I’m a little late in getting to the feast of St. Catherine of Siena, one of the patron saints of Italy — certainly a poster saint for the “genius of women” and one of my favorites (even if she’s an act I could never begin to follow). As I’ve mentioned previously, part of ordinary life in … Read more
Last week, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson endorsed candidate Trey Grayson in his primary race against Rand Paul for Kentucky’s open U.S. Senate seat. Yesterday, Dobson shocked the Kentucky political establishment by pulling that endorsement, and switching his support to Paul. Dobson felt tricked by some in the Republican leadership, and let them … Read more
Norman Borlaug is not the sort of name you think of when it comes to world-historical heroism. A Norwegian Lutheran son of Iowa, he grew up on the prairie, went to college during the Depression where he studied the thoroughly unglamorous subject of agriculture, enjoyed wrestling, met his wife while waiting tables at a university … Read more
Over at The Catholic Herald (UK), Roy Peachey has an intriguing piece on a number of Catholic writers he fears are being left by the wayside — not for any fault in their craftsmanship or in their ability to be relevant, but simply for geographic reasons: Most English language studies of the Catholic novel – and, I would guess, … Read more
You know that Veggie Tales song? “We’re busy, busy, dreadfully busy”? (My life is often best illustrated by Veggie Tales songs, actually. I’m shocked how often I quote from it on a daily basis. But I digress.) Today, we leave talking heads behind and re-enter the broad physical humor that Borth was so skilled at … Read more
With all the pontification lately about the visitation of women’s religious orders, as well as the call in some corners for “more women in the Church” as a means to combat the sex-abuse scandal, Kathy Lopez of National Review Online has done a real service by speaking with an actual religious sister for her perspective … Read more
The Holy Land is a place of stories. Everyone has a story about Israel and the occupied territory called Palestine by those who live there. Many of the events are drenched in blood — often that of relatives present or past — which is why, when story is pitted against story, death against death, little … Read more
With all the pontification lately about the visitation of women’s religious orders, as well as the call in some corners for “more women in the Church” as a means to combat the sex-abuse scandal, Kathy Lopez of National Review Online has done a real service by speaking with an actual religious sister for her perspective … Read more
I’m no great cheerleader for NFP, but I have a growing respect for its medical usefulness. Here’s a story from NPR about primary ovarian insufficiency, a condition which causes infertility and a host of other medical problems. One doctor says he “got a wake-call” about 10 years ago when 23-year-old twin sisters with POI came to an … Read more
It’s taken eight long years, but according to Catholic News Agency (CNA), the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has approved a new translation of the Roman Missal, including next text for the English Mass. It will be incorporated into parishes across the country gradually and at the discretion of local … Read more
“Israel is not just necessary to the return of Christ, it is essential to it.” So says the Rev. A. R. Bernard, pastor of the Christian Cultural Center in New York City. His sentiments are shared by millions of Christians around the world who steadfastly believe that a Jewish state is necessary for the Second … Read more
Rome will be taking control of the Legionaries of Christ, at least for the time being: In a statement on Saturday, the Vatican said that Benedict would appoint a special delegate to govern the Legionaries, an influential worldwide order that has been an important source of new priests in a church that has struggled with … Read more
You cannot act for twenty-four hours without deciding either to hold people responsible or not to hold them responsible. Theology is a product far more practical than chemistry. Some Determinists fancy that Christianity invented a dogma like free will for fun — a mere contradiction. This is absurd. You have the contradiction wherever you are. … Read more
For this afternoon, yet another in the seemingly endless array of “YouTube Videos That Demonstrate Absurd Levels of Imagination.” Unlike the video I was originally planning to feature this Friday — HP Office Orchestra, (which seems too good to be true) — I think this one might actually be real. It’s called Gravité, and was created by Renaud Hallée, a … Read more
Spring quickens one’s sense of delight and lifts one’s spirits as the world awakens. Many puzzle over how the world began; I am still in wonder at how spring happens. With a child’s appetite for repetition, I am always ready to say: Do it again! This is my inspiration for focusing mostly on delightful music … Read more
By now, it seems that pretty much everyone has heard about Arizona’s controversial new immigration law. Protests are springing up around the country, threats of boycotts and lawsuits are coming from various groups, and politicians from across the spectrum (including notable figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jeb Bush ) are condemning the legislation. And as … Read more
We are overdue for a little Flannery around here so here’s an excerpt from her letter to Janet McKane on June 30, 1963, found in Letters of Flannery O’Connor: The Habit of Being: I guess what you say about suffering being a shared experience with Christ is true, but then it should also be true … Read more
A few links to get things rolling this morning: The Church of the ‘Times’: Kenneth Woodward makes a convincing argument that the New York Times is “an institution with the soul of a church,” complete with its own secular magisterium. ‘An exercise in moral botox’: Mary Eberstadt eviscerates You Don’t Know Jack, HBO’s paean to … Read more
What can you say when the U.N. elects Iran to its Commission on Women’s Rights, elevating a backwards theocracy that made international news last week when one of its “respected clerics” claimed that immodestly dressed women cause earthquakes? Iran as a nation has a well-documented history of gender inequality and is an oppressive environment for women … Read more
The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise again. (1 Thes 4:16) We’ve all heard the common wisdom about the second coming of Christ: Early Christians expected the imminent triumphant return of … Read more