The Arrow's Path

I was amused when I came across this bit here  (also here ), basically proving that there is also Junk Science out there just like there is Fake News. This was obviously a spoof, not trying to pass itself off as real science, but this is a major problem. Just last night, I was watching a documentary on Netflix that seemed legit about the science of dogs, or what we understand about how they interact with the world. I started getting a bit skeptical when the narrator started going on in a very polite, scholarly sounding way about how "everything we thought we knew" about the subject was wrong. That is usually code word for "sensationalism in the guise of journalism science is about to follow." I hoped I was wrong, but they were positing some interesting ideas about dog psychology (still not convinced that is actually a thing, but for sake of argument, I will go with it.) The first half of the show seemed logical, even if I disagreed with a few of the premises. ...

 I did something I usually tend not to do anymore: went to see a movie by myself in a theatre. I have really been wanting to see the new war movie, Dunkirk, since the trailers came out around Christmas time last year, if memory serves. I like a good period film, and being a history major who took several courses on military history, the Miracle of Dunkirk has always been a particular interest to me personally.  Honestly, I don't know quite what to make of this film. It was not bad, but I would not necessarily say at this point that it was particularly good either. I got home and my wife asked about what the plot was. I had to think for a minute, and basically, this is what I could come up with, "It was about...a bunch of men standing in lines on a beach and getting evacuated. That's about it."  If you like edgy minimalism in a war film, you might like the film. It was not particularly violent, though there were some intense naval scenes. So, if you are expectin...

About the only thing the Revised Common Lectionary and the Catholic Sunday Mass readings have in common this week is the reading from Matthew 13: 24-43 . Interestingly, if it the Catholic Mass readings that have the entire passage without redaction, and the RCL omits several verses from the middle of Chapter 13. There are several good parables there, continuing last week's theme of sowing and growth, although the twist this week is more on the harvesting of the wheat from the tares at the final judgment. The opening parable of which very clearly says the tares are sowed by the enemy, and Jesus clearly labels the enemy as the evil one when queried about the meaning of it by his disciples later on in the passage, which is typical of Matthew to have Jesus clearly explain the meaning of the allegorical parables. Other gospels tend to leave the interpretation more open ended. There are any number of allusions or allegorical interpretations a preacher could pursue or use, given the par...

“ACCORDING to most philosophers, God in making the world enslaved it. According to Christianity, in making it, He set it free. God had written, not so much a poem, but rather a play; a play he had planned as perfect, but which had necessarily been left to human actors and stage-managers, who had since made a great mess of it.” ~G.K. Chesterton: "Orthodoxy," Chap. V.

until Christmas day. In case you are one of those people. I am not. I like Advent too much, but, you know, people need to know. Because Santa Claus and stuff. Or something.

This Sunday's readings is one of those days where the preacher pretty much gets to preach on one topic, whether he wants to or not. It is pretty much creation and sowing of seeds. All the readings have that theme very clearly. The gospel in particular is the parable of the sower, and being from Matthew, there is not a lot of room for ambiguity because Jesus even explains what he means in the parable afterward for the hard headed disciples. So, really, the preacher is in a bit of a bind if he does not want to preach about sowing seeds. The Lectionary seems to be making the homilist an offer he can't refuse. Or, if the homilist really wants be unpopular, can use the imagery from Romans of the creation groaning in labor pains until now. Fun stuff that. The Protestant Revised Common Lectionary uses the same Gospel and Old Testament reading, but some different verses from Romans (though the same chapter). So, regardless of whether you go to a Protestant church or a Catholic mas...

I was posed the following question on a Facebook forum that I help moderate: Without so much wealth used to adorn and embellish the Church, could Catholicism survive or even thrive? Would it be better received? Would it look more modern? As an artist who appreciates the visual signifiers of tradition as much as anyone else, I wonder if these trappings speak hypocrisy to others outside the faith. What if they are not altogether wrong? My answer is this: Well, let me tell you a story from the Anglican Patrimony. The Oxford Movement within the Church of England that was started within Anglicanism (I used to an an Anglican priest FYI) to reclaim the Catholic heritage, particularly in terms of the liturgical and beauty of the Catholic faith. This movement largely brought Cardinal Newman into the Catholic church later on. In any event, the beauty of the liturgy was, and I think the Catholic church has somewhat forgotten this in the wake of some of the bizarre playing out of the post-Vati...

The Sunday Gospel reading is one that is probably familiar to many people, at least the latter half of it: Gospel MATT 11:25-30 At that time Jesus exclaimed:  "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father.  No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." Those coming from the Anglican patrimony are certainly familiar with those words: Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden. That is used in various p...

I just have not felt like blogging in a long time. It is simply not that I don't have things to say. I just have gotten sucked into other forms of social media, as is true of many bloggers there days. Or, as I should say, former bloggers. I may try to get back to regular blogging here shortly.