My 8th grader was describing an acquaintance of the same age, and I paraphrase: Her rallying cry is, “Let’s go f*** some sh** up!” She says never posts *full* nudes of herself, so it’s okay. She’s obsessed with having a boyfriend, and she keeps asking me what it’s like to actually talk to a boy. This is the middle school narrative: If you sext, brandish vulgar language, and organize your life around the quest for a boyfriend, you’re the sophisticated... Read more
I’ve got sex on the brain, and before I start into that conversation, I want to lay out a few comments about the limits of modesty. Here’s a quick working definition: With respect to chastity, modesty is the collection of actions we take in order to safeguard our purity. Modesty includes not only the way we dress, but the way we interact with others. There are of course other areas where modesty applies — with respect to our wealth, our... Read more
As learned this weekend: “Don’t make me have to say a Chaplet of Divine Mercy for you.” Learn more about Divine Mercy Sunday here. Artwork: The English dance of death, from the designs of Thomas Rowlandson, (1903), from the Internet Archive Book Images [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons. Read more
I would like to tell you something interesting that happened for my Easter present. It was these two things: My parish did not cancel the regularly-scheduled Sunday evening Mass on Easter. I went to it. The whole story isn’t so important, but we must emphasize, concerning #2, that I was not being one of these venerable church-helping souls who ends up at three different Masses on the holiday. Though I be a Triduum-loving girl to the core, and though I... Read more
This Lent I’ve been reading from On the Passion of Christ According to the Four Evangelists by Thomas à Kempis. I keep losing the book, so my progress is slow, and hence this thought for Good Friday from relatively early in the Passion: The populace cried out: We have a law, and according to that law he must die because he has made himself Son of God. Upon hearing this, the governor became frightened and asked: Who are you? The fear... Read more
Every Lent we come around to the reading of the royal official whose son was dying. It’s a study in what it means to have faith in Jesus. Here are my thoughts on that, which originally ran at CatholicMom.com. *** Today’s Gospel: John 4:43-54 How far would you travel to save your child? If you knew the cure was a two day walk away, would you walk it? Of course you would. The royal official who sets out... Read more
Let me tell you about something lovely that happened to me in real life: I was at supper at church, and I met this lady who could out-trad all the trads. I was glad to finally meet her, because I love her wardrobe and never get a chance to say so. Anyway, she comes up and says hello and chats for a bit, and voices a few opinions on matters which Catholics are free to disagree about it, and which... Read more
Elizabeth Scalia’s essay on the Eternal City reminded me of a film I’ve been meaning to mention. Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto) is a desultory Italian film in which the reluctant hero does the thing you probably don’t want to do either. It’s a lovely tribute to virtue and friendship, without even a wisp of Hallmark-y sugar anywhere in it. Here’s the description from Wikimedia, which doesn’t include the worst of the spoilers: Gianni (Gianni Di Gregorio), a broken man with... Read more
So I developed a new rule this weekend: If watching your child play sports causes you to spew f-bombs at your own child’s team, it’s time for family counseling. Thomas Wurtz has a great article up at CatholicMom.com on signs that competitive athletics are turning you into a monster. After bouncing a number of thoughts off my daughter over the past several months, I’d like to suggest a few things I’ve identified that keep sports sane. 1. The Decision to... Read more
I thought I was done with this topic, but no b-school case study is complete until the student has proposed solutions. I’ve got three. 1. New management. I realize political and religious tests are popular in certain quarters, but I don’t hold with that for a moment. If Frederica Marchionni is capable of leading an American retailer, by all means keep her on. It appears she’s generated massive mistrust from all quarters, and that she lacks either a grasp of... Read more
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