The following quote is from G.K. Chesterton, courtesy of Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick: Dear Mr. Chesterton, How can you think Christianity is true? What about all the other religions that claim to be true? Signed, Free Thinker Dear Former Thinker, The vulgar modern argument used against religion, and lately against common decency, would be absolutely […]
Archives for August 2012
Sue Dent, it has been too long since I have mentioned her
There is a Christian author I read several years ago. At that time I published a couple of reviews and a theological discussion of her writing. I must admit, it was not only the story, but the theological underpinnings that intrigued me. Her name is Sue Dent, and she has had all the problems […]
Beheading of John the Baptist 2012
Today is the Feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist. It is one of the many dramatic stories that are found in Scripture. It is a horrendous story not simply because of the beheading of the greatest prophet of the Old Testament, but also because it is a story of a mother who is […]
Memories of another culture, another time
We were missionaries in the Región de Arequipa whose capital city was Arequipa. That city is about one and a half miles up in the Andes mountains in southern Perú. In our second term there, I used to ride a mule to the small town of Choco. I have published other stories about it. The […]
Another childhood hero has gone on to his reward
I can remember being a teenager who had just graduated from high school the summer of 1969. That fall I would start college. I would only finish one year before I would be thrown out for poor grades because I had been partying so hard. But, that summer was a summer of promise, a summer […]
Ethics and Morality
I may not fully agree with the definitions above, but I do agree with the sentiment above. All too many of us do behave different when we are alone as to when someone is watching us. In fact, I might even say that all of us are actually that way. The reality of sin is […]
A good explanation of how grace works
“It is not one’s own efforts which lead to the goal, because without grace, efforts produce little. Nor does grace without effort bring what is sought, because grace acts in us and for us through our efforts.” ~ St. Theophan the Recluse It is important to note, however, what Saint Theophan meant by one’s own efforts. See the […]
British Olympic humour
I watched the Olympics just about every night while they were on. I was amazed at the talent, the sportsmanship (except for the Korean and Chinese badminton teams), and the drive to win. I expected that from watching previous Olympics. What I did not expect was the zany British sense of humour (yes, the non-American […]
Length vs Depth
I can remember either a homiletic professor or a speech coach commenting that it is much harder to prepare a five-minute talk than a 30 minute talk. He said that in a 30 minute talk it is quite possible to ramble on into infinity and still appear to have made a point. This is because […]
Why priests get gray hair hearing confessions
I am often surprised at how often people do something and then come to Confession in the expectation of instant forgiveness with no consequences. They are actually wrong on both counts. Forgiveness comes with true repentance not simply from a sense of feeling sorry that you got caught. When I hear a confession, I cannot […]
