The Arrow's Path

I had a follow up question on a previous blog post that I would also like to respond to: I'm wondering you thoughts on music. I stopped listening to secular music because in the past it was a gateway "drug" for me that lead to bad choices. Now I only listen to classical or hymns or Gregorian chants. But my spouse says that the music he likes leads him to heaven. However the music he plays to me sounds depressing and brings up memories for me that aren't so great. I'm not looking to win an argument but doesn't music provide a gateway to hell with lack of a better word? Or is secular music ok and even heavenly? Thanks! Music does have a singular power that is somewhat unique to other forms of beauty and art. I am partially expanding a comment I made on here a few weeks ago, but have continued to think about because it is a topic that has interested me for a long time. Music is something well grounded in Natural Law. Natural Law being that idea that Go...

As most people who follow political cultural trends, you have probably heard about the marketing debacle of the latest Disney cinema film that came out a few weeks ago (as of this writing.) The film was a live action remake of the classic Snow White. Long story short, the major actress playing Snow White has been very wokey blokey in public appearances about how they were remaking Snow White to appeal to some weird, twisted Feminist tastes. She's largely been doing this for over a year, doubling down on the stupid numerous times, which gave conservatives plenty of time and ammo to howl over the film and Disney for well over a year before the film was even released.  Disney's official response to all this has been very interesting. While they haven't publicly thrown their title actress for the film under the bus, they have been quietly walking back some of her more outlandish political comments. They apparently toned down the official public release party. I would characteri...

I have always been a big fan of the Chronicles of Narnia . In fact, I would argue the person whose writings (both fiction and non-fiction) that have had the most profound effect upon my life is probably CS "Jack" Lewis. It started with Narnia and then the Space Trilogy and then his serious non-fiction writings and satires of all kinds. I've even read through his academic journals papers from way back. If ever there was a poster child for the profound and lasting impact a non-ordained Christian can have on the whole Church, even across denominational lines, it would be old Jack Lewis. I have heard homilies and sermons on CS Lewis in Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Evangelical churches. Even atheists have felt the need to write their own alternative fiction stories to counter the allegories of Narnia Chronicles . I can think of no other Christian writer in the 20th century onwards who has had such a profound effect on theology and culture. I remain convinced people will s...

I had a question posed to be that asked if getting a blood transfusion could ever be a mortal sin.  This falls into the category of Catholic moral ethics that discerns the difference between ordinary means and extraordinary means in terms of medical care. Generally as a Catholic you have the obligation to pursue ordinary means of medical care both for yourself and for others, particularly those you have a specific fiduciary duty to care for, namely children, etc.   This is where ethics comes in because with the huge advancements in medical care in the last 50 years, the goal post has shifted in the medical profession as to procedures that are now generally considered ordinary means which at one point would have been in the extraordinary means category. So, there is a lot of grey area within the medical profession and even among Catholic theologians in terms of what is ordinary means and what is extraordinary means.   Part of the problem with medical ethics an...

 (walking into a kitchen with the lights off because you hear someone banging on a pipe under a sink): "Who's in here?" The plumber under the sink: "King Saul and the Witch of Endor!" "Well, when your done with your seance, please stop by the office."

       As we journey through Lent, the theme of "I AM WHO AM" resonates profoundly, particularly in light of this coming Sunday’s Mass readings. This phrase, revealed to Moses at the burning bush, encapsulates the essence of God’s eternal presence and unchanging nature, inviting us to reflect on our identity in relation to the Divine, and the transformative call to holiness.      Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15 recounts the moment when Moses encounters God on Mount Horeb. The burning bush, aflame yet not consumed, symbolizes the holiness of God and His desire to engage with humanity. When God reveals His name, “I AM WHO AM,” He establishes Himself as the ultimate source of existence and reality. This declaration serves as a profound reminder that God is not defined by human limitations or circumstances; rather, He is the ground of all being, ever-present and ever-faithful. As we reflect on this passage during Lent, we are called to recognize our own identity in ...