The Serenity Prayer

Lord, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change about my "ex", my boss, my work environment, my spouse, my kids, the Catholic Church, [my experience with the Legion of Christ, Regnum Christi]...

AA and Recovering from a Bad Relationship, a Cult, the Legion of Christ or Regnum Christ

adapting the AA Preamble

“We [REGAIN] are a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from... a bad relationship, unhealthy work environmente, a high control group, [the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi]... The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop involvement and take back your life. Our group [REGAIN] is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay healthy and help others to achieve recovery."

The Archbishop is on the side of Legion of Christ critics

There’s a lack of transparency, as I’ve called it. I’ve met some extraordinarily fine members of Regnum Christi. They’ll talk about what had happened before they met Regnum Christi. Every priest they went to, they got a different story about what the church taught, and then finally they got it [from the Legionaries]. What they’re hearing usually is right. But it’s the tactics that get you. The question is, will some of these very good people be disenchanted someday? For that matter, should they be disenchanted now? Do they know all the facts? I don’t know. I’m not in there to break up Regnum Christi, I’m in there just to see that Regnum Christi is as accountable as every other group should be to the ordinary of the diocese.


The Archbishop of Baltimore in a letter to the superior general of the Legion of Christ Religious Order and its Regnum Christi lay Movement has ordered them to be more transparent re their activities in the diocese and to report to him like all the other groups operating under his authority.***

This letter, together with a scathing interview with National Catholic Reporter, John Allen, confirms what REGAIN and other groups have been saying for some time: the Legion and Regnum have been operating under the radar in parishes and diocese. Under the flag of ignorance and "we are Orthodox and friends of the pope" they have been winning over the richest benefactors and skimming off the cream of the vocation crop. Pope Benedict, who censored the controversial pedophile founder, Mexican Maciel Maciel in 2006, is wise to them and now American bishops are waking up and getting the message

One of the Bachs

This is Bach music though not exactly the piece I was looking for ***

A little bit of Music and Lightheartedness

Anonymous suggested that I may have been listening to the following piece of music the day I had my musical revelation:
here

and s/he was very close

Psych 101: Have you noticed how Narcissists take themselves too seriously, cannot laugh at their own foibles, and will not allow themselves to made fun of?

Music Soothes the Savage बरे

Music Soothes the Savage Breast

It’s been a long day at the office
I have tried to help a family see there is a better way to live than to be constantly fighting and blowing up and giving each other the silent treatment…after over an hour I am becoming resigned to the fact that Dad is not going to get beyond “He has to respect me and if he doesn’t I will make him!” and the teenager's ‘They don’t understand!’

As I get in the car and pull out of the garage at almost 9pm I am tired. The classical radio station has some flute music and I begin to be captivated by it. I am with the music, in the music; thinking is that James G. or Jean-Pierre R.? It’s a concerto of some kind and I am enjoying it already; I am enthralled, casting off my shoulders hours of work and weariness. It’s rapturous…and it takes me all the way home. As I reach home it finishes and the announcer says “Flute Concerto by Bach in E flat”… It wasn’t my favorite flutists but that one was good too…

As I drive I acknowledge I received my introduction to classical music in the Legion of Christ. It was on Sunday mornings in Rome, the instructor was a priest ‘from outside’ doing his doctorate at Santa Cecilia…a Spanish fellow called Pablo Colina, great teacher…Yes, Thank you to the Legion. But let’s not get carried away. The Legion did not give me the innate sensitivity; that was there in me, already, in the son of the blue-collar printer’s assistant, in the heart that was sensitive from suffering and by the same token so capable of wonderful healing. Some of my detractors call me bitter and angry. If you only knew! You poor ignorant souls! It’s not anger; its sadness, hurt, disappointment. And hurt can be healed.

While we have life, there is so much healing in God’s wonderful world. Because, in retrospect, one can experience the Goodness of God –that is the Grace!—despite the stupidity of human malice and cruelty, despite evildoers supposed to be His ministers. And one can relate to the words of the Psalm which tells us that He was always there, even in that nightmare, at the moment of abuse that was utter hell to the victim, God was somehow there, or at least wanted to be there, despite that devilish act…And you experience the truth: It is better to fall into the hands of God than the hands of the enemy; because even when God wounds He then heals the wound.

And thank you JS Bach; James and Jean-Pierre, merry flutists, good night.

Reflections on the Legion of Christ: 2003-2006 by Michael Langone, Ph.D.

"It appears to me that the abuse allegations leveled against the Legion fall into three categories:

1. sexual abuse [charges against the founder]

2. psychologically abusive manipulation of prospects, recruits, and members

3. Psychological, social, and economic manipulation of organizations and leaders in organizations (e.g., to take over schools; to protect the Legion's reputation)"


Comments by a very competent and measured man who is the executive director of a very prestigious organization and who does not lightly mention the Legion of Christ in the context of cult-like organizations.

The rest of the article can be found here.