Monday, December 30, 2002

From a Reader of my latest book:



Finished your How-To book of the Mass yesterday.



I'm a revert Catholic and have become very critical of my new-age feminist Catholic grade-school/CCD upbringing and my childhood parish - especially when visiting family and attending Mass over the Holiday.



Your book is what I needed to put the Mass back in perspective and appreciate what is there and not concentrate on the abuses. Thanks for the section on how to experience a great homily every time - it worked!



I'm attending an RCIA class and will pass your book along as a recommendation for reading for all.



You're a great writer - thanks again!




Thanks!

Saturday, December 28, 2002

A Saint's Name for Your Next Child-- St Quodvultdeus



From the Office of Readings for today from a sermon by St. Quodvultdeus:



The children die for Christ, though they do not know it. The parents mourn for the death of martyrs. The child makes of those as yet unable to speak fit witnesses to himself. See the kind of kingdom that is his, coming as he did in order to be this kind of king. See how the deliverer is already working deliverance, the saviour already working salvation.



But you, Herod, do not know this and are disturbed and furious. While you vent your fury against the child, you are already paying him homage, and do not know it.



How great a gift of grace is here! To what merits of their own do the children owe this kind of victory? They cannot speak, yet they bear witness to Christ. They cannot use their limbs to engage in battle, yet already they bear off the palm of victory.

Friday, December 27, 2002

The weather...



One of my favorite subjects. None of the weather forecasters were correct in their predictions with regard to us. Even the local television stations were predicting a mere dusting a few hours before the snow actually fell. Contrast that with a week before when they were predicting a more substantial dumping and nothing--absolutely nothing fell. With all their computer simulations, satelite imagery--the weather people are still fairly dumb as a lot. Perhaps a better indicator that something was about to happen here was the racoon who appeared in broad daylight in our backyard midafternoon on Christmas Eve either headed for Christmas dinner somewhere or preparing for an oncoming storm that would dumb close to 9 inches of snow here.

Wednesday, December 25, 2002

Christmas Day...and



we have a ton of snow...lots more than the weatherman predicted.



Mass was sparsely attended...the pastor remarked that the same was true last night at midnight.



Daily reflections on the reading continue to be posted here.



Here is a reflection on the past year.