The Arrow's Path

I have blogged at some length before about the rich theology and philosophy found in Papal encyclicals from several popes going back to the 1800s on economics. I blogged about this at some length back in July if you want links to all the interesting encyclicals . Pope Francis, whose every pronouncement seems to come as both great hope and consternation to media talking heads everywhere, recently released a new document entitled Evangelii Gaudium .  This made the media elite go all a twitter (pun intended), and, of course, they immediately found the political snippets in it instead of reading it in its entirety and putting it into context. I cannot fathom what they teach in Journalism schools anymore, but it is obviously not "get the facts" or how to answer the basic "Who, what, when, where, and why?" I try to hope that at least maybe I can find that in journalism because any attempt at objectivity and journalistic integrity are a complete pipe dream these days. ...

By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation The people of this land having by long sanction and practice set apart toward the close of each passing year a day on which to cease from their labors and assemble for the purpose of giving praise to Him who is the author of the blessings they have enjoyed, it is my duty as Chief Executive to designate at this time the day for the fulfillment of this devout purpose. Our country has been signally favored in many ways. The round of the seasons has brought rich harvests. Our industries have thrived far beyond our domestic needs; the productions of our labor are daily finding enlarged markets abroad. We have been free from the curses of pestilence, of famine and of war. Our national councils have furthered the cause of peace in other lands, and the spirit of benevolence has brought us into closer touch with other peoples, to the strengthening of the bonds of fellowship and good will that link us to our comrades in the...

The first American Thanksgiving was actually celebrated on September 8 (feast of the birth of the Blessed Virgin) in 1565 in St. Augustine, Florida. The Native Americans and Spanish settlers held a feast and the Holy Mass was offered. This was 56 years before the Puritan pilgrims of Massachusetts.Don Pedro Menendez came ashore amid the sounding of trumpets, artillery salutes and the firing of cannons to claim the land for King Philip II and Spain. The ship chaplain Fr. Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales chanted the Te Deum and presented a crucifix that Menendez ceremoniously kissed. Then the 500 soldiers, 200 sailors and 100 families and artisans, along with the Timucuan Indians celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in gratitude to God.

With all the hoopla about the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK, what has gone completely overlooked (and it was at the time) was that CS Lewis died on that same day. The Narnia chronicles are probably still my favorite series of fiction. They have always intrigued me with the imagery. I still read the passage on Aslan's death on Good Friday. (If one must watch a movie rendition, I still think the campy BBC miniseries from the early 90's was way better than the Americanized big screen version.)

This is pretty cool.

So, apparently the infamous Obamacare girl on the new and notoriously dysfunctional healthcare exchange website that they spent over $600 million building is neither an American citizen nor was she paid for her photo. This brings a whole new meaning to "Good enough for government work."

I saw this all the time in liberal Protestant Christianity, which is why I left it. Mainline denominations are so starved for any sort of discernible growth (most are shrinking from 10 to 25% a year in both membership and average Sunday attendance) that anything that smacks of growth, no matter how heretical or bizarre is embraced and justified under the "the Church must change or die" liberal Protestant banner. The problem that I always warned about is that razzle-dazzle New Age-y stuff like this is that while it can show growth, not all growth is good. A Cancer grows, but that is in no way good. I am not saying this particular Methodist pastor is a cancer; I know nothing about her other than what this article says, and news media are notoriously bad at covering religion topics objectively. My educated guess is that she is either a theological fad that will soon fade or is creating a ministry that is a cult of personality. The latter is very dangerous both to parishione...

http://www.dilbert.com/2013-11-07/

I see I was remiss in wishing everyone a Happy Halloween! I have been busy with my new job, and completely forgot about it.