A Few Words from Eric Hoffer

Last updated on: March 10, 2017 at 6:36 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

“Freedom means freedom from forces and circumstances which would turn man into a thing, which would impose on man the passivity and predictability of matter. By this test, absolute power is the manifestation most inimical to human uniqueness. Absolute power wants to turn people into malleable clay.” *** “Scratch an intellectual and you find a would-be aristocrat who loathes the sight, the sound, and the smell of common folk.” *** “Unless a man has talents to make something of himself,... Read more

Faith & Politics, Appetite & Desire

Last updated on: March 10, 2017 at 6:36 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

Today at Mass I was praying for all on my list, and also praying for the nation, the president, Speaker Pelosi and so forth. I thought to myself: “she strikes me as someone in whom everything has been burned away except political appetite.” But then I considered that the same statement can be true about so many of us who are “political junkies.” The old nag began within me again: when do our ideologies take over to the extent that... Read more

How to Pray for the Nation

Last updated on: March 10, 2017 at 6:36 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

Got this from reader Alexandra, and thought it was such incredibly simple (but profound) advice, that I had to share it. It really humbled and instructed me: . . .when the Bush-Gore recount battle was going on, I asked my parish priest, a very wise man who loves Christ, how to discern God’s will. I wasn’t asking so much for his opinion on the politics of the day but when I am in one of these political battles and a... Read more

Sane Perspectives on Healthcare

Last updated on: March 10, 2017 at 6:36 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

Watch Rep. Paul Ryan making sense, and clearly confusing Rep. Louise Slaughter: H/T Meanwhile, I wanted to share this, with a Hat Tip to Deacon Greg Kandra. He posted an excerpt from Cardinal Seans thoughtful musings on healthcare, and then tipped me off to this comment from one of his readers -although I have seen it on several sites, today, so I am not sure where it originated- which I am reprinting in full, because it is sane and sensible:... Read more

Year of the Priest: Military

Last updated on: March 10, 2017 at 6:36 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

Excerpts from a great photo essay on military chaplains, coming to us via the Crescat, who loves to celebrate the manly priests: Catholic military chaplain Cpt. Carl Subler on March 5 at a small U.S. combat outpost in Sha-Wali-Kot in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan ( See the whole inspiring thing here All found via New Advent Related: The Stuff Priests are Made Of Read more

Just Wonderful

Last updated on: March 10, 2017 at 6:36 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

Courtesy of Deacon Greg, who emailed it my way with a note that he thought this nun’s story was going to be part of a homily. Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou is a nun currently living in Jerusalem. She grew up as the daughter of a prominent Ethiopian intellectual, but spent much of her young life in exile, first for schooling, and then again during Mussolini’s occupation of Ethiopia’s capitol city, Addis Ababa, in 1936. Her musical career was often tragically thwarted... Read more

Please Pray for 2 young boys – UPDATED

Last updated on: March 10, 2017 at 6:36 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

Readers may remember that DeLynn has kept us supplied with photographs and updates of the devastation and slow recovery of the village of Petit Goave, Haiti, since the January earthquake. She has informed me that her 11-year old son, Sam, has recently suffered a seizure, and an MRI reveals a mass affecting the brain. Sam is building a reputation in basketball DeLynn has given me permission to introduce you to Sam. She writes that consultations with a pediatric neurologist and... Read more

Daze Gone By?

Last updated on: March 10, 2017 at 6:50 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

There is a report that Congress is receiving phone calls at a stunning rate of 100,000 calls per hour. Doesn’t it seem to you that if this was the left so mobilized and agitated by a piece of GOP legislation, the press would be crowing that “the president and the congress must listen to the people…” Also: Ethics? Rules? There’s no rules for the president! And what’s a little fraud? Heh. Good sign. Read more

Comment Moderation

Last updated on: March 10, 2017 at 6:50 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

Due to a staggering amount of spam and a few commenter antics that are beyond the pale (really? Trying to comment disguised as other commenters?) I am -until further notice- forced to put all comments into moderation. I’m sorry about this. Hopefully people will settle down and full-scale moderation can be lifted after a while. Read more

Pelosi Doesn't Know from St. Joseph

Last updated on: March 10, 2017 at 6:50 pm By Elizabeth Scalia

I’m sorry. Almost nothing that has come from this woman’s mouth has infuriated me like this. This woman is a profound grotesque who gets virtually everything wrong here, from what feastday it is, to the kinds of Catholic religious sisters supporting her monster’s bastard of a bill. Note, because it is important in the face of her stupidity, her mendacity, her slander and her willingness to use any-and-all means to achieve her ends, the Catholic sisters who vehemently oppose this... Read more