The Socialist Catholic

Simple: He's a glory hog who unfairly receives credit for the accomplishments of others and who skates through school by taking advantage of his inherited wealth and his establishment connections. Harry Potter is no braver than his best friend, Ron Weasley, just richer and better-connected. Harry's other good friend, Hermione Granger, is smarter and a better student. The one thing Harry excels at is the sport of Quidditch, and his pampered-jock status allows him to slide in his studies, as long as he brings the school glory on the playing field. But as Charles Barkley long ago noted, being a good athlete doesn't make you a role model.

Harry Potter is a fraud, and the cult that has risen around him is based on a lie. Potter's claim to fame, his central accomplishment in life, is surviving a curse placed on him as an infant by the evil wizard Voldemort. As a result, the wizarding world celebrates the young Harry as "The Boy Who Lived." It's a curiously passive accomplishment, akin to "The Boy Who Showed Up," or "The Boy Who Never Took a Sick Day." And sure enough, just as none of us do anything special by slogging through yet another day, the infant Harry didn't do anything special by living. It was his mother who saved him, sacrificing her life for his.

Did your mom love you? Good, maybe you deserve to be a hero, too. The love of Harry's mother saves his life not once but twice in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Not only that, but her love for Harry sends Voldemort into hiding for 13 years, saving countless other lives in the process. The book and the movie should be named after Lily Potter. But thanks to the revisionist histories of J.K. Rowling, Lily's son is remembered as the world's savior.

What Harry has achieved on his own, without his mother, stems mostly from luck and, more often, inheritance. He's a trust-fund kid whose success at his school, Hogwarts, is largely attributable to the gifts his friends and relatives lavish upon him. (Coming soon: Frank Bruni's book, Ambling Into Hogwarts: The Unlikely Odyssey of Harry Potter.) A few examples: an enchanted map (made in part by his father), an invisibility cloak (his father's), and a state-of-the art magical broom (a gift from his godfather) that is the equivalent of a Lexus in a high-school parking lot.

Harry's other achievements can generally be chalked up to the fact that he regularly plays the role of someone's patsy. Almost all Harry's deeds in the first book take place under the watchful eye of Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore, who saves Harry from certain death at the end of the book. In Chamber of Secrets, the evil Voldemort successfully manipulates the unsuspecting Harry, who must once again be rescued. In Goblet of Fire, everything Harry accomplishes—including winning the Triwizard Tournament—takes place because he is the unwitting pawn of one of Voldemort's minions.

Even Harry's greatest moment—his climactic face-off with Voldemort in Goblet of Fire—isn't much to crow about. Pure happenstance is the only reason Voldemort is unable to kill Harry: Both their magic wands were made with feathers from the same bird. And even with his lucky wand, Harry still needs his mom's ghost to bail him out by telling him what to do. Once again, Lily Potter proves to be twice the man her son is.

Harry's one undisputed talent is his skill with a broom, which makes him one of the most successful Quidditch players in Hogwarts history. As Rowling puts it the first time Harry takes off on a broom, "in a rush of fierce joy he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught." Harry's talent is so natural as to be virtually involuntary. Admiring Harry for his flying skill is like admiring a cheetah for running fast. It's beautiful, but it's not an accomplishment.

In fact, Harry rarely puts hard work or effort into anything. He is a "natural." Time and again, Harry is celebrated for his instinctual gifts. When he learns that he is a Parselmouth, or someone who can speak the language of snakes, Rowling writes, "He wasn't even aware of deciding to do it." (In fact, when Harry tries to speak this language, he can't do it. He can only do it instinctively.) When Harry stabs a basilisk in Chamber of Secrets, Rowling writes that he did it "without thinking, without considering, as though he had meant to do it all along." In Goblet of Fire, during Harry's battle with Voldemort, Rowling writes that "Harry didn't understand why he was doing it, didn't know what it might achieve. …"

Being a wizard is something innate, something you are born to, not something you can achieve. As a result, Harry lives an effortless life. Although Dumbledore insists, "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities," the school that Dumbledore runs values native gifts above all else. That's why Harry is such a hero in wizard culture—he has the most talent, even if he hasn't done much with it. Hogwarts is nothing more than a magical Mensa meeting.

Marian Meditation of the Day:

Verse
Instruct me in the way of your precepts,

and I will meditate on your marvelous works.

-- citation

Reflection
The Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the Mysteries of the Lord’s life as seen through the eyes of Mary.

Thus, the unfathomable riches of these Mysteries are unfolded.

-- Pope Paul VI

Prayer
O Mary, when I say the Rosary, I meditate on Christ’s Mysteries in union with you.

Help me to imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise.

Amen.

Breaking Catholic News:

North Korea has joined the Nuclear Nations; the UN reports the North's government detonated a nuclear device at 9:36pm, 8 October, 2006 (Local Time).

Please pray the Rosary that:

* the six-way talks will resume

* that the UN Security Coucil meeting today will enact measures that alleviate the situation without harming the North Korean people

* that the weapons will never be used

* that our world can end nuclear proliferation and ease current conflict through disarmament of all Nuclear Nations

Prayer for the Immaculate Queen of Peace:

Most holy and immaculate Virgin, Mother of Jesus and our loving Mother, being his Mother, you shared in his universal kingship. The prophets and angels proclaimed him King of peace. With loving fervor in our hearts we salute and honor you as Queen of peace.

We pray that your intercession may protect us and all people from hated and discord, and direct our hearts into the ways of peace and justice which your Son taught and exemplified. We ask your maternal care for our Holy Father who works to reconcile the nations in peace. We seek your guidance for our President and other leaders as they strive for world peace.

Glorious Queen of peace, grant us peace in our hearts, harmony in our families and concord throughout the world. Immaculate Mother, as patroness of our beloved country, watch over us and protect us with your motherly love.
Amen.

Remember to Pray the Rosary for Peace!

Today's Mystery - Joyful Mysteries

Marian Meditation of the Day:

Verse
Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be formed in the likeness of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn of many brothers.

-- Romans 8:29

Reflection
The Rosary in particular is a sure sign of salvation.

-- Blessed Alain de la Roche

Prayer
O Mary, your Rosary is a sign of salvation.

Help me and all who recite it to advance rapidly in grace,

live perfectly, die peacefully, and rise surely to eternal life.

Amen.

Remember to Pray the Rosary for Peace!

Today's Mystery - Glorious Mysteries

O Lord, you have given everything its place in the world, and no one can make it otherwise. For it is your creation, the heavens and the earth and the stars: you are the Lord of all.

Let us pray that God will forgive our failings and bring us peace.
Father,
your love for us surpasses all our hopes and desires.
Forgive our failings, keep us in your peace and lead us in the way of salvation.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Almighty and eternal God,
Father of the world to come,
your Goodness is beyond what our spirit can touch and your stregnth is more than the mind can bear.
Lead us to seek beyond our reach and give us the courage to stand before your truth.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

God, knowing that man needs companionship, created animals and birds and finally placed Adam in a deep sleep and took one of his ribs, forming a woman..

The Lord God said:
“It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” So the Lord God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.

So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said: “ This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called ‘woman’, for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.

Blessed are you who fear the Lord,
Who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favoured.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.

Behold, thus is the man blessed
who respects the Lord.
The Lord bless you from Zion;
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

May you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!

To suffer, Jesus took a human body. In this way God made our leader perfect through suffering, bringing salvation. All who are consecrated have thereby a common Father and become brothers and sisters.


Brothers and sisters:
He “for a little while” was “made lower that the angels”, that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering. He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated all have one origin. Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them “brothers”.

If we love one another, God remains in us
and his love is brought to perfection in us.

The Pharisees, knowing the permissions of Moses’ about divorce, test Jesus, but he recalls the reason for the command and reminds them of God’s intention for the unity of marriage. Divorce followed by remarriage is adultery. Jesus then speaks about his love for little children and their innocence..

The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?” They replied, “Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.” But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery”.
And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing hands on them

Father,
Receive these gifts which our Lord, Jesus Christ, has asked us to offer in his memory.
May our obedient service bring us to the fullness of your redemption.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord.
Amen.

The Lord is good to those who hope in him,
to those who are searching for love.

Because there is one bread, we, though many, are one body,
for we all share in the one loaf and in the one chalice.

Almighty God,
let the eucharist we share
fill us with your life.
May the love of Christ
which we celebrate here
touch our lives and lead us to you.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Amen

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Catholic News of the Day:

European and Middle Eastern individuals are openly asking if the Israeli invasion of Lebanon could be a precursor of an Iranian invasion by the United States. Read more about what people think here.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced today that “…the international community is facing a test of its credibility,” in the way that it will handle the nuclear aspirations of Iran.

Japan and China agree that North Korea must participate in the six-state negotiations. North Korea refused to take part in the negotiations after the United States imposed financial and economic sanctions; it seems that the new Japanese Prime Minister and Chinese political and social leaders will successfully get all six parties to enter negotiations again. (Member states are the United States, Russia, China, Japan, North Korea and South Korea).

CBS News has an online report how the situation in Iraq is turning into a downward spiral of chaos, death and destruction. News from the US army on what happened in Iraq today. Even a key Senate Republican is beginning to question what we are doing in Iraq, and whether or not it is time to reassess our involvement in the region.

The “stop the war” campaign is asking for help, support and volunteers to help spread their message during this pre-electoral season.

Today, NATO’s top leader said that the country of Afghanistan is “at a tipping point”; the people are turning to the Taliban to solve the social, political, financial and cultural destruction and devastation that has been visited upon their country since the invasion by the United States five years ago. Instead of heeding the counsel from NATO commanders and individuals associated with other international relief/aid organisations, the Bush Administration has ignored numerous problems and setbacks in an attempt to single-handedly “stabilise the country”. Now the whole region is poised to be plunged further into strife, warfare and political chaos.

More about all of these stories can found on The UN News Centre Website.

JKRowling, author of the Harry Potter books has been included on the list of “20 People who have changed childhood” – other individuals included are: Walt Disney, Michael Jordan, Jonas Salk, Steve Jobs and The Beatles.

American children are just as lacking in five essential nutrients as children in Third-World nations and developing countries. This story illustrates why it is important that we make sure all families in America have good, nutritious food available for consumption. “Healthy living” should not only be realistic for “middle-class” and “affluent” Americans; everyone – young, old and in between have the right to enjoying the good food our creator has blessed us with.

UCLA San Francisco has done a study that reports that the number of homeless individuals in the United States is growing, and that 1/3 of homeless individuals are over the age of 50. This study is very disturbing because it shows how the economic disparity in the United States is growing, and that demographic groups that could previously count on social aid programmes such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security now have no where to turn…

A possible answer to the homeless question, as well as the question of how working-class and “low-income” Americans can get their piece of the American dream may come out of one of the most tragic events in our recent history: the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. “Hurricane Katrina Cottages” are small, single family dwellings that can be built for between $27,000 and $47,000 that are not only affordable, but economical to heat and cool, and environmentally friendly. Hopefully these homes will become a trend in America that would reverse the consumeristic, materialistic trend of “McMansions”; parishes and community organisations could concievably invest in developments of these homes for individuals.

The American people need to develop answers to social problems now that we are the fastest growing country in the industrialised world.

Archaeological News

Archaeologists are assisting the Army – and hopefully protecting cultural landmarks and artifacts as well.

Archaeologists working in Mexico City have discovered an Aztec monolith dating from the 15^th. century in the very heart of the city

Archaeologists working in the artifact-rich Hudson River community have found an 18^th Century store which tells of everyday life 250 years ago.

Hockey News

Miikka Kiprusoff and Martin Brodeur are looking to make goal-tender history this season; each has the chance of setting records that would guarantee their place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.