Bravest Thing (He Ever Did)

An update of my thoughts on Exodus 90 can be found HERE . Exodus 90 is underway for many Catholic men. It is an intense 90 day program based on prayer, asceticism, and fraternity. For 90 days these men will take cold showers, abstain from alcohol and most media, fast twice per week, give up snacks and desserts, along with various other spiritual tasks. I applaud such a penitential spirit. The inevitable…. HOWEVER… However, I do have two concerns about Exodus 90 which could use some explaining. 1: Sundays The Church already has a wise, if not perfect, system of fasting and feasting. Catholics are encouraged to do penance on Wednesdays and Fridays (some add in Saturdays as well). In addition, there are specific periods of penance (Lent, Advent, Ember Days). Feasting occurs on Sundays as well as on major Feast Days and Solemnities (e.g. the Assumption of Mary). There is a built in balance to life. My problem with Exodus 90 is that, from what I hear, Sundays and F...

In case you missed: Christopher Tolkien, son of the legendary JRR Tolkien, passed away this week. He was 95.  One can imagine Christopher laying in bed and falling into a dream world of a lonely mountain, a brave hobbit, and the adventures encountered on an unforgettable journey. Years later Christopher had his own contribution to his father’s work, as he is known for doing much of the map work for Middle Earth. Lawsuits and scandals have marred the Tolkien name in the past couple of decades. Still, the loss of Christopher is to lose a close glimpse of the man who made hobbits, orcs, and elves unforgettable.

Whoops. In Canada January the 7 th was the Memorial of St. Andre Bessette. My family has a devotion to this great saint, and so I smuggled in a Living with Christ daily missal booklet from the church in order to have St. Andre’s updated Collect prayer on hand for praying the Divine Office. Whoops. I should have just ripped out the page with the prayer.  What did bringing a Living with Christ booklet into my home give me? Let’s take a look… -          An opening address by Gilles Mongreau, SJ. He vaguely discusses light, while condemning those who “try to cling to old ways of thinking, even going so far as to try to violently enforce the return of a ‘golden age.’” I’m not sure who exactly this is referring to. Those violent traditional Catholics? Or Muslims? -          Prayers of the Faithful, including decrying “the abuse and misuse of the world’s resources,” asking for a “dee...

It’s not so much that the woman grabbed onto his arm and seemed to jerk him rather suddenly – though she did seem rather desperate about something. It’s not so much that the Pope slapped her – though I’ve never seen an old man, even the most ornery, slap a woman before. It’s not so much that he allegedly called her a b*#$% - though there is an entire website dedicated to his crude sayings (I’m not endorsing the website, hence, no link provided). It’s not so much the look of anger after he slaps himself free – though it is rather astonishing. It’s not so much that main Catholic websites, such as Newadvent.org, had nothing on the story until after the mainstream media started reporting on it – though hiding troubling papal behaviour is common. It's not so much the embarrassment we feel as Catholics - though sinners we all are. It’s this: that the very next day he condemned violence against woman. Via Crux: Sigh. Just keep praying for him.