Amma Syncletica said: There is a grief that is useful, and there is a grief that is destructive. The first sort consists in weeping over one’s own faults and weeping over the weakness of one’s neighbours, in order not to lose one’s purpose, and attach oneself to the perfect good. But there is also a grief that comes from the enemy, full of mockery, which some call accidie. This spirit must be cast out, mainly by prayer and psalmody Read more
Many protestants of the Evangelical persuasion, especially those in the Emergent Church movement, are rediscovering the Catholic monastic tradition and are providing interesting case studies of adapting the monastic way of life in an urban setting, with a matrix of practices that are geared towards the maintenance and revitalisation of local communities and economies. They must be congratulated in their innovativeness in making an ancient and yet still relevant mode of being fit into the dark and oft-ignored crevices of... Read more
Courses in political ideologies will almost inevitably cover the green movement or ecologism in some way, shape or form. At the heart of the coverage on ecologism is a critique on anthropocentrism: the giving of humans prime consideration as a political subject. The theories of ecologism posit a series of alternatives, and while their contents vary, what ties them together is they almost always displace the political centrality of humans in favour of the earth, flora or fauna. At its... Read more
Amidst the storm of concern voiced by population alarmists at the imminent arrival of the seven-billionth person, there went unnoticed the 2011 Assisi Interfaith encounter, which was initiated by Blessed John Paul II and continued by his successor, Benedict XVI. While many expect the delegates to speak about how religious communities might better live amidst our differences, the Catholic News Service reported on one unusual guest on the papal list that was indicative of Benedict’s primary concerns, and points to... Read more
PC World published an article concerning the outrage expressed by Wikipedia at the passing of an Italian law that will require the site, and all other online publications, to effect all requests for corrections to its entries or risk hefty fines. Wikipedia has responded by “hiding” its Italian site. At first glance, the outrage by Wikipedia and campaigns such as “Salviamo Wikipedia” seems justified. It would appear that freedom of expression would be curtailed if corrections are accompanied by the... Read more
As a follow up to two previous posts featuring quotes on drinking by GK Chesterton and then by St John Chrysostom. The Catholic Beer Review has an old post that draws the reader’s attention to a Rite of blessing Beer in the Catholic Church’s Old Latin Rituale Romanum. Below is the blessing followed by its English translation Original Latin Blessing of Beer V. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini. R. Qui fecit caelum et terram.V. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu... Read more
A recent news report touched on upcoming designs of new shopping centers. According to some architects, people will be able to do more than just shop in the mall of the future. In order to lure customers back into the shops, malls may also increasingly become redesigned into hubs for dining, exercising and even living, with some suggestions that apartments could be integrated into the overall Mall design. The shopping mall, in other words, becomes a world unto itself. It... Read more
An article in the Herald Sun reported on the preliminary findings from research on a group of frequent gamers who, having been so immersed in the world of video games, have reached a stage where they see the world around them through the prism of the games they play, demonstrating what the researchers are calling “Game Transfer Phenomena”. Signs of this phenomena, according to this article, include seeing “life bars” over people’s heads, an instinctual reaching for invisible game controller... Read more
Nathan Kerr, Assistant Professor in Religion at the Trevecca Nazarene University in the United States, gave an acceptance speech for an award for teaching excellence on what constitutes educational excellence for the Christian. At the heart of his speech is that “excellence” for the Christian should not parallel secular counterparts, which focus on success and material wealth. In a Christian institution of higher learning, “excellence” should be a revolutionary stance over and against the powers of this world, even as... Read more
We have heard it all before, the rendering of 1 Corinthians 13 that is often used to mushy effect at weddings to talk about how one’s feelings for another is a reflection on how one’s feelings should be about God. Sometimes the hook on the demands for endurance is brought to mind in the sermon, but only sometimes. Read in its entirety, however, this passage can gives us an insight, more specifically a critique on our contemporary culture’s obsession with... Read more
The Divine Wedgie
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