I was recently informed by a disgruntled reader that I “literally threw the entire population of Steubenville under the bus.” I wish I remembered that occasion. There are days when I’d like to think back on it with grim satisfaction. In any case, what the gentleman was trying to say was that I never write anything nice about Steubenville; I only write about its flaws. Obviously, there are plenty of flaws to write about. Practically everyone admits that. The place... Read more
I don’t know exactly whose idea it was to come up with an Adventosaurus. My friend just got on Facebook and asked that somebody draw a picture of the Adventosaurus to be an Advent mascot, as if this was a normal thing, and I didn’t ask questions. I love arts and crafts. I also love dinosaurs lately. As I’ve mentioned before, my daughter is obsessed with dinosaurs, the grislier the better. We love all kinds of books about dinosaurs, educational documentaries... Read more
Christmas is on its way! Here’s today’s earworm: This is just your periodic humble reminder that Steel Magnificat is my family’s only income right now, and the vast majority of that comes from gratuities. We are beyond grateful that we’ve made it all the way into December without a disaster or a shutoff. Heck, I haven’t even had to go downtown to beg agencies for utility assistance since March. I feel like the queen of Sheba. Spring and Fall are relatively easy... Read more
Things had been easier for so long. Herod was dead. They were not in Egypt any longer; they were raising her Son in Nazareth, in relative quiet. The neighbors knew Him as Yehoshua, son of Joseph, and didn’t ask questions. He was helping in the carpentry shop, by all accounts an ordinary child. He was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon Him, but not many noticed that. Not many noticed them at all, for which Miriam... Read more
Rosie and I went to the Friendship Room with our widow’s mite. There had been a sale on soup, so Michael picked up a few extra cans of soup; I noticed a sale on hot chocolate, and bought a box of that. We took them downtown on the bus to help comfort the guests. Somewhere along the trip, I gave Rose my usual lecture. “The two places you meet Jesus are in the poor and in the Holy Eucharist. You have to... Read more
Miriam was still living in the cave. There was nowhere else to stay in Bethlehem. Everyone was still there for the census, and they couldn’t have afforded better lodging. She was thankful for the warmth of the animals and the straw, but it wasn’t a good arrangement. Nothing about the arrangement was good; nothing looked right; nothing was as it should be, not in the eyes of the world. She was a poor young woman of a despised race... Read more
It was bound to happen at some time or other. I’m sorry that it happened during my time, but we don’t choose the times in which we live. Still, it’s upsetting, even now that it’s all over and all is well. Somebody stole the lifesized David Bowie nutcracker off of municipal property and took it for a joy ride. What, your town doesn’t have a lifesized David Bowie nutcracker on municipal property? Let me back up and explain. Every year... Read more
He is here. The Lord of Heaven and Earth is here. Miriam sees Him, whom she’s loved from the beginning, whom she’s faithfully worshiped and adored from her infancy. She sees Him, whom she learned to praise with the psalms of David from the time she began to speak. Adam and Eve hid themselves from Him, and He became invisible to all of their fallen children. Noah saw His bow in the sky, the sign of a covenant, but Noah did not... Read more
Hello, Latin Catholics! Come on in, pull up a chair, help yourself to something vegan and oil-free. Eastern Christians have been observing Advent since mid-November. I just wanted to invite all of you to join Steel Magnificat in prayer and charitable work this Advent season, and to remind everybody else what’s up. I will be meditating on the Seven Joys (according to the Franciscan Crown) and Seven Sorrows of Mary every couple of days throughout Advent. Previous entries can be found... Read more
I’m not known for being at a loss for words, but here I am. I don’t even know what to say about the performance in Washington in the wee hours this morning. My friend Matthew Tyson, who blogs at The Mackerel Snapper, did, however. He posted this publicly to Facebook: Every person in the pro-life movement–especially those that rallied hard for Trump–should pay extra special attention to how fast the GOP is moving to get this tax bill through. Take note... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In