1. One of my co-workers has a sticker on his computer that says ‘Danger: Free Thinker’. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, and he seems like a decent guy, but in my experience legitimate ‘free thinkers’ (to the extent that such creatures exist) do not proudly identify themselves as such. ‘Free thinker’ or ‘think … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Free Thinking, a Review, and the End of the World
Faith
Feast of St. Louis
King Saint Louis'sLast Instructions to his Eldest Son, Philip III 1. To his dear first-born son, Philip, greeting, and his father's love.2. Dear son, since I desire with all my heart that you be well "instructed in all things, it is in my thought to give you some advice this writing. For I have heard … Continue reading Feast of St. Louis
Thought of the Day
"Who, thinkest thou, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath appointed over his family, to give them meat in season. Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall find so doing. Amen I say to you, he shall place him over all his goods. But if that evil … Continue reading Thought of the Day
Feast of the Annunciation
"But in Gondor the New Year will always now begin upon the twenty-fifth of March when Sauron fell, and when you were brought out of the fire to the King."-The Return of the King "Ecce ancilla Domini. Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum."
St. Patrick’s Day
LatinEnglishSancti Patricii Hymnus ad Temoriam.The Lorica, Breastplate, of St. Patrick (The Cry of the Deer) Ad Temoriam hodie potentiam praepollentem invoco Trinitatis,Credo in Trinitatem sub unitate numinis elementorum.I arise todayThrough a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,Through belief in the Threeness,Through confession of the Onenessof the Creator of creation.Apud Temoriam hodie virtutem nativitatis Christi … Continue reading St. Patrick’s Day
Embarrassing
A pretty common experience for Romans these days
Peace on Earth at Catholic Match
When I wrote today's Catholic Match piece, I was taking it for granted that the year would end in tumult (these things are written weeks or months in advance). Turns out, this is even more timely than I expected: In truth, if you’re seeking reasons to lament the apparent failure of the angelic promise of … Continue reading Peace on Earth at Catholic Match
All Saints
The doctrine of the Communion of Saints is rather simple. It's that Christians don't leave the Church when they die. The work they began in this life doesn't end when they enter the next. We have a perspective problem in this life. In fact, it's very like being in high school (our education system has … Continue reading All Saints
Talking Confession at Catholic Match
My latest Catholic Match post is up, talking about why you need to go to Confession: This brings us to the second point: besides your eternal salvation (if anything can be ‘besides’ that), Confession, along with the other Sacraments, conveys a very useful lesson. Namely, that we do not get to set the terms of … Continue reading Talking Confession at Catholic Match
Sunday Thoughts: The Treasure in the Field
Deconstructing fairy tales is like deconstructing a ming vase; it's easy to do, but it says more about you than about the subject itself. When some wag sniffs at the 'love at first sight' trope, or writes smarmy novels about Cinderella realizing how shallow her love for Prince Charming really is, it only shows the … Continue reading Sunday Thoughts: The Treasure in the Field
Serpent's Den 