Around St Blog's: March 2004 Archives

Bob, of the Republic of Virtue, is finally attempting to read that book:

...until I actually read this trash for myself none of my criticisms will hold any water with the kids. Amazing how they will believe the undocumented, utterly baseless slop that Dan Brown puts out in blatant defiance of the historical record, but when I'm citing the likes of Sandra Meisel and asserting completely undisputed facts, I'm the one who has to meet the burden of proof.

One of the reasons I would personally not mind taking a shot at Dan Brown in a dunk tank is that for some reason his fictional albino assassin monk has become a character in my husband's strange inner world: "Hi, hubby, how was your day?" "Not too bad. Saw Silas on the Metro, he says hi. He also says you should make me steak for dinner every night, and lobster on Friday." "Silas told me to buy these books or else." "I met so-and-so for lunch, and Silas showed up too."

I'm not sure what it says about me that I'm married to a man whose imaginary friend is a menacing albino assassin monk.

The Curt Jester has the details.

...to Mark at Vociferous Yawpings.

I think we could use a happier word than "blogiversary." I nominate Father Johansen to coin one, since he did so well with "blug."

Today is also Hambet's third birthday in the Church: the anniversary of his baptism.

Eric Johnson of Catholic Light has the picture I wanted, but couldn't find.

Karen Marie chose a very different picture for her Annunciation post at the Anchor Hold. Usually I don't care for that style of art, but this one really stopped me in my tracks -- I was literally staring at it, for a long, long time.

OMG!!!!!!!!! I'm ROTFLOL!!

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted's on the "I'm Catholic, but...." crowd:

“ I am a Catholic politician but I don’t let my Catholicism impact on how I vote or what legislation I promote;” but Jesus says (Mt 7:26-27), “Everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

“ I am a Catholic physician but I don’t let my faith mold my decisions regarding abortion, contraception, or other medical practices;” but Jesus says Mt 5:37), “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.”

“ I am a Catholic talk show host but I don’t let the Church inhibit my right to say whatever I want on the air;” but in the Letter of James, God says (2:17) “Faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

“ I am a Catholic priest but I don’t let Magisterial teaching keep me from dissenting from moral or doctrinal points nor let it limit my own ‘pastoral solutions’;” but at ordination each priest professes a solemn oath, “I believe everything contained in God’s Word, written or handed down in tradition and proposed by the Church… I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is proposed by the Church definitively regarding teaching on faith and morals.”

Lent is the time to kick the “Catholic but...” out of our own daily lives. It is the time to expunge rationalization from our minds and to root out compromise from our hearts. Lent is the time to say a determined “No” to the temptation to water down our faith for personal gain. It is the time to say a much larger “Yes” to Jesus and His Gospel of Life. Lent is the time for Totus Tuus, the time to renew our commitment to love God with all our mind and heart and strength.....

Thanks to Not-a-Liturgist at Liturgiam Authenticam for this link.

Magister Mundi sum!
"I am the Master of the Universe!"
You are full of yourself, but you're so cool you
probably deserve to be. Rock on.


Which Weird Latin Phrase Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Actually I should probably be a Magistra. Thanks to Magister Mundi Mark for this quiz.

Father Johansen gave us an amazing blug, describing us as "two reasonably-well-adjusted Catholic women who take their faith seriously."

That compliment's going to have us on Cloud Nine for weeks. Thanks so much, Father.

Michelle's Famous Poet Quiz result was Walt Whitman, so I'd like to offer this especially for her:

When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom’d

It seems to me that much of our apologetics stays in our heads and never percolates down to the heart where it can foster true and lasting love. The only true defense against such idiocy is Jesus Himself. If we truly love Him, then nothing said against Him can convince us of anything other than the truth. The purpose of apologetics is to convince, but after conviction, something must help the truth bloom into love.

Vociferous Yawpings has moved to the Fine Domain!

Another blog I plan to watch: Granola Conservatism. With a name like that, how could I not?

The Passion of the Christ -- Three Reviews and a Letter by Orson Scott Card

EXCELLENT article by Orson Scott Card. I've only read a couple of his Alvin Maker books (should pick up on that sometime.) Thanks to Steven and the Summas for this link.

Times Against Humanity has moved to a new home and has a great new look.

The New Gasparian has also moved -- to the Fine Domain! -- and also has a great new look.

See, I miss a day at Theosis and GoodForm and Summa Minutae, and look what happens -- I miss this gem. Thanks, TSO, for catching it for me:

Not long before his death, Pope Pius XI granted an indulgence to those married couples of the Westminster diocese who daily kissed the wedding ring of their spouses and repeated the following prayer: 'Grant, Lord, to us, that loving You, may love each other and live according to Your holy laws.' In 1960 Pope John XXIII renewed the same indulgence for all the married. --Rev. Lawrence Lovasik, [The Hidden Power of] Kindness

This is the umpteenth time in the last six weeks that I've come across a reference to that book. I own a copy, but I haven't read it yet. Perhaps it's time to remedy that.

(actually it was yesterday) Welcome to the big 2!

Revolution of Love has moved to stblogs.org!

The Tower has set up shop too.

Moloch has a blog and extensive links to his friends. Why not go say hi, and help PP remember who's boss -- help Moloch show up on their referral stats!

It's commonly called "envy", but what I have in mind is benign, it's not true envy. It's that feeling you get when someone you know has achieved something you'd really, really like for yourself, or has gotten to do something you'd really, really like to do yourself. It's only like envy in that it desires the good that another enjoys; unlike envy, though, it still rejoices that at least the other person gets to enjoy that good.

Well, whatever this emotion is, Apologia groupies -- and Friends of Fructus Ventris -- are experiencing it this morning.