This is a strange St. Patrick’s Day for me. That’s because my children are on Spring break, and as such, they are out of school. I don’t ever remember being not “in school” on St. Patrick’s Day. My mother’s father was born in Ireland (and he was a Catholic too)so there is definitely Irish blood coursing through my veins. But he died when I was very young, and I never got to hear him tell stories of his home country.I... Read more
Lent, by Fr. Frederick William Faber, Oratory of St.Philip Neri Yes! I have walked the world these two months past With quick free step, loud voice, and youth’s light cheer; And dull and weary were the shadows cast From the dark Cross and Lent’s dim portals near. Yes! I rode up with such a noisy state And retinue of all things bright and fair, And reached in this new pilgrim guise the gate, As though my dreams might have free... Read more
I love Catholic Media! Especially that which is accessible via the Internet. Searching for kindred spirits is what brought me to the world of blogging in the first place. But honestly, I don’t have enough time to enjoy as much Catholic Media as I would like. After all, if I just consumed Catholic Media, I would never create any for you to consume. Look at what time I am posting this, for example. It is almost 2130, which is 9:30... Read more
Earlier this morning, I posted a book review in which the author states that one of his problems with the Catholic Church is that it treats women like second-class citizens. Well, surprise! The LORD works in mysterious ways. And although the word mystery is an irritant to some, including the author of that particular book, today’s feast of St. Louise de Marillac is “Exhibit A” in the refutation of that preposterous idea. I don’t think it is a coincidence that... Read more
—Feast of St. Louise de Marillac As long-time readers of this blog know, we like books around here. It all started when Webster Bull kicked off the YIMC Book Club with 9 weeks of posts for the 9 chapters in G.K. Chesterton’s classic, Orthodoxy. Then I followed up with 9 weeks of posts on Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, as well as a later series of weekly posts on Hilaire Belloc’s The Great Heresies. Those books were all worthy of selections... Read more
You have heard it said, “it is always darkest before the dawn,” and you have nodded your head in agreement. At least those of you who have ever camped out know this to be true, right? These have been dark days for our Church. Scandals, parishes and schools closing, doom and gloom, etc. But it is not always so, and no single one of us can see the “big picture.” Jacques Maritain, writing in 1966 said,Everything depends on the unforseeable... Read more
Dear Readers: The post “God Takes Care of Little Ones with Guardian Angels” from last spring is the most widely read of all the posts on our site. Yesterday, a reader asked a question I (Allison) have not been able to answer, despite struggling overnight with it. I’m republishing my post, along with her question in the hopes that someone with more wisdom than I can answer.Victoria asks: I am of the “Angel of God…” generation. I still pray to... Read more
I had this idea last year to feature movies on Friday nights during Lent. I wrote posts as if I were the co-pilot of a plane flying passengers for YIMCatholic airlines. Remember those? Well this year I’m not the co-pilot any more. But I still want to share movies with you during Lent. I’ve got a neat collection of films for us this season starting with one of my all-time favorites (as long time readers know well). Kenneth Branagh’s version... Read more
On this second day of Lent, I have a couple of videos to share with you. The first is from an interview Ayn Rand did with Mike Wallace back in the days when networks were few. Ayn Rand, the author, novelist, and philosopher, answers the kinds of tough questions that journalists used to be able to ask, back when the networks were an oligopoly. (more…) Read more
“This is the best celebrity meltdown ever!” I overheard this remark recently while waiting in the lobby of a country club, where I had been invited to a luncheon. The middle-aged man and his wife were seated at a table nearby and laughing over actor Charlie Sheen’s erratic public behavior. The man’s comment reminded me of a tendency I think we all harbor: taking pleasure in someone else’s misfortune.As a high school teacher, I encounter misfortune all day long, including... Read more
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