It is Holy Thursday, and that is a good thing. Even amid the controversial back-and-forths taking place over foot-washing and liturgy and women and the pope, I really, really need this Triduum. I. Personally. Me. And I’ll tell you why. Something happened to me on Tuesday and nothing has been good or right since then. I went into Manhattan to address what I thought would be a group of Catholic communicators. Instead, I found myself talking, in a rather intimate... Read more
Though I am almost fanatical about keeping my books in good order, I found this scrawled on the blank back page of a book, from a retreat in 2009. Seemed meant to be found now, in these days of repentance, mourning and resurrection: When we meet God face-to-face, it is always a moment of grace, but too it is a moment of judgment for us. Judgment day, then, can be any day, any time, any particular moment of an hour.... Read more
While traveling yesterday I had a chance to catch up on my reading and discovered that Hillary Clinton is “thinking about” running for President. We love her when she is coy, don’t we? I can’t wait to see her new presidential posters. Remember this one, from 2008? 2008 was a big year for Democrat candidates drawn with just a hint of totalitarian flavor. Hillary’s rising sun was reminiscent of Chairman Mao, Obama’s posters often ran more toward soviet propaganda. That... Read more
As Lent began, Billy Kangas — who is an advocate for the hungry — gave us 5 creative ideas for fasting. As Lent draws to a close, allow me to share something written by a reader whose family felt called to try one of Billy’s challenging ideas, and who came away from the experience with a raised conscience, new awareness, and a determination to do more for hungry people everywhere. She prefers to remain anonymous — so her deeds are... Read more
And be renewed! I’ll be there, tomorrow, please join me! It has been two months since my last confession, and more than past-time for me to again avail myself of the soul-settling power and grace of this sacrament. And this confession will include — among my copious other sins large and small — “I yelled at a guy on the radio and was full of anger and uncharity, when I really did know better, but nobody steps on a nun... Read more
“. . .the revelation is really quite simple- the Lord Jesus, God and King, will give his divine life for you, and will do so, even if you don’t deserve that kind of gesture and can do nothing to earn it. That’s the kind of God and King the Lord Jesus is- the kind who will give up his life for you. In fact his passion to give his life for you is so intense, that it takes the form... Read more
You know that whole, “it’s an honor just to be nominated” thing that people say when they discover they’re up for some sort of award? It’s a true thing! I know, it sounds hackneyed and cliched and false, but it’s a reality. I know it’s a reality, because the Association for Catholic Publisher’s Excellence in Publishing Awards has announced their finalists for titles published in 2013, and I just learned that Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life is... Read more
Some great stuff over at OSV this week, particularly this and this, but I wanted to link a piece I contributed on the Brendan Eich story, wherein I flesh out my first thoughts, shared here. A mere two weeks after taking over as CEO of Mozilla, tech-prodigy and Javascript inventor Brendan Eich was released from his contract. No one had disputed either his leadership or creative abilities, and there was nothing in Eich’s management history that even hinted at unfairness... Read more
Hey, I was just joking when, on April 1, I said the Jesuits were about to admit women into the Society. Still, I was pleased yet tickled yesterday to get a press release announcing that Helen Alvaré would be joining the team over at America, as a contributing columnist. This is, by any estimation, “a good get” for America; it demonstrates the commitment of Editor-in-Chief Matt Malone, to move away from the bubbles, labels and the intellectual/ideological ghettos that we... Read more
My column in the latest Catholic Answer Magazine, is entitled “Mary, Mystery and Imagination”, and I explore therein the value of Catholic kitsch to a developing soul: Because my mother was devoted to Our Lady, and also susceptible to Catholic kitsch, my childhood home was filled with small plastic statues of saints and devotional artwork that fascinated for the sheer incongruity of it. On my bedroom wall, she had hung an image that looked for all the world as if... Read more
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