So here we are in the home stretch. The six weeks of Lent, during which I was going to become a new creation, are winding down. Christ is in the tomb, and we look to His rising on Sunday morning. I have failed. Again. I was going to pray more; but too many evenings, I communed with the TV or the computer instead. I was going to fast from sweets and overcome my love affair with processed foods; I gained... Read more
And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. John 20:6-7 What exactly are we talking about here? The “linen wrappings”—well, that’s the shroud, what has become known as the Shroud of Turin. But what about this “face cloth” that was rolled up in a separate place?... Read more
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, on which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. — 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 Stop and think about this. No, really! Read it twice. Think about it. It sounds pretty important, doesn’t it? I bring this up because a poll published by The Barna Group... Read more
The Pontifical Council for Social Communications has issued updates regarding the Meeting with Bloggers. (“It’s not quite a blognic,” they say on their website.) Not much news there! I already knew that it was limited to bloggers who are on the list, and that I should bring ID to verify my identity. that it was free, that there is the possibility of a live-feed, that the Vatican would not cover travel or lodging costs, and that translation service would be... Read more
“That’s life.” “What’s life?” “Life’s a magazine.” “How much does it cost?” “$1.95” “But, I don’t have $1.95” “That’s life.” * * * * * A Guest Blog by Deacon Jerry Schiffer Life. And Death. Eternal companions on this earthly walk. Earthly companions on this eternal walk. Companions that my wife Kathy and I encountered on a recent trip to Savannah, Ga.—on a trip orchestrated to salve two spirits who were too tired of a too long,... Read more
A couple of friends have asked me who is invited to the Vatican to attend the big Blogfest on May 2. Here they are! Because bloggers are invited from around the world, not all of these links will be in English. You can probably find some pretty good reading on this list, though! (See: I’m Number 71!) 1. Agnieszka Woszczyńska – http://www.teologia.blox.pl 2. Alberto Piccini – http://www.maestroalberto.it 3. Aldo Padovan – http://www.katholisches.info 4. Alessandro Gilioli – http://gilioli.blogautore.espresso.repubblica.it 5. Alessio Jacona –... Read more
David Hasselhoff regrets his divorces. Describing himself as “deeply romantic,” the handsome star of Baywatch and Knight Rider claims that he’s always wanted to be with one person all his life. You don’t say!? See, I’m not a big fan of the Entertainment channel; but I seem to recall that Hasselhoff has had quite a few personal “issues” which might make marital bliss a near impossibility. First married to Catherine Hickland in the 1980s, Hasselhoff left that marriage after five... Read more
What a day it’s been! I woke this morning (well, yesterday morning) to find my name on the list of 150 bloggers chosen from among writers all over the world to attend a Catholic Bloggers Conference which is scheduled for May 2 in Rome. The conference—something new for the Vatican!—is co-sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. It will be offered in five languages simultaneously. When I first heard about the conference on Monday... Read more
If you’re like most Catholics in the pew, you have rarely (if ever) heard a priest preach on one of these thorny issues: Contraception Racism Premarital Sex Divorce Mandatory attendance at Sunday Mass It’s fairly easy to command, as Christ did, that we “Love one another.” It’s easy, too, for us to smile and pat ourselves on the back, thinking about all the *LUV* that we dish out each day. Ah, yes, we must be on the right track! But... Read more
I’m still pondering an article I read this morning in The Onion, that irreverent newsmagazine which specializes in theatre of the absurd. The headline reads: Zip-Lining Day Trip to Somehow Save Marriage The featured fantasy couple were facing a plethora of tough marital challenges: An “increasingly hopeless, angst-ridden relationship” A deepening communications gap The husband’s temptation to have an affair The wife’s dissatisfaction with her dead-end job Their indecision regarding whether or not to have children Radically divergent views on... Read more
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