Kyrie Eleison

I know that The Biggest Loser is not the height of TV excellence, but I was watching it a couple days ago (Jan 5).  While it won’t win any TV awards and there is a sense in which the misery of others is exploited as entertainment, there is also an element that is good and [...]

House approves $2 billion clunker extension | Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives approved on Friday a $2 billion extension of the “Cash-for-Clunkers” automobile sales incentive program. This program is so unjust. We taxpayers are footing the bill so people can buy cars. Hello…. The money comes from somewhere folks. Someone has [...]

Catholic Culture : News Briefs : Pope to G20 leaders: Don’t abandon the poor In a letter to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Pope Benedict urged the leaders of the world’s 20 wealthiest nations not to turn their backs on the world’s poorest nations. The Pontiff noted that the G20 accounts for “90% of the [...]

When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. – 1 Cor 13:11 Running Boy – Click here to see a larger image Have you ever watched Survivor?  I am not watching currently, but [...]

Obama campaigned big on bringing the troops home right away.  Now we hear this. Officials: Obama to Leave Up to 50K Troops in Iraq Through 2011: President Obama will announce plans today to withdraw the bulk of the current 142,000 U.S. troops in Iraq by Aug. 31 of 2010, leaving 35,000 to 50,000 in place [...]

One of the best parts of my recent trip to Paris was Notre Dame. It formed a center piece to our mini-pilgrimage. There we experienced Mass, Eucharistic adoration, vespers, and veneration of the Crown of Thorns (yes, Virginia that Crown of Thorns). It was a tremendous blessing to have experienced this magnificent Cathedral. I cannot [...]

My wife and I spent 5 days in Paris on a quick pilgrimage visit. This was our first time to Europe, and a worthwhile but exhausting visit. We were blessed to venerate the portion of the Crown of Thorns at Notre Dame, view the relics of 300 martyrs killed during the French Revolution, view the [...]

Recent news is full of the Pope’s detractors, even as news reaches us that the current brouhaha was set-up to bring scandal.  There are more than a few who do not want reconciliation, who do not really want Christian unity – at least not with certain types of Christians (those that look most like Catholics [...]

A few thoughts on last night’s TV festivities. 1. That was one of the best football games I have watched.  While I preferred the Cardinals (though my sentiment was not strong), I cannot help but admit that it was an extremely satisfying game. 2. The commercials have a hard edge.  I laughed at some and [...]

Some of our protestant brothers and sisters rightly hold in high regard the moment that one personally accepts Christ as savior.  It is a powerful moment that transforms the life of the one bowing to Christ and even the lives that he or she touches.  But this moment is mistakenly thought by some to be [...]

Most New Years we head to our friends in Sacramento or they come to our home, but not this year.  This year, we are set to have a nice, quiet, boring New Years eve to bid adieu to 2008 and face 2009. This past year has been one of the worst and one of the [...]

I hope you read a article by Dr. Jeff Mirus, Discouragement and Faith at Catholic Culture.  I found it fruitful reading about this post-election period.  I have noticed a sense of peace in face of what has happened on several faithful blogs.  I suspect it has to do with why we take the stand we [...]

While I am not as happy with the outcome of the election as some are, I am very glad that it is over. This idea of never ending campaigning is nuts. I think that the length of the campaigns contribute to the animosity generated. The official campaigning started two years ago, and the unofficial before [...]

I saw this story from Reuters Nintendo Co Ltd sold 666,000 units of its Wii video game console in the United States in June, becoming the country’s best-selling video game console, the company said on Thursday, citing figures from market research firm NPD. I am wondering why they didn’t report 665,000 or more than 660,000 [...]

click here for a larger image Yesterday, I discussed how human fulfillment develops in regards to three universal needs – work, love, and God. A society can be diagnosed according to how well it hinders or fosters development in terms of these needs. It is important to realize that these ideas stem from a realist [...]

click here for a larger image There are three basic needs each man must satisfy for fulfillment, to achieve his potential. Freud identified two of these (though he is not the first nor is he alone) when he talked about love and work. Saint Benedict had a more complete picture with “ora et labora” or [...]

For those who can easily make ends meet or who have short or no commutes, the dramatic increase in gasoline prices are a nuisance. For those who are less fortunate, they can be life altering. In a place like Southern California, the lower-middle class, and even the middle class must make difficult decisions in terms [...]

Silence is an endangered commodity in the modern world. And we may be the worse off for it. Where has all the silence gone? Do you remember when cell phones first started appearing? I recall feeling sorry for this busy professional in the early ‘80s answer a phone in a grocery store because of their [...]

This week I read Ezra and Nehemiah. And something struck me about the parallel between these two biblical figures and Pope Benedict. Ezra restored right worship of the Lord, and rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem. Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem so the City could be re-established after it had been destroyed. Both books were [...]

Dale at Dyspeptic Mutterings had a post titled “Past the point of no return”: It is about the rift between the liberal and orthodox Catholics. Here is an excerpt: “Allen is right that there’s a canyon between the tribes, and the problem is at its root one of trust. But, sadly, he’s wrong to think [...]