Living The Faith On A High Wire: October 2010

GW Takes the High Road...

No pot shots, no counter-attacks, despite the constant barrage of insults and blame he continues to receive from the current administration, Democrats and critics, and, according to early reports, no excuses.

George W. Bush’s about-to-be released book on his memoirs, titled Decision Points, is even being released a week after the General Election, on November 9th, to avoid political controversy.

In the book, Bush reportedly openly discusses his personal life, including his alcoholism, and the motives and reasoning behind the most critical decisions during his two terms in the White House.

For me, one of the fascinating aspects of the preliminary information on the book is the former President's faith and the role faith played in his convictions and decisions.

Oct

Silence is Golden But Not Always...

I’m not much of a talker first thing in the morning. In fact, I’m not much of a talker later in the morning, at midday, afternoon or at night (I’m what you may call the strong silent type, and I use the term strong loosely!). My wife, friends and co-workers are use to my quiet demeanor (and can usually tell if I am truly listening or focused on something else, which I will admit is one of my many faults).

“Did you hear what I said?” my wife often asks me, to make sure I am paying attention.

Oct

Fr. Barron on St. Thomas More and the Bishop of Rome

In the same place (Westminster Hall), where Sir Thomas More was condemned to death, accused of treason, for failing to take King Henry VIII's side against the Roman Catholic Church, the Bishop of Rome, Pope Benedict XVI, addressed both Houses of the British Parliament last September.

Fr.

Oct

Parenting and Partying Make Strange Bedfellows...

We usually hear the footsteps approaching from down the hall (having a 1926 Old Spanish style home with wood floors, it’s not uncommon, as small steps sometimes make big noise, especially in the silence of a night’s sleep).

I can usually tell by the sound of the steps, whether the culprit is my 6-year-old daughter or my 3-year-old son that is heading towards our bedroom.

Oct

New York Times gives Archbishop Big Apple Blues...

New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan has had about enough with the anti-Catholic slant in The New York Times.

In his latest blog, Dolan writes that it seems the paper has a different set of standards when addressing Catholic matters, as oppose to say, the Jewish, Black, Islamic, or gay communities.

Dolan got upset at two recent rave reviews given by The New York Times on artist expressions disparaging Catholics.

Oct

Political Correction of NPR Senior Correspondent...

National Public Radio announced the "severing" of contract (i.e. firing, showing the boot, pink slipping, or canning; whatever sounds best to you) of Senior Correspondent, Juan Williams, for making comments deemed too politically incorrect against Muslims.

Oct

Chasing the Essence of St. Francis...

“Figúrate, para eso somos los padres,” (or loosely translated, “Imagine, that’s what parents are for”) the man in his late 70’s said as he gave me a ride to my car.

Tuesday morning, I was on my way to my parents’ house for coffee and a quick hello before going to work. On my way, I noticed an elderly man and a woman trying to push a car in the middle of LeJeune Road, several blocks north of SW 8th Street.

As I drove past, something told me to stop and help.

Oct

Lovely Way to Start the Day...

Well yes and.... maybe, not so much.

I'm getting ready to serve in my first Emmaus Retreat for Men in Spanish this weekend (I’m part of the English Team at my parish but have never served with the Spanish group).

For those unfamiliar, Emmaus is a weekend retreat (some for men and others for women) that allows average, everyday people (non-clergy) to grow closer to God through a series of talks and exercises.

Oct

Faith Kept the Miners Focused on Living...

Sixty nine days trapped in what amounts to be a large hole about two thousand feet into the depths of the earth.

As we all know, thirty three men survived the collapse at the San Jose Mine in northern Chile. Starting last night, the tedious rescue began, using a single-man-capsule hoisted from half a mile deep through an opening of 21-inches in diameter.

As they started pulling them out, one by one, it was heartening to see many of them, making the sign of the cross and praying.

Oct

Coming to a TV Set Near You; Muslim Superheroes...

This is interesting; a children's television network, The Hub, formerly Discovery Kids, which launched this week, is planning to show a Muslim faith-based superhero cartoon program, called "The 99."

The program is a hit among kids in Arab countries and has gained an audience in Europe. Network officials are hoping to have similar success in the U.S.

The NY Post's Andrea Peyser writes:

Hide your face and grab the kids.

Living The Faith On A High Wire

"If we don't live the way we believe, we eventually believe the way we live." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)