“The root of our current vocation problem is a lack of discipleship. Of course, a disciple is one who encounters Jesus, repents, experiences conversion and then follows Jesus. All too often those of us in positions of Church leadership presume that all the folks in the pews on Sundays, all the children in our grade schools, high schools and PSR programs, all the kids in our youth groups, all the men in our Men’s Clubs and all the women in... Read more
That’s the conclusion, at least, offered by Michael Gerson in the Washington Post: When Nancy Mitford asked novelist Evelyn Waugh how he could behave so atrociously while claiming to be a practicing Catholic, he responded, “You have no idea how much nastier I would be if I was not a Catholic.” In Congress, we are about to test the ameliorative effects of Catholicism in practical ways, particularly among Republicans. Before the November election, there were 97 Catholic Democrats in the... Read more
A practice many might consider taboo is available in one western town — and it’s believed to be the only place in the U.S. to do so. Details: Belinda Ellis’ farewell went as she wanted. One by one, her family placed juniper boughs and logs about her body, covered in red cloth atop a rectangular steel grate inside a brick-lined hearth. With a torch, her husband lit the fire that consumed her, sending billows of smoke into the blue-gray sky... Read more
After first declaring that it was out of bounds because it contained “religious doctrine,” FOX relented and aired the ad last night. Details: Millions of Super Bowl viewers got a dose of Scripture Sunday night when a Christian group’s John 3:16 commercial was unexpectedly aired. Just before the fourth quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers game, the 30-second biblical spot popped up to the surprise of football fans. In that hour, the Look Up 316 website that... Read more
What’s it like for a non-Catholic? One answer, from a man who visited a Benedictine abbey, comes from the Huffington Post: Contemplation is assumed. The basilica is capacious, but so is the liturgy; room to think, room to pray, room to simply be. Every cough, sneeze or rattle reverberates throughout this place. Sounds live longer lives in a room like this, fading slowly. We sit and await the next moment, awaiting our Lord, awaiting ourselves. Our posture is one of... Read more
If so, welcome to the club. The New York Times takes a look at how the smartphone is outsmarting us — and may be wrecking the balance of our lives, to boot: Given the widespread adoption of smartphones, text messaging, video calling and social media, today’s professionals mean it when they brag about staying connected to work 24/7. Technology allowed Karen Riley-Grant, a manager at Levi Strauss in San Francisco, to take care of some business with her New York... Read more
It didn’t get much attention, but this seems a noteworthy piece of news: History was made on Friday when Prince Charles became the first member of the Royal Family to enter a Catholic Church in Ireland. The Prince visited St Malachy’s Church in Belfast, to see a 3.5 million pound restoration project which has just been completed. He was welcomed by The Most Reverend Dr Noel Treanor, Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, with The Most Reverend Dr Patrick Walsh,... Read more
This little clip says it all. 🙂 God bless Bill Geist. And, of course, George. Read more
More of those over 50 are embarking on a second career — in religion. Details, from TIME magazine: Boomers are the fastest-growing demographic at U.S. divinity schools, according to the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), an organization of more than 250 theological graduate schools in the U.S. and Canada. The under-30 crowd may still be the largest cohort of students — accounting for a third of the total — but the 50-or-older group has grown from 12% of students in... Read more
More of those over 50 are embarking on a second career — in religion. Details, from TIME magazine: Boomers are the fastest-growing demographic at U.S. divinity schools, according to the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), an organization of more than 250 theological graduate schools in the U.S. and Canada. The under-30 crowd may still be the largest cohort of students — accounting for a third of the total — but the 50-or-older group has grown from 12% of students in... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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