[Click here for readings.] Years ago, a song asked the romantic question: “What are you doing the rest of your life?” Last week, an item in the New York Times put that into sharp focus. It was a story about a website called “DeathClock.com.” At the site, you enter your birth date, your general personality type – optimistic or pessimistic – and a few other details. And in a matter of seconds, it will tell you, exactly, the date you... Read more
Today marks the great saint’s feast, so once again (in what is becoming a Bench tradition) I’m pleased to post this icon of St. Lawrence, created by Deacon Lawrence Klimecki. Prayer to St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr O Generous patron of the Church’s poor, St. Lawrence, pray to the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit that all the poor of the Church in need in every corner of the world may feel the effect of the love of their... Read more
[Click here for readings.] Years ago, a song asked the romantic question: “What are you doing the rest of your life?” Last week, an item in the New York Times put that into sharp focus. It was a story about a website called “DeathClock.com.” At the site, you enter your birth date, your general personality type – optimistic or pessimistic – and a few other details. And in a matter of seconds, it will tell you, exactly, the date you... Read more
An interesting glimpse inside the science of the recovery movement, and some insight into conversion, too, from National Geographic: Established treatment facilities like Sierra Tucson offer everything from traditional medicine to such alternative approaches as equine therapy and healing circles. According to Nia Sipp, staff psychiatrist with Sierra Tucson, the goal is not just removing the substance or behavior but also facilitating self-reflection and creating social systems. “Oftentimes people feel that it’s about God and other things,” Sipp said. But she believes... Read more
Remarkable to read words like this coming from a Catholic bishop in the United States. Here’s Bishop Robert Lynch, from St. Petersburg: I am convinced that many so called Pro-Life groups are not really pro-life but merely anti-abortion. We heard nothing from the heavy hitters in the prolife movement in the last week when Florida last night executed a man on death row for 34 years having been diagnosed as a severe schizophrenic. Which personality did the state execute? Many priests... Read more
This guy understands that finding the love of your life is an answer to a prayer: So I’m getting married today. It’s about 1:00am and, as I imagine most soon-to-be grooms experience, I’m having trouble sleeping. In about thirteen hours, Jackie Francois will be walking down the aisle towards me—me, a bum from Florida. Man, oh man. I’m also aware that it will likely be a day of mourning for all single, male Catholics ages 14 to 44. I... Read more
Today marks the great saint’s feast, so once again (in what is becoming a Bench tradition) I’m pleased to post this icon of St. Lawrence, created by Deacon Lawrence Klimecki. Prayer to St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr O Generous patron of the Church’s poor, St. Lawrence, pray to the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit that all the poor of the Church in need in every corner of the world may feel the effect of the love of their... Read more
Father George Sanders blesses his wife and children after his ordination. (photo: Bob Ocken, Arkansas Catholic) From Arkansas Catholic: On his ordination day Aug. 3, Father George Sanders reflected on his journey that got him to Christ the King Church in Little Rock kneeling before Bishop Anthony B. Taylor. As the bishop laid hands on him, as he prostrated himself during the Litany of Saints and had his hands anointed with chrism oil, he thought back on his life. At 14,... Read more
NFP on your smartphone? Sounds like it: Glow, the fertility tracking iOS app co-founded by Max Levchin, is making its debut in the app store today. The app was first introduced earlier this summer by Levchin to a surprised audience at the D11 conference, where the crowd was likely not expecting to hear the co-founder of PayPal and Slide discuss PMS symptoms and cervical mucus… …Glow is backed with $6 million from investors includingFounders Fund and Andreessen Horowitz. The company’s full-time staff, which includes about... Read more
You can’t make this stuff up. From KRMG Radio in Oklahoma: Police say an employee at the Owasso First Assembly of God called officers about the stolen computer. He tipped off officers it had to be somebody familiar with the church because there were no signs of a break in and nothing else was touched. It turned out he was right. Ridling used to attend services. Still, OPD didn’t get a break into the case until the church employee was... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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