Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 167

The Problem With Washing Women’s Feet

Last year on Holy Thursday Pope Francis visited a prison and famously washed the feet of a Muslim girl. Traditionalists were tut tutting that he had broken a church rule. The rubric for the liturgy for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper stipulates that men are to be chosen for the foot washing. The arguments [Read More...]

On Jesus’ Falling and Failing

For Holy Week here is my latest article for National Catholic Register on the deeper meanings of Jesus falling three times on the Way of the Cross. There is an old saying that it does not matter how often you fall — it matters how often you get up. I’m reminded of our failing and [Read More...]

The Incense of Holiness

Here is my latest article for Our Sunday Visitor’s The Catholic Answer… Our altar boys practically fight for the honor of being the thurifer. That’s the name for the server who carries the thurible — the censer — in the procession at Mass. They like being thurifer because they get to wear the more ornate lace [Read More...]

It’s St Michael Bloomberg!

Former NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg announces to the world here that his place in heaven is assured. It’s Saint Michael Bloomberg!  Pointing to his work on gun safety, obesity and smoking cessation, he said with a grin: “I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to [Read More...]

Illiberals or Ill Liberals?

Feisty John Zmirak has some fellow Catholics in his sights. In this piece he criticizes a kind of conservative American Catholic who is critical of, well just about everything. In the months since Aleteia was kind enough to publish “Illiberal Catholicism” and re-publish “The Shame of the Catholic Subculture,” the phenomenon of Illiberal Catholicism has been recognized [Read More...]

Joseph Pearce- the Enthusiastic Immigrant

Just after receiving an invitation from Joseph Pearce to celebrate St George’s Day, I read this splendid article in which he lauds his adopted home of the USA. When the Pearces and Longeneckers get together it is a jolly affair for Joseph the Englishman is married to an American and Dwight the American is married [Read More...]

Here’s to HMQ and HH

Her Majesty the Queen and His Holiness the Pope of course. Here’s my latest article for The Catholic Thing website. Something there is that loves a monarch. Despite the ascent of the common man, the hubris of hoi polloi, and the domination of democracy, there is still a faint and quaint nostalgia for palaces and princes, [Read More...]

Brendan Eich and the Persecution Addiction

Mollie Hemingway reflects here about the implications of Brendan Eich’s ouster from Mozilla, and makes some very interesting observations about freedom of speech and how oppression can best be undermined.  It’s a good read. I recommend it. The way a totalitarian system operates is to quash dissent with a combination of bullying tactics, group think [Read More...]

Proof that Jesus Was Married?

The “Jesus’ Wife” manuscript was presented to the world in 2012 by Harvard professor Karen King. The Boston Herald reports here about the update on this ancient manuscript. For full information on the scrap of papyrus go here.  Recent research suggests that the manuscript is not a modern forgery, but it dates from the eighth [Read More...]

Apologies – Your Blogger is Unwell

To those of you who are following the Lent Bible study day by day I apologize for not posting today. This was my schedule: Leave the Rectory in Fairfax at 5:45 for a flight from DC back to Greenville. However, Yesterday I got hit with a terrible toothache and my dentist prescribed some painkillers which [Read More...]