Under a spreading chestnut tree The village smithy stands; The smith, a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands; And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands. His hair is crisp, and black, and long, His face is like the tan; His brow is wet with honest sweat, … Continue reading “The Village Blacksmith” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Christ and the Sword
All four of the Gospels report an incident during Jesus’ arrest in which Peter attempts to defend Him by drawing his sword and attacking the mob, cutting off the ear of one of the crowd. Jesus rebukes Peter for this and heals the injured man before He is taken away. Each of the Gospels provide … Continue reading Christ and the Sword
Reviews: Cinderella
Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time there was a collection of wonderful tales, stories of magic and courage and beauty and true love. Generation after generation they delighted, enriched, and inspired all who read them. They had a timeless quality about them so that, no matter how many times you heard … Continue reading Reviews: Cinderella
7 Quick Takes Vol. 51
Biggest news this week was the birth of my first nephew! Welcome Ilya Birch Goeple! (to my disappointment, he is not in fact named after the Russian folk hero Ilya Morumets). It is official: my last day at this job will be two weeks from today. Then I plunge into the unknown. Quite literally … Continue reading 7 Quick Takes Vol. 51
Thoughts on the Death Penalty
Recently, the Catholic blogsphere united (read: exploded into civil war) over the issue of capital punishment. Four publications and most of the Patheos blog channel all came together to call for the end of the death penalty in America. Probably against my better judgment, I’m going to weigh in here. Not on the … Continue reading Thoughts on the Death Penalty
Turn Me Inside Out!
I confess I’ve been nervous about Pixar’s latest film Inside Out. Of course, it’s Pixar, but they haven’t been quite at their best lately (I liked Monster’s University, but I think it’s fair to say it was far from their best work. I didn’t bother seeing Cars 2). Inside Out seemed to have a great … Continue reading Turn Me Inside Out!
Abbot and Costello, Charles Laughton, and Abraham Lincoln
Two of the greatest comedians of the twentieth century, one of the greatest actors of the twentieth century, and the greatest speech in American history. It truly doesn't get much better than this. Enjoy.
“Stop whining, Willard”
The wonderful Bob Newhart imagines how a non-expert might go about defusing a bomb.
7 Quick Takes Vol. 50
You may have noticed (well, probably not, but maybe now you will) that I’ve been enjoying my new blog. I think I mentioned last time that one of the reasons I made the switch was to have more flexibility in what I posted (I’m anal like that; if I decide that one particular thing only … Continue reading 7 Quick Takes Vol. 50
“What part of ‘Take up your cross’ Do They Not Understand?
Mr. Kevin Williamson, writing for the National Review, gives a bluntly solid defense of San Francisco Archbishop Codileone here and here. To summarize, His Excellency is attempting to clarify the employment rules for Catholic schools in his archdiocese, letting it be known that a condition of employment in Catholic schools is that teachers have to affirm Catholic … Continue reading “What part of ‘Take up your cross’ Do They Not Understand?
Serpent's Den 