The Clorox splashed around and sanitized the black bucket. I watched with a lump in my throat; that meant they didn't make it. My dad had taken care of it by dumping the contents of the bucket into the gulley. Less than twenty-four hours earlier, there were four tiny, breathing kittens huddled together in that … Continue reading Inordinate Compassion for Animals as a Cure for the Unbearable Lightness of Being
Catholicism
Consummatum Est
The following are some reflections on John's account of Christ's death in light of the sacrament of marriage. "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh. This is great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the … Continue reading Consummatum Est
On Psyche’s Impossible Tasks and the Little Way of Wooing God
Psyche at the Throne of Aphrodite, Edward Hale, 1883 Probably the greatest of the Greek myths has to be the story of Psyche and Eros. No matter how many times I recall this tale, I am always drawn into the details of the story, feeling deeply for every joy and sorrow of Psyche. I feel … Continue reading On Psyche’s Impossible Tasks and the Little Way of Wooing God
Some Thoughts As Lent Approaches
1. Reject Destructive, Self-Pitying Thoughts Now that you're out in the wide open world, without the formative constraints and influences you had in college, some of the good habits you formed then have likely slipped away. Possibly, without the next outdoor trip looming over you, or the shame of the nightly dorm push-ups, or the … Continue reading Some Thoughts As Lent Approaches
MacIntyre’s Concept of Inter-Tradition Conflict
During my recent reading of the prologue to the third edition of Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue, I realized that I had never, either for others' education or my own, written down my own understanding of MacIntyre's process of arbitration between rival traditions of rational inquiry. Since that process is central to MacIntyre's project and I … Continue reading MacIntyre’s Concept of Inter-Tradition Conflict
A Man For Our Season
In the preface to his play, A Man for All Seasons, Robert Bolt explains his motivation for choosing Thomas More as his hero. He describes an inability in the people of his time to answer the question of what and who they are. The individual is dissatisfied with defining himself as a Man because he … Continue reading A Man For Our Season
Nature Is Incomplete.
I recently found myself standing in the midst of a forest full of redwoods and feeling oddly uncomfortable. Surrounded by rare giants, some of whom had fallen and some whom were still proudly displaying their two-thousand-year-old glory, I didn't feel quite as I ought to have. At another time of life not so long ago, … Continue reading Nature Is Incomplete.
The Quintessence of Dust
My intent in writing this point is twofold: first, to humbly remind my friends that we are engaged in a brutal war on two different fronts, and second, just to offer some simple thoughts on the nature of the conflict. Political Warfare: We are engaged in a great political war. Donald Trump, the unapologetic nationalist, … Continue reading The Quintessence of Dust
Who Was Charles Carroll?
In his recent address to American Catholics, President Trump began, "From the very beginning of our Republic, Catholics have uplifted and enriched our nation beyond measure. Catholics like Charles Carroll helped secure American Independence." Who was Charles Carroll? Born in 1737, Carroll would become the only Roman Catholic signee of the Declaration of Independence.
C. S. Lewis on Conscience, Reason, and Pacifism
In the midst of the chaos that has erupted in many cities across the U.S., in the midst of the burning of homes, and destruction of businesses, and ruination of lives, and needless violence, many of us are asking, “What do we do now?” Do we pursue the famed Benedict Option and retreat from society, … Continue reading C. S. Lewis on Conscience, Reason, and Pacifism
Lander's Forge 