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February 16, 2008A Catholic Round Up
2008 Catholic Blog Awards are now taking nominations. I’m not clear on the changes this year…I think there will only be one chance to vote once the nominees are named. Check it out and nominate your faves! Barbara Nicolosi of Church of the Masses has founded a program to prepare Christians for Hollywood careers. Writes Barbara:
Sounds great. Information about the Act One Program and an application can be found here. Have you thought of your marriage as a vocation, recently? Here’s a good piece:
I just know someone out there today needed to read that. H/T Et-tu. Curt Jester reports that Rosaline Moss, a Jewish convert to Catholicism is founding a religious order of sisters dedicated to evangelizing. They will be called The Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope. The springtime continues. On the 150th Anniversary of the Marian visits to Lourdes, France, the BBC sent a reporter to visit the site and snark about it. If you want to read a moving account of Lourdes in the 21st century, try this book. On Julie’s recommendation, I bought Anthony Bloom’s Beginning to Pray. Julie wrote of it: This book is written with complete simplicity but yet somehow contains depths that one thinks of for some time afterward. I have found that to be exactly right. I started it last night and am finding it to be one of the most remarkable, enlightening and humbling books I’ve ever read. I’ve never read a book were even the introduction (a short interview with the author) was both gripping and instructive, and the bit I’ve read from the book proper is just rather stunning, and it has stayed with me throughout the day and created such a longing within me… A few excerpts:
Speaks to me, anyway. This Orthodox Archbishop - also a medical doctor and monk - has a great deal to teach even as he writes:
Of course, that made me immediately think of Mother Teresa’s Decades-long Dark Night. Do check out Julie’s intriguing Lenten reading suggestions. My wish list for Mother’s Day will include at least two of them, including (unexpectedly) one of the science-fiction books. http://theanchoressonline.com/2008/02/16/a-catholic-round-up/trackback/ 9 Responses to “A Catholic Round Up” |
February 16th, 2008 at 2:25 am
Catholic Blog of 2008…
I doubt whether any of the PB.com family of blogs qualifies for consideration, but I note that nominations are open for the 2008 Catholic Blog Awards. In the category of best group blog, I will be nominating Mirror of Justice. In the categories of best…
February 16th, 2008 at 10:05 am
I tried to nominate you but it said access denied. I wonder if it could tell I am a Protestant.
February 16th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Heh. Don, I think you have to register, to nominate. I nominated Julie last night and had to make a username for myself first. Thanks for trying!
February 16th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Saturday Food For Thought…
The Anchoress linked to an article in one of her round-ups which offers thoughts on motherhood from a perspective unlike the typical associations.
For example, the mother who stays home with small children experiences a very real withdrawal from the wo…
February 16th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Thanks for bringing up Beginning to Pray. It is a wonderful book, and I think I will head back to it this Lent because that is where I need to be for a while. Orthodox Lent starts March 9, but we are in the preparation period now, which I appreciate as the time when I need to come up with a plan.
Another wonderful book is Great Lent, by Fr. Alexander Schmemann. For some it could be a bit Orthodox specific, as he discusses the various Orthodox services during Lent, and the meaning of each week. However, his introduction on the meaning and purpose of Lent, and chapter 5 on observing Lent in the culture in which we live, should have universal appeal.
February 16th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
It’s too bad that the snarky BBC reporter was unable to see beyond the worldly aspects of Lourdes, concentrating more on the souvenir commercialism that even Bernadette herself abhored.
As for the sick, even those who have descended into the anguished desperation and despair that so discomforts the BBC reporter, Sister Marie-Bernard (Bernadette), who nursed many in the infirmary, had this advice, “If you are sent to a hospital, remember to see Our Lord in the person of the poor man; and the more disgusting the poor person is, the more he is to be loved.”
February 17th, 2008 at 12:53 am
[...] like nothing more than a glorified taxi and money machine. Then I saw the excerpt below over at The Anchoress…she in turn picked it up from a site called Life Issues. Hence, a mother raising children, [...]
February 17th, 2008 at 4:47 am
Per interesting article on confession — We’re supposed to practice abstinence on Fridays in Lent too? LOL. Whoops.
February 17th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
My Lent is going OK — but giving up “negativity” in blog posts has perhaps been too easy. (While I support Huckabee, and will support McCain, Obama’s Tax Credits in his wonk section are interesting.)
There was fine children’s film on Lourdes, that was even translated into Slovak (so our 4 kids can watch it).
Whereas my Catholic wife’s upbringing in prayer tended to be more ritualistic, but very strong, my own Episcopalian / Protestant upbringing was towards more topical, “in our own words” prayers. At our Children’s Mass, there is a big section where the kids can go and pray for something, or thank God for something. This has inspired our own family tradition of a nightly prayer:
We pray the Lord’s Prayer (in English), together. I’ll then pray for some things, and give thanks for others (family safety often, also Peace, and World Without Dictators). The three speaking children with then give some thanks/ pray for some good things (the two year is often on my lap, often quietly playing) — these can be either in Slovak or English. Then my wife will pray/ give thanks, in Slovak or English.
We didn’t strongly agree on this before, but after lightly trying it some 5 years ago, we’ve been very happy with and recently discussed our happiness.
Happy enough to share!
tiny typo were >> where: “never read a book were even the introduction”