One of the most exasperating bits of exegetical trendiness to afflict first-world Catholics for the past 30 years or so has been the endless recirculation, like a bad penny, of the True Meaning of the Miracles of the Loaves and Fishes homily. It goes like this: Jesus found Himself in the wilderness with a … Read more
I am writing this on the Sunday still called Pentecost, on the very eve of “Ordinary Time.” It is the great gift of post-Vatican II — the desert that howls before us. I have been a Catholic now for six years, four months, and 23 days, and am still fumbling through what used to be … Read more
I’ve heard of this Roman tradition, but have never seen it: On Pentecost, to symbolize the Holy Spirit’s descent on the Apostles and Mary, rose petals are dropped from the Pantheon’s oculus. The video belows gives a sense of what it would be like to experience the event. You’ll notice Veni Creator Spiritus being chanted … Read more
With the general direction of American politics trending towards more government control of ever-smaller areas of life, and with the citizenry’s ever-greater detachment from the exercise of said governance, it is rare and refreshing fruit when every now and then the people manage to strike a blow for some small freedom. I know, because I’ve … Read more
You have to hand it to the guy — after 100 years, Mark Twain still knows how to grab headlines: Exactly a century after rumours of his death turned out to be entirely accurate, one of Mark Twain’s dying wishes is at last coming true: an extensive, outspoken and revelatory autobiography which he devoted the … Read more
Any other fans of LOST here? Whad’ya think of last night’s finale? I’m still mulling it over. I found it moving (not surprising, given the emotional investment I have in the characters after following them for 6 years), but it sure didn’t resolve some loose threads – including some important ones, I thought: When did … Read more
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is an impressive woman. In her late 30s, she speaks six languages — that includes both her native Somali, as well as Dutch, which she learned so she could run for the Dutch parliament. Of course, she’s best known for what Theodore Dalrymple calls “her public and uncompromising repudiation of Islam.” Her … Read more
When the health-care bill passed, the bishops’ reaction was twofold: disappointment at federal funding for abortion, while universal care was applauded. For some, including myself, the sound of the bishops’ clapping was far too loud given the immense tragedy of our federal tax dollars being committed to support abortion under the guise of “women’s health … Read more
Have any of you noticed that the concept of “the common good” is being used to justify every expansion of government power in our lives? Take a look at Anne Hendershott’s treatment of “God’s Politics” at Catholic Advocate. “God’s Politics,” as you may know, is the title of a book written by Jim Wallis, president … Read more
We’re taking a break from Uncle Harry this week because of my favorite feast day of the whole year: Pentecost! Without Pentecost, the teaching that Jesus gave the apostles … would have vanished. Pentecost is, to me, the feast of the protection of the Holy Spirit over the deposit of truth given to the apostles. … Read more
This quote in Dr. Thomas Howard’s book, Christ the Tiger, caught my eye this week. It speaks of how in God all things are made new. It’s a perfect passage to ponder as we approach Pentecost Sunday: Behold I make all things new. Behold I do what cannot be done. I restore the years that … Read more
The paycheck — that plucky, stubbed, cashable contribution to a family’s daily sustenance — has become a problem to every adult woman. It’s a challenge to earn it, and it’s a challenge to live without it. This reality can pervade and put pressure on even faithful marriages, where husband and wife have discussed their priorities … Read more
Here’s a recent story dug up by the Catholic New Service — and when I say “dug up,” I mean to say you really have to go out of your way to find stuff like this. The headine reads, “Union busting is a mortal sin, Catholic scholars say.” Now, if the headline had been reveresed, … Read more
Racism, abortion, blasphemy, sex abuse — today’s Friday morning round-up is a more serious affair: Immediately after winning the Republican primary in Kentucky, Rand Paul got in hot water for his appearance on the Rachel Maddow show, where he questioned the constitutionality of one aspect of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Now he’s clearing … Read more
Sitting in the pew for Mass at St. Mary’s in Norwalk, Connecticut, I was offended. After the deacon chanted “Ite Missa est,” our pastor took to the lectern to inform us that Connecticut was considering a revision of their laws that would retroactively eliminate the statute of limitations for prosecuting sexual abuse of minors, currently … Read more
“So how do you like it here?” a coworker of my wife, Myra, asked her anxiously. Before Myra could respond, the woman leaned in and in a low voice said, “We know we’re a little off.” Most Mormons in Salt Lake City could count on one hand the number of times they’ve been more than … Read more
Last week, I mentioned that a Boston-area Catholic school had declined to re-enroll a boy with lesbian parents, but that the archdiocese was looking to place the student in another Catholic school. On his personal blog yesterday, Cardinal Sean O’Malley defended the archdiocese’s decision: In Boston we are beginning to formulate policies and practices to … Read more
An 18-year-old Emirati woman who was gang-raped by six men is being charged with having sex outside of marriage. The woman and one of her male Emirati friends, HA, went for a drive in his vehicle on May 2, prosecutors said. The charges allege that because she had agreed to be in the car, the … Read more
There have been three important additions to my household over the past few weeks. The first was an iPad — my first Apple product since 1981. Deal posted some of my thoughts about it here. After incorporating this incredible device into my work and personal routine, my verdict still stands: It’s a game-changer in so … Read more
An announcement that the Roman Catholic Church was creating a new structure for Anglicans to convert en masse grabbed the media’s attention last year. Married Anglican priests could swim the Tiber all while keeping their liturgies and worship forms mostly intact, affiliating with new Roman Catholic “ordinates” of their own that looked strikingly similar to … Read more