“Moralizing sadism” is borrowed from Foucault. I have found it invariably to be true that, when reading the moralizing sermons of politicians, their intentions are sadistic; they know perfectly well that the recipients of their exhortations are not going to be improved (who is?), and at best the intended audience will be ashamed or atContinue reading “Moralizing sadists”
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Keeping up
I love this insight from Etty Hillesum’s diary in which she reflects: “I must make sure I keep up with my writing, that is, with myself, or else things will start to go wrong for me: I shall run the risk of losing my way.” There is so much there.
Protected: Ascension
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Honouring parents
“But,” Chaim says, in a quieter voice, “he’s a very holy man.” I have never heard a teenaged boy say such a thing about his father, and it keeps me quiet, wondering, for the rest of the while we walk together.” – Natalie Morrill, The Ghost Keeper
Eternity
“To love someone, is to tell them: ‘You will not die.’” – Gabriel Marcel As I recall that quotation, I’m reflecting a section from John Crosby’s book, The Personalism of John Paul II:
A new addition to the syllabus of noble lives
I don’t know much about Francis Collins, but since the Templeton Prize just announced that he’s the 2020 Laureate, I’m inspired to learn more. Ever since learning about Sir John Templeton and the Prize, I became fascinated with the list of past laureates; I began to consider this list a syllabus for studying noble lives.
Book: The Personalism of John Paul II
One of my very favourite organizations, the Hildebrand Project, has just released this little book titled The Personalism of John Paul II. I read it today and here’s the brief review I wrote of it on Amazon:
“To An Unknown God” – From Athens to Morocco
Tomorrow’s first reading from the Book of Acts recounts when Paul stood up at the Areopagus in Athens and proclaimed:
Sto Lat! Happy 100th birthday to John Paul II
On this day in 1920, Karol Józef Wojtyła was born in Wadowice, Poland. Pictured is me and my friend Claire eating the pope’s favourite cake, kremówka, in his hometown.
“I will not leave you orphans…”
In today’s gospel, Jesus says to his disciples, “I will not leave you orphans…” In this time of so many ordeals, crises, and tragedies, how do these words sound to us? Do they sound discordant? Facetious? Comforting? Hopeful?
Amanda Achtman 