To whom much is given, much is expected

December 10, 2004 By

This is not the first time I’ve heard about Mel Gibson sharing the wealth since his phenomenal success with The Passion of the Christ (I know someone whose auntie is a tiny, cute-as-a-button and very young 83 year old nun, and have heard stories of Gibson’s generosity in solving the various housing or medical bill [...]

Filed Under: Faith, Misc.

Why play games? Giuliani IS the bench.

December 9, 2004 By

I have been a fan of Peggy Noonan’s for a very long time. We are both Irish Catholic, Long Island raised girls, although I don’t have her cheekbones, or her mid-atlantic accent or her writing skills. I like seeing a local girl who has done so very well for herself. After the death of Ronald [...]

Filed Under: rants

A Warrior Monk

December 9, 2004 By

Wonderful story. Marine Lance Cpl. June N. Ramos was preparing for a quiet and rather anonymous life of a Benedictine Monk at this monastery when he felt called to another sort of service. The hospital in Baghdad where Ramos recovered from the bomb blast in October had a special hallway reserved for insurgents who had [...]

Filed Under: Catholicism

Get Funny, Get Serious, Give Thanks and Rope-a-Dope

December 8, 2004 By

Coming in very late (or early in the AM, if we’re being sticklers) and too keyed up to head directly to bed, I find that while I have very limited time or freshness of mind for writing, I cannot help myself; before turning in, I must treat myself to the good writing and fine minds [...]

Filed Under: Misc.

In the Spirit of Christmas: A Letter to Maureen Dowd

December 6, 2004 By

Dear Ms. Dowd; I have just finished reading your sad and unfunny column from yesterday’s NY Times. While I don’t normally read yesterday’s news, my time has been so taken up with another issue that I was (quite unusually) glad to happen upon your writing, even a day late. You would, of course, have no [...]

Filed Under: Catholicism, Culture of Life/Death, Dowd, Euthanasia, Faith, Feminism, Here and Queer, Medical, My brother S, Prayer

A Moment of Grace

December 3, 2004 By

It’s a genuinely painful, but also rather good experience, to watch someone taking their leisurely leave of this world. I might not have written those words a few days ago, but things are happening, and changing. As my brother S makes what appears to be a final lap around the days and seasons of his [...]

Filed Under: Culture of Life/Death, Faith, My brother S

The Kindness of Strangers

December 1, 2004 By

Please allow me to thank those of you who left kind comments, prayers and poems concerning my brother. I am always immensely humbled by examples of huge generosity of spirit by strangers, for other strangers. When I think back on 9/11, I remember the people helping each other, pulling each other along, one person dousing [...]

Filed Under: Culture of Life/Death, Faith, My brother S