I was really disappointed to read that 85 year-old comedian, Bob Newhart — a man who managed to have not one, but two highly successful television sitcoms and end both of them on brilliant, darn near iconic notes — recently cancelled a speaking engagement rather than have to deal with being hassled. He was to speak before a gathering of Legatus members — a group of Catholic businessfolk who try to conform both their personal and business lives to Catholic... Read more
The beauty of the Gospel touches our hearts, a beauty that is the splendor or truth. It astonishes us, again and again, that God makes himself a child… so that we may love him, so that we may dare to love him, and as a child trustingly lets himself be taken into our arms. –Pope Benedict XVI, Christmas Homily, Midnight Mass, 2012 Because the world is paying attention, again; exposure to Catholic teaching is on the rise. This is the... Read more
Like billiard balls on the table, I am sort of scattered all over the internet just now, so, let’s rack these things up and then you can have a crack at me. Earlier this week Kathryn Jean Lopez published Part II of our long interview last May. Reading oneself seven months later can be interesting, and self-instructive. KJL: “When something is true, there is no point in arguing. We cannot make anyone believe anything.” How does that gel with the... Read more
I’m not even sure what that means, but I find being called “perhaps the Momma Bear of the New Homophiles” alternately hilarious, and intriguing. Note, as author Austin Ruse writes in his very interesting piece at Crisis, the cushioning use of “perhaps” which Ruse himself calls “a columnist’s way of taking something off the fastball but throwing a strike nonetheless.” Well, I don’t mind it. My MommaBearishness stems from my willingness over the past few years to publicly think through... Read more
Today Pope Francis urged a little silence on us: Only silence guards the mystery of the journey that a person walks with God, said Pope Francis in his homily at Mass on Friday morning at the Casa Santa Marta. May the Lord, the Pope added, give us “the grace to love the silence”, which needs to be guarded from all publicity. In the history of salvation, neither in the clamour nor in the blatant, but the shadows and the silence... Read more
Over at Lisa Hendey’s place, she is recommending some beautiful music. This reminds me that I need to do that, too — that I’d promised a bunch of music recommendations for Christmas before utterly running out of steam after recommending gifts and then books and dvds! Lisa’s recommendations are excellent — you can’t go wrong with Benedictine Nuns or Dominican sisters chanting! But let us give a little attention to some of the menfolk. I love female voices in chant,... Read more
I love New York and this video nicely showcases why I do: atheists want to spend money on big electronic billboards urging the elimination of Christ from Christmas? New Yorkers say, essentially, “Oh yeah? How not interesting.” They move on, more amused than perturbed. My peeps. The resolute desire to omit Christ from Christmas does make me believe that yes, there were supernatural objections that made themselves known one night in Bethlehem. Read more
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. — Luke 2:8 Over at First Things, today, we meet a shepherd who hates the sheep; he hates their stink and their stupidity — he dreams of being a pirate, and even pays grudging respect to the wolves he must keep at bay: It is different for his son, my cousin. Joining us in the fields, he had adopted the self-important... Read more
It was a secret, but the folks at Ave Maria Press sort of spilled the beans! Wait, what’s that in his hand? What is he getting ready to put on the tree? Let’s take a closer look! Oh, it’s my book! He must have heard that the next printing will include a study guide, which you can also find right here if you care (or dare) to further explore the role idols play in your life! I’m actually kind of... Read more
::::UPDATE:::: Go immediately and read Gabriel Malor’s excellent read-and-analysis on Judge Cogan’s decision. It’s terrific! Rather surprised at the lack of coverage on this one, but then again, this ruling is merely one battle in the course of an ongoing conflict. Nothing will be fully and finally settled on this issue until the Supremes address it, and there is still time for the make-up of that court to change and better-reflect the thinking of the current government. Nevertheless, this ruling... Read more
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