Mark P. Shea's Blog, page 40

Another Pun Bites the Dust

No regrets. No apologies.

Fasting Friday 4

More penitential suggestions from Deacon Nick, with my commentary as an ordinary lay slobovian making my way through Lent: Read the documents of Vatican II, especially Gaudium et Spes. I’ve been meaning to do this. Read The Catechism of the Catholic Church or The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. I’ve read large chunks–especially the section on the creed […]

Where Peter Is plays a little game…

of “Which Pope Said This?“: “As the years went by and the Church spread further afield, the exercise of charity became established as one of her essential activities, along with the administration of the sacraments and the proclamation of the word: love for widows and orphans, prisoners, and the sick and needy of every kind, […]

Prayer Wednesday 4 – The Apologist’s Evening Prayer

One of the reasons I’ve always appreciated C.S. Lewis is that he understood there was a distinction between God and our words about him and, still more, our arguments for him.  Would to God that more of the apologetics subculture (including the author of certain books written by the man married to my wife) internalized […]

China’s *Other* Cardinal

The invaluable blog Where Peter Is offers another invaluable insight–this time into the Chinese Church. American Right Wing Lie Machine coverage has, with monomaniac disinterest in anything but bashing the Holy Father, insistently spoken as though Cardinal Zen is the one and only voice of the Chinese Church.  Where Peter Is dares to suggest that […]

Almsgiving Monday 4 – Helping the Poor Stop Being Poor

Dom Helder Camara famously remarked, “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.” G.K. Chesterton remarked on the same reality when he talked about the necessity of a living wage; An honest man falls in love with […]

Saturdays are better with flaming trombones

You’re welcome!

Fasting Friday 3

More fasting ideas cribbed from Deacon Nick Senger with comments from Yr Obdt Svt: Each week, write a letter of thanks to a different member of the clergy, beginning with your bishop and parish priest. I spend all day writing.  I think I’ll pass on this. Each week write a thank-you note to your parents. […]

The Ring-Kissing Kerfuffle

So a few days ago, Pope Francis was filmed avoiding having his papal ring kissed. Following the method of the Right Wing Panic Machine over the past few years in always keeping conservatives ginned up about stupid stuff so that they are easy to manipulate, the conservative Catholic blogosphere decided that this was the Panic […]

Prayer Wednesday 3 – Psalm 147

Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is seemly. The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars, he gives to all […]