Blessings from the Emerald Isle and Echoes from the Land of the Rising Sun

I happened to receive a link to this article from Aleteia some time ago, and since I am of Irish stock, I clicked on it to see if I recognized the blessing it described. While the blessing itself wasn’t precisely familiar, it did sound Irish enough for me to be certain of its origin. But…

Yogurt, Humanity, and Conversion

Now this is a fun piece, readers. Check it out! How putting yogurt in a bowl led to faith Reverend Alex Wyvill - published on 05/03/23 "Every day, actually, for a few weeks. I grabbed a napkin, set the table, and ate my yogurt like a human being." One of my dearest friends from college was both…

Memories and the Spiritual Life

This is something worth remembering, readers! (Video) Feeling downcast? Why the solution might be your memory Fr. Peter John Cameron, OP - published on 04/25/23 A defeatist attitude can derail even the most committed of believers if we are not attentive. But the solution isn't so hard. The Gospel describes the two disciples on the road to Emmaus as…

Resistance Is NOT Futile

Click the link to learn more, readers: His resistance to Communism was heroic, but his sanctity more so I.Media for Aleteia - published on 04/26/23 Eduard Habsburg, Hungarian ambassador to the Vatican, talks about Cardinal Jósef Mindszenty's example of holiness and resistance to the Communist regime. Pope Francis’ trip to Hungary from April 28 to 30, 2023,…

Rest and Be Still

A good reminder, readers! No shopping or housework on Sunday? Sign me up! Maria Garabis Davis - published on 08/28/16 "Keeping the Lord's Day was the best thing I've ever done for my family" I met her at a tradeshow I was attending. We hit it off immediately and the conversation flowed quickly. She was an owner…

Coming Out of Hiding

Food for thought, readers: Prayer is unhiddenness Fr. Peter John Cameron, OP - published on 04/16/23 No one can long endure self-imposed seclusion. From the disgrace of our hiding places, our hearts beseech God ... I gained new insight into prayer through a book by Tomáš Halík. In Night of the Confessor, the Czech priest writes: “To pray…

A Passionate Statement

Worth remembering and reading: The Passion And The Arts the primary purpose of the arts, like all human activity, is to draw people closer to God. Have you ever wondered why we use the word “passion” to describe the suffering that Jesus went through? After all when we say we are passionate about something we…

Dark and Light and the Interplay Between Them

Worthy reading, especially after I posted all that dark stuff this past week! “Wonder”: The Symmetry of Sin and Salvation Matthew Becklo - published on 03/22/23 An “oft-forgotten paradox” in the Christmas story is “the moral chaos of human history” being drawn into “the perfect symmetry of salvation.” The fifth and final episode of Word on Fire’s Wonder series…

The Lack of Religion in Fiction and Issues this Causes

Kit Sun Cheah had an interesting article on his site recently. Titled “Guy Gavriel Kay’s Religion Without Religion,” he tackles an issue rampant in modern fiction of every variety: modern writers largely cannot write believable religions or religious characters. Every time they try, they leave a hollow world behind that does not satisfy a reader…

Virtues – Human and Theological

A good piece, readers! The Higher Gifts- Why These Virtues Are Theological By Mary Ennis Meo 22 March AD 2023 How often it is that teachers learn as much from the lesson as the students do? Preparing for RCIA class last month, I read over the section on virtue in the students’ textbook. There they…