Freedom

In which I offer my .02 on Franzen’s novel and welcome your views and a discussion! I read The Corrections, reviewed it, liked parts of it, was ultimately dissatisfied and did not yearn for more, more more  Franzen. What I do remember is one particular passage which I have quoted and thought about frequently, not [...]

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Remember this?

….the problem cannot be overcome by the distribution of prophylactics: on the contrary, they increase it. The solution must have two elements: firstly, bringing out the human dimension of sexuality, that is to say a spiritual and human renewal that would bring with it a new way of behaving towards others, and secondly, true friendship [...]

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Another Day in the ATL

Joseph had been mentioning with greater frequency that he would like to go to an NFL game  An indulgence? Yes. No question. But it’s also progress. For you see, the first fall (2009) after Mike died, Joseph, his little couch companion on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, would not watch one minute of football, did not [...]

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Saints

 

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Country Mice, City Mice

Since we had to check out of the cabin by noon and daughter wasn’t coming until 8, we had time to kill in the city. I was vacillating between the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory and the Federal Reserve Museum.  I would have liked to do both, but both happened to close at 4. [...]

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Thanks

We spent a few days in the woods. Not terribly deep in the woods, but definitely there. About a month ago, it dawned on me that we had a few days to kill at the beginning of Thanksgiving break (we get the whole week off here).  My daughter wouldn’t be coming in from college until [...]

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Light of the World – Quick Takes #4

Now, for the random quotes that struck me: “The bureaucracy is spent and tired.”  – part of answer to a question about new movements within the Church. Pope Benedict is often accused of being unduly fixated on Europe, ignoring the vitality of the Church in the rest of the world. That accusation won’t stick anymore.  [...]

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Light of the World Short Take #3

These are just random points that struck me. But first… There is grumbling here and there about the existence of this interview as well as anyone’s interest in it.  It confuses things, it’s overreach, the Pope’s personal views on all of these issues are really unimportant, and the Vatican PR office is clearly not up [...]

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Light of the World Quick Take #2

(There’s no order here – I’m just pulling interesting stuff from my notes.) (My friend David Scott – now editor-in-chief of CNA has a good review of the book here.) Pope Benedict’s empathy has always impressed me.  Those of you who have read Introduction to Christianity know that the first section of the book contrasts [...]

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Light of the World Quick Take 1

I will be on the road today, so I’m pre-publishing some short entries on Light of the World. As I said last week, what I found most compelling about this book was not what the Pope has said about this or that issue but his articulation of his spiritual life.  It is a thread running [...]

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