Yes, it’s quiet over here. It’s quiet so’s I can listen to the rain pattering on my roof, while I plow my way through Mark Steyn’s latest: As a rule I have stopped reading ideological and political books because increasingly they contain 40 interesting pages — which are always well-covered in the reviews and promo tours — and 250 pages of boredom-unto-torpor, but I’m halfway through Steyn, and not bored, yet. I am horrified, depressed, disturbed and a little mind-blown,... Read more
Every once in a while, I find myself saying “yes” to too many people asking me to look at their books, and I amass a rather slap-dash pile of books I feel like I will never plow through. Occasionally I miss a review “due” date, and I am never happy when that happens. I am especially not happy to be late on The Betrayal of Charity; the Sins that Sabotage Divine Love, which the Patheos Book Club has been talking... Read more
In the post below, we look at Three Little Words — “Don’t be afraid” — that we should perhaps use to begin more of our sentences. Here are three other words, that perhaps should end more of those sentences: “Pay it forward.” “Don’t be afraid; pay it forward.” It’s almost the perfect one-sentence summary of the Gospel. And here are a few more words, from both my mom and Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the visionary of Lourdes: “God is never outdone... Read more
Deacon Greg used his phone to take this picture — an ad on the back of a NYC bus, promoting NET-NY (Where of course, In the Arena and Currents are produced, along with many other great programs). Even if the ad promoted nothing at all, I love the idea of that message being seen on the streets of New York. Or any streets, anywhere, especially in these times. They are, after all, the consoling words of our visiting angels. UPDATE:... Read more
“It is Jesus in fact that you seek when you dream of happiness; he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; he is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is he who provokes you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is he who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is he who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices,... Read more
Chiara Offreduccio (July 16, 1194 – August 11, 1253) When you have loved Jesus, You are chaste; when you have touched [Him], You become more pure; When you have accepted [Him], You are a virgin. Whose power is stronger, Whose generosity more abundant, Whose appearance more beautiful, Whose love more tender, Whose courtesy more gracious. In Whose embrace You are already caught up; Who has adorned Your breast with precious stones and has placed priceless pearls on Your ears and... Read more
Well, bust my buttons! It seems that while passing out awards recently, the Catholic Press Association singled out two of our Catholic Portal columnists for distinction: Congrats to Boston College’s Tim Muldoon, who runs his own page, here and also toils weekly at Culture in the Crossroads, where his recent series on Sex and Christianity has been a popular feature. Of his book, Love One Another, co-edited with Cynthia S. Dobrzynski and honored with a third place prize in the... Read more
I’ve been meaning to write on that absurd, and frankly tabloid-worthy Newsweek cover photo of Michele Bachmann, mostly to give props to Terry O’ Neill, of the National Organization for Women, who has kept her word since declaring that “from here on” (meaning from the point of the 2010 elections) she was going to speak up when female candidates — even conservative ones — were subjected to sexism. Not that my opinion would matter, but I doubted she’d do it,... Read more
In Spanish el gato in a sombrero…. Read more
Congrats to Instapundit creator, Glenn Reynolds for managing ten years of sterling blogging, news aggregating and the cleverest of pithy-punditing. That’s a decade of nearly non-stop updating and an assist in the founding of PJM, PJTV and oh, yeah, the writing of a best-selling book, countless op-ed pieces and more. He’s arguably the hardest working man in the blogosphere, and my hat is off to him! Here is to ten more! See how it all began, here Read more
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