My friend Deacon Greg, who has been feeling a little heartsore lately on the death of a deacon pal, has two uppers over at his site today. The first is an introduction to Fr. Scott Seethaler, ofm Cap (that would be “Order of Franciscans, Minor” or, Capuchin Friar to the uninitiated) – a preacher full of hope and genuine joy in Christ. Having heard Fr. Scott preach I can attest to his verve and energy and to the very Franciscan... Read more
(click here to view) Joel PettLexington Herald-LeaderFeb 20, 2008 EditorialCartoonists.com The best read of the day may well be this Time Magazine piece by Bob Geldof, a report of Geldof’s time with President Bush during his recent, and mostly ignored, tour of Africa. To start with, the reader gets a taste of just how powerfully America has been acting for good in the matter of AIDS in Africa. The numbers are just astonishing. It was, for example, Bush who initiated... Read more
Does she stay in the race and face a mortifying loss next Tuesday or does she get out with some dignity and credibility still intact? As analysts declare that Hillary Clinton needs to win, and win soundly, in Texas and Ohio in order to remain even remotely viable in the race for the Democrat nomination, Drudge is promising a “developing” story claiming Barack Obama has garnered a four percent lead over Hillary in Texas. A drubbing next Tuesday would be... Read more
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.... Read more
Rod Dreher has a really nice appreciation of William F. Buckley. Brian at Inside Catholic has uncovered a Bill Buckley clip I’ve never seen before – Buckley going at it with Gore Vidal (Al Gore’s cousin) over Vietnam during the ’68 Democrat convention. Great stuff – go watch! (But come back when you’re done!) I can understand why someone might get lost over there at Inside Catholic; they’ve got a lot of good discussions going on, including talk about Idgit... Read more
This is the problem with writing while emotional: when I write angry I invariably say things I regret and end up having to own it – but when I write contrite and humbled, I get people worried. After writing this I got an flurry of emails wondering if I was okay, especially since I haven’t written much since then. I fine. I thank you for the wondering (and the prayers – that I always need and will greedily take) and... Read more
From the crucible, Requiescat in pacem My son Buster sang this piece, Omnia Sol (Let Your Heart Be Staid), by Z. Randall Stroope, with the All State Mixed Choir a few years ago. Somewhere far from nowhere, I grew both strong and tall… Longing to become, but knowing not the path at all! But the footprints of the winter melted to fields of spring; One last embrace before I cross the threshold: To life we sing! (Unfortunately, I can’t make... Read more
While searching through youtube for the Johnny Cash video “Hurt,” which I used in yesterday’s post, I came across another song by the Man in Black, paired very well with scenes from the moody (and great) anime series, Cowboy Bebop. I was surprised and impressed. God’s Gonna Cut You Down Spike – one of the great tragic and sympathetic tough guys. I sent the video to my sons, and Elder Son responded by sending along another Cowboy Bebop AMV, this... Read more
This trembling mystery: love cannot exist without pain. Love brings the pain; it lets pain in. The key to all that makes us vulnerable. And alive. And hurt. And alive. Pain can exist without love, but not the reverse. All creation is loved into being. Did that make the Creator vulnerable, too? At the Incarnation, God-with-us came helpless, for us, with us, to us. The reassuring love… But did Christ also need to come to tell us God hurt? To... Read more
West Coast Catholic tagged me. As I’m trapped in the land of “paying work” today (and grateful I am, to have it) I’ll just be lazy and respond: The Meme: Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. 1) I hate all fruit (which I have previously identified as the source of all the world’s problems) except for oranges. But they have to be large, naval oranges with thick skins. I abhor orange juice. 2) Often when I am writing, I talk... Read more
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