So, the clip of Brit Hume’s “Tiger, Come to Jesus” moment is running viral. Over at the National Catholic Reporter, the rather left-of-center Michael Sean Winters writes: Fox News commentator Brit Hume has gone off the deep end, even by Fox News’ standards which are a pretty low bar. […] I am a big fan of everyone becoming Christian. But, a person in crisis should probably not be counseled to abandon his or her own faith traditions unless the conversion... Read more
Another thought about Marcella Dubuque, who was last Christmas preparing for imminent death, and whose story I linked to this morning. “The acceptance was so total that there were no regrets, just gratitude for the life, for the family. Realizing how lucky I was,” she says. … Over the course of a week, more than 100 people came to see her in what has been described as a living wake. They exchanged old stories and brought her rosary beads, prayer... Read more
This is a great story: A year ago, Marcella Dubuque was preparing for what she believed would be her last Christmas. A month earlier, she had been diagnosed with stage 3 cancer, the tumour that had been growing in her right breast had already invaded her lymph nodes. It was too advanced for surgery; chemotherapy would be the only treatment. She was 76 years old. So Lella, who pursued life with girlish enthusiasm, quietly accepted imminent death. She got her... Read more
When writing about nuns on sleds, I happened to mention that my randomly-pulled patron saint for 2010 is St. Philip Neri, of whom I am not well-informed, beyond the fact that he was known to be “cheerful and charming.” Since a lack of both charm and cheerfulness has generally defined Lizzie, I have been assuming that Neri and I would make an uncomfortable team; I am certainly open to being taught those habits (or traits) if they are in fact... Read more
Why not? Makes sense to me that the thing only had to float, not navigate. I like this story According to newly translated instructions inscribed in ancient Babylonian on a clay tablet telling the story of the ark, the vessel that saved one virtuous man, his family and the animals from god’s watery wrath was not the pointy-prowed craft of popular imagination but rather a giant circular reed raft. The now battered tablet, aged about 3,700 years, was found somewhere... Read more
Over at New Advent, I found a story from CBS news that I think was meant to be an amusing sort of “feel good” story: Manhattan Soup Kitchen Serves Caviar; Anonymous Donor Gives 150 NYC Needy a Taste of Luxury Life There was something special on the menu at a New York soup kitchen Thursday. Those eating lunch at the Broadway Community Inc. facility in Manhattan got a taste of the luxury life, thanks to a gift of caviar from... Read more
Glenn Reynolds notes that some bloggers are re-running what they feel are their “best” blogposts for 2009. Half the time, I can’t even remember what I’ve written. I’m always amused when my Li’l Bro Thom reminds me of a line I’ve written, or someone emails that a particular post really “worked,” for them, and I go back and re-read it and think, “hey, that’s not bad; forgot I wrote it.” Generally, the stuff I think is really good gets little... Read more
So, it appears that “The One” is going begging to Don Clinton, hat in hand: The One strides in confidently and extends his hand to The Don. The Don looks up, contemplates the proffered hand, and watches The One’s smile fade as it is not shaken. The One retracts his hand, and tilts his head, comprehending, but not liking it. Still, he needs this meeting. Don Clinton nods slightly, and with a silky hand motions The One to take a... Read more
Moniales, the blogsite for the Dominican Nuns of Summit, New Jersey (affectionately known around here as the Sisters of Our Lady of the Incredible Soaps and Hand Creme) is a favorite stop of mine. There are many great blogs run by Catholic priests and by religious, both male and female, but the blogmistress at Moniales manages to give a comprehensive sense of what monastic life is like in the 21st century -the juxtaposition of the modern with the ancient, and... Read more
Longtime readers may remember my posting a couple of film shorts written and directed by a Notre Dame student named Joe Gleason, a young man with an eye for beauty and a way of communicating great depth of feeling in small moments. My first exposure to Gleason came from Fausta’s blog, where she called Gleason’s The Dinner Guest “…a wonderful combination of familiarity and yearning.”. She was exactly right. I called the film “an exquisite little gem.” It gave me... Read more
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