Having grown up in The Salvation Army and played a baritone horn (3rd part Bb in the Christmas Tune Book) at the Christmas kettles, I love Christmas music. A short bit of commentary on some of the well-known Christmas carols. I won’t dwell on them because I could get too “scoldy.” i.e. Why don’t you sing all four verses of Joy to the World? And speaking of Joy to the World, don’t you realize that the first line is actually “Joy to the EARTH,... Read more
Fifty Days of Glory: From Easter Morning to the Eve of Pentecost, by Mark Pearson (Creation House, 2014) I’m re-reading my friend the Rev. Dr. Mark Pearson’s wonderful book Fifty Days of Glory. In this book Fr. Mark explores the days between Jesus’ Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Growing up as a non-liturgical Christian (in the accepted sense — every denomination has their own liturgy whether they call it that or not!) I didn’t give much thought to... Read more
Tomorrow, May 22, 2022, the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization begins in Geneva. You probably have heard that this is not an inconsequential meeting. Although the Biden Administration, the W.H.O., and the media have done their damnedest (and may it circle back on them) to keep the ramifications of this meeting unknown, their dirty secret has been exposed. Thanks to investigative journalists like James Roguski and Leo Hohmann, and the ferocious determination of former U.S. Representative Michele... Read more
Has anyone created a graphic novel: St. Patrick: Demon Slayer? If not, someone should. Patrick, born in Britain — probably Scotland — around 385 A.D., went from being the teenage son of Roman British parents (some like to say “Italian”), to being kidnapped by wild Irish ruffians and brought to (Northern) Ireland as a slave. In captivity for six years, he worked as a shepherd, and according to Patrick’s own words in his confession (Confessio), this is where his conversion and relationship with... Read more
“Joy to the World” has always been my favorite Christmas carol, even though it’s not a Christmas carol. Isaac Watts, known as the inventor of English hymns, wrote it in 1719 as an interpretation of Psalm 96 and 98, about the day the Messiah will come. What better reason to shout joyfully? And how can you go wrong with music supplied about 50 years later by George Frederick Handel? My first trip to London I went in search of Isaac... Read more
Yesterday, Sunday, December 26, was the Feast Day of St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Church. Below is a collect for St. Stephen’s Day: Grant, O Lord, that in all our sufferings here upon earth for the testimony of your truth, we may steadfastly look up to heaven, and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed; and being filled with the Holy Spirit, may learn to love and bless our persecutors by the example of your first... Read more
In February of this year the International Criminal Court convicted Dominic Ongwen, 45, of dozens of war crimes and crimes against humanity. A commander in the Ugandan rebel group the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), Ongwen was found guilty on 61 counts ranging from multiple murders and rapes to forced marriages and pregnancies and sexual slavery. He was the first LRA leader to be tried and convicted by the ICC. The AP quoted Elise Keppler, associate director of the International Justice... Read more
Father Richard John Neuhaus, one of the founders of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, and of First Things, said famously “Christians have no right to despair, because despair is a sin. And Christians have no reason to despair because Christ is risen!” I shamelessly borrow from the late Fr. Neuhaus and say “Christians have no right to identity politics because identity politics are idolatry. And Christians have no reason to utilize identity politics because we find our identity in... Read more
When the flood came, the rowboat had been there all along. Both Silent Ones and Loudmouths were caught unawares by the flood. They all ended up clinging desperately to the roof of the last remaining solid structure so as to not drown. You understand that Silent Ones are not totally silent. Tranquil and easy-going, they just wanted to live their own lives with their families. Control was something they neither desire to exert over others or to experience themselves. But... Read more
Leaked Document Leaked document 2017 Sudan has a long way to go to not be a terrorist regime. Particularly since many of the plans that were hatched by the Khartoum regime in June 2017 are still being enacted today, Bashir or no Bashir. We are all in vapors because Bashir is gone! We think that this means a 180 degree change for Sudan. Seriously? At present it appears that the rest of the bad boys in Khartoum have been willing to make... Read more
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