Mark P. Shea's Blog, page 1256

September 6, 2011

It's the New Civility!

I guess now that Gabby Giffords is on the mend, we can get back to violent political rhetoric on the Left. You'd think that Hoffa, of all people, would know that deploying the language of violence is liable to lead to Bad Things.

Not that I'm especially shocked that Labor does not exactly perceive in the GOP a friend of the rights of workers. The history is not particularly auspicious. But then, I'm not too persuaded that Big Labor is always a friend of the rights of workers either.
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Published on September 06, 2011 05:10

Extremely Cool

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Published on September 06, 2011 00:05

Climate Change: Is there anything it can't do?

Latest crisis: climate change causes mental illness!

Climate change steals your car keys! Climate change scratches your CDs! Climate change hides the TV remote and makes you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Climate change shot Mr. Burns. Climate change drinks all but the last dribble of milk and then puts the carton back in the fridge. Climate change is a superhuman fallen angel responsible for All Bad Things.
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Published on September 06, 2011 00:04

Chuck Colson sees something important...

...in the fact that our hyper-sexualized culture is rapidly losing the ability to conceive of the love that ancient Greeks called phileo, because of our obsession with eros and our insistence that any strong friendship between to people of the same sex *must* be sublimated homosexuality.

It's just a lie and the incredible poverty that is foisted on our culture (and on men in particular, who are starving to death for lack of male friendships) is one of the great famines of our time. Some of the most nourishing relationships I have ever known have been friendships--with both men and women. American men are among the loneliest creatures in the universe, not for lack of women, but for lack of friends.
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Published on September 06, 2011 00:03

Did you know...

...that the only thing Benedict XVI cares about--the only thing in the whole wide world--is exclusion of homosexuals and the dangerous sexuality of women?

I guess I'm not a close reader of his work. I didn't pick up any of that from Spes Salvi, Caritatis in Veritate, or the two volumes of Jesus of Nazareth. Indeed, I got the distinct impression that he had a wide range of profound things to say about everything from biblical studies to economics to contemporary culture to liturgy. But if a sex-obsessed monomaniac with a keyboard says that all Benedict cares about is the monomaniac's personal obsessions with sex, he's the expert I guess.
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Published on September 06, 2011 00:02

Y'know, I just love the Curt Jester

I have told Jeff how much I appreciate his bonhomie and cheerful good humor in a while, so this seems as good a time as any. One of my favorite memories was sharing a mike with him and Amy Welborn at the Catholic New Media confab a few years back. I could have listened to him for an hour. Humble, lovely, pure of heart. The best. You rock, Jeff. (I like Amy too, by the way.)
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Published on September 06, 2011 00:01

September 5, 2011

Prayer Requests

A reader writes:
I ended up on your blog tonight and realized that God maybe pointed me here to ask for prayers. I have been blessed to be able to stay home with my 14 month old son since he was born. This has been most definitely the right decision for our family but one that carries a heavy burden at times as we struggle to make ends meet. In the past 14 months we have endured 2 major medical procedures and 2 surgeries for our son, replacing our entire A/C unit a week after he was born(!!), postpartum depression, and a recent unemployment duration of 1 month for my husband. Praise God he is now employed again! His new job pays the same as his previous job BUT the health benefits are $400 MORE each month. We were paying $200 a month and now we are paying $600. We were already in the red but now with this additional cost, I don't know what we are going to do. This is the first month with the new job, the new income amount, and we have nothing left in savings. I am searching like crazy for the perfect job that would allow me to continue to be home with my son. We feel that this is still the right thing for us. I trust in God's provision and He has never let us down. I say that and truly believe that but the anxiety and stress and worry overwhelms me at times. How are we going to make this all work? I look at my son and can't imagine being anywhere else. I truly believe that when you follow God's call that everything works out. I know we are exactly where we are supposed to be and that there is already an answer out there for us... I am asking for prayers for peace and joy and direction and... money somehow someway, however God see's best fit for us.
Father, we ask that you would help this family to make ends meet and take care of their children. Grant them the power to trust in your Providence and give the peace, joy, and guidance as they seek to do your will. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Mother Mary and St. Joseph, pray for them! Amen!

Another reader writes:
A friend of mine is currently in a bad financial situation and is being harassed by a company who won't let him out of an expensive and fraudulent contract. Prayers that he finds patience, hope and strength would be appreciated.
Father, grant your servant patience, hope and strength and help him to deal with his financial troubles. Help justice to be done here through Christ our Lord. Mother Mary, pray for him and for those who are doing wrong here. Amen.

Another reader writes:
Hello, please keep my friend who's fallen away from the Church in your prayers. He's confused and not sure what to believe. I've given some Mass stipends for him also. (If anyone wanted to do that it would be fine, but please at least pray for those priests.
Thank you
Father, hear our prayer that this child of yours regain the grace of faith and find the clarity of mind to sort out his issues, fears and doubts through Christ our Lord. Hear the prayers of your priests as they intercede for your child. Mother Mary, pray for him!

Finally, I would like to ask prayer for a friend who is out of work and verging on eviction.

Thanks, all! You are wonderfully faithful in your prayers.
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Published on September 05, 2011 18:35

September 1, 2011

Various requests, prayer and otherwise

A reader writes:
My wife's cousin, in his twenties, was struck with some kind of seizure and it looks like he's going in for brain surgery on Friday. Prayers for him and his family!
Father, grant him complete healing, grant skill and compassion to his caregivers and peace, grace, strength and consolation to all who love him through Christ our Lord. Mother Mary, pray for them! Amen.

Frank Weathers asks
Help me help this guy make a movie.
Father, help this project through Christ our Lord. Mother Mary, pray for them. Amen.

Marcel LeJeune writes:
We need you to help a good Catholic chef out. Chef Tai is a local Catholic and a chef. He is competing to appear in a show on the Food Network and is currently in second place. Can you please post this on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc? Think of it as a favor to Chef Tai and a way to support a great Catholic guy.
Father, bless the good chef through Christ our Lord. Mother Mary, pray for him.


Kevin O'Brien writes:
A year or so ago Fr. John Hogan, the founder of the Fraternity of St. Genesius, which is headquartered in Ireland, asked that Fraternity chapters around the world begin what he calls a Genesian Cenacle - a prayer / discussion group for those in the theatrical and cinematic arts. I've been procrastinating since then on starting one.

My latest idea is to meet here in St. Louis, to invite anyone who is interested in the intersection of spirituality with acting, anyone who's struggling with the demands of this business, people of faith or no faith, for discussion and prayer. This will be a Christian group from a Catholic perspective, but our goal will be fellowship and encouragement more than overt evangelization - though that might happen, too. Since so many of our fans and actors are scattered around the country, I'm planning on making this an internet thing and not just a local thing. We will meet perhaps in a coffee house and broadcast it, giving participants worldwide a chance to participate (see www.vokle.com). I'm thinking maybe of the last Monday every month, or something like that, beginning in September. Would that work for those of you who'd want to join in? Also I'd like eventually to have guests on and interview them, which can be done via webcam for guests who are not local.

Oh, and I've added my friend Wes Driver to this Genesian email group. He's the director of the play "Magic" in Nashville that I raved about so much. Welcome, Wes!
Father, bless this undertaking through Christ our Lord. Mother Mary and St. Genesius, pray for us!

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Published on September 01, 2011 10:29

Gone Friday, Back Tuesday

The Shea troop of primates is off for a lovely four day trip to our Hidden Island Redoubt with sundry friends and family as of Friday morning. We shall be incommunicado by all normal electronic means as we commune with raccoons, olive-sided flycatchers, ospreys, bunnies, bicyclists, and The Others on the other side of the Island. We hope to avoid Smoke Monsters.

While I am gone, I hope you generous souls will continue to give generously to the Struggling Family Fund. I will have a final tally on Tuesday morning, at which point I will take the donate button down and cut a check for my reader. You guys amaze me with your generosity! Thanks for helping this family out!
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Published on September 01, 2011 00:06

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