tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126791192011-11-09T22:29:40.626-08:00Trust in the Lord and do good; settle in the land and find safe pasture. Delight in the Lord, and he will grant you your heart's desire. Ps. 37:3-4A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-34591754110757691802011-09-06T20:21:00.000-07:002011-09-06T20:21:16.225-07:00

I do not pray the Liturgy of the Hours regularly yet, but I'm doing better than I ever did before. Christian Prayer, the shorter one-volume version, is harder for me to use, for some reason.  The full four-volume set is easier. Some time ago I purchased Universalis, the iPhone/iPad app for the Liturgy of the Hours.  It was a great way to get to know what it's like to use the LotH and determine

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-39939788284395225632011-08-28T21:07:00.000-07:002011-08-28T21:07:37.944-07:00

Finally - finally - ordered these books.  For so many years there just wasn't the money for that kind of thing.  Now that there is, I continued to dither about my identification.  Finally got the push I needed - separate story - and went ahead and ordered the set. I got the ones in large type, and they're beautiful.  I had used Christian Prayer before, and have the Universalis app, so wasn't too

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-61122125374855452782011-08-28T21:00:00.000-07:002011-08-28T21:00:01.127-07:00

The Spouse and I watch a few of the USA Network shows with great enjoyment, including White Collar.  However, tonight the premise was that a computer break-in had taken place at a bank.  The writers clearly were either very old, or young people who had no clue how to get any information.  The terminology was wrong, the idea impossible, and they even had one of the agents put a USB stick received

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-21234540595275658272011-08-10T16:11:00.000-07:002011-08-10T16:11:15.108-07:00

This story has been making the rounds lately.  (I'm linking to the Hot Air mention.)  The comments are interesting:  many in favor of the dog, few against.  One clueless individual suggested keeping the dog in another room during testimony.  Yeah, that'll help. One of the objections is that the dog in question is a Golden Retriever, generally recognized as a non-threatening, cuddly breed.  I can

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-50120542155283371192011-05-11T18:27:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:36:12.142-07:00

Texas really is bigger than life in many ways.  Just this afternoon I sat working as lightning flashed and thunder rolled by and rattled the windows.  In California this would have been a reason to cut in on regular programming and deploy teams of reporters.  In Texas?  Not so much.  The weather radio treebles and squawks only when the winds are so high that there is danger of a tornado.  

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-38583015830993899292011-05-05T20:52:00.000-07:002011-05-05T20:52:33.607-07:00

There's been some notice taken of the dogs that work with SEALs and others on combat duty.  The dogs that can fight are usually Belgian Malinois or German Shepherds. OK, here's the deal on the Belgian sheep dogs.  Three varieties:  Gronendael (black hair), Tervuren (straight brown/black hair), and Malinois (short tan hair).  Same dog underneath.  I adopted a Belgian Tervuren mix 10 years ago. 

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-72963678767193305852011-05-02T20:22:00.000-07:002011-05-02T20:22:09.838-07:00

As I read about the beatification in Rome, I think:  this is a very powerful saint.  Not only did he do amazing things for God during his journey through this vale of tears, he is still working for us in heaven. I want to dig out the enormous New American Bible my mom got for me the year I was received into the Church.  Its language is beautiful, it was beautifully printed, and it contained an

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-50962778748599417072011-01-30T08:35:00.000-08:002011-01-30T08:35:08.367-08:00

As it happens, I am spending this beautiful morning in a location of studied luxury and comfort.  The room is really heavenly:  views out of three windows comprising mountains and city lights in panorama; exquisitely comfortable bed, unobtrusive yet effective temperature control, a bathroom which is a wonderful retreat in and of itself.  A savory breakfast brought up very early, consumed at

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-31614842267279526402011-01-06T20:31:00.000-08:002011-01-06T20:31:56.147-08:00

I had a lovely childhood.  No, really.  I was an only child of intelligent, cosmopolitan parents who shared a strong love of home and the simple but good things of life. Things changed, as things do.  My father achieved a certain level of management which allowed him to feel it was time to move to a larger house.  We went from a comfortable, sweet two-bedroom (plus one for the staff) in the

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-6293263961449789082011-01-01T18:24:00.000-08:002011-01-01T18:24:56.036-08:00

I often want to write effectively on how today's love of ugliness and noise is preventing us from seeing God, Truth, but I guess I'm too close to it.  My scribbles always devolve into incoherent growls. Fr. Z has provided an excellent meditation on the topic.  ("We need beauty now as well.")  I strongly recommend you drop over there and read the whole thing. The Catholic Church used to be (and

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-19692396428470548602010-12-19T17:54:00.000-08:002010-12-19T17:54:26.549-08:00

ISP's should be regulated so that porn is on an "opt-in" basis, say ministers in the U.K. This is so obviously wrong and bad it's worse than laughable. Hello?  Are they going to do anything about - those raunchy TV shows raunchy stage shows schools teaching sex retailers selling inappropriate clothing for little girls and the gazillion other things that lead kids to think that it's OK to

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-57472793181910645702010-12-04T20:52:00.000-08:002010-12-04T20:55:02.092-08:00

What follows will tire your eyes and probably not be of any meaning. Blame Pope Benedict XVI. This isn't about the latest flap.  It's because he is a world-class theologian, excellent teacher, and a gentleman and a man of profound talent and humility.  And, - I say this with wry exasperation - he is methodically removing all the obstacles that kept me apart from the Church. Anyway - you can

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-25584373839914782962010-11-22T09:58:00.000-08:002010-11-22T09:58:27.600-08:00

Pope Benedict has been quoted in saying, as I understand it, that one male prostitute's use of condoms, to prevent another's infection (a charitable gesture, in other words) can be an indicator of a moral impulse... a desire to protect another from a loathsome, fatal disease.  This is obviously and objectively true, even though it happens in the context of mortal sin.  It is a flicker of goodness

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-89619196923516622382010-11-16T12:49:00.000-08:002010-11-16T12:58:22.634-08:00

Althouse.Iowahawk (1.)Iowahawk (2.)Byron YorkMy dear departed mother foresaw all of this years ago, back in the 70s, when we went through it with Carter... so at least it's not a surprise to me. {weak smile}It will be interesting to see what the airlines and airports do after Thanksgiving, and a month or two of people deciding to drive.I have a 1,500 mile trip coming up in a few weeks; I'm

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-12634367819980555022010-11-16T12:06:00.000-08:002010-11-16T12:44:36.979-08:00

I've been thinking about posting, on and off, for months now. I guess today's the day!My return to this blog is prompted by developments in my spiritual life.Those who have previously favored this blog with a reading know my ambivalent feelings towards the Roman Catholic church.Through the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, God has graciously allowed me to see a restoration of the Church to which I

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-90470953788177264512010-04-07T11:22:00.000-07:002010-04-07T11:29:38.010-07:00

The Easter season is a time of new beginnings. For me, it was the time of my reception into the Church in 1971. I still keep a wary distance, but it is thrilling to see God's work!The appointment of Cardinal Mahony's co-adjutor is a ray of light amid the general dreariness of the world, economy, etc. God bless Archbishop Gomez as he prepares for what one hopes he'll see as a challenging

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-23966662875920968452009-06-11T18:33:00.001-07:002009-06-11T18:39:37.964-07:00

It's been months since I last posted on this blog, and years since I spent every available moment avidly reading others' posts.My life continues to unfold in directions unsought and with blissful promise.I'm still in the shabby house on the hill. There is a fresh gardenia from the garden in a vase, wafting fragrance through the house.I've been home all day. I get tired... my stomach is

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-10202567199102347922009-06-11T15:34:00.000-07:002009-06-11T15:36:52.456-07:00

Like many people who lost faith, I felt anger with myself for having been 'conned' by such a story. I began to rail against Christianity, and wrote a book, entitled Jesus, which endeavoured to establish that he had been no more than a messianic prophet who had well and truly failed, and died.Why did I, along with so many others, become so dismissive of Christianity?Like most educated people in

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-78980472233418635522009-06-11T15:29:00.000-07:002009-06-11T15:33:54.118-07:00

Why Judaism Rejected HomosexualitySocieties that did not place boundaries around sexuality were stymied in their development. The subsequent dominance of the Western world can largely be attributed to the sexual revolution initiated by Judaism and later carried forward by Christianity.This revolution consisted of forcing the sexual genie into the marital bottle. It ensured that sex no longer

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-9048604922460199892009-02-12T13:49:00.001-08:002009-02-12T13:56:55.480-08:00

Fr. Z posted this article and encouraged bloggers to post it, as well. It is rather remarkable.

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-57859080355293616052009-02-04T17:50:00.000-08:002009-02-12T13:54:25.460-08:00

Please pray for his soul, and for his wife, Amy Welborn, and their family.

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-45899888726543026382008-10-23T23:05:00.000-07:002008-10-23T23:12:24.234-07:00

Still here, still alive ... enjoying my work, really enjoying my dearest, praying for a friend who is having sand thrown in her spirit's eyes by the liar ... it's just as irritating and blinding as it sounds. I am praying "send spiritual Visine, Lord!"The election has me just ... I dunno. I'm appalled at the hordes of people who are uncritically preparing to vote for a man who has serious

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-79274561181203878142008-09-25T07:18:00.000-07:002008-09-25T07:29:39.546-07:00

One of the most healthful things I've ever done was unhook the cable boxes from my TV sets and carry them down to the cable company and return them.My evenings are spent reading or puttering around the house.If I use the radio, it's to play classical music.As I write this, there is tremendous economic turmoil (thanks, Ben! :P ). I don't minimize it. I'm just limiting my exposure to it.I read

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-82842139754398699022008-08-15T07:44:00.000-07:002008-08-15T07:46:33.210-07:00

Encouraging quote for parents:For unflagging interest and enjoyment, a household of children, if things go reasonably well, certainly all other forms of success and achievement lose their importance by comparison.- Theodore Roosevelt

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-60950315441184303202008-08-15T07:38:00.000-07:002008-08-15T07:42:39.786-07:00

Planned Parenthood would've loved to squelch this one, I bet: researchers have figured out that, since women are hormonally in a pregnancy state while on the pill, their olfactory senses don't pick up on the right kinds of scent to tell them when they're near the right kind of man for them.

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-29520163118765459942008-08-06T07:15:00.000-07:002008-08-06T07:47:01.922-07:00

A study has revealed that TV shows portray a lot of sex and little of it in the context of marriage.The only new bit that I wasn't aware of was the increasing references to kinky stuff and prostitution.You know why?Because I don't watch TV. I gave it up several months ago when I found that the news, etc. was getting on my nerves. It's been much nicer without it. I'm about to take my cable

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-12881484181499673472008-08-01T09:19:00.000-07:002008-08-01T13:14:29.453-07:00

... with the help of Jen over at Conversion Diary. Some time ago, she wrote a wonderful post about how she learned to see the happenings in her life from the perspective of what they might mean to others, instead of just herself. Please hop over and take a look, as it is really well-written, and has stayed in my mind for weeks.I was reminded of it when reading this ruefully humorous post of

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-46681166799759577632008-07-30T07:37:00.000-07:002008-07-30T08:02:50.909-07:00

Fr. Z has posted a clip of Benedict XVI arriving for vacation in a favourite spot. The clip shows the Holy Father speaking to the assembled people and greeting them, and thanking them profusely.In Italian.In fluent, easy, comfortable Italian.The anti-Latin crowd must grind their teeth at his fluency, just as they must have when John Paul II spoke so many languages. They've been telling anyone

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-76138074961559389372008-07-28T07:50:00.000-07:002008-07-28T08:02:27.710-07:00

Last month's Image journal contained a powerful story, Name.Then I ran across Sand in the Gears blog, and realized that Tony Woodlief is the author of that amazing story.Tony's comments aren't working or I'd tell him directly. In the meantime, I can definitely recommend the story, and Image journal, for that matter.It's put out by the school which Karen Hall over at Some Have Hats heard about

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-36785612104275496552008-07-27T13:04:00.000-07:002008-07-27T15:14:36.967-07:00

At the Hermeneutic of Continuity blog, Fr. Tim Finigan reports on the desecration of the consecrated host by Dr. P.Z. Myers.Dr. Myers is childishly proud of what he's done. He thinks he's gotten away with something. He thinks he's shown the Catholics a thing or two.What did he think would happen?Wouldn't he be chagrined if someone, who'd not heard before that Catholics believe Jesus is actually

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-60129380080885406312008-07-27T10:19:00.000-07:002008-07-27T11:30:33.269-07:00

Thanks to Alicia for posting this. I didn't even read the article... just enjoyed the comments.

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-68176776438657006132008-07-26T18:59:00.000-07:002008-07-26T21:02:43.389-07:00

Humanae Vitae was published into a world which was primed for its rejection. Among the factors I perceived were at work: the recent adoption of the television into homes, with the earliest publicly-announced broadcasts in the United States (personal liberty) and the USSR (control by disinformation); a frenzy for innovation in all areas of life; and a disproportionate number of young

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-29987081424440417722008-07-26T07:49:00.000-07:002008-07-26T18:59:24.279-07:00

Cardinal James Francis Stafford has written a reflection on the year in which Humanae Vitae was set forth. It is posted at Catholic News Agency. Cardinal Stafford is Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary. He writes, It was the year of the bad war, of complex innocence that sanctified the shedding of blood. English historian Paul Johnson dubs 1968 as the year of “America’s Suicide

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-72263524944249827842008-07-25T05:58:00.000-07:002008-07-28T08:06:23.813-07:00

I recommend Mary Eberstadt's article, The Vindication of Humanae Vitae," (First Things, August/September 2008), as a well-written retrospective about what happened when Humanae Vitae was promulgated.(And, if you haven't read it, you need to. Don't believe what other people say about it; read it for yourself.)(OK, done? All right, let's go on.)The Catholic Church is pleading, on behalf of your

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-60258409421008118222008-07-25T05:14:00.000-07:002008-07-25T05:52:03.420-07:00

On July 7, Fr. Z posted a request for reflections on what Summorum Pontificum meant to people one year later. Well ... after much editing, it's still too long for the combox.I came into the Church in 1971. My essential formation as a Catholic was provided by a 1926 Manual of Prayers, which contained all the information one needed to be a Catholic: prayers, laws, explanations. After the Bible,

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-65287015527366206922008-07-10T06:57:00.000-07:002008-07-10T07:33:54.077-07:00

Ben Bernanke.Forbes Magazine called it, 'way back when Bernanke decided to stop the madness of speculation in real estate.He could have eased back ... slowly ... and let people wake up gently.One can only speculate that he was new in his job, and wanted people to know he was boss. So, he slammed on the brakes.We are paying the consequences.The abrupt rise in interest rates squeezed homeowners

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-32589991448836932912008-07-01T07:21:00.001-07:002008-07-01T07:37:04.718-07:00

... just busy with work, family and friends.Wait: read that again... especially the last part."Family and friends".Something new for me.Part of finding pasture, I guess.For most of my life, two things always either made me scoff, or at least feel puzzled:- if their house was threatened, people would grab their photo albums; and- people would say, "I want to be with my family."Neither of those

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-58050305518807143652008-05-13T07:26:00.000-07:002008-05-13T08:05:00.293-07:00

Via the blog at Ignatius.com, found this link to an article by Reverend Michael P. Orsi reviewing the sin of calumny and noting the rise of the unfortunate practice in the blogosphere.Father is right: our eternal felicity depends on our treatment of our fellows, no matter where we find them.But I find myself feeling angry when I know that there are mature, normally intelligent young persons and

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-58664434833224411972008-05-11T13:22:00.000-07:002008-05-11T13:26:35.393-07:00

... of love and the not-love promulgated by The Liar's minions:the Curmudgeon says it very wellKay S. Hymowitz explains what happened in "Sex and Its Discontents"Obi's Sister does a good wrap-up in "The Hook-up Generation"

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-49434413621654551422008-05-11T11:30:00.000-07:002008-05-11T12:48:13.369-07:00

As a definition of what's up with young people today ... I'm not seeing it, myself. Young people are so confused. Now, there's no news in that: young people are young, inexperienced, impulsive and at the mercy of hormones. Of course they're confused!The difference is, these days, young people in a certain demographic haven't got any guidance, beyond "use a condom." The very things they ought

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-76642351111491797262008-05-05T10:19:00.000-07:002008-05-05T12:38:05.253-07:00

His influence is remarkable. He is bridging the gap between the factions in the Church brought about over the last 40 years.Fr. Z's wide-ranging blog highlights two examples.First, the Transalpine Redemptorists are clearly mellowing in light of Summorum Pontificum. I recommend you follow the link to read the posting, which includes Fr. Z's comments and emphases. However, I find my self in

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-12910558387311774152008-05-05T09:40:00.000-07:002008-05-05T10:14:42.284-07:00

Just when I think I'm Done with a part of my life ... something happens to reawaken me to what I'm trying to ignore or move on from.It happened last week, during the Sierra Madre wildfire. At work, nervously checking the Internet now and then for updates, I saw that the mandatory evacuations had been extended ... to within two blocks of my house!I left work a bit early. As I drove home,

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-76897010811365965862008-04-10T07:34:00.000-07:002008-04-10T07:39:29.538-07:00

I've started a new blog to reflect the new world I'm entering. In it, over time, I hope to convey a sense of the wonderful blessings unfolding in my life right now.For you who read this blog: thank you. Your attention has helped me more than you'll ever know (yes, yours)... unless I'm able to convey it adequately in my new place of pasture.Blessings and best wishes. I hope your pasture is

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-57791203307653238142008-03-25T07:11:00.000-07:002008-03-25T07:44:22.286-07:00

I don't have the time to fisk this, and I know that others will do it far better, but, here's someone to lavish Easter prayers on.Steven Weinberg, the scientist of the interview, was running along nicely until this one sticky spot, where he said:We don't see any purpose dictated to human beings in nature. Human life does have a purpose, but it is a purpose that we invent for ourselves. It takes a

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-8133152908902691812008-03-25T07:04:00.000-07:002008-03-25T07:11:42.266-07:00

...as I was in my last post - blessings and best wishes to them on the arrival of dear Sophia! I've linked to their Easter photo, below.

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-46635208541479294562008-02-11T18:02:00.000-08:002008-02-11T19:38:25.220-08:00

On Melanie Bettinelli's blog, the Wine-Dark Sea, she mentioned a link to a short movie which Dom had sent her.Definitely worth watching.

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-74086816079043846602008-02-11T16:43:00.000-08:002008-02-11T16:46:35.216-08:00

Verizon's "customer service."My phone line has always been problematic. It always goes out in rainy weather. The weather has cleared now, but no one can hear me when I speak on the phone, and there's the ever-present static.So I can't report the problem using my own phone. If you've ever tried to report an issue via the incredibly cluttered Verizon website, you know what I'm going through.And

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-20361196955459493232008-02-11T15:03:00.000-08:002008-02-11T15:05:53.332-08:00

What Bill Bennett says.(found at Recta Ratio)

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-23827090191507572112008-02-05T07:46:00.000-08:002008-02-05T08:16:53.792-08:00

Karen Hall lays it out well, and I'm not going to try to improve on it, rushed as I am at the moment. She says that conservatives will be able to rally behind John McCain, because: (1) He's pro-life.(2) He's a war hero.(3) He can win.Many will narrow it down to #3.Indeed. And not only against his contenders in the election.For me, it comes down to, what will the world think of whomever we

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-29147459173348915402008-02-02T14:51:00.000-08:002008-02-02T15:22:57.717-08:00

"Even great sex can end in post-coital blues."Q: I’m male, 33, and wonder why the majority of times after sex with a chick I feel depressed. It could be the greatest sex ever, but afterwards I'm depressed and can’t wait to get away from her. As soon as I’m back in my car and on the road I feel better. Any insights?Brian Alexander, the column's author, replies with some quotes from literature,

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-12311272865210795222008-01-20T21:07:00.000-08:002008-01-20T22:16:16.070-08:00

Just got done having a look at Danielle Bean's blog. I gather from it and from a quick drop-in at Heart, Mind & Strength (God, please support Pam Pilcher and her family) that there was a bit of a (courteous) dust-up about Attachment Parenting, or AP.There is a corollary to that which I think is important: the willingness to be affectionate in marriage. We all know those married folks who show

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-5525222647662690832008-01-20T19:46:00.000-08:002008-01-20T19:48:35.231-08:00

When you have the frame of an idea - the skeleton, so to speak - and you want to fill in the blanks and make it whole - put meat on it, in other words - you want to flesh it out.Not flush it out.Thank you. You may go back to what you were doing.

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-10899270119489594572008-01-20T16:37:00.000-08:002008-01-20T18:53:08.265-08:00

A post on The New Liturgical Movement today highlighted an article Dr. Jeff Mirus of Catholic Culture wrote in which he discusses The Other Health Crisis: Why Priests are Coping Poorly by Fr. Paul Stanosz in Commonweal.Dr. Mirus' article absorbed me. As he points out, "this article unintentionally demonstrates an extremely important spiritual point."It is important to read both articles in

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-17773270185881923602008-01-20T10:38:00.000-08:002008-01-20T14:47:36.814-08:00

Tim Harford, writing in The Undercover Economist on Slate, thinks so. The article is well-written and thought-out, and worth reading. The money quote for me:[Research shows that] the new laws had an unexpected—but rational—effect: by giving women an exit-option, they gave men stronger incentives to behave well inside a marriage. The result? Domestic violence fell by almost a third, and the

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-29188533390379976542008-01-19T09:27:00.000-08:002008-01-20T15:37:04.462-08:00

One of my regularly occasional stops when grazing blogs is Video meliora, proboque; Deteriora sequor. He recently mentioned the Jane Austen presentations on Masterpiece Theatre, and seguéd into a review of Karl Keating's recent newsletter in which he opines about "soul mates":Liking is something that "just happens." Loving is something we have control over. Liking is a spontaneous emotional

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-72400764523301795812008-01-13T19:53:00.000-08:002008-01-13T20:00:33.099-08:00

Fr. Z. goes over an AP article on the Mass which Benedict XVI offered in the Sistine Chapel, in which the temporary little altar was not used, but the original altar, the design of which fits in with breathtaking beauty.The breathless "it's a break with tradition!" thing is just too funny. It's got some of us laughing our apses off.

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-42710275466634229462008-01-11T12:43:00.000-08:002008-01-11T14:41:53.917-08:00

You have to see this to believe it.The parish of St. Thérèse of Lisieux in Alhambra has established the Extraordinary Form as a regular Sunday mass at 1:00pm. This is not surprising. The parish is under the care of the Discalced Carmelites (there are three establishments in the immediate area), and has had perpetual adoration for a long time.They are the first to be listed on the archdiocesan

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-18878721906869274402008-01-11T12:01:00.000-08:002008-01-11T12:41:46.992-08:00

Bank of America is set to acquire Countrywide.I have a credit card with BofA which I am doggedly paying off. Once that's done I shall never use it again. I warn everyone away from the place. They are the absolute worst chiselers, always just on this side of the law. Let's just say you'd have to compartmentalize well to work at BofA, or go through some pretty elaborate rationalizations ...

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-90791390083711833202007-12-23T14:44:00.000-08:002007-12-23T15:56:22.754-08:00

Reading various items on Fr. Zuhlsdorf's most excellent blog, I'm humbled and grateful at the fruit of the Motu Proprio. Fr. Ze has excerpted an article written by Fr. Michael Kemper in America. I've copied the following from Fr. Z's blog. As you read, keep in mind that this is a self-identified liberal priest writing for one of the most liberal Catholic publications.He opens by describing how

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-52161589133173373912007-12-23T14:24:00.000-08:002007-12-23T14:44:13.228-08:00

my prayer is that you will have a blessed and joyous holy day.The new job continues to be absorbing, satisfying, and sometimes anxiety-inducing. I have a good boss, and that makes all the difference. But I start early in the morning, and get home late at night. A conversation with my dear one, a bite of dinner, and sometimes a walk ... then I'm ready for bed.I have even less time these days

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-60211700427344117972007-10-06T20:54:00.000-07:002007-10-06T20:58:17.475-07:00

Finding that computer at night leads me to stay up too late. Reading a book is better; i know when my body's sleepy, and it's easier to close it and go to bed.On the computer, I'm enthralled by backgammon, the news, ... anything. I do not know when my body is tired until my head starts to ache. So I stay away.But, once in a while, I do stop in, and read a bit to catch up.I am grateful for all

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-55541085970460551332007-08-20T12:42:00.000-07:002007-08-20T13:00:16.348-07:00

For so many years, if you tried to protest the innovations in the Mass, you could be severely reprimanded by Sister/Father/Bishop/whoever. "Vatican II required it."Thanks to the Internet, cellphones with cameras, YouTube, blogs, etc., the truth about what Vatican II did, and did not, teach is out there.Fr. Martin Fox is one of those serene and sane priests who is taking much of his valuable time

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-34269057951797560252007-08-06T22:41:00.000-07:002007-08-06T22:48:46.420-07:00

I'm probably the last person in the entire blogosphere to "get" this.I knew this: P.O.D. = pious and overly devotionalso what are PODCAzTS, if not something to foster P.O.D. ways? ;)(Besides his clear thinking and excellent writing, Fr. Z has the most mellifluous voice... I'm a fan - and I usually avoid podcasts, much preferring to read than listen, tyvm.)

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-11688972690596096112007-08-01T16:21:00.000-07:002007-08-01T16:47:21.096-07:00

The Catholic Bibliophagist (bibliophagist, n.: a devourer of books) has set up shop on Blogger. I feel at home with her already, if only because the picture of her many full bookcases looks oh-so-familiar. However, her place is much tidier than mine, I'm afraid. :)Alas, my linking to her will do nothing to improve her blog traffic, as my readership has (justly) dwindled to nothing since my

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-26883799875559318612007-08-01T09:28:00.000-07:002007-08-01T11:56:49.143-07:00

Jimmy Akin reports on an article with an even-handed take on the Motu Proprio, including mostly accurate descriptions of the extraordinary form of the Latin mass.Although it has caused a great deal of clucking in the liturgical henhouse, the Motu Proprio is actually a very mild, inoffensive thing. After all, if there is no call for the extraordinary form of the Mass, no priest will have to say

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-83064501327606294682007-07-17T07:00:00.000-07:002007-07-17T07:11:41.023-07:00

In an interview posted on ChristianityToday.com, Pioneer Doerksen relates "...my deep concern about some of what is going on in the modern worship explosion—the shallowness, the man-centeredness, the banality. I wanted to do something that was about God and his core attributes. A song like "Holy God" is a God song, not a song about our feelings toward God."He's doing something about it - writing

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-42024605716518279832007-07-04T20:06:00.000-07:002007-07-04T20:46:18.233-07:00

Fr. Z did a post on Cardinal O'Malley's report of the meeting about the Motu Proprio in Rome. I have preserved some of Fr. Z.'s [comments].In my comments at the meeting I told my brother bishops that in the United States the number of people who participate in the Latin Mass even with permission is very low. [Where in the USA? It’s a big place. Could Archbishop Burke have had a different

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-28584096811999745062007-07-04T12:27:00.000-07:002007-07-04T15:08:32.897-07:00

In a column about the recent article in U.S. Catholic magazine about betrothal in which the authors wrote, "Given the current research that demonstrates that not all cohabitors are alike, we propose the re-introduction of an ancient ritual of betrothal for nuptial cohabitors, followed by intensive marriage preparation in the Catholic pastoral tradition," Archbishop Chaput wrote... I believe in

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-72910307887527250852007-07-04T12:21:00.000-07:002007-07-04T12:27:39.490-07:00

My days are very full with a wonderful new job which makes the best use of my skills of any I've ever had. It's the first job I still enjoyed after two weeks, and now that liking has extended into four months. I'm learning a great deal, and also calling upon skills hard won in previous assignments. It is a blessing for me - not least because I'm earning more, even if it is mostly due to

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-39341596319711254512007-06-17T15:54:00.000-07:002007-06-17T19:40:58.768-07:00

Took at a look at the new blog, CatholiDoxies, and found the post, Coffee with Father George. Scanning thru it, I read:I started by mentioning how I thought it would be impossible to decide between RCism and Orthodoxy by simply examining the history and theology and coming to a rational decision. I was perhaps expecting pastoral advice here, such as I've received from Fr. Gregory Jensen on this

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-75713967368607374362007-06-15T07:23:00.000-07:002007-06-15T07:47:23.360-07:00

Amy posts about the Motu Proprio, referencing Fr. Z's blog:Here are the main points in the piece, which I have in Italian below (with my emphases). * The document is ready and signed. * It is being translated. * It will be issued before the Pope’s summer break. * There is a long explanatory letter from the Pope, of a theological nature to the bishops of the world to help the MP’s

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-85914152197133996372007-05-27T22:51:00.000-07:002007-05-27T22:56:34.058-07:00

My D.F. told me about Pringles Select Szechuan Barbecue rice crisps, and then actually bought some for me. Now I'm hooked on the stupid things.

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-29935034015795548322007-05-24T08:25:00.000-07:002007-05-24T09:24:54.128-07:00

It's a scene played out in darkened sonogram rooms all over the country every day:Greenbaum turned the screen toward the patient. "That’s the little heartbeat," she said, pointing to the area where a tiny organ was clearly pulsing. "And there are the little hands. There's the head. The body.""Oh, my God, I can really see it!" the patient cried. "Oh, my God! I can see the fingers!"But, instead of

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-1328419860240458872007-05-20T18:04:00.000-07:002007-05-20T18:09:42.654-07:00

from Sigmund, Carl and Alfred, via the Anchoress:Physical intimacy cannot ’speed up’ the friendship part of a relationship, much less the emotional part of that relationship. Physical intimacy will either enhance a solid platonic relationship that already exists or it will destroy a relationship that might have worked, had the physical intimacy been delayed.I know this is true, and I know it from

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-62470273969477944282007-05-20T17:57:00.000-07:002007-05-20T18:01:28.700-07:00

... Commit. This is a way of talking about faith. American culture likes to celebrate the petulant outcast, the smart-aleck with the contempt for everything and faith in nothing. Snarky mavericks. The problem is these guys are losers. They have signed up for an impossible mission. Because they’ve decided they’re going to create all the meaning in their lives. They’ve either decided that no moral

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-41475331271094961512007-05-20T15:13:00.000-07:002007-05-20T17:37:16.385-07:00

A lot can happen in a month. Children are born. Untying of ties goes on. On the other hand, some things never change, even though some things might.My spiritual journey continues, and this quiz correctly reflects where I've found myself of late:You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-52476481853405391762007-04-22T15:07:00.001-07:002007-04-22T15:07:24.829-07:00

The Book of Job used to not make sense to me. I tried to read it a couple of times, but just couldn't get "into" it.The month my mother died, I read it through and understood it, and it comforted me.When something like this happens, we ask, Why? And someone will say, "God knows," a sort of verbal shrug.The Book of Job is the answer to "Why?" And the answer truly is, God knows.God knows what

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-56681539890740401932007-04-22T10:45:00.000-07:002007-04-22T13:16:51.809-07:00

I was visiting a favourite blog which I haven't read in a long time. I came across this intriguing post about this article in the Washington Post. Ann of Holy Experience writes:It was 7:51 a.m. on Friday, January 12, the middle of the morning rush hour, and a fiddler played before his open case. On that morning in January, life had no gilded, glinting frame; life was just happening, as it so

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-78543935058534846002007-04-07T17:55:00.000-07:002007-04-07T18:38:47.731-07:00

"He charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead." Mark ix. 9.Some years My Utmost for His Highest's daily readings synch up beautifully with the liturgical calendar. This is one of those years.The day after my mother died, I went through the motions of my day in a kind of aware numbness. I was aware of being in shock. The day

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-5501266195484067922007-04-06T12:02:00.000-07:002007-04-07T18:46:49.267-07:00

"Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree." 1 Peter ii. 24.Never tolerate the idea of martyrdom about the Cross of Jesus Christ.The Cross did not happen to Jesus: He came on purpose for it... Beware of separating God manifest in the flesh from the Son becoming sin.The Incarnation was for the purpose of Redemption. God became incarnate for the purpose of putting away sin; not for

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-86565541277461965562007-04-05T12:00:00.000-07:002007-04-08T01:42:47.570-07:00

You Are 12% TexasDamn Yankee! You think the sun comes up just to hear you crow.How Texas Are You?Oh well ... it just means I have a lot to look forward to ... right?

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-84975558683257684582007-03-31T16:46:00.000-07:002007-04-08T01:47:41.286-07:00

Your Love Life Secrets AreLooking back on your life, you will only have one true love.You're a little scarred from your past relationships, but who isn't?You prefer a quirky, unique person to be your lover. You're easy going about who you're with, as long as they love you back.In fights, you love to debate and defend yourself. You logic prevails - or at least you'd like to think so.A break-up

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-60941491029620257852007-03-10T20:28:00.000-08:002007-03-10T21:38:27.494-08:00

I came to the church as a teenager. My mother loaned me her Manual of Prayers (ca. 1923) and that was that. I could not rest until I became a true member of the Catholic Church. I still have the book and cherish it. It was an excellent catechesis. Like most hand missals, it has the English translation of the Latin prayers. It explains what happens during each of the Sacraments, the meaning of the

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-48563941978206927682007-03-10T19:11:00.000-08:002007-03-10T20:25:33.081-08:00

Lots of good thought and excellent writing out there just now... green shoots appearing where just weeks (decades) ago there was nothing but muddy snow.Philip Blosser has made a number of amazing posts on his blog of late: clearly and carefully written, thoroughly researched (as always), and incisive. It is such a sigh of relief to read his stuff.I recommend this post on the language of the

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-24497971330714995212007-02-17T21:47:00.000-08:002007-02-17T23:43:12.852-08:00

Christina posted a thoughtful list of questions - a marriage discernment quiz.The Questions1. Do you feel ready for marriage?2. Is he good marriage material?3. Does he inspire you to be a better person?4. Do you inspire him to be a better person?5. How does he feel about having children?6. What things about him would you like to change?7. Does he lift heavy things for you?8. Are you physically

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-18892049594344883522007-02-17T21:46:00.000-08:002007-02-17T21:47:32.066-08:00

Lovely collection of links here which were posted for Valentine's Day. But you know what? Romance is always worth celebrating!

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-56744271044413794452007-01-29T21:22:00.000-08:002007-01-29T22:57:36.738-08:00

Hope posted this which she found here:Entering CommunityJean Vanier"When people enter community, especially from a place of loneliness in a big city or from a place of aggression and rejection, they find the warmth and the love exhilarating. This permits them to start lifting their masks and barriers and to become vulnerable. They may enter into a time of communion and great joy.But then too, as

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-55142288720985202002007-01-29T21:00:00.000-08:002007-01-29T21:04:55.805-08:00

Terry Teachout posted this quote in his blog, About Last Night:"The images on the screen are patterns of light, not living actors. They are not affected by applause or hissing. They will be the same in a packed house or an empty one. And they will be the same every time the movie is shown. This affects the audience. Occasionally, movie audiences applaud or hiss or walk out, but for the most part

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-68258047828258698552007-01-27T10:01:00.000-08:002007-01-27T10:27:14.177-08:00

I just went to a site, hoping that I could dip in and find out what an interesting quote was all about. What a letdown: it's all podcasts!I hate podcasts. Don't even listen to radio, except for classical music. No CDs at home, no television to speak of... the house is mostly silent.I wish those who podcast would get themselves a copy of Dragon NaturallySpeaking or something, and just post the

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-40227049801146667822007-01-26T21:40:00.000-08:002007-01-26T21:41:38.194-08:00

Jane EyreJane, orphaned at a young age, is turned out by her aunt. After a gloomy childhood at boarding school, she leaves to find mystery and romance with the dark, strange, Mr. Rochester...Which Classic Heroine are You?

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-11096597470529132002007-01-24T07:27:00.000-08:002007-01-24T10:24:41.548-08:00

There is a school of thought called "deconstructionism" which is familiar to anyone who's been involved in academia/liberal arts at the college level. Derrida is an author whose work I've not read but which I understand to be important in this study. It's also my understanding that the deconstructionists evolved, if you will, from the pragmatists - Ralph Waldo Emerson, et al. In graduate

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-1169572118706134592007-01-23T06:17:00.000-08:002007-01-23T13:52:40.127-08:00

(OK, that's glib. But - made you look!)A recent article in "Books and Culture," (January/February 2007, Vol. 13, No. 1, Page 28) is entitled, "On Slippery Slopes, the Blogosphere, and (oh yes) Women". In it, Susan Wise Bauer responds to the outcry following her review of a book:I haven't come out against the Trinity or the bodily resurrection. I remarked on my blog how much I liked John

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-1169449619565090622007-01-21T23:05:00.000-08:002007-01-21T23:06:59.580-08:00

The phrase is, "toe the line," not "tow the line," if you please.Thank you for your kind attention. Carry on ...

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-1169431877582168542007-01-21T16:30:00.000-08:002007-01-24T15:29:35.840-08:00

In fulfillment of a desire I've had for several months now, my work schedule facilitated a day to myself to visit the Santa Barbara and Ventura missions.For some time Jesus has been reasoning with me about the whole RC thing. I decided some months ago that I needed to just back off and stay away, because the revulsion and fury incited by the latest out of Orange County or Los Angeles were

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-1168070818086721742007-01-06T00:02:00.000-08:002007-01-06T00:06:58.086-08:00

... with prayers for Penni and her mom, among other things.I am well ... better than I deserve ... and yet having so little time to tell the story ...Blessings to you who read this.

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-1168070562168800522007-01-06T00:01:00.000-08:002007-01-15T22:25:49.206-08:00

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Very Lady A. Noël the Disheveled of Ofsted in the Bucket Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title The scary thing is it's actually pretty much right on ... ! Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-1165506102813233152006-12-07T06:48:00.000-08:002006-12-07T07:41:42.896-08:00

Found this at Happy Catholic:Christmas Meme1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Hot chocolate, please - with lots & LOTS of marshmallows! Egg nog on Christmas morning, though - and make it the Real stuff, trusting in all the brandy, nutmeg, etc. to kill any germs from the eggs.2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Oh, always wrapped, with gift tags carefully printed so as to

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-1164263132945170242006-11-22T22:24:00.000-08:002006-11-22T22:25:32.960-08:00

You Are Apple PieYou're the perfect combo of comforting and traditional Those who like you crave securityWhat Kind of Pie Are You?And, wouldn't you know it - I have one in the refrigerator right now!Happy Thanksgiving ...

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-1163377360971028932006-11-12T15:20:00.000-08:002006-11-12T16:22:41.096-08:00

Hope said, Yesterday I just about decided to stop writing on here, convinced it wasn't life giving to anyone, not even me. In the process of changing to beta blogger and categorizing a pile of posts I got to see how I keep going around and around the same subjects. I know this is how the journey works but if I get tired of it I figure you do too.That's part of why I haven't been posting much. I

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12679119.post-1161923159595020022006-10-26T21:22:00.000-07:002006-10-26T21:25:59.613-07:00

Hope posted the link to this book. It is definitely a place of pasture. Go. Be fed.

A. Noëlnoreply@blogger.com0