... you might be going to Hell

If you have sex with your date, even if you are engaged, you might be going to Hell.
If you worship money or power or sports more than God, you might be going to Hell.
If you commit adultery, including getting married after a divorce without getting an annulment first, you might be going to Hell.
If you engage in homosexual acts, you might be going to Hell.
If you steal, or cheat your customers or on your taxes, you might be going to Hell.
If you make or take more than you need, wanting even more and not sharing, you might be going to Hell.
If you consistently drink or take drugs to the point where you are intoxicated, you might be going to Hell.
If you abusively or consistent mock and insult others, you might be going to Hell.
If you rob people by violence or by unfair business practices, you might be going to Hell.

Lots of folks might be going to hell - and don't just take it from me. -  1 Corinthians 6: 9-11.

 Pax et bonum

Some old pics - beardless adult me!

 

Back in 1985/86, I was teaching at a Catholic high school that was a very good school, but which paid its faculty low wages. indeed, with two kids at home and just one income we were eligible for Food Stamps. I was applying to public schools, but with little luck, so I decided to cut my hair and shave my beard to increase my chances (I thought). I'd had a beard since I was 18, but off it went. I kept the moustache, though. So for six months (December 85 to June 86) I was beardless. During that time, my school had a student scavenger hunt in which they had to get faculty members to dress as television characters. My friend Juli and l came as Lily and Herman Munster.

 

 

 

The English office had a couch at the time, so I posed for a candid sacked out on it. 

Before the beard came off, I took part in some skits.

 

In June of 1986, the beard came back - and has remained to this day.

Pax et bonum

Stand Out for Life, April 27

More than 100 of us braved the cold, wind, snow, and sleet April 27 to witness for life at the monthly Stand Out for Life.

 

We heard from a variety of speakers, said a rosary, and sang hymns.

 

The police were there - as they have been recently for the Stand Outs and for 40 Days for Life. They are there on the behalf of Planned Parenthood and its government supporters to enforce the no-trespassing buffer zones, but given the repeated instances of violence against prolifers lately, they actually make the prolifers feel safer. And they are there to witness all interactions, thus potentially helping to counter false accusations made by prochoicers. 

 In a desperate attempt to cut down on eye contact and to prevent women form hearing words of love and support, and about alternatives to abortion, Planned Parenthood recently installed a small fence. They obviously hope that with this and the court-ordered no-trespassing buffer zones marked out on the public sidewalks they can eliminate as much contact with prolifers as possible. There are cases in the courts that may eventually overturn the earlier rulings. Despite the prochoicers' efforts, life will prevail.



Love will end abortion. 

 Pax et bonum

Spiritual Dust

After finishing a short biography of Mark Twain I'd found at the library - a biography which I enjoyed - I began a collection of essays I'd found on the new books shelf. The essays were written by a mother/daughter team who've written several such books previously.

The blurbs on the back described the books the two have written as "warm and engaging," having "entertaining, down-to-earth narration," and offering "guaranteed laughs."

I found some of the pieces amusing, yes. But the more I read, the more I was troubled.

The essays seemed to be just more of what passes for clever and insightful in our superficial culture, but really is shallow and morally deficient.

I had the image of Satan using this book and its ilk to sift spiritual dust into our souls to clog them. People might argue that it's just meant to be a light book, not great literature. But that's how Satan works. Give us "harmless" entertainment that really just poisons us. We see that in books like this - or in popular television shows, movies, songs, etc. Beneath the seeming innocuous surface there are messages and ideas that gradually blind us to what is true, and good, and beautiful.

While mulling my reactions to this book I had the great pleasure of going to a local G.K. Chesterton Society meeting where they were reading aloud essays from Tremendous Trifles. The contrast could not have been more stark. We laughed, discussed, made connections.

I came away from that meeting enriched and inspired. My soul was nourished.

We need more such enriching material, and less of the shallow and morally deficient.

Pax et bonum

Mark Twain Biography Revelations

I read and enjoyed Mark Twain by Geoffrey C. Ward and Dayton Duncan. The book, an illustrated biography, is a companion book for the Ken Burns documentary about Twain.

I was looking to learn more about Twain, but I did not want to get bogged down in a literary study/biography. At 258 pages, with many images and side articles, this book fit the bill.

I'd known some of the basic details about his life. This book filled in the gaps, and gave me a sense of his times as well.

That he had had some bad times - loss of loved one and bankruptcy - I knew, but not the extent of his losses. A brother, three children (including his son at 19 month), his wife all died before he did, The illnesses of his wife and daughters, estrangement at times from his daughters. as well as the extent of his business problems, was eye-opening. His bitterness and cynicism later in life made more sense.

I was also not aware of his own personality flaws. They made sense, though.

I came away from the book knowing him better, saddened by what he went through, and with a desire to read more of his works. I would also like to see the documentary some time.

But now, on to my next book: A contemporary collection of essays. I'll get back to Twain this summer. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court?

Pax et bonum

The Patron Saint of Coffee

The patron saint of coffee and coffehouses is Saint Drogo, who was a Flemish nobleman and hermit.

On orphan, he gave away his wealth when he turned 18, became a shepherd, then a pilgrim. He apparently developed an illness that disfigured him, and he spent his last years as a hermit in a cell attached to a church.

Now how he became the patron saint of coffee and coffee houses is unclear. He lived in the 12th Century - hundreds of years before coffee became common in Belgium. I've seen it speculated that when he lived in the cell he asked that the water being given to him be warmed.

Ah well, I raise a cup in his honor.

Pax et bonum

It's Earth Day

Yes, people make fun of environmentalists - but I happen to be one.

I believe in preserving the environment as much as possible. I believe in taking care of resources, not polluting or littering, showing respect for other nature, recycling, and so on.

So Happy Earth Day!

Pax et bonum