From time to time, my dad would remind me that “every person you meet is your better in that you can learn something from them.” Good and sage advice. I wonder if he knew he was echoing Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote: “In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.” Of course one can then ask if the quote is original to Mr. Emerson. Continue reading
The science fiction genre of books and movies, for me, are an interesting conglomeration of the good, the bad, and the downright ugly…. Of course, some might say the same thing about my posts on this blog. Outside of the self-publishing realm, the number of new science fiction books coming to market each year is falling. The economics are simple: there is only a narrow band of readers willing to purchase such novels. Each year the purchase of older, well-established novels outsells the newer offerings. The Dune novels received a boost in sales based on the success of the recent Dune movies offered via streaming services. I will admit that my “library” of read and re-read science fiction largely consisted of classics from Clarke, Herbert, Asimov, Le Guinn and others. I guess the future doesn’t sell. Continue reading
Once we have honored our dearly departed with a funeral, a heart-felt eulogy and a gathering of friends, we settled into our on-going lives. For many that means finding a new normal. In time, stories arise that were not part of the eulogy. When I was growing up, these later stories were told on the porch, in the small gatherings of family and friends. They were told on benches, told to the rhythm of a rocking chair, told in love, and sometimes ending with “God bless their heart.” Continue reading
“After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.” (Rev 7:9).
In her short story “Revelation,” Flannery O’Connor tells of Mrs. Turpin, an upright if not self-righteous woman. The story opens in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, where the smug Mrs. Turpin is chatting amiably with a stranger to pass the time. The stranger’s homely, surly daughter Mary Grace sits nearby reading a book. Continue reading
To be clear, I am not a fan of horror movies. If the eyes are the windows of the soul, then why let the monsters in…. right? My limit is somewhere around the GEICO commercial-spoof of horror movies. But as a public service, seeing that Halloween approaches and various networks will show horror movies non-stop, I thought it would be good to offer you the 15 strangest, most elusive beasts in the dictionary. Enjoy. In the meantime, I will pray none of us encounter a chupacabra or wyvern.
You have to love the big picture… but what’s the old saying, “the devil is in the details.” The mission of the corporate executive is to reposition the company to face an evolving and changing landscape for their business – all very exciting. But the plan includes forced early retirements, restructuring, and moving work overseas. The Normandy landings in 1943 were necessary and a key first step to ending World War II, but someone has to be in the first wave at Omaha Beach. Continue reading
Have you ever been in a place where you feel as though you are out of place? Not unwelcomed in a broad sense, but a bit of an intruder. The realization can come upon you unexpectedly and you enter into a liminal space where time freezes and you quickly process what is unfolding. You are entering a party at the home of a friend and you sense these folks are not your acquaintances. You feel under dressed – too casual in a room full of fashionistas. A beer-will-be-just-fine person in a room of upscale wine aficionados whose vocabulary is foreign. Surrounded by discussions of foreign films among people for whom “the MCU” has no meaning. But it was your good friend who invited you and has warmly welcomed you. Continue reading
The first reading today is taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. One verse stood out for me: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the Blood of Christ.” (Eph 2:13) … and this is “the good news?” As I read the verse for the “umpteenth time,” I wondered if St. Paul was speaking of the Blood of the Cross (which he is as v. 16 makes clear) or the Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. Either one has the possibilities of raising questions among those who are inquiring about the Faith as happens this time every year in the OCIA process (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults; also called RCIA) as they consider entry into full communion with the Catholic Church. Continue reading
The first reading today is taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians is a letter about the church – not necessarily just the congregation in the city of Ephesus but rather with the worldwide church. While in other letters Paul describes the church as the Body of Christ, here Christ is referred to as the head of the Church (Eph 4:15), directing the church as the instrument for making God’s plan of salvation known throughout the universe (Eph 3:9-10). Yet this ecclesiology is anchored in God’s saving love, shown in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:4-10), and the whole of redemption is rooted in the plan and accomplishment of the triune God (Eph 1:3-14). In its own way, Ephesians might well have opened with the words “in the beginning” to describe the new age of the Church.
But unlike the creation story in Genesis, our story begins in the midst of the “age of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the disobedient.” (Eph 2:2). That description might strike you as odd, but it is a reference that would have been understood by the listeners of the age. The literal Greek describes the believer’s journey as “walking” in a time when there is something “in the air” that which people breathe – a word quite different from our understanding of sky or atmosphere. The manner in which Paul uses the word personifies “air” adding to the expression, ruler of the power of the air.” Paul paints a vivid picture: the Church is being born into a time when there is “something in the air” and its intent is of evil. Continue reading
The refrain from today’s psalm proclaims: “Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.” The words of psalm are taken from Psalm 145, verses 10-18. The words proclaim the glory of God and the splendor of His Kingdom. They extol the justice, power and holiness of God’s works. The words announce the everlasting presence of the kingdom and the call to all to draw near. Continue reading
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