tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88473828801101029072012-02-01T21:22:54.734-05:00Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.comBlogger8381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-55199234258706328142012-02-01T13:29:00.000-05:002012-02-01T21:22:54.740-05:00

Anthony Esolen,who teaches Renaissance English literature and Western Civilization at Providence College, is one of those remarkable men -- a true Renaissance man -- without whom the world would be a duller and darker place. I got to know Professor Esolen and his lovely wife only casually when I worked at Providence College back in the mid-1990s, and I have been following his academic and

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-80456725944627511322012-01-31T13:22:00.001-05:002012-02-01T09:38:40.112-05:00

Pope Benedict, in a recent address, touched on the dignity of human work and the associated need for leisure so one can rest, spend time with one's family, and devote time to divine worship. I've included a brief video (below) of the pope's comments. Listening to the pope I couldn't help but realize how society has changed so drastically in just a few decades. When I was a child very few

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-38595458899395823032012-01-30T16:49:00.000-05:002012-01-31T09:07:34.403-05:00

Not long ago, someone asked me, "You seem to be pretty conservative politically. How come you're against capital punishment?" I told him there was no quick answer, but that I'd write about it soon. And so I suppose this is my response. It's been interesting experiencing the change in my own thinking regarding capital punishment. Thirty years ago I had no problem with the death penalty. As far as

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-55414805279865843252012-01-16T20:02:00.000-05:002012-01-17T19:43:31.300-05:00

In recent years I've encountered a surprising number of people who claim to be agnostic. But when I question them about their beliefs, I discover they are actually something else. Unlike the agnostic who claims ignorance as to the existence of God, these folks believe in God's existence but see Him as a hands-off God. Their view of God is really a kind of variant on the watchmaker analogy.

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-2477579451811810472012-01-11T20:56:00.001-05:002012-01-11T21:03:25.557-05:00

Readings: 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20; Ps 40; Mk 1:29-39 Our reading today from Mark’s Gospel is one of those passages that attacks and challenges us from every direction. That’s the way Mark introduces us to Jesus: rapid-fire and with no embellishment, he just presents us with the astonishing facts, one after another. And this passage is so full of the Good News of Jesus Christ that we run the risk of

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-28163302797065696592012-01-09T19:14:00.003-05:002012-01-09T19:33:05.469-05:00

Readings: 1 Jn 3:11-21; Ps 100; Jn 1:43-51 “Come, follow me.” Now that’s a command Jesus directs not just to the apostles, but to each of us. One can’t but help think of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, whose feast we celebrate today, and how she went from a life of comfort and privilege to one of sheer poverty in conformance to God’s Will. Born on the eve of the American Revolution she followed

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-55423432691338415512012-01-09T18:35:00.000-05:002012-01-09T18:50:02.203-05:00

Readings: Num 6:22-27; Ps 67; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21 There’s no need to exaggerate the role that Mary played in the story of our salvation. It’s a role and a story we’re all familiar with. The story of how Mary willingly and courageously accepted the remarkable mission God asked of her – how she agreed to bear the Son of God, the Savior of the world. The gospels describe her role, especially St

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-75098477247619030032012-01-09T18:32:00.004-05:002012-01-09T18:32:49.478-05:00

My apologies to those who actually read this blog and have wondered why I haven't posted anything for a couple of weeks. The answer is simple: I needed a break. I've had a lot going on in my life recently and just had to pull away from all the busyness, sit back and take some time off. Since our children and grandchildren all remained up north in their own homes this year, the two weeks after

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-70060663498668491702011-12-30T11:19:00.000-05:002011-12-30T12:00:20.075-05:00

Over the past week or so I've come across several news stories, most related to Christmas, that I decided might be of interest to those who read this blog. I found these stories intriguing because they span the globe and don't really form a cohesive whole or obvious pattern. The events described depict our world in all its often contradictory strangeness, and show us how ill-advised it can be to

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-32655992850978698572011-12-28T10:04:00.002-05:002011-12-28T10:35:16.188-05:00

Readings: 1 Jn 1:5-2:2; Ps 124; Mt 2:13-18 More than any other day in the liturgical year, Christmas is a celebration of life. It’s the day we celebrate the remarkable gift of the Father – the gift in which He gives us His Son, Jesus Christ, by having Him share in our human life, by becoming one of us. On this day God sends Himself into the world. The Word is made flesh and dwells among us. He

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-4480252093771981012011-12-28T04:40:00.000-05:002011-12-28T11:30:22.917-05:00

As I have aged, my sleeping habits have become less...well, habitual. Some nights I find myself waking at odd hours, unable to get back to sleep. I usually get up, tiptoe out of the bedroom, plop down in my nice comfortable easy chair, and read until I once again get sleepy. Tonight, however, my mind turned from the book I was reading and began asking itself a series of presumably rhetorical

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-76116111102613739732011-12-27T19:22:00.001-05:002011-12-28T09:45:54.287-05:00

Tomorrow, December 28, is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, those children of Bethlehem who were murdered by Herod in his bizarre attempt to thwart God's plan. Matthew briefly describes the event in his Gospel: When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-37824444215087165012011-12-27T10:15:00.000-05:002011-12-27T10:17:59.747-05:00

Today, December 27, is the feast of St. John the Apostle. Here's a link to a wonderful essay on the legacy of St. John by Fr. James Schall, S. J., a Jesuit who teaches at Georgetown University and who, unknowingly, has been educating me through his writings for years:  “That Your Joy May Be Full”

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-72898770092780564082011-12-27T10:12:00.000-05:002011-12-27T10:20:09.081-05:00

Readings: Is 52:7-10; Ps 98; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18 I can’t speak for you, but I find it hard to ignore the commercial side of Christmas, that part of Christmas our secular and materialistic culture wants us to focus on. Wrapped up in all the shopping and decorating and diners and parties, it's easy to forget why the Magi carried those original Christmas gifts to a newborn baby lying in a manger

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-37814175209323991752011-12-21T21:21:00.001-05:002011-12-21T21:48:43.195-05:00

Readings: Zeph 3:14-18a; Ps 33; Lk 1:39-45 Is everyone joyful? I don’t know; there are some grumpy looking faces out there. Now, I don’t expect you to leap for joy as John the Baptist did in his mother’s womb. But maybe a joyful smile…That’s better. Because in case you didn’t notice, they’re almost over. No, I’m not talking about the political commercials; we’ve got another 10 months of those

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-20986778208401393232011-12-18T22:47:00.001-05:002011-12-18T23:11:11.355-05:00

Today the world lost one of the great men of our time. Václav Havel was many things. He was a noted poet and playwright, a courageous dissident who spent many years in communist jails, the leader of the 1989 Velvet Revolution that freed Czechoslovakia from the tyranny of communist totalitarianism, the president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992, and the president of the newly formed Czech

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-69596156867986659912011-12-18T20:47:00.001-05:002011-12-19T09:04:39.610-05:00

In my role as a deacon, I assisted at a vigil Mass yesterday evening, and am left with a quiet Sunday at home with dear Diane. Since I was not scheduled to preach, I have no homily to share with you, although I suppose you can, if you care to, read my homily from this same 4th Sunday of Advent, Year B, from December 2008. Here's the link: 4th Sunday of Advent. Anyway, I thought I might touch on

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-71378776502564975232011-12-15T22:39:00.001-05:002011-12-18T23:11:03.012-05:00

Lord Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth, paid a visit this week to Pope Benedict XVI in a private audience at the Vatican. During his visit Rabbi Sacks echoed what the pope has been saying for years and expressed his concerns about Europe and the rejection of its Judeo-Christian roots. "We are very concerned obviously with the soul of Europe, I mean

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-14545232347634124362011-12-15T18:36:00.004-05:002011-12-15T19:11:45.710-05:00

One of my colleagues at the Wildwood Soup Kitchen, passed along this video today. It's an item from a local evening news show here in The Villages, Florida. Interestingly, as they interviewed me, you can see dear Diane, the head cook, moving about behind me and doing all the work while I schmooze with the cameraman and the reporter. Ah, well, it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it. If

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-44588167273539417302011-12-15T18:27:00.000-05:002011-12-15T19:09:50.721-05:00

Working at the soup kitchen this morning, I was kept very busy from the moment I arrived until I limped toward the car hours later to drive home with dear Diane. I was limping because when I climbed out of bed in the darkness of the early morning, I stubbed my toe against a chair and broke it (the toe, not the chair). It hurt all morning, although not horribly, and I didn't realize it was

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-32936054876145602702011-12-14T06:44:00.001-05:002011-12-14T17:17:37.956-05:00

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint John of the Cross, the great sixteenth-century Spanish mystic and poet whose life and writings have led so many to accept God's gift of faith. John realized early in his life that the search for worldly happiness can never succeed because true joy comes only from God. He taught that we can experience this joy only when we free ourselves from worldly

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-50482212066077840162011-12-11T23:09:00.001-05:002011-12-12T10:36:21.450-05:00

It was quite a weekend for this one football fan. First of all, Navy beat Army for the tenth straight year, far better than the record during my four years at the Naval Academy. We beat Army once during that period (thanks largely to Roger Staubach), lost twice and tied once. Those were the days when ties were still permitted. Over the years I've celebrated many Navy wins and suffered through

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-30459208411823474232011-12-11T11:52:00.001-05:002011-12-12T10:35:12.716-05:00

The Samaritan woman The other day I was asked by a parishioner if it were okay for a Christian to correct another Christian who had fallen into sinful habits that were leading him astray spiritually. My short answer was, "Yes...just be careful." She then asked for a scriptural reference on the subject. I suggested she turn to Matthew 18 (see below) where Jesus provides a three-step approach

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-62624571602245410322011-12-11T11:12:00.001-05:002011-12-11T11:47:58.165-05:00

Paul Greenberg, Southerner, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, editorial page editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and self-described "slow learner", was recently honored by the Human Life Foundation with its ninth annual Great Defender of Life award. In his remarks on the occasion of the award, Mr. Greenberg described his own journey from pro-abortion advocate to defender of life. I have

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-18113380515771679932011-12-11T10:34:00.001-05:002011-12-11T11:09:14.258-05:00

I have a number of friends who have come to the Catholic Church from Judaism, but none of them took the same path. One, for example, was a completely secular Jew who was brought up in a family in which religion in any form was considered the height of folly. His conversion came about when, after suffering a series of family and business setbacks, he wandered into an inner-city Catholic Church and

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-74635778352891552562011-12-07T22:21:00.001-05:002011-12-07T22:36:29.194-05:00

Some time ago I heard a lecture by Dr. Peter Kreeft, prolific author and professor of philosophy at Boston College, in which he discussed the idea of beauty and the sacred, particularly as they are encountered in the arts. Today, while browsing a few favorite websites I came across a video -- a one-hour BBC documentary -- entitled "Why Beauty Matters", in which English philosopher Roger Scruton

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-2173143341368958822011-12-06T20:13:00.001-05:002011-12-06T20:22:44.398-05:00

In a November 20th post I provided a link to part one of an interview with an Egyptian Christian by journalist and author Michael Totten. Totten has since published the second and final part of the interview which is available here: The Christians of Egypt, Part 2. Interesting stuff.

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-32867311417172572712011-12-04T12:30:00.000-05:002011-12-05T10:28:58.339-05:00

Recommending books for others to read can sometimes be a bit problematic. For example, some years ago I posted a list of books for summer reading and received a rather hostile email from someone who began by complaining about the "conservatism" of several of the authors on my list. Then he got to the real point of his email. "How come," he asked, "you listed books only by Catholic authors?" Well

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-19440174147239902572011-12-04T07:06:00.001-05:002011-12-04T14:06:23.482-05:00

Responding to recent initiatives by the Obama administration and a number of state governments that threaten the religious freedom of American citizens, the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has formed an ad hoc Committee on Religious Liberty designed to secure and promote the religious freedom of all. Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the bishops' conference, has led the

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-55456652879414693782011-11-30T19:37:00.000-05:002011-11-30T19:37:55.617-05:00

Here's a link to a fascinating and very timely essay by Catholic historian, George Weigel. It's well worth reading. Catholics and Freedom - George Weigel

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-11901595613574247762011-11-30T18:57:00.002-05:002011-12-07T21:34:41.955-05:00

I keep hearing people, who should know better, refer to our form of government as a democracy. Perhaps they slept through their ninth-grade civics class; you know, that boring course in which we learned all about our representative republic with its three branches of government, its separation of powers, and it's constitutional guarantees and bill of rights. One thing I learned from that class is

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-13161639090280874982011-11-23T13:37:00.001-05:002011-11-23T13:38:48.911-05:00

Readings: Dn 5:1-28; Dn 3; Luke 21.12-19 If the gospel message is good news, then why do so many oppose it with hostility and even violence? Jesus warns us that we’ll be confronted with persecution, evil, false teaching, and temptation. And how does He tell us to respond to all this? With love, with truth, with forgiveness. Only God’s love can defeat bigotry, hatred, envy, and all that would

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-46281973778458827982011-11-22T13:30:00.001-05:002011-11-22T13:30:49.479-05:00

A portion of the Mount of Olives cemetery Among cemeteries still in use one of the oldest in the world is located in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. Its earliest graves date as far back as 1,000 B.C. and Jews are still being buried there 3,000 years later. For many believing Jews it is a very special cemetery, for tradition and prophecy in the Book of Zechariah tell of the Messiah entering

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-25067823841194708922011-11-20T21:38:00.000-05:002011-11-20T21:38:13.902-05:00

Readings: Ez 34:11-12,15-17; 1 Cor 15:20-26.28; Mt 25:31- ______________ During the past twelve months the liturgy has led us from Advent and the world’s expectation of a Savior, to His arrival among us as a helpless infant, through His ministry, His passion and death, to His resurrection and His return to the Father. Then, beginning with Pentecost, we experienced the Church’s pilgrimage as it

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-66181186711076698962011-11-20T11:09:00.002-05:002011-11-20T12:11:43.795-05:00

Burning of a Christian church in Egypt (May 2011) Yesterday evening, with one eye on Florida State's sloppy and losing performance in their game with Virginia, I used my good eye to read an interview of an Egyptian Christian that highlights the vast differences between the world-view of most Americans and that of Egyptians, whether Muslim or Christian. Author and journalist Michael Totten

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-53909956240163410062011-11-16T17:47:00.000-05:002011-11-16T17:47:11.061-05:00

Readings: 2 Mc 7:1, 20-31; Ps 17; Lk 19:11-28 ____________________ The story of the Maccabees is a marvelous story. It’s the story of the Jewish uprising in the 2nd century before Christ against the remnants of Alexander’s empire. And it’s a story that’s very relevant to our own times. For it’s a story of tremendous courage -- political, moral and personal -- as well as a story of remarkable

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-89110724166078298012011-11-16T14:58:00.000-05:002011-11-16T14:58:59.531-05:00

Here's one you might have missed. Apparently some atheists in the military want to have their own chaplains and lay leaders. It seems they're bummed out that they're deprived of whatever it is they think believing chaplains provide for their faithful. I'm just trying to understand what exactly an atheist chaplain would do. Would he or she conduct services during which the unfaithful would gather

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-11013013515138873082011-11-16T13:43:00.003-05:002011-11-17T18:14:54.557-05:00

A bit of a change of pace today... I tend to be an overly critical and cautious observer when it comes to contemporary art. I'll admit to a partiality toward some abstract art in which the artist's use of color and shape fascinates me. But these are exceptions. I actually find too much of contemporary art to be beyond comprehension -- at least beyond my comprehension -- and some to be so

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-89368478484880968392011-11-15T19:26:00.003-05:002011-11-17T18:17:16.884-05:00

I usually don't get political here -- well, not  too often and not too political -- but I'm making an exception today. Actually, what I'm going to address is political only to those who want the Church to remain on the sidelines, far outside the public square, and who believe religion should be practiced only behind closed doors. They don't like it when the Church speaks out on moral issues

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-26167702867684093242011-11-12T20:30:00.003-05:002011-11-14T08:02:13.739-05:00

Note:  Once again, as an aid to our parishioners in advance of the upcoming changes to the Roman Missal, I try to demonstrate how these changes in language will help us better understand the strong connection between what we pray, what we believe, and how we live the Christian life. In doing so I have been aided by the homiletic notes provided by our diocesan Office of Liturgy.___________

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-14635817453751932452011-11-09T15:40:00.001-05:002011-11-09T15:45:20.705-05:00

Readings: Ez 47:1-2,8-9,12; Ps 46; 1 Cor 3:9-11,16-17; Jn 2:13-22 Most people think of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome as the pope’s primary church, his cathedral, but it’s not. That honor belongs to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, for it is the pope’s church, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome where the Bishop of Rome presides. And today we celebrate its dedication. Interior of St. John

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-71258741447847943602011-11-08T20:50:00.002-05:002011-11-08T20:57:59.259-05:00

Watching, listening to, or reading the "news" these days can be a frustrating experience. I suppose I'm most bothered by the underlying political correctness in the reporting, occasionally very obvious but more often fairly subtle. Probably the most apparent symptom of this PC reporting is manifest in the news that simply never gets reported or, at best, is under-reported, buried in the back

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-8080045606003568702011-11-07T10:56:00.003-05:002011-11-07T10:59:33.642-05:00

Readings: Wis 6:12-16; Ps 63; 1 Thes 4:13-18; Mt 25:1-13 I know I’ve mentioned my eighth-grade teacher, Sister Francis Jane, more than a few times in the past. And as I prepared this homily she just popped up once again. Every so often, maybe once a week, she’d read a Gospel passage to us in class and then talk about it for a few minutes. One morning, after reading today’s parable of the ten

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-28143425512520277022011-11-02T20:47:00.002-04:002011-11-02T21:02:04.086-04:00

About a month ago I was asked to lead a morning of reflection for the Ministers to the Sick of the parishes in our little corner of the Diocese of Orlando. I decided to focus this two-hour period of prayer and reflection on "The Healing Ministry of Mary." I gave the talk this past Saturday morning and have included it here in its entirety. _____________ The Unique Role of Mary Good morning! It

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-64396614238350019952011-11-02T12:09:00.002-04:002011-11-02T12:10:03.221-04:00

On Saturday, October 29, 2011, Gloria Costanzo, one of our parishioners, went home to the Father. At 85, Gloria had enjoyed a long, full life and had remained active in parish ministries to the very end. A woman filled with both love and humility, Gloria would be embarrassed if were to list even a few of the ways she brought God's love into the world...so I won't. It's enough to say that she was

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-3534479751287750512011-11-02T10:53:00.001-04:002011-11-02T10:55:12.980-04:00

Readings: Rv 7:2-4, 9-1; Ps 24; 1 Jn 3:1-3; Mt 5:1-12 "Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?" [Rv 7:13] I just love that verse from the Book of Revelation, because it’s the kind of question you or I might ask. Who are these people? Who are these saints? Where did they come from? How did they manage to live such holy lives in this weird world of ours? Yes, it’s these

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-40345730941305423862011-10-30T10:48:00.001-04:002011-10-30T10:49:06.375-04:00

Readings: Romans 8:26-30; Psalm 13; Luke 13:22-30 Years ago, on a business trip to a remote part of Pennsylvania, I discovered that the only way to get there was to fly in a relatively small 10-seat Cessna. With a full flight and a small plane, weight and balance become a bit of an issue for the pilot. The last passenger to show up was a very large man, and he had several large, heavy bags.

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-21012531173453059772011-10-23T11:54:00.001-04:002011-10-23T11:56:04.599-04:00

Note: As the Church in English-speaking countries prepares for the new translation of the Roman Missal used at Mass, we here in the Diocese of Orlando have been encouraged by our diocesan liturgical office to address these changes in our Sunday homilies. On occasion it can be a bit of a challenge to discuss and explain some of the changes while, at the same time, fulfilling the need of the

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-69250445300464691052011-10-22T17:54:00.002-04:002011-10-24T08:43:22.270-04:00

More on Flannery O'Connor. Yesterday, a few hours after I posted links to recordings of a reading and a lecture by Flannery O'Connor, I received an email from a friend asking me for more information about her. He had never heard of O'Connor and wanted to know something before investing in the books I had recommended in the post. So, for him and for others who might be thinking similar thoughts,

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-11070923455643240272011-10-21T18:49:00.000-04:002011-10-21T18:49:28.609-04:00

Back in February 2009 I provided links to the only two voice recordings of Flannery O'Connor that I am aware of. Some others may exists but I certainly have been unable to find them. Recently, however, it was brought to my attention that these links have gone the way of most links on the worldwide web and are no longer valid. I did a brief search this afternoon and found some new links to the

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-26066370065040091082011-10-20T17:32:00.000-04:002011-10-20T17:32:00.826-04:00

Readings: Romans 6:12-18; Psalm 124; Luke 12:39-48  ____________________ Power’s really a strange commodity, isn’t it? Lord Acton warned us that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” And we’ve seen enough evidence of that in the world in recent years. Jesus certainly knew this as well, and wanted to ensure the Apostles would exercise their power – really His power – and

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-75152554405630784612011-10-19T15:24:00.001-04:002011-10-21T11:11:59.499-04:00

I enjoy taking candid photos of people I encounter while traveling. And for some reason that I haven't fully worked out, I prefer these photos in black and white rather than color. Perhaps with color photos the eye is drawn more to the color than to the actual subject of the photograph. But there might well be other reasons. As I say, I haven't quite worked it out. Earlier today I uploaded a

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-9348215350379194812011-10-18T08:15:00.002-04:002011-10-18T18:27:56.519-04:00

We certainly live in interesting times and one can only hope, for the sake of our children and grandchildren, that they become a wee bit less interesting in the future. Although, I have to admit, a part of me is pleased that I was born into the world in these times. I can't help but feel somewhat privileged to be able to live in and observe our world as it undergoes such radical change. It

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-69910513019168574812011-10-16T18:20:00.000-04:002011-10-16T18:20:53.273-04:00

Readings: Rom 2:1-11; Ps 62; Lk 11:42-46 Some years ago I read a book in which the author described a dream. An angel took her to a church to worship. She saw the organist playing. The organ's keys went up and down, but no music came from the organ. She saw the choir singing. The singers' mouths opened and closed, but no song came from their lips. She saw the congregation praying. Their lips

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-1491625687416214162011-10-16T17:29:00.005-04:002011-10-16T22:18:14.003-04:00

I finally found it in the back of a drawer with paper clips and pencils,  under a box of erasers I'd bought long ago but never used.    Its polished surface shone black against my palm. My hand closed around it,  felt it's cool smooth artificiality. I wondered at the  absurdity of it all.   No primitive sacred stone was ever polished  by a rockhound, sealed in a mesh bag  with fifty others,  and

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-50136670924622570222011-10-11T18:58:00.002-04:002011-10-11T20:32:27.930-04:00

I had two, that's right, two doctors' appointments today. This is very unusual for me, one who rarely visits doctors under the wise assumption that such visits lead only to further visits, more discomfiting tests, and worries that something might actually be wrong with me. I often go years without seeing a doctor, feeling wonderful the entire time. But not long ago I made the mistake of

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-20093938430309069512011-10-09T19:55:00.002-04:002011-10-09T19:57:01.127-04:00

Readings: Isaiah 25:6-10; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14 My wife and I just returned from celebrating our youngest son’s wedding on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts. Now, Nantucket is a very casual place, and so many of the wedding guests were dressed in, let’s say, alternative clothing. But unlike the king in today’s Gospel passage, I didn’t even consider banning them

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-64392667137083238782011-10-09T19:13:00.000-04:002011-10-09T19:13:12.250-04:00

Amari, the Bride Well, Diane and I are home once again, after another three-week absence. This time we drove to Massachusetts for the wedding of our youngest, Brendan, who married the beautiful Amari on October 1 on Nantucket Island. We avoided the unfriendly skies and drove, largely because I simply enjoy driving. Not only do we experience the country up close but we also avoid the minor

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-32130795304096564982011-09-21T10:37:00.002-04:002011-09-21T10:44:57.581-04:00

John Adams Our nation seems to be rapidly approaching a crossroads that demands we as a people make a decision about the kind of society our children and grandchildren will inherit. We have made many such decisions in the past, but at some point the cumulative effect of these decisions may just lead us down a path to an irrevocable future, one that will alter the very structure of our society.

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-20880655690766894152011-09-19T20:24:00.003-04:002011-09-20T06:31:19.132-04:00

Ezekiel & PhineasIt's early evening and I'm sitting here with two of my grandsons watching a rather strange animated show, "Fireman Sam", on Sprout. For those of you not blessed with either children or grandchildren, Sprout is a cable network offering fare for the pre-school crowd. The show is strange -- at least to me -- because it features a nasty little boy named Norman who time and again

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-39684312149669886922011-09-16T20:00:00.000-04:002011-09-16T20:00:50.977-04:00

On September 8, the day on which we celebrate the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Archbishop Charles Chaput was installed as the new archbishop of Philadelphia. In the course of his homily that day, he made some interesting comments about the role of the bishop in the Church. I have included them below. Along with a ring, two other symbols really define a bishop’s ministry.

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-68150721398724697702011-09-16T18:47:00.002-04:002011-09-16T20:02:03.178-04:00

It seems as if Diane and I just returned from our last trip (that one to the cornfields of Iowa), and now here we are again leaving the familiar comforts of home, driving north on the always exciting I-95. On the previous trip we celebrated the marriage of the son of our dear friends, Nancy and Dave Lee, but this time we will join in an even more personal celebration: the marriage of our

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-85808890667428487732011-09-14T21:30:00.000-04:002011-09-14T21:30:46.645-04:00

Note: Today, September 14, is a special feast in the liturgical calendar of the Church. We celebrate both the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem (the first of which was built during the reign of the Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century) and the discovery of the Holy Cross by Constantine's mother, St. Helena, in 320 A.D. _______________________ Readings: Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 78; Phil 2

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-73802073997176225232011-09-11T10:30:00.000-04:002011-09-11T10:30:58.074-04:00

Readings: Sir 27: 30 - 28: 9; Ps 103; Rom 14: 7-9; Mt 18: 21-35 A few weeks after the events of September 11, 2001, a local New England TV station interviewed the mother of a young woman killed in that terrorist attack. The woman was leaving the Catholic Church where the funeral Mass for her daughter had just been celebrated. A reporter approached her and her other grown children, stuck a

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-66070206335222957082011-09-06T13:16:00.001-04:002011-09-06T17:05:38.503-04:00

David Hatchwell Altaras It seems that last month's World Youth Day celebration in Madrid was well received by more than the world's Catholic youth. David Hatchwell, vice president and spokesman for the 10,000-member Jewish Community of Madrid, was enthusiastic in calling it an "absolute success." Hatchwell was interviewed by ZENIT, an international news agency based in Rome that provides news

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-53552825384392616492011-09-04T19:23:00.001-04:002011-09-04T20:15:09.343-04:00

Readings: Ez 33:7-9 • Ps 95 • Rom 13:8-10 • Mt 18:15-20 As a deacon I’ve conducted my share of marriage preparation sessions over the years.As you might expect, most are enjoyable. After all I’m helping two people as they prepare to take what will likely be the most important step of their lives. They’re in love, with stars in their eyes, and they’re very happy because they haven’t a clue about

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-2364188641409957472011-09-03T14:55:00.003-04:002011-09-04T10:23:40.145-04:00

Popemobile makes its way through the crowd "But I am not the star, I am only the vicar. I point beyond myself to the Other who is in our midst." -- Pope Benedict XVI on the eve of World Youth Day I'm a little late commenting on World Youth Day, that spectacular gathering in Madrid of faithful youth from all over the world that took place August 16-21, but life's events conspired against me.

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-19906622391946569332011-09-01T20:36:00.002-04:002011-09-01T20:46:45.662-04:00

I find it interesting that a lot of people, and not just Protestants, but Catholics as well, don't realize that the celebration of the Mass as we know it today has roots that go back to the earliest days of Christianity. Of course, as Catholics we believe that the first Mass was indeed celebrated by Jesus at the Last Supper on the night before He died. We also believe that when He instructed the

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-32861023533668834292011-08-31T12:07:00.001-04:002011-08-31T12:07:45.218-04:00

Dear Diane is out of surgery, her wonderful surgeon stopped by to tell me she's doing fine, and so I hope to see her soon. And I'll also get to take her home with me later today, after a few hours of recovery here in the hospital.It is times such a these that remind us how much we owe God, how thankful we should be for all things. It is all a gift, isn't it? Life itself, and all the blessings

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-61031755558289744762011-08-31T08:32:00.001-04:002011-08-31T08:56:40.933-04:00

It's 6:30 a.m. and Diane and I are in a pre-op waiting room of sorts...and we're certainly waiting. Dear Diane will undergo outpatient surgery this morning and, we hope, return home this afternoon. I will sit in the surgery waiting room, pray Morning Prayer, roam the halls, drink coffee in the hospital cafeteria, finish reading Macbeth on the iPad, and just try to stay busy because I really

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-21105505077066719712011-08-29T21:39:00.001-04:002011-08-30T20:59:42.182-04:00

If you're a Christian, and especially if you're a Catholic, you're being persecuted. Maybe you didn't know this, but it's true. Even here in the good ol' freedom-loving USA, we are undergoing all kinds of persecution, some subtle and some not so subtle. We're not being killed or imprisoned, at least not yet, but there are other forms of persecution, some already in place and others planned.

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-82186844144476753342011-08-29T19:45:00.001-04:002011-08-29T19:48:00.034-04:00

Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, the president of the Vatican Bank, has been saying interesting things lately. In his latest comments, he offers his thoughts on the tendency of governments to address their indebtedness problems by simply raising taxes: "During a prolonged crisis, inheritance taxes, new forms of taxation or similar alternatives reduce or wipe out resources for investments, discouraging the

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-67532539860039957452011-08-27T17:22:00.002-04:002011-08-27T17:31:21.264-04:00

Readings: Jer 20:7-9; Ps 63; Rom 12:1-2; Mt 16:21-27 One of the more interesting aspects of Holy Scripture is that the Bible is filled with encounters between God and man. I suppose that’s to be expected since the Bible is really the story of God’s involvement – perhaps immersion would be a better word – in the history of humanity. He is, after all, the very Author of humanity, the Author of all

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-54210934614826402152011-08-17T16:11:00.002-04:002011-08-17T21:38:57.458-04:00

The U.S. Air Force has apparently decided that Christian just war theory is simply far too controversial to be included in a course on Nuclear Ethics and Nuclear Warfare taught at Vandenburg Air Force Base in California. Their decision to suspend the course resulted from complaints by several students and from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Although the MRFF seems to be an

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-79422676443731592462011-08-15T04:07:00.002-04:002011-08-15T04:08:40.353-04:00

It's 2 a.m and thanks to an aching shoulder resulting from a hard fall I took the other day, I'm unable to sleep...at least for the time being. Dear Diane is snoozing soundly while I sit In this unlit corner of our hotel room tapping away on the iPad. I've already spent some time in prayer, and so what better use to make of these odd, dark hours than posting to this blog. Over the years I've had

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-10202764209786724442011-08-10T21:35:00.002-04:002011-08-10T21:36:15.945-04:00

I haven't posted anything recently because we've been on the road, slowly making our way up the Mississippi en route to Charles City, Iowa where we will attend the wedding of the son of dear friends. It's been a wonderful trip so far and has included stops at Niceville and Pensacola in Florida, as well as Natchez in Mississippi, and then Memphis. Today we arrived at Hannibal, Missouri, Samuel

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-47723224523778974112011-08-02T11:02:00.004-04:002011-08-02T14:49:56.710-04:00

It's become increasingly more expensive to travel these days, especially if you're heading to Europe. The dollar has been hovering around 0.7 € making already high prices for hotels, food, and rental cars even higher. Airfares have increased too, driven upward by soaring fuel costs and all those additional fees for everything from checked luggage to pillows and soft drinks. And then there's the

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-33977192483058914992011-08-01T13:15:00.000-04:002011-08-01T13:15:28.428-04:00

In our parish I have the privilege of facilitating two weekly sessions of Scripture study. One group gathers after our Wednesday morning Mass, and another on Wednesday evening to coincide with the parish's faith formation program. I'm not sure how long I've been doing this; I think by now it's been five or six years. But one thing I do know: these meetings, along with my Thursdays at the Wildwood

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-52957945205145194942011-07-31T15:28:00.001-04:002011-07-31T15:53:17.425-04:00

On July 17 Warren Carroll died at the age of 79. A pioneering Catholic educator and a brilliant historian, Dr. Carroll founded Christendom College in Front Royal, VA in 1977. Christendom is one of the "new" Catholic institutions of high education founded in recent decades in what has so far been a laudable and successful effort to counteract the declining Catholicity of so many supposedly

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-60414528779433848432011-07-30T19:53:00.002-04:002011-07-30T20:37:07.592-04:00

Readings: Is 55:1-13; Ps 145; Rom 8:35,37-39; Mt 14:13-21 In today’s Gospel reading, Matthew tells us about a miraculous banquet – the miracle of the loaves and fishes – one of the few miracles described in all four Gospels. But this passage is actually a story of three banquets. The first is a birthday banquet that King Herod had thrown for himself. It was during this banquet that Herod had

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-27194392253389612892011-07-30T17:00:00.000-04:002011-07-30T17:00:15.927-04:00

In the first century, during those early days of the Apostolic Church, Asia Minor, today's modern Turkey, was among the first mission territories targeted by the apostles. Indeed, all seven of the local churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation were located in Asia Minor. Tradition and in particular the writings of the Early Church Fathers also tell us that John the Apostle spent the final

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-55712272336992132822011-07-29T18:38:00.000-04:002011-07-29T18:38:33.679-04:00

On Sunday when I step up to the ambo to proclaim the Gospel and preach I look out at the congregation and am amazed by what I see: hundreds of faces looking, for the most part, indifferent. In fact, far too many look downright grumpy. It happens every week, so I shouldn't be amazed...but I am, and saddened as well. Here they are, participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and being given the

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-5828145109086177822011-07-27T22:05:00.001-04:002011-07-27T22:07:31.918-04:00

Sergeant Joyce Kilmer in uniform (1918) It's always nice to be pleasantly surprised by something you just stumble on. Today, while glancing through a collection of religious poetry, I came across a poem penned by Joyce Kilmer. Kilmer, an American poet, literary critic and journalist, is best known for his poem "Trees" with which most high-schoolers of my generation are familiar. Kilmer joined

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-61338936513224206822011-07-27T14:05:00.002-04:002011-07-27T21:30:34.317-04:00

Blessed Titus Brandsma at Dachau On several previous occasions I have mentioned the visit I made to the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau as a child, just a few years after World War II. That visit had a tremendous impact on me and played a significant role in the formation of my worldview. Although Catholic priests and nuns were imprisoned and killed in all of the Nazi camps, I'm pretty sure

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-28999953614621191182011-07-27T11:29:00.003-04:002011-07-30T11:30:17.653-04:00

Note: Our Gospel passage today repeats a few verses from last Sunday's longer passage in which Jesus relates the parables that compare the Kingdom of Heaven with buried treasure, a pearl of great price, and a fisherman's net. I hope my homily from last Sunday opened up this Scripture reading and providing some useful insights into these parables. Today's passage just repeats the first two of

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-39235662611821868152011-07-26T10:08:00.001-04:002011-07-26T22:19:45.976-04:00

I receive far too many emails from folks who, motivated by the best of intentions, feel compelled to send me every odd, humorous or outrageous thing they encounter while surfing the web. I suppose we're all guilty of this to some extent, but some people take it to an extreme, sending out multiple emails daily, and adding all sorts of clutter to my already overflowing inbox. In most instances --

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-57470212467833778292011-07-25T17:42:00.001-04:002011-07-25T17:47:55.045-04:00

John McCarthy enjoying a fine cigar Yesterday, July 24, would have been my father's 102nd birthday. Born in 1909 he died in 2005 at the age of 95, a long life by any standard. He was a far better father than I believe he thought he was, but I suspect that's probably true of many of us. So often we focus only on our mistakes and forget about all the good things -- the love, the example, and the

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-83714443712509659112011-07-25T15:18:00.005-04:002011-07-25T15:26:09.922-04:00

Here are a few interesting facts about life today, including a few that certainly took me by surprise... Higher Education. An increasing number of people are receiving master's degrees these days. According to Debra W. Stewart, president of the Council of Graduate Schools, nearly 2 in 25 people age 25 and over hold a master’s degree. This is about the same proportion that had a bachelor’s or

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Readings: 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12; Ps 119; Rom 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52 I recently received an email from a former business acquaintance. I hadn’t heard from him in several years, so it was one of those checking up to see how you’re doing emails. Anyway, he’s an interesting guy. He’s young – well, he’s in his forties, and that’s young – very bright, and very successful. He owns his own software company

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Readings: Ex 16:1-5, 9-15 • Ps 78 • Mt 13:1-9 On a few other occasions I’ve mentioned my eighth-grade teacher, Sister Francis Jane. Well, that last comment by Jesus in our Gospel passage was an expression she’d occasionally use in the classroom. Of course, back in 1957 her version was from an older translation: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” And whenever she used it, we all knew that

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-49536259858519605842011-07-18T18:13:00.001-04:002011-07-19T09:20:55.003-04:00

I'm not a great collector of fine art, primarily because I can't afford to be. But I do have several wonderful signed prints that hang on our walls where I can enjoy them every day.  "Piccarda Donati" by Salvatore Dali The first is a print from a wood engraving of one of Salvatore Dali's series of 101 water colors depicting events in Dante's Divine Comedy. This particular print is of Piccarda

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Satan Planting Weeds Readings: Wis 12:13,16-19; Ps 86; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43 OK, show of hands…How many sinners do we have out there? Hmm…not that many. If you’re not sinners, you can be only one other thing: you must be saints. And if that’s the case…well, I am truly honored to be in the presence of so much holiness. You’re all very fortunate today, because Jesus prepared the first

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Some years ago, indeed, many years ago, back in my Navy days, our ship spent a long weekend in San Francisco to provide a scenic backdrop for some now forgotten event the city was celebrating. On one of our days off, another officer and I decided to take in an exhibit of the "Treasures of Tutankhamun" hosted by the city's de Young Museum. As I recall, the exhibit had drawn a large crowd forcing

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This morning, as I prayed the Liturgy of the Hours, I was, for some reason (the Holy Spirit, perhaps) struck by a verse of Psalm 87: "In You all find their home." As I meditated briefly on this verse I couldn't help but reflect on the Church's current efforts to evangelize in a world so intensely hostile to the Word and Love of God. Rather than responding to this challenge with enthusiasm and

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Readings: Ex 3:1-6, 9-12 • Psalm 103 • Mt 11:25-27 A few nights ago I watched a show that discussed a number of recent discoveries by astronomers and physicists, remarkable discoveries that have added to our knowledge of the universe. During the show, one commentator, while discussing the future, remarked,“It won’t be long before we know the mind of God.” Hubble Telescope photo of hundreds

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Although I shouldn't be, I am always a little surprised when I read of new archaeological discoveries in Rome. When visiting the city we see first-hand so much large, in-your-face antiquity -- the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Forum, the Circus Maximus, the catacombs, and so much more -- it's easy to assume everything that could be discovered has been discovered. But then I read that

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-18390433091714002582011-07-11T15:54:00.003-04:002011-07-11T16:50:29.424-04:00

Every year World Watch List (WWL) takes a look at the persecution of Christians throughout the world and ranks the 50 countries with the worst records. Click here for this year's list in PDF format. The file also includes some interesting commentary on each nation. And don't neglect their homepage which will lead you to much additional information on religious persecution throughout the world.

Deacon Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089231268775182554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8847382880110102907.post-55815544696488629182011-07-11T12:49:00.012-04:002011-07-11T22:45:18.781-04:00

I think sometimes, because we live in the midst of change, we don't always recognize how much change our world has undergone in recent times. I've always had a fascination with history, especially the sort of first-person history written by participants, which is why I enjoy autobiography so much. It not only gives one a look into the writer as he sees himself or would like others to see him, but

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Today was one of those busy days when the timing seems to work out just right. First, Diane had volunteered to be the cook at the Soup Kitchen, replacing the usual Saturday cook who had a family conflict. And of course whenever Diane goes to the Soup Kitchen, I'm always in tow. After a few hours washing dishes, opening cans, and performing other highly skilled work, I had to leave because I was

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We've all heard of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: Colossus of Rhodes Great Pyramid of Giza Hanging Gardens of Babylon Lighthouse of Alexandria Mausoleum at Halicarnassus Statue of Zeus at Olympia Temple of Artemis at Ephesus ...as well as the Seven Natural Wonders of the World: Grand Canyon The Great Barrier Reef The Harbor at Rio de Janeiro Mt. Everest Northern Lights Paricutin

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