Where does the spark of comedy come from? For late night show host Stephen Colbert a sign on his computer reminds him. “Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God.” A sign at the convent where my wife goes to her lay Carmelite meetings reads something like this… “Joy is not the absence of suffering, but the presence of God in the midst of suffering.” On September 11, 1974, when Colbert was ten years old, his father... Read more
The Catholic Bard presents a guest post featuring a homily given on the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time re-presented here as a meditation written by Deacon Joshua Klickman. He is a Deacon at Saint Patrick Catholic Church Fayetteville, NC and Coordinator for Human Life and Dignity at Diocese of Raleigh. Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out... Read more
In the shadows of life, God in his mercy sends a soul to light the darkness. His Glory is reflected in his saints. Some saints live an obscure life and are never heard of on earth. And some of the, God decides to let shine like the sun for the entire world to see. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Mt 5:12 (NASB)” In the spirit of Paul Havey, A... Read more
I wanted to share something that has been on my mind. I need to vent and get it off my chest. After I write these thoughts I can then move on to the next project more easily. I want to share my challenges of being a writer. I can assure you that these are my own personal challenges that are unique to me. At least I think their unique to me. This is not an earth-shattering revelation about me or... Read more
Our Personal History is also surrounded by actual history. These are the Accomplishments and Discoveries that give evidence that we are created and made in the image and likeness of God. God is the creator of everything that is. He has given humanity natural Legos. He allows us to put together gadgets by using pre-existing material. We don’t create things, we assemble together things from material that already exists. He lets us be sub-creators. By using our minds and skills... Read more
Our Personal History is also surrounded by actual history. These are the Sufferings and Trials that make up our Cross our Savior calls us to carry. If there is one thing guaranteed in life, it is is that it is not fair and you will suffer. The only way out of life and into eternal life is by suffering. These are also the cultural changes that make up our way of life, with a lot of these changes that are... Read more
I believe that all human beings have quirks. Some harmless and meaningless and some detrimental to living a normal life. One of my peculiar and particular quirks is my weird obsessions with making lists. These lists consist of what books and movies I eventually want to read and or watch. Often times I will buy books or movies with the hopes of reading or watching them and really focusing in on them so that I can write something meaningful about... Read more
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon or “Bacon’s Law” is a parlor game based on the “six degrees of separation” concept, which posits that any two people on Earth are six or fewer acquaintance links apart. Movie buffs challenge each other to find the shortest path between an arbitrary actor and prolific actor Kevin Bacon. It rests on the assumption that anyone involved in the Hollywood film industry can be linked through their film roles to Bacon within six steps. In... Read more
Of your charity, please pray for the repose of the soul of Thomas Howard, to whom I owe an unpayable debt. His _Evangelical is Not Enough_ was a hugely important book for me and paved the way to my becoming Catholic. He was a gracious, courtly man, who helped me on my path as a writer. He was also extremely well-read, a fine teacher, and devoted disciple of Jesus. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed,... Read more
The more we learn about our Catholic faith the more we will learn about the author of our Catholic faith, which is God. The more we learn about God, the more we will love God. The more we love God the more we will love our Catholic faith. That knowledge and love is stronger then death. “There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions, however, who hate what they... Read more
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