Matt Emerson’s piece this week looks at the horrifying ordeal of the Petit family, and ponders what faith provides when pure evil breaks into our lives. If you need a refresher, this is the story: The terror began after two long-time criminals, Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky, broke into the Petit home. After finding Dr. Petit, they battered him with a baseball bat, bound his hand and feet, and dumped him in the bottom of the home. They raped Mrs.... Read more
I knew that Peter Falk was an actor who often improvised, as his often powerful work with John Cassavetes attests, but I was still surprised to learn, first, that Falk was in Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire and second, that Falk largely improvised his role. Joseph Susanka discusses it all, here For me, however, the single most thought-provoking performance of his long and highlight-laden career will always be “Der Filmstar,” from Wim Wenders’ ethereal meditation, Wings of Desire (Der Himmel... Read more
Sr. Rose Marie, the young Passionist nun who so charmingly invites people to pray about their vocations in this video will be making her first profession of vows tomorrow, with this very joyful community. Let’s pray for her on the eve of her big day! My understanding is that Passionists take an additional vow — one of enclosure — and that they receive their ring at first profession rather than at final profession. It will be interesting to check the... Read more
Pretty cool. Even this technoidiot likes it. Read more
Oh, I needed to read this wonderful piece on Fred Rogers today! As for the agenda of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”, it was deeply resonant with the agenda God offers us as co-creators of our life and world, and with the comfort of being held in good hands. First and always was the affirmation of unconditional love: “I like you just the way you are” is what every child heard from Fred every single day. That’s a message any of us... Read more
It is a very good thing that God is both Just and Merciful. Because if God were only Just, he might have decided by now that free will, and leaving humanity to its own devices, was a bad call. And this incredibly stupid story might have been the impetus that finally brought down the Almighty Hammer: Teste Tincture of the Day: Wellington, New Zealand’s Green Man Pub recently introduced a rather night-marish sounding cocktail that’s equestionable at best: Apple-infused horse... Read more
and hysterical lying! Read Ann Althouse. Heh. Read more
I really want to stop writing about her but Maureen Dowd’s extended adolescence just attracts my morbid curiosity, and next thing I know, I have an urge to fisk. Writing on NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, she’s just so irresistibly herself: “It’s troubling for me as a Catholic to be at odds with the church,” he began, before dissolving into a wry laugh. “Having said that, it seems that my entire political life, the tension with the church has come up... Read more
Just yesterday James Martin posted a very good look at the status of the church’s altmedia involvement: First, the good news. These days almost every Catholic organization and diocese and most parishes have a firm Web presence. Available to both the devout and the doubtful, these sites are repositories of useful information. One can check out editorials in the diocesan newspaper, follow the pastor’s blog (and read his latest homily), make donations to a favorite Catholic charity, and check on... Read more
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