This is traditionally the day when we make resolutions and size up the year to come. This is when we decide… To quit smoking…again. To lose weight…again. To stop drinking…again. To spend less money…again. I typically spend this day going through all the junk piled up on my desk and sorting through old papers in my office – figuring out what to keep and what to pitch. A friend of mine every year rearranges the books on his shelves. I... Read more
This strikes me as eminently sane, and even wise — and good advice for all of us as we enter a new year. From Fr. James Martin at the Huffington Post, who marked his 50th birthday by tweeting these life lessons to his friends: 1. First up: Stop worrying so much! It’s useless. (I.e. Jesus was right.) 2. Being a saint means being yourself. Stop trying to be someone else and just be your best self. Saves you heartache. 3.... Read more
This strikes me as eminently sane, and even wise — and good advice for all of us as we enter a new year. From Fr. James Martin at the Huffington Post, who marked his 50th birthday by tweeting these life lessons to his friends: 1. First up: Stop worrying so much! It’s useless. (I.e. Jesus was right.) 2. Being a saint means being yourself. Stop trying to be someone else and just be your best self. Saves you heartache. 3.... Read more
“I must honestly tell you that our Christmas Eve liturgy was so slap-dash, so irreverent and untrained and featured music so poorly chosen and executed that it was joyless, perfunctory and at times just so awful as to feel more like torture than celebration. Even my husband, who never has a bad word to say, called it ‘unendurable.’ The observation was made within our group that ‘that mass is exactly why people can’t be bothered coming to mass and young... Read more
“I must honestly tell you that our Christmas Eve liturgy was so slap-dash, so irreverent and untrained and featured music so poorly chosen and executed that it was joyless, perfunctory and at times just so awful as to feel more like torture than celebration. Even my husband, who never has a bad word to say, called it ‘unendurable.’ The observation was made within our group that ‘that mass is exactly why people can’t be bothered coming to mass and young... Read more
When it comes to reading electronic books, or e-books, I was an agnostic. All that changed over the holidays. Now, I’m a believer. I have seen the light. It emanates from a little grey pad of plastic called a Kindle. My in-laws gave me a Kindle (Amazon’s version of an e-reader) for Christmas. Minutes after unpacking it from the box, I was downloading books, excerpts, free samples, games, magazines, newspapers, you name it. I have to confess: I am in... Read more
It just might save a life. AT & T has released this powerful video about texting and driving. It’s one every person who gets behind a wheel needs to see — especially young people. Take 10 minutes and make a difference. Read more
When it comes to reading electronic books, or e-books, I was an agnostic. All that changed over the holidays. Now, I’m a believer. I have seen the light. It emanates from a little grey pad of plastic called a Kindle. My in-laws gave me a Kindle (Amazon’s version of an e-reader) for Christmas. Minutes after unpacking it from the box, I was downloading books, excerpts, free samples, games, magazines, newspapers, you name it. I have to confess: I am in... Read more
Regular blogging should resume Wednesday. Until then, for all travelers on this week of jaw-dropping snow and headache-inducing delays…a musical interlude from two boys from Forest Hills, Queens. Traveling mercies! Read more
Regular blogging should resume Wednesday. Until then, for all travelers on this week of jaw-dropping snow and headache-inducing delays…a musical interlude from two boys from Forest Hills, Queens. Traveling mercies! Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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