The Humanum conference has ended, and I am very interested in reading more about it, particularly based on this tweet by Austen Ivereigh: Can't help feeling this is something tectonic: the creation of an ecological narrative about marriage. This could fly. #Humanum — Austen Ivereigh (@austeni) November 19, 2014 Here is an excellent — thoughtful and wonderfully accessible — talk by Rabbi Sacks. It is full of truth. Watch the whole thing, because it ends with a bang. “Turning the... Read more
Tom McDonald came across some very unhelpful advice on how to deal with distraction while at prayer. He turns to some of our Catholic prayer masters for better instruction, and you should go read it, because it’s great, helpful stuff we don’t read enough. But I also couldn’t help remembering Sister Alice McConville, rc, who long ago gave me the sanest and simplest advice on dealing with a wandering mind at prayer. I wrote about it in Strange Gods: “To... Read more
Anyone who knows (and loves) techno/science geeks knows a couple of things: 1) They are generally sweet-natured people who are preoccupied with techno/science geeky thoughts. 2) Because they are preoccupied with such thoughts, they are neither fussy, nor vain. Food is merely fuel, and clothes are mere bodily covering. They generally are not thinking about what they are eating, or wearing. 3) A comet scientist who has just helped to land a probe on to a comet is unlikely think... Read more
Its so much easier to say “no,” isnt it? No, I cant change; no, I cant give up this person, or this opinion, or this thing. No, I wont do this; no, I cannot deal… Its is such a “safe” place, the Land of “No.” You never have to step out of a comfort zone. It’s very safe, but also very sterile. Here is what I wrote about the word “no” and its impact on the spiritual life, in Strange... Read more
It was a little over a year ago that a lady around these parts had declared herself to be Long Island’s First Female Catholic Priest and managed to be kind of off-putting about it. Her vanity hits the nadir when she refuses to disclose her age. She wants to pastor the people, and gather them in, or something…but she will not give enough of herself, be open enough with herself, to even tell them her age. Ain’t she priestly, though?... Read more
One of the great charms of Sam Rocha is that he hasn’t much interest in thinking along easy or comfortable lines. Whether writing on education, or poverty or art, he is always just a little bit jarring. Sometimes you have to read a piece of his twice, or even go back to it a third time, to fully appreciate the depths and nuance of his arguments. This originality informs his musical ideas, as well. Not too many people, for instance,... Read more
Over at the Patheos Book Club, they’re talking about several interesting new titles — it’s always a good place to stop and explore books; like an actual, old-fashioned, store you can read excerpts while sipping coffee in your comfy chair. I’m particularly interested in their November offerings, because they include titles by Patheos Catholic bloggers, Lisa Hendey (whose book, The Grace of Yes) will be featured in the second half of the month, so more on that, later) and Eve... Read more
As David Niven once said, “Ladies and gentlemen, that was almost bound to happen.” Yes, I suppose it was unavoidable. Although very likely we all hoped, sincerely had hoped, that it would be otherwise, President Obama could not find anything like grace, maturity, professionalism, magnanimity or humility when responding to the undeniable drubbing his party took — largely, it would seem, due to the weight of his own hubris-laden anchor — in yesterday’s election. Despite the availability of Peggy Noonan’s... Read more
Read these observations on intra-Catholic squabbling, by Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander. He could be writing about our own era. Truly, nothing new under the sun. Somehow despite fractious councils and what appears to be our normal amount of intra-warring, the church remains. Have a little faith. Thanks to Greg Hillis, (on Twitter @gregorykhillis) for that delectable and consoling excerpt. Frank Weathers says Merton is a Time Lord. So it seems! Read more
Spent some time reading about how Hispanics are converting to Islam and Mormonism. It is striking to consider that while some in the church are suggesting that we need to require less of people, we are losing members to religions that are perceived to require “more” of them — particularly as pertains to prayer and fasting, and even to what people wear. Hispanic women assert that the head coverings or “temple garments” they wear in obedience tend to give them... Read more
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