Today's episode brought to you by Racism, and the letters "P" & "K".
I've seen this image come up several times on Facebook, but when I saw it today on /r/CatholicMemes, I just couldn't get past it. I despise Planned Parenthood as much as the next guy, but this is just... wrong.
I have a guest post for you today, penned by my beloved. Enjoy!
This is our dog Katie. This morning like most mornings I woke up with her cuddled at my feet. We got Katie shortly after our son Gabriel died to keep the mice away from me so I could actually sleep a little bit. It turns out that not only was she fantastic at keeping the mice away she has also been an amazing emotional support; I have cried into her fur more often than I can count. Katie is a great cuddler and would love to spend all day on my lap. This is a GREAT dog!! She is patient with my kids, she protects me in my scary basement, and she literally helped me up when I tripped over my own feet while walking her.
My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into various trials: knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience, and patience hath a perfect work: that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing.
This has not been our year.
Love. Luv. Like. Αγάπε (agape). Έροσ (eros). Φιλία (philia). Στοργή (storge).
What's love got to do (got to do) with it?
Everything.
I was thinking (dangerous, I know) about love, and I've finally come up with a good thing about the English language's lack of differentiation in the word "love." I didn't think it was possible! I mean "love" is my favorite English whipping boy, my go to example of why the language is terribly deficient (which it is).
But there I was, thinking about Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in Deus Caritas Est raising the question about eros, and if eros can be purified, and is it really different from agape, and...
It's that time again, when young men and women prepare to have their baptisms confirmed, when the Holy Spirit is asked to descend upon them as He did the Apostles at the first Pentecost.
This year I was asked to give a talk to some of our confirmation students about how the Holy Spirit has acted in my life. What follows is what I prepared for them. When I speak, I do not follow my text exactly, I give room for the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and so this is different from the talks I gave, just as each of the talks were different from each other. Hopefully this will still speak to you in some way.
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are these:
We are asked time and again if we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, usually by a Protestant who is attempting to evangelize. It is an important question! But have you ever been asked if you have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit?
Consider yourself asked. Do you have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit? If not, why not?
At the end of this week in which we commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the dubious Roe v. Wade decision, I have had some musings about abortion and the efforts we undertake to eradicate it. This is a little like a quick takes, but I'm too much of a non-conformist to do it on the right day, in the right number, or in some clever deviation from the norms. Sorry.