3 Things; "What's Right With the World?"

Last updated on: March 9, 2017 at 9:15 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

Snow Football by Ann Althouse It occurs to me that while it’s worthwhile to ask, as Chesterton did and we do below, “what’s wrong with the world?”, our times are so distressing and disheartening, particularly after this weekend, that we might better-serve ourselves and each other by listing a few things that are “right with the world,” too. What’s right with the world, to start is that Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, still in critical condition after having been monstrously assaulted, is... Read more

Hello! What’s Wrong With the World?

Last updated on: March 17, 2015 at 7:40 am By Elizabeth Scalia

You found me! With a little help from my pals at First Things, who helped you get ported over! It’s sort of like Star Trek; you’re on your where to where you thought you were going and then suddenly, you’re transported elsewhere! Fascinating! Well, now that you’re here, let’s have a little fun, ala Chesterton! I think Chesterton had fun every time he picked up a pen, no matter how weighty the subject, but sometimes his wordplay is so imbued... Read more

Un-baptizing; can that be done?

Last updated on: March 9, 2017 at 9:15 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

The Christmas season is over; today we read about the Baptism of Christ, and recall our own baptisms. some of us today renewed our baptismal promises. But not everyone. Deacon Greg Kandra notes that some are trying to “unbaptize” themselves. Some wish to “de-baptize” because they are responding to the sexual abuse scandals within the church; they are so sincerely disgusted that they cannot reconcile the message of Christianity, as voiced by the church, with the deceit and harm that... Read more

In the Arena, once more

Last updated on: March 9, 2017 at 9:15 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

Some of you liked the current-events discussion show “In the Arena” which broadcasts within the Diocese of Brooklyn (and livestreams here at netny.net) and on which Yours Truly sometimes shows up. So, if you’re at your computer tonight at 7PM (Eastern) or again at 11PM, scoot yourself over to here and watch the season debut, hosted by Jane Hanson. Just hit the orange “watch now” button in the upper right-hand side! Read more

The Prayerful Podcasts

Last updated on: March 9, 2017 at 9:15 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

I haven’t yet figured out where these will go in the blogroll, so, a site to bookmark, if you use these podcasts for your prayers: The Joyful Mysteries The Sorrowful Mysteries The Glorious Mysteries The Luminous Mysteries Compline for 7 Nights Litany Sacred Heart Jesus Treasury of Catholic Prayers Why I Remain a Catholic More on the Rosary: For Job-Seekers (and discussing that on Currents The Crying Out of Prayer and God Cheating the Habit of Being Read more

The Setons, Bayleys and Roosevelts

Last updated on: March 9, 2017 at 9:15 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

Seton, Bayley and Roosevelt sounds like a Park Avenue practice; they sound like surnames of character names from an old Katharine Hepburn/Cary Grant movie. In fact, Hepburn did play a “Seton” in the 1938 film “Holiday”. If the names sound much more “Episcopal” than Catholic, it’s because they are. Dr. Pat McNamara, who runs a weekly column, “In Ages Past” at Patheos’ Catholic portal, also blogs at McNamara’s Blog, where this week I was delighted to read about a favorite... Read more

Devils are hot; as in topical!

Last updated on: March 9, 2017 at 9:15 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

Giotto, Exorcism at Arezzo (1297-99), Upper Church, San Francesco, Assisi No, not hot as in tropical! Okay, bad wordplay, but Tim Muldoon’s started it, here with his look at our current interest in all things devilish: “. . . it’s hard to avoid the fact that there’s suddenly a fascination with all things demonic. Consider this Discovery Channel series in production, cooperating with the Vatican (though the article does not specify who or what office of the Holy See). Then... Read more

Muslims Protecting Christians with their Bodies

Last updated on: March 9, 2017 at 9:15 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

Egyptian Muslims had promised to act as human shields for the Coptic Christians in their Christmas Eve mass, and they were true to their words: Egypt’s majority Muslim population stuck to its word Thursday night. What had a been a promise of solidarity to the weary Coptic community, was honoured, when thousands of Muslims showed up at Coptic Christmas eve mass services in churches around the country and at candle light vigils held outside. From the well-known to the unknown,... Read more

Departures & the Lord of Our Trys

Last updated on: March 9, 2017 at 9:15 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

The other day, I posted a bit of gorgeous music from a film soundtrack. I’d been turned on to the music by Joseph Susanka, the excellent writer who also blogs at Inside Catholic (see his moving post about Jets Quarterback Mark Sanchez and a suffering little boy here). Joseph–the young father of six little boys–also writes a weekly column, Through a Lens Darkly, where he finds the dark side of grace, even in lighter films, and also manages to find... Read more

Aftershock; Haiti, Hardship, Help & Hope

Last updated on: March 9, 2017 at 9:15 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

After Shock I wrote recently again about the neverending suffering of Haiti, and the remarkable resiliency of the people and the children who live in conditions unimaginable to the rest of us: The question is always “what can we do?” and the answer always feels a little hopeless; yes, by all means, we can and should send help to relief agencies. We should keep the people of Haiti, especially the children, in our prayers. Reading stories like this, what can... Read more