To be perfectly honest, I approached writing my first piece for Word on Fire Ministries with a bit of trepidation — the old fear and trembling — both because I wanted to do right by this saint, and because it’s my first piece for Word on Fire Ministries, and I wanted to do right by them, too. And of course, I wanted to do right by the readers. Fortunately, it’s really hard to write badly Read more…
In today’s Office of Readings, we come to the dramatic moment in Exodus 32, when stupid Aaron (really, what was he thinking?) tries to appease the unrelentingly dim multitudes by collecting their gold earrings and forming a calf for them to worship. So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron, who accepted their offering, and fashioning this gold with a graving tool, made a molten calf. Then they cried out, Read more…
Featured Image: Rannah Evetts, Founder and Director of St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf, Uganda. St Francis de Sales School for the Deaf, photo source. Act, and God will act, work, and he will work. – St. Joan of Arc Joan of Arc’s advice plays out in full in the profoundly moving and instructive story of Rannah Evetts, a remarkable 22 year-old woman who took the pain and suffering from her experiences as Read more…
Image by Alan Light-cc A few weeks ago, Joy Behar a longstanding co-host of the morning gabfest “The View” made a typically lame “joke” at the expense of veep Mike Pence. Taking offense to the idea that Pence believes Jesus speaks to him in prayer — a not uncommon notion for people of faith — Behar claimed it was one thing to talk to Jesus, but another to believe Jesus talks back. That, she said Read more…
It was St. Teresa of Avila who said, “If in all things you seek Jesus, doubtless you will find him.” After reading this piece about the #metoo-inspired hand-wringing accompanying the revivals or debuts of musical theater productions, it occurred to me that if in all things one seeks sexism, oppression and victimization, doubtless one will find it. And in the case of art, one will add to the sense of social exhaustion that is inevitable Read more…
Every time I think I’m done with social media, I find a pearl that keeps me going back. Like this one, which is full of true wisdom: My position on argumentation is often sourced from a phrase I read in a Japanese book: 'Always remember that to argue, and win, is to break down the reality of the person you are arguing against. It is painful to lose your reality, so be kind, even if Read more…
The current sense of unease regarding the status of the church in China reminded me of this quote from Mother Mary Francis, PCC — one of the foundresses of Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery (Roswell, NM) in her great book A Right to be Merry: The children of light walk heedless of the source of their light. The children of darkness know better. And when the hour of darkness is at hand in any country, Read more…