Over the last several weeks here on Music for Mondays, I’ve been exploring Jesus in mainstream culture through music. So far I’ve covered pop hits from the 1960’s and 70’s, as well as the 1980’s up through the early 2000’s. Last week I took you back to the times of Spain shortly after the Protestant Reformation. Yes, I’m zig-zagging all over the timeline. For this week, I’m moving forward a bit starting in 1723 with pieces by Bach, then to... Read more
This morning at Mass, I had the unexpected privilege of seeing something that in nearly a half-century of being Catholic, I never had: an adult confirmation. It was powerful to watch Rev. Tom Odorizzi, C.O, who leads the growing New Brunswick Congregation of the Oratory, confirm two men into the faith. Dressed in dark suits, the men stood solemnly while their sponsors, also middle-aged men dressed in suits, placed their hands on their shoulders as the priest blessed and anointed... Read more
My husband invited me on a date tonight – dinner at our favorite diner, followed by a movie. The movie he had in mind was Bridesmaids, a comedy Universal Pictures released on Friday. My husband warned me it’s rated R, because he knew I likely would become uncomfortable with at least some aspect of the movie. And I was. I also laughed so hard at some of the over-the-top gross-out humor in the movie that I was crying. And some... Read more
“Be Different” isn’t a Catholic book, isn’t a Christian book, and isn’t a spiritual book. This is a book about a man who struggled his whole life to make friends and to fit in and finally was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at age 40. His story awed me and reminded me how God has created us all with immeasurable love. I bought John Elder Robison’s audio book Thursday afternoon at a Barnes and Noble near the public high school where... Read more
Good news! Blogger has gotten over it’s flu bug and Allison and I are able to share blog posts with you again. But guess what? Jimmy crack corn and I don’t care! That’s right, it’s Friday night and all day tomorrow will be spent at soccer fields and baseball diamonds (if it stays dry enough). Which means it’s time for some mindless entertainment that actually is kind of mindful. Galaxy Quest! This film came out back in 1999 and is... Read more
Are you thinking about the weekend yet? Are you looking for something fun to do at home with your family? My husband discovered a gem of a movie the other night: The Emperor Waltz, directed by Billy Wilder. He taped it for me and we’ve been watching it together. If you are a Wilder fan, as we are, then you know about Sunset Boulevard, The Apartment and Some Like it Hot. The Emperor Waltz is different; a light-hearted romance. A... Read more
The afternoon of May 1 my husband and I experienced something mystical. It’s taken me a while to write this down because the feeling remains so powerful. Greg was at the shopping mall and I was at home planning lessons and menus. About the same time, we both suddenly felt a powerful overwhelming sense of relief and release. You see, my husband narrowly survived the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.He escaped from the 68th floor of Tower One... Read more
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been sharing musical selections from contemporary culture that are Christocentric. This week I wanted to take that same theme, but apply it to a much earlier era. While attempting to do so, I stumbled upon the works of Tomás Luis de Victoria. Now, if I was from Spain, I would probably have learned of de Victoria in grammer school. I’m not from Spain, but I’m a Catholic now, see, so Christ’s whole world... Read more
The strong scent of lilies yesterday afternoon transported me back to my childhood and Easter season Sundays with grandmother and the rest of my extended family. Forty years ago, I was a little girl, the youngest of four siblings who piled into a station wagon and traveled many Sundays after Mass across Hudson River’s Tappan Zee Bridge with our parents to spend the afternoons with my dad’s parents. Someone at my parish this weekend donated a bouquet of lilies to... Read more
Joe Six-Pack, USMC has been hot and heavy on the Catholic Blogger beaten zone for a while now. A still, small, voice is calling to me now. It’s telling me to take a rest for a bit, and spend some time in communion and prayer with Our Triune God. It’s sort of like this… Read more
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