Christmas and the Holy Name.

December 15, 2004 By

It seems some Christians are feeling full of beans and vinegar, this Christmas, and they’re takin’ it to the business streets and basically saying, “Pony up wit’ da “Merry Christmases”, or we’re shoppin’ at the Wal-Mart!” (Hattip to Polipundit. Now, I’ve mentioned that we have a little bit of this brewing in our own household [...]

Filed Under: Buster, Faith, rants

There is always a but…

December 10, 2004 By

A famous atheist has decided that there is a God, after all. BUT, of course, “I’m thinking of a God very different from the God of the Christian and far and away from the God of Islam, because both are depicted as omnipotent Oriental despots, cosmic Saddam Husseins…”Ah, yes. There is a God, but not [...]

Filed Under: Faith

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.

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

Blessed are the Peacemakers

October 29, 2004 By

I have a very good friend, a writer and all-around good-guy who is studying for the diaconate in the Roman Catholic church, and he is struggling with his vote. He’s a Democrat, but he doesn’t much find anything in John Kerry that seems worth voting for. There are aspects of President Bush he admires, but [...]

Filed Under: Faith, War, What it good for?