A Few Must-Reads

Every so often I come across an exceptional speech or article that simply demands to be read by more than just those few who might have been the intended audience. Here are a few of these must-reads I encountered as I browsed the web while waiting for hurricane Earl to breeze through town here on Cape Cod. By the time it reached us Earl was, thanks be to God, a bust and did nothing but water the lawns and shake a few leaves off the trees. But, believe me, the following will have far more lasting impact on those who read them...

Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput recently (August 24) spoke to the Canon Law Society of Slovakia. His address represents a call to resist the overtly anti-Christian secularism that has permeated Western society in both Europe and North America. Archbishop Chaput has apparently fulfilled his role not only as priest and shepherd, but also as prophet. Here's a link to his address: Living within the truth: Religious liberty and Catholic mission in the new order of the world.

Howard Kainz, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Marquette University, has written a brief but necessary article for TheCatholicThing.org. Professor Kainz gives us his Cautious Reflections on Hell -- a subject too often neglected in these days of universal self-esteem that cannot possibly assent to a hell.

David Bentley Hart, the distinguished Eastern Orthodox theologian and patristics scholar, writes well and often on all sorts of fascinating subjects. His books are thoughtful and thought-provoking, and this, his latest article, offers a fascinating view of the popular interest in the apocalyptic fantasies -- e.g., the end-of-the-world 2012 Mayan "prophecy" -- that seem to have become a source of much popular entertainment. Read the article here: The Appeal of a World Scattered and Scorched.

The grandchildren have had their way with me and left me ready for bed, so I will cut off my list at three. God's peace...