I have to deal with, try this on for size: first, know how to serve not only the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, but also the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite and be able to read and sing Gregorian chant for the Mass. Are you alright so far? If so, add on the Eastern Divine Liturgy (Ruthenian adaption) and be able to both serve as acolyte for it and cantor it and other services (like the divine office) that the Byzantine tradition offers. If you want a bonus, try keeping in mind the Ukrainian adaption of the Divine Liturgy as well (I have been over to the Ukrainian church a few times as well and am friends with the pastor there, but will admit I don't know everything on the Ukrainian side). Welcome to my world!<br />
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Christ is risen! Christos Vokrese (<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13.93px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Христосъ воскресе</span>)!</div>
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As we well know, tomorrow is the feast of the Ascension (for those of us on the Gregorian calendar) when we will celebrate Christ's ascension into heaven. Pascha is not done yet, but we are winding down to the end of it after tomorrow with only a week and 3 days between the Ascension and Pentecost. I will be writing more on the Ascension tomorrow. I know this is late, but has your parish done anything special this Easter season? This has been fun.<br />
<br />
On a side note, I would like to start getting my viewing numbers up again. If you could share this blog with friends and family and stay tuned (for more), that would be greatly appreciated. Trust me, there is definitely more to come.Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-67192464430299996942014-08-07T08:31:00.001-05:002014-08-07T08:31:25.852-05:00I'm back after the Long BreakFirst of all, I can say that I am officially back (from a long break in writing blog entries). Many things have been going on in my life (such as working at Wal-mart temporarily while still looking for a full-time software developer role, both contract work and full-time work both work for me, and contemplating going into the priesthood), and I really haven't had the time to put in to writing a good blog post. <br /><br />I have not forgotten about updates to my Windows Phone programs. My main project right now is working on an update for Mobile Media Manager for Windows Phone 8.1 (and that update is overdue, I know). In the currently released version, I was plagued with the restrictions that Microsoft had put in place for third party access to the Zune media queue. Thankfully, now with Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft has finally opened up all
of the functionality I need to make a fully-featured media player app. One of the major goals of this major update is full integration with Microsoft's storage solutions. Besides being able to play songs from local storage, I am also working on including integration with Xbox Music so you will be able to play your music downloaded with Xbox Music and being able to use music stored on Skydrive (excuse me, Onedrive) as well.<br />
<br />
For those of you that are using my prayer app, Prayer Aid, I am also working on an update for it. Besides little fixes like a part of the text of the Angelus, I am adding in some new prayers too. You will also be able to go ad-free and..have access to audio of the rosary that is in sync with where you are on the rosary counter I provide. If that goes well, I might add in audio support for the Divine Mercy Chaplet as well.<br />
<br />
For my boy scout app, BSA Eagle Tracker, an update is being worked on for you. This update will update the merit badge list to be recent and include many user interface tweaks. If I don't get to it in this next update I will release, I will include in the update following it the requirements for the various merit badges, both eagle-required and optional.<br />
<br />
To give you all a sneak peek at some new stuff I have in the works, I have a social media app for Windows 8(.1) that I am currently working on as well. The goal of the app is to be able to pull all of your information from various social networking sites and be able to see it all in one place, organized by time. If it goes well, I will also turn it into a universal app so windows phone will also have a version of it. Development of the command line app for Windows Phone that I am working on has been put on hold temporarily until I push out updates for existing programs.<br />
<br />
As I said before, a lot has been going on in my life since my last post. I felt that it is right for me to give everyone an update of what has been happening so people don't think I have dropped of the face of the earth. I will try to post blog entries on a regular basis now, so stay tuned.Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-12109244118714894422014-02-06T12:11:00.001-06:002014-02-06T12:13:34.939-06:00Great Reference Resource for Windows Phone DevelopmentRecently, while I was searching on the internet, I came across a poster which breaks down the windows phone api into categories so you can easily find the part of the api that you want. I see this as helpful for people who are (relatively) new to Windows Phone programming. For those of you who are already experienced with Windows Phone programming, this is a quick guide to find what you need (and so you can go searching on MSDN for the documentation that you need).<br />
<br />
The download is a pdf file. You can download it here at: <a href="http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=272110" target="_blank">http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=272110</a><br />
<br />
In other news, I have a few updates for you regarding my Windows Phone apps. I finally finished a long awaited update for my media player, Mobile Media Manager. The update is already live for the paid version, but the update for the free version is still in certification.. I expect it to be out in a day or two. <br />
<br />
My prayer app, Prayer Aid, is now out. Please check it out and leave me a review + rating in the store so I can improve it. It is meant to help you grow your prayer life with God. It should also give you some new ideas for prayer as well. It also can help you find a church while on vacation. Since God never takes a vacation from you, why should you take a vacation from him?<br />
<br />
My eagle scout app is currently being worked on. I hope to have the update for it out soon.<br />
<br />
If you want to go ahead and get my existing apps now (while I'm working on the updates), please use the following
links:<br />
<br />
Mobile Media Manager
(paid version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/y3rf6V" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/y3rf6V</span></a>Mobile Media Manager
(free version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/xGCsWE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/xGCsWE</span></a> <br />
Prayer Aid: <a href="http://bit.ly/Mg7Mnk" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/Mg7Mnk</a>Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-75589634873023726622014-01-21T12:39:00.003-06:002014-01-21T12:39:53.824-06:00Book Review: A Review of Windows Phone 8 Application Development EssentialsFirst, I realize that this should have gone up sooner. Anyway, I got a copy of <em>Windows Phone 8 Application Development Essentials</em> by Tomasz Szostak. I have been looking for good guides to help student developers (or others that are new to Windows Phone programming). If you are also getting into developing for Windows 8(.1), many concepts in this book are also applicable to development for Windows 8(.1).<br />
<br />
The book is broken up into 5 chapters. The first chapter deals with the basics of XAML (the markup language used to design user interfaces in Windows Phone. If you have done programming for Silverlight in the past, most of this will be familiar to you, but I still recommend that you skim through it for the Windows Phone-specific parts. The chapter describes the various controls available to you for your app's user interface and also gives a look into the basics of data binding which is important for the later chapters, as MVVM thrives on data binding. The only comment I have with the chapter is in the part for <strong>PhoneApplicationFrame</strong>. As a general rule, there are only a handful of times when setting the Content property of PhoneApplicationFrame is a more appropriate option then using the <strong>Navigate()</strong> function. If anyone disagrees with me on this, I would like to hear your argument for the contrary.<br />
<br />
The second chapter deals with best practices when trying to design your app. The first part of the chapter is focused on just trying to think through your app idea, what you want to do with the app and how you want to accomplish it. As someone who has tutored underclassmen computer science majors at the college level, I always try to stress that you never get your program requirements and just start coding away; you have to think first and then start coding once you have your "plan of action" for your program in place. It also looks at the various "methods of navigation" that your app can use. On the pivot section, that could be simplified a little more. The <strong>Pivot</strong> control is made up of <strong>PivotItem</strong> controls and the user swipes in either the left or right direction to switch between <strong>PivotItem</strong> controls. Each <strong>PivotItem</strong> has a header used to identify it and its content can only contain 1 child. Visual Studio has a template for a PhoneApplicationPage with a <strong>Pivot</strong> control in it all ready to go. In the best practices section for Pivot and Panorama controls it makes a good point in avoiding content that scrolls if possible (if not, you should be fine with vertical scrolling , but not horizontal scrolling at all). Fonts and tiles are also touched upon.<br />
<br />
The third chapter dives into MVVM. When you create a new Windows Phone application (with data?) project in Visual Studio, Visual Studio will try to organize files for MVVM. How you organize everything is up to you. In the model section, I noticed it uses the <strong>CallerMemberName</strong> attribute for the <strong>RaisePropertyChanged()</strong> function. Their example is different then how I have implanted my models with <strong>INotifyPropertyChanged</strong> interface. I have usually implemented it as<br />
<br />
<!-- code formatted by http://manoli.net/csharpformat/ -->
<br />
<pre class="csharpcode"><span class="kwrd">public</span> <span class="kwrd">string</span> sampleProperty {
<span class="kwrd">get</span> { <span class="kwrd">return</span> sample; }
<span class="kwrd">set</span> {
sample = value;
RaisePropertyChanged(<span class="str">"sampleProperty"</span>);
}
}
<span class="kwrd">private</span> <span class="kwrd">void</span> RaisePropertyChanged(<span class="kwrd">string</span> propertyName) {
<span class="kwrd">if</span>(PropertyChanged != <span class="kwrd">null</span>) {
PropertyChanged(<span class="kwrd">this</span>, <span class="kwrd">new</span> PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName);
}
}</pre>
<br />
with the book omitting the parameter on the call to <strong>RaisePropertyChanged()</strong>. To show the difference, see the following:<br />
<br />
<!-- code formatted by http://manoli.net/csharpformat/ --> <br />
<pre class="csharpcode"><span class="kwrd">public</span> <span class="kwrd">string</span> sampleProperty {
<span class="kwrd">get</span> { <span class="kwrd">return</span> sample; }
<span class="kwrd">set</span> {
sample = value;
RaisePropertyChanged();
}
}
<span class="kwrd">private</span> <span class="kwrd">void</span> RaisePropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] <span class="kwrd">string</span> propertyName = "") {
<span class="kwrd">if</span>(PropertyChanged != <span class="kwrd">null</span>) {
PropertyChanged(<span class="kwrd">this</span>, <span class="kwrd">new</span> PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName);
}
}</pre>
<br />
The chapter also covers other things applicable to MVVM such as <strong>ObservableCollection<T></strong> for collections in binding view models, data templates for the <strong>Listbox</strong> control and other controls which use <strong>ItemsControl</strong>, and Value Converters for those types which just don't work by themselves in XAML such as <strong>DateTime</strong>. Not only that, but MVVM Light is also covered in detail. Unit testing for Windows Phone is covered so you can create unit tests for components in your Windows Phone app. <br />
<br />
The fourth chapter deals with integration with the Windows Phone system. Writing to isolated storage (both file and settings), launchers and choosers, the two kinds of background agents, toast notifications, and live tiles are covered in detail. Something to note is that while you can use <strong>IsolatedStorageFile</strong> in a Windows Phone 8 app like you can in Windows Phone 7 (actually, that's the only way you can write files to storage in Windows Phone 7), Microsoft has enabled part (probably most) of the filesystem api found in WinRT in Windows Phone 8 as well. The newer filesystem api is what should be used from now on in a Windows Phone 8 app. For live tiles, <strong>ShellTile.ActiveTiles.FirstOrDefault()</strong> will always return the primary tile, whether it's pinned to the start screen or not. To search for a given (secondary) tile, you can use <strong>ShellTile.ActiveTiles.First()</strong> or <strong>ShellTile.ActiveTiles.FirstOrDafault()</strong> with a lambda expression such as <strong>ShellTile.ActiveTiles.FirstOrDefault(x => x.NavigationUri.ToString().Contains("texttosearchfor"));</strong>. <br />
<br />
The fifth and final chapter is devoted to integration with social networking. The two social networking services covered in this chapter are Facebook and Twitter. The Facebook section is good except for one thing left out. In the dyamic-type data received from the <strong>GetTaskAsync()</strong> function of the <strong>FacebookClient</strong> class, it is possible to cast that (or parts of it) to either a <strong>List<T></strong> or a <strong>Dictionary<T1, T2></strong>, and yes, it can be debugged it in Visual Studio too. In the Twitter section, they use a library called "TweetSharp" in the book, but I have used a library for Twitter access called "LinqToTwitter". Each one has its pros and its cons. No matter which library you use to connect to social networking services, you can always find more information via the documentation of the library you are using.<br />
<br />
In closing comments, I am surprised that they didn't cover styles for controls in the basics section. However, there are enough resources on the internet that cover that anyway. Overall, it gives a good start for someone who is just starting Windows Phone development. The book is available at <a href="http://www.packtpub.com/windows-phone-8-application-development-essentials/book" target="_blank">http://www.packtpub.com/windows-phone-8-application-development-essentials/book</a>.Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-21926127144017109792013-11-27T14:11:00.001-06:002013-11-27T14:11:22.794-06:00A Reminder about the Christmas Season and Black FridayFirst, I would like to wish everyone (early) Happy Thanksgiving. Next, I have a reminder about Christmas.<br />
<br />
Please note that Christmas has not started yet despite some commercials saying the contrary. I am amazed at how many tv commercials I have seen this early with Christmas as a theme. Thanksgiving hasn't even come and gone yet. The pre-Christmas period is long enough, so why must we make it longer?<br />
<br />
On Sunday, we, in the Roman Church, will enter into the Advent season (I am aware that Advent has already started for Eastern Catholics). Advent comes from a combination of two Latin words, "ad", which means "to", and "venio", which is the first-person present indicative of "venere", which means "to come". This is a time used to prepare ourselves for Christ to come to Earth once again. Christmas is more than a day, it's a whole season. The Christmas season starts with Christmas Day at 12:00 a.m. (00:00) on December 25, not sooner than that.<br />
<br />
Black Friday also has an "early start" this year. No longer do stores want to wait for the Friday after Thanksgiving to actually start. Instead, I find all the Black Friday specials starting as early as 8:00 p.m. (20:00) on Thanksgiving itself. This is time which should be spent with family and friends, not shopping for merchandise. Remember: friends and family will not always be around to spend time with, so make the most of the time you do have with them.<br />
<br />
We all know that no sane person would do what happens on Black Friday at any other time in the year, so why do we give Black Friday a pass? Yes, stores have what seem to be "amazing" deals on Black Friday, but odds are that you can find the same merchandise for less at some other time in the year. As for fighting for merchandise, why don't we all do that adult thing and realize that it's only merchandise? It can be reproduced. and you will still live without taking advantage of the "big deal". If supply of the item you want is low and the deal is just too good to pass up, you might consider asking if you can order your item and take advantage of the deal at the same time.<br />
<br />
This is just some good advice to take advantage of this Thanksgiving (and Friday after it). On Thanksgiving, we should show our thanks to God for everything he has given us by going to Mass that day and worthily receiving the sacraments (this includes Confession if you are in a state of mortal sin). The word Eucharist means "thanksgiving" and it makes sense to go to Mass the day set aside for thanksgiving.Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-55897542693751440942013-11-04T10:44:00.004-06:002013-11-05T10:27:58.870-06:00The Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite: The Prayers at the Foot of the AltarIt is important that Catholics know everything they can about their faith. This includes (for Roman Catholics) the Mass and its various forms. Even though people may not prefer the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (also known as the "Tridentine Mass"), they should at least be knowledgeable about it. To aid in the catechesis on the Mass, this article is the first of several articles I hope to write about giving some explanation of parts of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. This first article deals with the prayers at the foot of the altar, the event which starts the Mass, both with or without the Asperges (the sprinkling rite) first. If you haven't heard of them before, the prayers of the foot of the altar were taken out of the Mass when the ordinary form was conceived. <br />
<br />
The prayers at the foot of the altar start with a "mini Divine Office session". The psalm used for this session is Psalm 42, Judica me, Deus (or in English, Judge me, O God) with the antiphon "Introibo ad Altare Dei. Ad Deum, qui laetificat juventutem meam". Like the psalms used in the hours of the Divine Office, the psalm used in this "session" is split into parts. If you have never participated in the recitation of one of the hours of the Divine Office with a group before, the people are divided into 2 groups (a left side and a right side) and each of the psalms in the hour is divided into "paragraphs", with each side alternating paragraphs of the psalm. The same happens here with the priest taking one side and the other ministers taking the other. The psalm ends (like it does in hours of the Divine Office) with the Gloria Patri (Glory Be) and then repetition of the antiphon for the psalm again.<br />
<br />
The only time that this "mini Divine Office session" is not done is in Masses for the Dead and any Masses said between Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) until the start of the Mass for Holy Thursday. After that, the priest adds "Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini." ("Our help is in the name of the Lord"), which the other ministers reply with "Qui fecit coelum et terram." ("Who made heaven and earth.").<br />
<br />
After that, the priest says his Confiteor. The Confiteor in the extraordinary form is separated into the priest's and the people's Confiteor unlike in the ordinary form where there is no separation. Another thing you might notice is that compared to the Confiteor in the ordinary form, there is a bigger list of saints which you are confessing to. In the ordinary form, the Confiteor omits the extra saints in the first part and shortens it in the second part to "omnes Angelorum et Sanctos" ("all the angels and saints"). After the priest is done with his Confiteor, the other ministers will say "Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus, dimissis peccatis tuis, perducat te ad vitam aeternum", and the priest responds with "Amen". Here is a table showing the changes to the Confiteor (in the Latin):<br />
<br />
<div style="border: 1px solid currentColor; display: table; width: auto;">
<div style="border-right-color: currentColor; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; display: table-cell; width: auto;">
<div style="border-bottom-color: currentColor; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px;">
1962 Roman Missal
</div>
<br />
<div style="display: table-column; float: left; width: auto;">
Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beatæ Mariæ semper Virgini, beato Michaeli Archangelo, beato Ioanni Baptistæ, sanctis Apostolis Petro et Paulo, omnibus Sanctis, et vobis, fratres: quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo et opere: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, beatum Michaelem Archangelum, beatum Ioannem Baptistam, sanctos Apostolos Petrum et Paulum, omnes Sanctos, et vos, fratres, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: table-cell; width: auto;">
<div style="border-bottom-color: currentColor; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px;">
1970 Roman Missal
</div>
<br />
<div style="display: table-column; float: left; width: auto;">
Confiteor Deo omnipotenti,
et vobis fratres,
quia peccavi nimis
cogitatione, verbo,
opere et omissione:
mea culpa, mea culpa,
mea maxima culpa.
Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem,
omnes Angelos et Sanctos,
et vos, fratres,
orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
The other ministers then begin the people's Confiteor. The wording is similar to the priest's Confiteor, but the words "et vobis, fratres", "et vos, fratres" ("and you, brethren") with "et tibi, pater" and "et te, pater" ("and you, Father"). When the other ministers are finished with the people's Confiteor, the priest says "Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus, dimissis peccatis vestris, perducat vos ad vitam aeternum", and the other ministers respond with "Amen".<br />
<br />
The priest then says "Indulgentiam, absolutionem, et remissionem peccatorum nostrorum, tribuat nobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus.". These words that the priest says are not present in the ordinary form. While the priest says the words "Indulgentiam, absolutionem, ...", the other ministers make the sign of the cross. If you have ever wondered why many people (in the ordinary form) incorrectly make the sign of the cross as the priest is saying "May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to life everlasting", it is because it was done during the "Indulgentiam, absolutionem, ..." in the older form of the Mass. The correct posture in the ordinary form when the priest says the "May Almighty God..." is to continue to keep your hands folded as in prayer.<br />
<br />
After this, there is a series of exchanges between the priest and the other ministers. After this series of exchanges is complete, the priest says "Oremus" ("Let us pray"), and ascends to the altar where he says in a low voice the "Aufer a nobis" prayer. Once he has said the "Aufer a nobis", the priest then proceeds to reverence the altar with a kiss saying before the kiss, "Oramus te, Domine, per merita Sanctorum tuorum", and then after the kiss, "quorum reliquiae hic sunt, et omnium Sanctorum: ut indulgere digneris Omnia peccata mea. Amen.".<br />
<br />
At this point then, the prayers at the foot of the altar are finished and Mass starts to look just like it does in the ordinary form at this point with the start of the Introit (usually done by the choir unless it is a Low Mass). After the introit, the priest starts the Kyrie. However, unlike the 2-part call and response method of the Kyrie with each part of the Kyrie being said once by both priest and people, starting with the priest, in the ordinary form, the Kyrie in the extraordinary form is done with each part of the Kyrie being said 3 times (altogether), alternating between the priest and the other ministers starting with the priest. My point is made here:<br />
<br />
<div style="border: 1px solid currentColor; display: table; width: auto;">
<div style="border-right-color: currentColor; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; display: table-cell; width: auto;">
<div style="border-bottom-color: currentColor; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px;">
1962 Roman Missal
</div>
<br />
<div style="display: table-column; float: left; width: auto;">
Kyrie, eleison
<br />
Kyrie, eleison
<br />
Kyrie, eleison
<br />
Christe, eleison
<br />
Christe, eleison
<br />
Christe, eleison
<br />
Kyrie, eleison
<br />
Kyrie, eleison
<br />
Kyrie, eleison
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: table-cell; width: auto;">
<div style="border-bottom-color: currentColor; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; width: auto;">
1970 Roman Missal
</div>
<br />
<div style="display: table-column; float: left; width: auto;">
Kyrie, eleison
<br />
Kyrie, eleison
<br />
Christe, eleison
<br />
Christe, eleison
<br />
Kyrie, eleison
<br />
Kyrie, eleison
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
With the fact that the prayers at the foot of the altar were done by (only) the priest and the other ministers in the sanctuary (along with the prevalence of the Low Mass), I can see how many people would not "pay attention and pray the rosary" at Mass. I would encourage you to attend an extraordinary form Mass in your area. If you don't "get it" the first time, go back again the next time it is offered. Eventually, you will have an appreciation for the older form of the Mass even though you may like the ordinary form much more.<br />
<br />
So, have you gained anything from this article? If so, please share it in the comment box below. I realize I can't cover every little detail in a single blog post, but I try to cover as much as I can. I will also be writing an article covering active participation by the laity in the extraordinary form in the future as well.<br />
<br />
Now that you know a little more about the Mass, why
not try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this
link or
click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you
really
need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most
instances,
much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some
(just keep
it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea
more than
coffee, they also offer tea. If you have a Keurig machine,
the monks also have k-cups for purchase as well (known as "monk
shots") Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee
(or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The
coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as
well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" sizcache="0" sizset="2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/?aid=525" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT9VLIMp0ys/T-NGVpOujvI/AAAAAAAAAC8/20yJxifjyQ0/s1600/MysticMonk2_transp.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Right
now, I don't have any updates for you in the way of app updates for my
windows phone apps. Yes, I am working on app updates. The reason for me
taking a long time between updates is that I want to do some extra
testing so I can be sure that I can squash as many bugs as I can before
starting a new major version of my media player app and my boy scout app
and things have have been somewhat hectic for me around home. I am also just
about finished with a prayer app designed for (primarily) Catholics
(and other Christians can use it too).Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-18908358612798153712013-10-23T12:15:00.001-05:002013-10-23T12:18:10.335-05:00Google's Double Standard for YoutubeIf you own a Windows Phone device, you are probably well aware of the drama between Google and Microsoft regarding a native Youtube app for Windows Phone. <br />
<br />
To recap, first, everything started when Microsoft (due to Google's lack of love and support for Windows Phone) came out with its own native Youtube app which was much better than what was available via the web interface for Youtube. It had the ability to play video from Youtube in portrait mode or landscape mode (you could watch the video and view the list of comments or the list of related videos while you were in portrait mode). It also integrated with your Youtube account (so you could still access your playlists and the like) and had some extra goodies such as no ads and being able to download video to play while offline as well.<br />
<br />
Google got word of this and claimed that some of the extra features such as the no ads and the video downloading were against its terms of service. It claimed that circumventing the ads were robbing content creators of revenue. It then asked Microsoft to make some changes to the app such as removing the video download feature and add support for Youtube's ads. Microsoft released an updated version of the Youtube app which was more in-line with Google's terms of service, but that wasn't good enough for Google.<br />
<br />
Some time after the updated Youtube app was released, Google revoked the api key that the Youtube app was using. This broke the native app and made it useless since it could not download data from Youtube. Google then put up an a new list of requirements that Microsoft's app had to meet such as being totally in HTML5. Google makes no such requirement for the Youtube app for it's own Android operating system or for Apple's iOS operating system.<br />
<br />
There was backlash against Google on the internet for these decisions (mostly for revoking the api key) and there still is. Microsoft was willing to make further changes to its Youtube app to meet Google's list of requirements, but one sticking point still keeps Microsoft from meeting Google's demands. Microsoft claims that it cannot (properly) implement Youtube's ads because Google has not made the api for accessing the ads available. Even now, Google still has not given Microsoft access to the Youtube ad api.<br />
<br />
Now today, I found an <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/youtube-for-android-will-soon-work-as-a-background-music-player/" target="_blank">article</a> on Ars Technica saying that with the latest release of the Youtube app for Google, it is implementing features that Microsoft tried to implement and was told were against Google's terms of service. With these moves, Google has created a double standard. Anything goes for it's own Android app, but it refuses to make a proper Youtube app for Windows Phone (or let Microsoft attempt to make one itself). Google cannot continue to disregard Windows Phone users for much longer. If someone wants to make the argument of "just use the website", I will reply back that not all videos are available for playback on the mobile site. I think Google fears the potential of Windows Phone for the future, and that is why it has created a double standard.<br />
<br />
As of now, there is a Youtube "app" in the windows phone store right now, but it is mostly a link to the mobile Youtube site. What do you think of this? Please let me know in the comment box below.<br />
<br />
Why not try some delicious Mystic
Monk Coffee while watching your favorite Youtube videos? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this
link or
click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you
really
need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most
instances,
much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some
(just keep
it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea
more than
coffee, they also offer tea. If you have a Keurig machine,
the monks also have k-cups for purchase as well (known as "monk
shots") Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee
(or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The
coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as
well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" sizcache="0" sizset="2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/?aid=525" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT9VLIMp0ys/T-NGVpOujvI/AAAAAAAAAC8/20yJxifjyQ0/s1600/MysticMonk2_transp.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
RigSteven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-47342171236822364542013-10-10T14:03:00.002-05:002013-10-10T14:09:20.389-05:00GDDR2 Amber Update for Nokia Phones on AT&T Network is Finally OutWell folks, after 15:00 e.s.t., AT&T has finally put out the GDDR2 Amber update from Nokia for the Lumia 820 and 920. All of those weeks of constantly bickering at AT&T paid off.<br />
<br />
You can get the Update by going into the Settings and choosing "Check for Update". <a href="http://www.nokia.com/global/support/software-update/wp8-software-update/availability-in-north-america/" target="_blank">Nokia's update check page</a> reflects this.<br />
<br />
Since my Lumia 820 only has 8gb of onboard storage space, I will think I will be one of the more adventurous ones and download the new rom image (with the updates in it) and flash it for a clean install. Now if only Microsoft allowed for apps to be able to backup their program data to skydrive. It's a shame that I am going to loose all of my progress on my games if I flash the new rom image instead of getting it through "check for update" (but I guess that is the price I have to pay).Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-91206261817783682922013-10-09T08:38:00.002-05:002013-10-21T12:16:29.703-05:00A Better Way for AT&T to handle Windows Phone UpdatesUpdate (10-21-2013): Thanks to Microsoft, one of the issues that I brought up has been remedied. If you are a Windows Phone developer, either through the app store or through Microsoft's online App Studio, you can download a utility from Microsoft (it's actually in the Windows Phone store) which will change the update settings in the registry (of the phone) so that the update source for os update packages is now Microsoft instead of your carrier. If you use the utility to change the update source, you can undo the change so that the update source is the carrier again, but you cannot revert to an earlier os update unless you reflash the rom for your phone (rom flashing should be done by advanced users only due to risk of bricking your phone). An important thing to note that the Microsoft utility only covers operating system updates. Any device firmware updates (this is separate from os updates) will still come through the carrier either way. An example of a device firmware update would be Nokia's amber update for its lumia phones running Windows Phone 8.<br />
<br />
It's been 1 month and (about) 4 weeks since Microsoft put out the GDDR2 update for Windows Phone 8. Around that time, the update was pushed out to all phones running Windows Phone 8 (depending on the carrier's time) except for Nokia phones. Nokia took some extra time and added some device-specific stuff to the GDDR2 update for its phones and packaged it up as the "Amber" update. Back in September, Nokia deemed the amber update stable and delivered it out to the carriers for them to push the update to devices.<br />
<br />
Here in the US, reception of the update by the cell carriers has varied. T-Mobile and Verizon tested and pushed out the update in a timely manner. I am not including Sprint in this since it doesn't have any phones running Windows Phone 8 (the HTC 8XT and the Samsung ATIVS Neo are listed for preorder on Sprint's web site). However, AT&T has taken quite awhile to test and push out this amber update for its Nokia phones running Windows Phone 8. As of the publishing of this blog post, AT&T has still not pushed out the update for Nokia phones. Furthermore, AT&T has been very secretive in the status of its testing of the update. Unfortunately, this is not the first time AT&T has dragged its feet and messed up the Windows Phone update progress. The time taken to test the update, along with the secrecy on progress, is making many customers with Nokia phones running Windows Phone 8 frustrated. A thread on AT&T's community message board titled "<a href="http://forums.att.com/t5/Windows-Discussion-and-Support/Where-s-The-GDR2-Amber-Update-Any-Schedule/td-p/3534511" target="_blank">Where's The GDR2/Amber Update... Any Schedule?</a>" certainly shows evidence of this.<br />
<br />
As a software developer, I know that time is money. I know it's important to thoroughly test software before pushing it out to customers and that it takes some time to test. However, it's also important to be as transparent as possible to your customers regarding progress on testing. If something went wrong during testing and this means that the new software is not stable enough to push out to customers, that is understandable. If this happens, you need to be as clear as possible with your customers so that they are not kept waiting and the tempers of those customers don't flare up to where you lose a customer. I know that I am not the best at being transparent with update progress myself, but I try my best to do it.<br />
<br />
So far, any indication of progress on the update testing has come from customers phoning AT&T customer care and asking (in some cases, almost to the point of harassing) the customer care representative they speak to where AT&T is with the update. 99% of the time, customer care either replies with something along the lines of "I don't know" or "AT&T is currently testing the update and will release the update when it is ready". However, there are a few cases where customer care reps have actually given some kind of indication of progress. The last one I know of is that AT&T found a problem with the update back in September and asked Nokia to fix it, pushing back the release date to some time in October of this year.<br />
<br />
If AT&T wishes to keep faith in its customers, I have some suggestions for it. The first is if the obligation to push out an update for a device falls on the carrier's shoulders, that there be some kind of "progress page", accessible to AT&T customers (if not the general public), which details the roadmap for testing the update and the estimated release date and where we are on the roadmap. This page would also be updated with messages about (critical) problems which impact the release date update and would include a new estimated release date.<br />
<br />
The second suggestion I have is for AT&T to start a kind-of "beta program", where customers can opt-in to get the update (from AT&T, once it gets the update from the OEM, not direct from the OEM) earlier than the offical (stable) release. Those customers that opt-in must accept a (legal) disclaimer that says that as part of this program, you will get the update earlier than everyone else, but there might still be bugs. This would enlist some extra help with testing that would allow AT&T to push out the updates in a more timely manner. This would also benefit those customers who are software developers since we would then be able have the latest update to test our own software programs with. On Windows Phone 8, the emulator suffices for most of the testing, but some things you just have to test with a real device.<br />
<br />
Lastly, I would like to end with a call to charity in our speech. From that forum thread I referenced earlier, I see many references to others not using charity in the messages they post in the thread. Lack of charity can cause things to get out of hand. I realize that patience is wearing thin for many customers regarding the update, but when we post on the forum or call customer care, we should always speak charitable even if we are frustrated.<br />
<br />
If you agree with me or have something else to say about AT&T's handling of the updates, please post in the comment box below. If you have a suggestion of your own that I should add to this list, please post it in the comment box below as well. Once I get enough support from you readers, I will pass this page (and comments) on to AT&T (support?) so that someone high up in the company can take notice. <br />
<br />
While you're waiting for AT&T to finally release the amber update for Nokia phones, I would suggest that you try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee. Mystic Monk Coffee (use this
link or
click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you
really
need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most
instances,
much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some
(just keep
it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea
more than
coffee, they also offer tea. If you have a Keurig machine,
the monks also have k-cups for purchase as well (known as "monk
shots") Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee
(or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The
coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as
well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" sizcache="0" sizset="2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/?aid=525" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT9VLIMp0ys/T-NGVpOujvI/AAAAAAAAAC8/20yJxifjyQ0/s1600/MysticMonk2_transp.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Right
now, I don't have any updates for you in the way of app updates for my
windows phone apps. Yes, I am working on app updates. The reason for me
taking a long time between updates is that I want to do some extra
testing so I can be sure that I can squash as many bugs as I can before
starting a new major version of my media player app and my boy scout app
and things have have been somewhat hectic for me around home. I am just
about finished with a prayer app designed for (primarily) Catholics
(but other Christians can use it too). If you want to go ahead and get my existing apps now (while I'm working on the updates), please use the following
links:<br />
<br />
BSA Eagle Tracker download: <a href="http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(paid version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/y3rf6V" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/y3rf6V</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(free version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/xGCsWE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/xGCsWE</span></a> Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-64262884634299845282013-10-03T09:36:00.004-05:002013-10-09T08:38:32.791-05:00Remarks on the Possiblity of the Revival of the Subdeacon within the Roman RiteAbout a week ago, I read a <a href="http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/09/quaeritur-an-eastern-subdeacon-for-a-roman-solemn-mass-a-clerical-bedtime-story/" target="_blank">blog post</a> on Father Z's WDTPRS blog about subdeacons from the Eastern Rites being used for a Solemn High Mass (in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite). In it, he advocates for the order of subdeacon to be brought back in the Roman Rite. I agree with him to a point, but I realize that much catechesis is needed first to accurately inform the laity. <br />
<br />
In case you have never heard of a subdeacon before, it is one who is (literally) "under a deacon". The job of the subdeacon within the Mass is to assist the deacon and do a few other things as well such as reading the epistle. Within the course of holy orders, the subdeacon is below the order of deacon, but higher than all of the minor orders.<br />
<br />
In 1972, Pope Paul VI released the motu proprio Ministeria Quaedam. In it, the definition of a cleric within the church was redefined (to be deacon and higher) and the minor orders (as back before Vatican II) and the subdeacon were eliminated and in their place, the minor orders of lector and acolyte were kept, but they were rebranded as "ministries" and thus open to selected laymen (and seminarians on their way to the diaconate and priesthood) to receive them. The exception to this motu proprio is certain groups out there which celebrate the Extraordinary Form exclusively, such as the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), which have been allowed to retain the subdiaconate and the minor orders. This worked out until Pope Benedict XVI put out Summorum Pontificum back in 2007, allowing universal permission for any priest within the Roman Rite to celebrate the pre-conciliar form of the Roman Rite without any special permission from his bishop first.<br />
<br />
With Summorum Pontificum, there was a renewed interest in the different forms of Mass, including the Solemn High Mass. Unfortunately, things caught a snag in regards to the Solemn High Mass. In order to have one, you need 3 ministers: the priest (obviously), the deacon, and the subdeacon. Due to the big time difference between 1965 and 2007 any proper (ordained) subdeacon, aside from the handful of approved groups devoted to the older form of the Mass which got permission to retain all four minor orders and the subdeacon, had moved on and received his ordination to the diaconate and priesthood. According to the liturgical guidelines, priests and deacons can dress down to the subdeacon and there is also a provision allowing someone who has received the minor order of acolyte to vest and act as a subdeacon during the Mass if a real subdeacon could not be found (with some exceptions such as not wearing the maniple and not being able to purify the sacred vessels).<br />
<br />
Some have suggested that the order of subdeacon be revived in the Roman Rite. There are two concerns that I see that would have to be addressed. First, would the subdeacon be considered a major order as it has traditionally been or would it now be recognized as a minor order as it is with the Eastern rites? I think if the order of subdeacon were brought back in the Roman Rite, it would have to be considered a minor order since the definition of cleric was changed to start with the diaconate. However, if the order of subdeacon were changed to that of a minor order, this would affect those groups which exclusively celebrate the older form of the Mass such as the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), but I don't think things for those groups would really change.<br />
<br />
Second, what kind of guidelines would subdeacons have to follow? In years past, once a man was ordained a subdeacon, he had to live out the promise of celibacy (if a man received the minor orders, but stopped before he was ordained a subdeacon, he could still get married with no problems). In the Roman Rite, the subdeacon was not allowed to be married. This is before Pope Paul VI brought back the permanent diaconate. For the good of the church, if the subdiaconate were to be brought back, they would follow similar guidelines to what is already established for deacons (transitory and permanent). These days, there would have to be the option of admitting married men to the subdiaconate just as married men can be admitted to the diaconate. The subdeacon who is married would still have do as a married deacon does and take a vow of celibacy.<br />
<br />
Third, if the subdiaconate were brought back, what functions would the subdeacon have at Mass in the ordinary form? In the extraordinary form, the functions of the subdeacon are clearly documented. In the ordinary form, we only have reference to the functions of the subdeacon in as far as he was to serve the priest and deacon, read the first and second readings before the gospel, assist the priest in giving communion if needed, and then helping to purify the vessels after communion. If the subdiaconate were to be brought back, I would guess that he would be the first candidate to assume those duties before any man holding the ministries of acolyte or lector (depending on the given task).<br />
<br />
These are just some of the issues that would have to be addressed for the subdiaconate to (officially) come back in the Roman Rite. Right now, the Eastern churches sur iuris in communion with Rome still do ordain men to the subdiaconate. At a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form, an Eastern subdeacon is allowed to fulfill the role of subdeacon within the Mass (and do everything that a real subdeacon does). Before that though, the Eastern subdeacon needs to get permission from his own bishop first, and he uses the vestments that he normally uses in his rite. If the Eastern subdeacon (upon getting his bishop's permission first) does not have his own eastern vestments available with him at the Roman Rite church that the Solemn High Mass is being celebrated at, he can wear the vestments that a Roman Rite subdeacon wears.<br />
<br />
Lastly, the subdiaconate and the minor orders are considered sacramentals instead of sacraments. This is mostly because the subdiaconate and the minor orders were something instituted by the Church and do not have divine origins (as in the institution of the priesthood) or apostolic origins (as in the institution of the diaconate). Since the subdiaconate (and the minor orders as well) do not leave an indelible mark on the soul, there is no need for the subdeacon to be laicised if a situation warrants a man to leave the subdiaconate.<br />
<br />
So what do you think of this issue? Should the order of subdeacon be brought back in the Roman Rite or not? I think that it's possible, but much catechesis is needed first to accurately inform the laity. Tell me what you think in the comment box below. If I am missing some information or if I have some wrong information in this post, please let me know via the comment box below as well.<br />
<br />
Now that you know a little more about church history, why
not try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this
link or
click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you
really
need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most
instances,
much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some
(just keep
it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea
more than
coffee, they also offer tea. If you have a Keurig machine,
the monks also have k-cups for purchase as well (known as "monk
shots") Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee
(or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The
coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as
well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" sizcache="0" sizset="2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/?aid=525" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT9VLIMp0ys/T-NGVpOujvI/AAAAAAAAAC8/20yJxifjyQ0/s1600/MysticMonk2_transp.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Right now, I don't have any updates for you in the way of app updates for my windows phone apps. Yes, I am working on app updates. The reason for me taking a long time between updates is that I want to do some extra testing so I can be sure that I can squash as many bugs as I can before starting a new major version of my media player app and my boy scout app and things have have been somewhat hectic for me around home. I am just about finished with a prayer app designed for (primarily) Catholics (and other Christians can use it too).<br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
While
you're learning about recursion, why
not try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this
link or
click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you
really
need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most
instances,
much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some
(just keep
it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea
more than
coffee, they also offer tea. If you have a Keurig machine,
the monks also have k-cups for purchase as well (known as "monk
shots") Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee
(or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The
coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as
well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/?aid=525" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT9VLIMp0ys/T-NGVpOujvI/AAAAAAAAAC8/20yJxifjyQ0/s1600/MysticMonk2_transp.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
While
we are waiting for updates to my windows phone apps (trust me, I'm
working on them), if you want to go ahead and
get my apps now, - See more at:
http://www.catholictechgeek.com/2013/06/a-simplified-guide-to-recursion.html#sthash.lQ2Wq09N.dpuf</div>
Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-178093718658937682013-09-25T09:03:00.002-05:002013-09-25T09:14:48.123-05:00The Practicality of the PhabletIn some parts of the internet, there is a push for bigger screens for
our phones, which, increasingly, are smartphones instead of dumbphones. One idea that has attempts to meet this push is the phablet. In case you don't know what a "phablet" is, it is a tablet computer with phone hardware in it (so you can make phone calls with it).<br />
<br />
I see a few problems with the phablet idea. The first is portability. I thought cell phones were supposed to be portable (and able to fit in your pants pocket). Since the phablet has a screen that's bigger than the average man's pants pocket, that means that you are always going to have to carry around some kind of carrying case. Ladies already have this covered in the form of the purse, but the average guy would not want to be caught dead carrying around a "man purse" (different from a laptop bag). Whenever you get a phone call, you usually reach into your pants pocket (or rummage around in your purse) for your phone and then answer the call. With the phablet, you will have to take extra time to open your phablet carrying case and then press the answer button. If you have other stuff you're carrying besides the phablet case, you'll have to set everything else down as well (which, depending on the situation, can be a nuisance).<br />
<br />
The second problem is perception of the awkwardness of holding the phablet. The size of the phablet will require you to use two hands to hold it. Many times, I (and others too) multitask while using our cell phones. If we are using both of our hands to hold the phone, we can't multitask anymore. Finding the earpiece is going to be a bit awkward as well if we are in a rush. The only solution I can see for the earpiece issue is going to be a bluetooth headset. That's fine if you want it (or already have a headset), but that's extra money you have to spend besides the cost of the phone.<br />
<br />
The third problem is battery life. Tablet computers have more powerful processors than phones do and the faster the processor, the more juice it's going to use. Another aspect of this problem is "instant-on". The device has to always be ready for a phone call to come in and so must have a fast resume from standby time. If the firmware and drivers aren't tuned for this kind of thing, you may end up having some missed calls (that you didn't want to miss).<br />
<br />
Let's not forget the important thing: the function a phone should do best is to make phone calls. If it can't do that very well, than what's the point of using the device as a phone? I think we have gotten too wrapped up in the extra things that a phone can do. A smartphone that can't make phone calls is just a computer.<br />
<br />
I realize that I might not have covered everything so if there's something I missed or you have a good argument for a phablet, let me know in the comment box below. I would like to know what you think about this.<br />
<br />
While you're reading this, why not try some delicious Mystic Monk
Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to
access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee.
Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks
coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer
keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer
tea. If you have a Keurig machine, the monks also have k-cups for purchase as
well (known as "monk shots"). Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee
(or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The coffee
(or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/?aid=525" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT9VLIMp0ys/T-NGVpOujvI/AAAAAAAAAC8/20yJxifjyQ0/s1600/MysticMonk2_transp.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
While
we are waiting for updates to my windows phone apps (trust me, I'm working on
them), if you want to go ahead and get my apps now, please use the following
links:<br />
<br />
BSA Eagle Tracker download: <a href="http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(paid version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/y3rf6V" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/y3rf6V</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(free version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/xGCsWE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/xGCsWE</span></a> Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-8271667449986342972013-07-17T09:02:00.000-05:002013-07-17T09:10:01.288-05:00Media Player Feature Wish List<div class="postarrow">
</div>
<div class="postrow has_after_content">
<div class="content">
<div id="post_message_2040840">
<blockquote class="postcontent restore ">
If you are wondering where I have been for the past few weeks, training for my (new) job at PTC has gotten intense and I was busy at home as well. However, I have been testing an update for the paid version of Mobile Media Manager and advanced my prayer app development to near the point of release.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="postcontent restore ">
As I am gathering ideas for the next release cycle for my media player app for Windows Phone, Mobile Media Manager, I would like to know what other users want in a media player. Is there something that the default system media player, Xbox Music (or Zune if you're on Windows Phone 7), doesn't do or could do better? Right now, I will say that an equalizer is not possible at this time. I'm looking at SkyDrive integration and streaming support, and there is a small possibility for YouTube support (audio only, low on the priorities list).</blockquote>
<blockquote class="postcontent restore ">
There's no guarantee that every idea suggested in the comments will make it in, but I will do what I can. Please put your suggestions into the comment box below.</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-6975232941076980562013-06-28T13:06:00.000-05:002013-06-28T14:13:30.345-05:00Update Available for Nokia 820Update: Upon checking the Nokia support site, I can say that the update brings us all updates up to the 1314 update (so now, the 820 is on par with the 920 again).<br />
<br />
Finally! I just got notice that there is an update available for Nokia 820 for those of us on the AT&T network. I haven't had a chance to check it out and download it since I'm at work (just got the notification), but I just wanted to give everyone the heads-up. <br />
<br />
My thought is it's the long awaited 1308 update, although with the BUILD conference going on right now and Visual Studio getting Update 3, I am not surprised that the update is being released around this time. When I get home tonight, I will download it and update you on what it has.<br />
<br />
Please note that you must be connected to Wi-Fi in order to download the update (but you can discover it with your cellular connection).<br />
<br />
If anyone wants to fill me in on more details about the update before I get home, that would be good (please use the comment box below to do so). If you want to share your experience with the update, feel free to do so as well.<br />
<br />
While you're waiting on the download, why not try some delicious Mystic Monk
Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to
access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee.
Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks
coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer
keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer
tea. If you have a Keurig machine, the monks also have k-cups for purchase as
well (known as "monk shots") Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee
(or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The coffee
(or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as
well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" sizcache="0" sizset="1" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/?aid=525" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT9VLIMp0ys/T-NGVpOujvI/AAAAAAAAAC8/20yJxifjyQ0/s1600/MysticMonk2_transp.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
While
we are waiting for updates to my windows phone apps (trust me, I'm working on
them), if you want to go ahead and get my apps now, please use the following
links:<br />
<br />
BSA Eagle Tracker download: <a href="http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(paid version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/y3rf6V" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/y3rf6V</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(free version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/xGCsWE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/xGCsWE</span></a>Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-58059648869397074452013-06-20T08:02:00.001-05:002013-06-20T10:54:25.967-05:00A Simplified Guide to Understanding RecursionFor many beginning computer science students, the idea of recursion is difficult to grasp. I wager that some more experienced computer science students or even some seasoned developers out of college and already out in the field don't really grasp the idea of recursion. As an f.y.i., I use "function" and "method" interchangeably to mean the same thing (it depends on which language you're most comfy with).<br />
<br />
First of all, all recursive functions have what is known as a "base case". A base case is the "state" which you want to get to with the recursive function. If you haven't met the base case yet, you take steps to get to that base case.<br />
<br />
As an example to illustrate this concept, let's look at the factorial function. For a technical definition of a factorial, the <b>factorial</b> of a non-negative integer <i>n</i>, denoted by <i>n</i>!, is the product of all positive integers less than or equal to <i>n</i>. In case you forgot about 0! (the ! sign is the formal operator for the factorial), 0! is equal to 1 (so we will just forget about it). Now, let's use 5! as our example. If we were to multiply this out manually, we have <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
5! = 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 = 120</blockquote>
Now that we know this, let's build a recursive function to do this. In this demo, I will use C# as the programming language, but it's the same idea in Java and C++.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>public int recursiveFactorial(int base, int multiplier) {
</em><br />
<em> //this is our base case
</em><br />
<em> if (multiplier == 1) {
</em><br />
<em> return base;
</em><br />
}
<br />
<em> else {
</em><br />
<em> //if we haven't met our base case yet, we take steps to get to that base case
</em><br />
<em> base = base * multiplier;
</em><br />
<em> return recursiveFactorial(base, (multiplier - 1));
</em><br />
<em>}
</em></blockquote>
Now let's look at what this function does. It first takes in 2 integers as input, <em>base</em> and <em>multiplier</em>. Base is the number we start out with (in this case, 5), and multiplier is the number we will multiply base by if we haven't met our base case (<em>multiplier</em> starts out as <em>base</em> - 1 to fit the definition of the factorial). The base case here is to get <em>multiplier</em> = 1. So now, let's run our function and see how the recursion works.<br />
<br />
First, we will call <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>recursiveFactorial(5, 4);</em></blockquote>
Now here, we check: is 4 equal to 1? No, it is not, so the else part of our recursive function activates and we simplify things to get closer to our base case by calling the function again with 20 as our <em>base</em> input variable and (4-1) as our <em>multiplier</em> input variable. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>recursiveFactorial(20, 3);</em></blockquote>
Now we check again: is 3 equal to 1? No, it is not, so the else part of our recursive function activates again (and we multiply <em>base</em> times <em>multiplier</em>) to get closer to our base case.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>recursiveFactorial(60, 2);</em></blockquote>
Are we starting to get the picture yet? Now here, we check: is 2 equal to 1? No, it is not, so the else part of our recursive function activates yet again and things are simplified even more (by multiplying <em>base</em> times <em>multiplier</em> again) to get ever closer to our base case. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>recursiveFactorial(120, 1);</em></blockquote>
We check again: is 1 equal 1? Yes, we have finally met our base case, so we just end things by returning <em>base</em>. From here, the value "bubbles up" to the top "level" (where we first called the <em>recursiveFactorial</em> function).<br />
<br />
If you've ever heard the term "stack overflow", it comes from this idea of recursion. With a stack overflow, a recursive function is called so many times that the computer doesn't have enough memory available to handle the recursion, so the computer crashes.<br />
<br />
So does this guide help you to grasp the idea of recursion? If you are a seasoned developer, can I improve this guide (or give better examples)? Please let me know in the comment box below.<br />
<br />
While you're learning about recursion, why
not try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or
click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really
need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances,
much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep
it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than
coffee, they also offer tea. If you have a Keurig machine, the monks also have k-cups for purchase as well (known as "monk shots") Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee
(or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The
coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as
well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" sizcache="0" sizset="2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/?aid=525" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT9VLIMp0ys/T-NGVpOujvI/AAAAAAAAAC8/20yJxifjyQ0/s1600/MysticMonk2_transp.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
While
we are waiting for updates to my windows phone apps (trust me, I'm working on them), if you want to go ahead and
get my apps now, please use the following links:<br />
<br />
BSA Eagle Tracker
download: <a href="http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(paid version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/y3rf6V" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/y3rf6V</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(free version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/xGCsWE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/xGCsWE</span></a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.codeproject.com" rel="tag" style="display:none">CodeProject</a>Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-91772510316762211592013-06-11T09:15:00.003-05:002013-06-11T10:10:07.834-05:00First Update Since Out of SchoolIn case you are wondering where I have been, no, I am not dead (and this blog is not dead either). Things have changed since I last posted here, so I will give my readers an update on what has been going on and keeping me from writing.<br />
<br />
First, the finals exams of my senior year of college are done and I have officially graduated from Wheeling Jesuit University with a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. The workload with school and programming was keeping me from regular updates with the blog. I have also secured employment with P.T.C. (Parametric Technology Corporation).<br />
<br />
Second is the program updates. I have been working on updates for the paid version of Mobile Media Manager. Once I get this update for the paid version is out, I will be working an update which will be more Windows Phone 8-specific (using Windows Phone 8 features). I will still be putting out updates for the Windows Phone 7 port of Mobile Media Manager.<br />
<br />
BSA Eagle Tracker is long due for an update. I promise that an update is coming, please be patient for a little while longer.<br />
<br />
My build of Seven-Eighter will also have an update soon as well (yes, I have been reading everyone's tech support enquires, so I am aware of problems users have had).<br />
<br />
I am also working on 2 new apps, one being for Windows Phone and another for Windows 8. The one for Windows Phone is a prayer app. Its purpose is to help you with finding time for prayer and help in diversifying your prayer life. It is geared towards Catholics (more specifically, Roman Catholics), but there is room for expansion for both Eastern Catholics and Protestants. More features and prayers will be coming with future updates. If there is enough interest from Eastern Catholics, I can work on incorporating some Eastern Catholic stuff in there as well.<br />
<br />
The Windows 8 app is a social media app. It is meant to be a quick "dashboard" to see into all of your social media all in 1 list, organized time-wise by the most recent status first. For example, if I use Facebook and Twitter and the most recent status is from Facebook, the Facebook status will show up first in the list. If the most recent status is from Twitter, the Twitter tweet will show up first in the list. Your standard reaction commands (like and comment for Facebook and reply and retweet for Twitter) will be available. If you need to make any account changes, however, you will need to go to the respective social media site and modify your settings there. Also, you will be able to "link" a person between social media accounts (like linking a person's Facebook username with his or her Twitter username) and see all entries for that person under the linked name (the "linking" is done just within the program, so there is no actual linking of social media services outside of the program). Depending on progress, the linking feature might be put in an update rather than the initial release, but it is definitely coming.<br />
<br />
This is all for now, but I figured that I should give my readers some kind of update to show that my blog is not dead. I should be posting more frequently from now on.<br />
<br />
While you're waiting for your problems with phone updates to be over, why
not try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or
click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really
need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances,
much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep
it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than
coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee
(or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The
coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as
well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" sizcache="0" sizset="2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/?aid=525" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT9VLIMp0ys/T-NGVpOujvI/AAAAAAAAAC8/20yJxifjyQ0/s1600/MysticMonk2_transp.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
While we are waiting for updates to my windows phone apps, if you want to go ahead and get my
apps now, please use the following links:<br />
<br />
BSA Eagle
Tracker download: <a href="http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(paid version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/y3rf6V" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/y3rf6V</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(free version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/xGCsWE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/xGCsWE</span></a>Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-3794569950871179212013-03-21T09:55:00.003-05:002013-07-25T09:29:11.330-05:00New Tool to Recover from Seven-Eighter Language ErrorsUpdate: If you have been getting a message about the image update error or the program is not responding after hitting the continue button, I put some steps to further diagnose your problems in one of the comments below.<br />
<br />
Update 2: A new build of the Language Restore tool is (finally) available for download (download link hasn't changed). If you are still having problems see my comment in the comment box below for steps for further help.<br />
<br />
If you used Seven-Eighter to update your windows phone device and messed up when choosing the language packs, there is hope for you. I have made a program which will allow you to restore language packs that you forgot to choose when you ran Seven-Eighter (either my version or the original version) to update your windows phone device. <br />
<br />
All you need to do is download the program and run it with your phone connected while Zune is not running. If Zune pops up when you connect your phone to your computer, simply exit out of Zune.<br />
<br />
download link: <a href="http://bit.ly/102usaK" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/102usaK</a><br />
<br />
If you are wondering where the download is once you click the download link, look for the "skip ads" button in the top right-hand corner of your screen and click it (to get the file download prompt).<br />
<br />
If you have any problems with using the program, please let me know as soon as possible so I can correct them. If you have any trouble with the links and downloading, please let me know as well. The program is free for your use, but if you want to throw something my way to support me, my paypal e-mail is "toa649@myway.com".<br />
<br />
While you're waiting for your problems with phone updates to be over, why not try
some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on
the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when
it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better
than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from
your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they
also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea)
helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or
tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" sizcache="0" sizset="2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/?aid=525" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT9VLIMp0ys/T-NGVpOujvI/AAAAAAAAAC8/20yJxifjyQ0/s1600/MysticMonk2_transp.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
For
my existing Windows Phone apps, I am working on updates to both the free and
paid versions of Mobile Media Manager. The update for BSA Eagle Tracker is also
in the works. I admit that school is sucking much of my free time out of me, but
I will continue to work on the updates in my spare time. If you want to get my
apps now (while waiting), please use the following links:<br />
<br />
BSA Eagle
Tracker download: <a href="http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(paid version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/y3rf6V" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/y3rf6V</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(free version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/xGCsWE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/xGCsWE</span></a> Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-20564361938018380452013-03-15T21:25:00.002-05:002013-03-22T09:33:24.129-05:00New Build of Seven-Eighter with support for Easy Future UpdatesUpdate(3-21-2013 11:04 EDT): If you messed up and didn't choose the right language packs, I have a program out that can help you recover. <a href="http://bit.ly/16Lv2iq" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/16Lv2iq</a><br />
<br />
Update(3-19-2013 22:49 EDT): I have released a new version which fixed the problem in the last release which caused the update to fail (it was a logic error on my end). As of now, you should not have that problem. I also added some more user-friendly features designed to provide more useful information to you, the user. The link to download the new version is below.<br />
<br />
Update(3-17-2013 11:16 EDT): I finally fixed the link that was giving the WebException and preventing the program from downloading the update list. There is no new download needed (just run the program again).<br />
<br />
Update(3-17-2013 14:50 EDT): I have an updated build of my version of Seven-Eighter that fixes some bugs.<br />
<br />
If you have a windows Phone 7.x device, you have most likely heard of the Windows Phone 7.8 update that Microsoft released. Unfortunately for all of us, the rollout of this update has not been pretty for the customers. Microsoft released the update on January 31, 2013. The intent was that the update would be available for all existing Windows Phone 7.x devices. However, there has been some disconnect in getting this update. T-Mobile has said that none of the devices running Windows Phone 7.x on its network will get the update. Sprint has given no official word on updates for devices running Windows Phone 7.x on its network (if this is incorrect, please tell me so I can correct this). Verizon has seen some of the devices running Windows Phone 7.x on its network get the upgrade (again, if this is incorrect, please tell me so I can correct this). AT&T has said that all devices stated in <a href="http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB117823&cv=820#fbid=aLKaBn2NU3R" target="_blank">this support document</a> are getting the update, but so far, only Nokia Lumina 900 devices on its network have gotten the update notification. Word has it that AT&T will be sending out the update notification for all other mentioned devices near the end of this month (March).<br />
<br />
For those who would rather not wait for the notification or whose device is confirmed to not get the update notification, there are unofficial methods that exist which will allow you to still get the update. The first one is changing the value of the MobileOperator string in the registry.<br />
<br />
If that doesn't allow you to get the update, you should try my special modified version of Seven-Eigher. Thanks to Jaxbot providing the source code, I changed some things around so that you don't have to download a new version of Seven-Eighter if Microsoft ever puts out (yet) another update for Windows Phone 7.x (it downloads the list of updates from the internet, so all I need to do is to change the update configuration list if a new update comes out) and its a little more descriptive so you have less of a chance of messing up the update process. You need .NET Framework version 4.0 or greater to run it. As far as downgrades go, (for now) you can only use Zune to downgrade 1 os update, meaning if you had 2 os updates installed in the process, you can only go back 1 level. And yes, it does support the latest update (8862).<br />
<br />
To download my modified version of Seven-Eighter, here's the link: <a href="http://bit.ly/13a6aBW" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/13a6aBW</a><br />
<br />
If you have any problems and/or comments, just use the comment box below and I take care of it as soon as I can. If you have any input on how I can improve it as well, I am willing to take any (and all) suggestions. I am also curious as to how my version is compared to the original. The program is free for your use, but if you want to throw something my way to support me, my paypal e-mail is "toa649@myway.com".<br />
<br />
While you're waiting for the new phone updates to come your way, why not drink some
delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the
picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it
comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than
Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your
computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also
offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps
the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea)
also makes for great gifts for friends and family as
well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" sizcache="0" sizset="2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/?aid=525" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT9VLIMp0ys/T-NGVpOujvI/AAAAAAAAAC8/20yJxifjyQ0/s1600/MysticMonk2_transp.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
For
my existing Windows Phone apps, I am working on updates to both the free and paid versions of Mobile Media Manager. The update for BSA Eagle Tracker is
also in the works. I admit that school is sucking much of my free time out of me, but I will continue to work on the updates in my spare time. If you want to get my apps now (while waiting), please use the
following links:<br />
<br />
BSA Eagle Tracker download: <a href="http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(paid version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/y3rf6V" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/y3rf6V</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(free version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/xGCsWE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/xGCsWE</span></a>Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-45889686105640739912013-03-13T14:54:00.002-05:002013-03-13T16:55:05.592-05:00Habemus PapamYes, you read the title correctly. We do, indeed, have a new successor to the chair of Peter. The new pope is Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (from Argentina).<br />
<br />
Update (17:50 EDT): corrected the name of the new pope<br />
<br />
This conclave's time length to choose a new pope was 3 days. While this is a big difference from the record for longest time taken to choose a new pope (3 years), I am sure we are all glad that the new pope was chosen before Easter. <strike>There is no word yet on which name the new pope has chosen.</strike><br />
<br />
Update (16:30 EDT): The (new) Pope has chosen the name "Francis"<br />
<br />
I wish the new pope well as he takes his place as the new successor of Peter. Let us pray for him, so that he will do his job well. The new pope happens to be a Jesuit, so today is a big day for the Society of Jesus and all of the high schools and universities they run, including the one I attend (Wheeling Jesuit University).<br />
<br />
On a side note, it has not been made known whether the new pope enjoys Mystic Monk Coffee or not. To celebrate the choosing of the new Holy Father, do it with some delicious
Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture
below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to
coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than
Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your
computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also
offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps
the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea)
also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840248473276962684.post-79996107109996419292013-02-06T11:00:00.004-06:002013-02-21T13:41:34.892-06:00The Current State of Windows Phone 7.8 UpdatesWell, if you Windows Phone users haven't gotten the news yet, Microsoft has released the Windows Phone 7.8 update for all Windows Phone 7.x phones. As of now, all unlocked phones can get the update. If you have a carrier-locked phone, you are basically at the mercy of the cell carrier for updates.<br />
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I am not sure about the state of updates for phones on the Verizon and Sprint networks (maybe someone on those networks can fill me in on the current situation). I have AT&T as my cell carrier. AT&T has a colorful past as far as Windows Phone updates go. For all updates through Mango, things went smoothly. Once build 7720 came out, AT&T only released updates for phones that came with Windows Phone 7.5, leaving all phones that came with Windows Phone 7.0 out in the cold. However, I have good news. AT&T IS going to release the Windows Phone 7.8 update to ALL AT&T phones running Windows Phone. The current status of the update is: "Testing". Once AT&T is done with "testing", it will be released to everyone (via the usual Zune method). According to people in AT&T's support department, the update should be out before February is over. For now, all we can do is to be patient.<br />
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T-Mobile is a different story. T-Mobile has <a href="http://bit.ly/11W3eTg" target="_blank">said outright</a> that it will not release the Windows Phone 7.8 update to its phones running any version of Windows Phone. Personally, I think this is a slap in the face to ALL T-Mobile customers with WP7.x phones. Customers bought WP7.x phones with the expectations of support and updates. Now, I do realize that there comes a time when support for a device stops, but this is too soon for that.<br />
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If you have been scouring the internet looking for update help for carrier-locked phones, you might have heard about a utility called Seven-Eighter that downloads the updates and forces them onto the phone. I say use it at your own risk. I have seen threads in various forums all over the internet with people asking for help because they used Seven-Eighter to update their phone and now something doesn't work. If you are not technically minded (or like stability), I recommended that you wait until the carrier releases the updates. I will also add that this has the possibility of voiding your phone's warranty as well, so please be cautious.<br />
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My main phone is an LG Quantum. For quantum users (on AT&T), some people on the internet have proposed using the registry editor in the MFG app to change the MobileOperator string from "ATT-US" to "BEL-CA" (stands for Bell Mobile, a Canadian carrier). I say that this is not a good idea. When you do that, you don't have an AT&T LG Quantum..you have a Bell Mobile LG Quantum instead. This can cause complications for any normal usage (and maybe updates as well). Your warranty can be voided this way as well.<br />
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Right now, the only safe way to update is to wait for the carrier to release the updates. If you are very impatient, you can try alternate methods to force the update(s), but be forewarned that things might not work as they should. I invite you to share your thoughts and/or update experiences via the comment box below.<br />
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While you're waiting for the new updates to come your way, why not drink some delicious
Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture
below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to
coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than
Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your
computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also
offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps
the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea)
also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.<br />
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For
my existing Windows Phone apps, the update for both the paid version and the free version of Mobile Media
Manger is out. The update for BSA Eagle Tracker is now in the works. If you want to get my apps now (while waiting), please use
the following links:<br />
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BSA Eagle Tracker download: <a href="http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(paid version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/y3rf6V" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/y3rf6V</span></a><br />
Mobile Media Manager
(free version) download: <a href="http://bit.ly/xGCsWE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;">http://bit.ly/xGCsWE</span></a>Steven Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252204928605778114noreply@blogger.com2