A Pick Up Line Song

Here's the "Catholic Pick Up Line" song by a fellow Aggie Catholic:

David Casper was a familiar face at St. Mary's while I was in college.  We were on retreat staff for Aggie Awakening #85. But, I didn't meet him officially until last December when he did the Mass music for a friend's wedding as well as be the DJ for the reception.

You can check him out at DavidCasperMusic.com, on Twitter @dcaspermusic, and on Facebook.  Apparently he's got a new song about the new pope.

Lastly, he's performing this Saturday at The Shepherd's Cafe, a local monthly Catholic event with a Holy Hour and coffee house entertainment afterwards here in DFW.  Check 'em out here: TheShepherdsCafe.com.

Sadly, I won't be in attendance because I'm gone all weekend for different Catholic reasons.

I'd be a second-class relic if you just give me a kiss ;-)
- JD

Pilpino Papal Potential

Yeah, a new pope has already been elected...but I just wanted to post this because...

1. He's Filipino
2. Cardinal Tagle was my dad's high school class' valedictorian
3. He's probably still going to in the running for the next Conclave down the road

Pinoy ako, pinoy tayo.

- JD

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day

Maybe I'm just still a young adult having lived through my high school and college years, and alcohol seems to be a popular drink of choice, stereotypically so for people of my age.  Well, thank goodness I'm Catholic and drinking alcohol isn't a sin, but the abuse of alcohol is.  But hey! We apparently even have a beer blessing! And some Trappist monasteries also brew beer! And we have patron saints of brewers like St. Augustine, St. Nicholas, St. Luke, et al!

Anyway, I find it interesting that here in the United States, most holidays are justifiable reasons to go drinking.  I mean, it's 5PM somewhere everyday, right?  Haha.  But, I think the one holiday that sticks out to me the most in terms of drinking to celebrate the holiday is St. Patrick's Day.  I remember when I went on a high school band trip to New York City during Spring Break, and we passed through a pier bar.  I couldn't help but notice how hardcore people take their dressing of green and drinking seriously.  Even in college at Texas A&M, Northgate was a sea of green rather than its usual sea of maroon.  And of course most people know Northgate is Texas A&M's "bar scene."  

Being Filipino, I never really cared too much for St. Patrick's Day. Yeah it's fun.  It's cool to wear green.  I'm not too much of a drinker so you won't find me at the bar/club on that day.  Watching the parades is cool.  Maybe one time I dressed up my old dog, Poco, in a festive hat...

Even his eyes are festive!
Alternative Caption: my Chihuahua is Filipino-Mexican-Irish!

I get too caught up in just considering St. Patrick's Day as a day to celebrate Irish heritage and to go crazy with green beer and green clothes and green parades.  But, in my maturing of my knowledge and appreciation of the Catholic faith, I'm starting to pay more attention to the fact that this green Day (not the band) is named after a Catholic saint.

So that begs the necessary questions:  who is St. Patrick and why do we celebrate him on March 17th?  What am I raising my mug to when I down a cold one in his honor?  How and why am I celebrating the Irish on this day?

Cool.