Scanning headlines in my twitter feed over the past few days, I noticed at one point, a journalist tweeting that the strike by Chicago teacher’s seemed poised to end, as there was a tentative agreement, which seemed like good news. Teachers making an average salary of $76,000 per year plus excellent benefits were perhaps going to “settle” for a 16% increase over four years. Then ATF resident Randi Weingarten corrected him. All that had been agreed to was a framework,... Read more
A friend of mine, after considering this staggering map of today’s widespread unrest, asked me why the Pope has not cancelled or at least postponed his trip to Lebanon. I emailed back, “this pope has seen a lot of history and the passings of all kinds of seasons — seasons of fear, unreast, penance, tyranny — they’ve all passed like pageants before him. But he has spent his whole life anchored to what is eternal, unchanging and timeless, and so... Read more
I am internet fasting, and thought it a good time to do some nun news. Here are various Poor Clares in various monasteries being clothed in the habit or profession vows: Twice Sisters: At Our Lady of the Angels monastery, two sisters by blood become sisters in spirit – one clothed, one professed. Also, an earlier profession At Saint Joseph’s Monastery: a solemn profession Corpus Christi Monastery clothes a new novice. Bethlehem Monastery: Two new novices Read more
What is Lucifer? He is a brilliant intelligence, the most enlightened of all, but an intelligence discontented with God and his order. The mystery of iniquity is nothing but the result of this discontent manifested in as many ways as possible. Lucifer, as far as lies in his power, wishes to leave nothing in the state in which God has ordained and placed it. Wherever he penetrates, you will always find the work of God disfigured. The more lights, knowledge... Read more
So, today is the birthday of H. L. Mencken, the journalist who once wrote stuff like this: All successful newspapers are ceaselessly querulous and bellicose. They never defend anyone or anything if they can help it; if the job is forced on them, they tackle it by denouncing someone or something else. and… A newspaper is a device for making the ignorant more ignorant and the crazy crazier. and… It is the fundamental theory of all the more recent American... Read more
Although I hadn’t as yet read any headlines about it, I understood Father Dwight Longenecker to be pulling a taut string of satire on this “Hollywood director coming out for man/goat love. And then I saw the actual article and realized that Longenecker hadn’t, perhaps, stepped far enough away from reality to make it truly satirical! So, in the course of a week, we see advocacy for incest and as well as a sort of apologia for pedophilia suggesting that... Read more
Today is as it was. The day is so perfectly vivid in my mind, that I just don’t need to write it again. The phone call; the horror; the waiting to hear from my husband; the abandoned bag of tomatoes; the empty, empty sky: I remember thinking, after a few hours, that New York might be shut down for a while, and that it would be a good time to buy some provisions, the old standbys, milk, eggs, bread, water... Read more
(Photo by Clare Kendall) …but I mean no disrespect at all. In my book, he could be cheekier! As the Year of Faith approaches, noteworthy ideas are beginning to make headlines, the most recent being the notion by Kieran Conry, the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, who would like to see the faithful take a scheduled “moment for prayer” on the first Friday of every month. Whatever you are doing, as your responsibilities allow, stop, perhaps close your eyes, bow... Read more
I know I’m supposed to be fasting from the internet, and yeah, I’ll get back to that in a second, but right now, a girl’s got to rant. You know, I don’t drive much. I don’t even leave the house much. But sometimes I have to go out, and sometimes I even need to gas up the car, but since I do it infrequently, I’m not always aware of the gas prices. So, imagine my surprise when I went to... Read more
(“Soothe my Sorrows” Icon via Holy Transfiguration Monastery) One week, for my spirit — must do it. But I’ve some post scheduled for during the week, so check back! :-) Please pray for me! Read more
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