Last year, Ave Maria Press (my place of gainful employment) celebrated 150 years of existence as a Catholic publisher. We started off as a magazine, founded by Father Sorin, the same guy who founded a small but scrappy school now known as the University of Notre Dame. The editorial department was assigned to comb through the archives of the magazine to find interesting historical stories or tidbits. As I read through the decade of the 1920’s, I was struck... Read more
The Flood of the Century. The Great Flood. A Flood of Biblical Proportions. The Hundred Year Flood. Whatever you want to call it, South-central and Southeastern Louisiana has been battered by torrential rain this past weekend, leaving unbelievably huge pieces of roads and entire neighborhoods underwater, leaving thousands rescued and at least three killed. The chaos brought by this massive flooding is devastating. Even though my family and I suffered no damage, witnessing my neighbors trapped inside or having to... Read more
(Spoilers ahoy) When the original Pete’s Dragon came out in 1977, my parents took me to see it. Being three years old, I don’t remember the experience. But according to family legend, when Elliot flew away from Pete to help another boy at the end, I stood on the seat and cried my heart out saying, “Elliot, come back, Please come back.” Everyone makes fun of me for that story. Sure, its a cute story about... Read more
Hebrews 12:1-4 Brothers and sisters: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, —–let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the... Read more
“When I say the first line of the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven…’ I imagine this heaven as invisible, unenterable but intimately close. There is nothing baroque about it, no swirling infinite space or stunning foreshortening. To find it–if one had the grace–it would only be necessary to lift up something as small and as at hand as a pebble or a salt-cellar on the table.” — John Berger, “Steps Towards a Small Theory of the Visible.” Sometimes... Read more
A few weeks ago, I attended the Applied Biblical Studies Conference at Franciscan University in Steubenville. My gainful place of employment (Ave Maria Press) sent me to investigate possible new authors for our house. But I was glad for the chance to go. As a former Presbyterian minister, I spent most of my life obsessed with the Bible and studying every jot and tittle, as the saying goes. I thought it would be interesting to see the Bible from... Read more
Growing up in the Midwest, I have a few rough edges. Jess (and other women friends) are always telling me I shouldn’t be so crude and crass. A good Mormon patriarch (and a good friend) once said about me, “He’s a good boy, but he has a potty mouth.” I can’t help it. The Midwest spirit run deep in my veins. When I would cross the farm fields, my uncles would tell me not to step in the shit and... Read more
Last week Jonathan asked me to write about Sick Pilgrim’s mission and/or “charism.” The way I understand it, in church language charism means gift, or the way God gives gifts to the world through you. It’s really hard for me to think in such terms. I’m suspicious of ever trying to pin God down or describe how he’s working in my life, because I’m usually (always) wrong. I hope God works through me. I ask God to work through me. I believe God... Read more
(Ridiculous Spoilers Ahead) It took until the fourth Harry Potter book released for me to become a big fan. Everyone loved it so much that I avoided it. The supposed witchcraft controversy didn’t bother me, as I was, at the time, a Presbyterian steeped in the cultural discussion of Protestant theologian Francis Schaffer. He and his disciples taught us stodgy Presbyterians that you must engage and create culture rather than automatically hating it. No, I avoided Harry on the rather absurd... Read more
Yo guys, Matt here. Again this month, I bothered my fellow sick pilgrims to come up with a couple of things that kept them alive. And they did it. A+ for effort, sick pilgrims. F- for timeliness. So here, in August, is our reflection on the things that gave us joy in July. This month I discovered the Before trinity of movies, directed by Richard Linklater. Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight follows the connection and relationship of two... Read more
Sick Pilgrim
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