“Crime and Punishment: Juvenile Offenders Study Russian Literature”: Washington Post

May 14, 2013 By

via Ratty, I think: Kaufman thinks Russian literature is — unexpectedly — a particularly good fit for prisoners. The authors often asked what they called “the accursed questions,” Kaufman said: “Who am I? Why am I here? Given I’m going to die, how should I live?” more

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Ask Your Doctor If Solidarity Is Right for You… or AA, CBT, LOL

April 26, 2013 By

I have a lot of small thoughts about this piece at The Fix about the similarities and differences between cognitive behavioral therapy and the 12 Steps. I don’t know that these small thoughts come together into one big Voltron thought, so I will just put them out there in a list. As always, my opinions [...]

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From Henri Nouwen, “The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom”

April 25, 2013 By

Simply start by admitting that you cannot cure yourself. You have to say yes fully to your powerlessness in order to let God heal you. But it is not really a question of first and then. Your willingness to experience your powerlessness already includes the beginning of surrender to God’s action in you. –via

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“Prodigals and Preachers”: me on Marilynne Robinson

April 22, 2013 By

at Acculturated: This is the halfway point for my series of posts on great novels about marriage, and with this third installment I think I see some intertwined themes emerging. All three of the books so far—Kristin Lavransdatter, How to Be Good, and now Marilynne Robinson’s generational Iowa epic-in-miniature Gilead—are also stories about being sorry, [...]

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Today is the feast of St Mary of Egypt. Have an intense, amazing painting.

April 2, 2013 By

via the New Liturgical Movement website. She’s invoked for the protection of penitents as well as prostitutes. Here’s the Thistle Farms site again btw.

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“You think you hold the high hand; I’ve got my doubts”

March 31, 2013 By

This works best as an Easter song at the end of its album, but here you go anyway–I love this. Probably listened to it for the first time sober ever on Holy Thursday. Had to clean 14-month-old spilled drinks off the CD but it spun just fine. (I just tried looking up this album at [...]

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LA County juvenile detainees’ letters to Pope Francis

March 28, 2013 By

We welcome their voices and publish the letters that will be read at a service Thursday evening with the Director of Novices and 11 Jesuit novices, each one washing the feet of an inmate at the juvenile hall where kids are sentenced as adults. more (via Tim Carney)

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“Cold Nights, Fiery Hearts”: me on Kristin Lavransdatter

March 26, 2013 By

First in a series on novels about marriage.

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“Making Amends Was Everything I Least Expected”: Anna David

March 15, 2013 By

at The Fix–I cannot get enough of these stories: I thought I knew exactly how my Ninth Step in AA would unfold. Instead, over a decade later, I’m still trying to make sense of people’s unpredictable reactions. more

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“Epiphanies Aren’t Permanent”: Joe Fassler

February 8, 2013 By

via Wesley Hill: (There’s a great line in Orson Welles’ film Citizen Kane, where one of the protagonist’s enemies says to him: “You’re going to need more than one lesson, Mr. Kane, and you’re going to get more than one lesson.”) more

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