Keep the Sabbath

This apse mosaic depicts the Cross as the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden

I should like you to be free of anxieties. (I Corinthians 7:32)

For our second readings at Sunday Mass, we are in the middle of reading selections from St. Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. St. Paul wrote to his beloved Corinthian Christians to help them resolve the numerous problems they had.

In the church in Corinth, there were factions with conflicting teachings. Some of the Corinthian Christians considered themselves too good for the rules. Some liked to show off their wealth. One of them sued a brother Christian in a court of law. And everyone was scandalized by the outrageous behavior of one of the members.

“Tone Deaf”

John Allen calls the skilled pianist in charge of our Church “tone deaf.”

Fifty members of Congress have written to His Holiness, telling him what to do.

Here is the letter I wish he would write back to them.

Friday Night Videos

Friday is a good day to make the Stations of the Cross. Plus, here are some videos for your viewing pleasure.

1) Here is the pro-life Super Bowl commercial which NBC refuses to air:

Fidelis had the money, but NBC said the commercial is “too political.”

2) My brother was bumped from MSNBC yesterday evening, because they decided to focus on some impeached governor who has made himself a national laughingstock.

This evening, however, he was hailed as the Muckraker of the Day! (Click the link to behold his eloquence.)

3) The Federer-Nadal rematch is on!

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Guest Contributors

We welcome guest contributors to the on-going discussion and debate on Preacher and Big Daddy.

First of all, don’t miss Loeb Award-nominated Ben White’s exposé on the front page of today’s New York Times. He will discuss this on MSNBC this evening! (Between 6:00 and 6:45.)

“Take care what you hear”

What does the Lord Jesus mean when he tells us to “take care what you hear” (Mark 4:24)?

First and foremost, He intends for us to hear the Word of God. God has spoken to us in Christ. We must hear Him, receiving Him into our souls with faith and love.

Perhaps the Lord also means that we must be careful how we hear other people. When they speak, what do we hear?

Cufflinks R Us

Here are some beautiful cufflinks, suitable for use just about anywhere–except Cincinnati.

These beautiful cufflinks would look great at work, out to dinner, even courtside–if, for instance, you were the coach of a Big East basketball team.

But we no longer concern ourselves with such things. Basketball is too emotional. Cufflinks are more predictable.

If you went to Cincinnati and found yourself mauled by a Bengal tiger or a “Bearcat,” you would want something sturdier than these cufflinks between yourself and the animal.

But Bengals and Bearcats are subject matter for other weblogs. We are going to focus on cufflinks from now on.

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Super Bowl? What Super Bowl?

Raphael Nadal

Don’t forget about the Georgetown Hoyas game at Cincinnati this evening.

Once again, it is a Chvotkin special on AM 570 (i.e., not televised). 7:30 p.m.

Will you call me un-patriotic if I admit that I want Federer to beat Andy Roddick (and Nadal to beat Fernando Verdasco) to set up a Federer-Nadal re-match in the Australian Open Finals?

If so, no me importa. Quel dommage.

Roger Federer

It was hot last summer in Wimbledon, and it will be hot on Sunday in Melbourne (owing to the way the seasons fluctuate in the northern and southern hemispheres).

If it’s a Nadal-Federer re-match, it will be the most interesting sporting event on Sunday, for my money. Of course, the Finals match will be at 3:30 a.m. EST. It will be long over by the time THE GAME begins, Steelers fans, so don’t panic.

Meanwhile, let’s not forget about one of the world’s most beautiful women: Serena! She is also in the hunt for the championship.

See–I am not as unpatriotic as you thought. I may be for the Swiss in the men’s, but I’m for the American in the women’s.

Serena Williams

Supplemental Snow-Day Message

Happy Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas! It’s a great day to stay home and read the Summa!

Another All-Star Week

Here in the mid-Atlantic, we are enjoying a winter wonderland. For a little perspective, let’s keep this in mind: Down in Melbourne it is 100 degrees on the court for the Australian Open. Novak Djokovic had to forfeit his semi-final match because of heat exhaustion.

Statue of St. Angela Merici in St. Peter's Basilica

Perhaps you remember: Back in early October, we highlighted an ecclesiastical “All-Star Week“. Well, we are in the middle of another one…

On Saturday, we kept the memorial of St. Francis de Sales, heroic bishop, consummate gentleman, and author of a very good book (a few very good books, in fact). Then on Sunday, we kept the feast of St. Paul’s conversion. Yesterday we kept the memorial of St. Paul’s most prominent disciples, Sts. Timothy and Titus.

These apostolic men alone could out-hustle any competitors. But there is more!

Today, we keep the memorial of St. Angela Merici, foundress of the Ursulines. St. Angela is the female equivalent of St. Ignatius Loyola, as Dr. Ann White pointed out in the Jan/Feb 1999 issue of “Review for Religious.”

St. John Bosco blessing some young men

Tomorrow, we keep the memorial of the Common Doctor, the Angelic Doctor, the Master of the Schools, the Patron of learning, the greatest genius of all time–St. Thomas Aquinas!

Then, on Saturday, we keep the memorial of St. John Bosco, a.k.a. Don Bosco.

All the other All-Star teams–N.H.L., Pro Bowl, N.B.A., you name it…they all take a back seat to the Church’s all-star team this week.

Message for Catholic Schools Week 2009

The New Testament shows us that St. Paul was a gentle, fatherly man. He was patient and broad-minded. St. Paul communicated successfully with more different kinds of people than just about anyone ever has.

At the same time, the New Testament also clearly reveals that St. Paul was relentlessly precise. He had a prodigious intellect. He put all of it at the service of the truth of God. Christian Revelation is not vague—it involves specifics, facts. Therefore, St. Paul was never vague.

Today is the feast day of two of St. Paul’s pupils, Saints Timothy and Titus.

Let us try to imagine St. Paul as a teacher. Let us imagine him training Timothy and Titus to be bishops.