A new book: Mary: A Catholic-Evangelical Debate, sounds good. I haven't seen it, but I've heard good things about it. Probably worth a look. To me, there is nothing controversial about the Blessed Mother. She just is the perfect woman. What's the problem?

Where is Eucharistic Adoration near you? Check this page to find out.
- posted by John @ 10:44 AM

 
Tolkien mania is about to return... It's a good time to look at an article about his use of myth. Talk about an imagination....

So far, classes look very good. I have lots to learn about the history of the liturgy of the Church. Only about 2000 years there. Ok, this might take more than a lifetime to learn...
- posted by John @ 3:00 PM

 
A wonderful poem about Our Lady being crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth. Thanks Quenta-Narwen
- posted by John @ 9:22 PM

 
One thing I haven't discussed on my blog is my interest in radio shows from the days before TV (and the early days of TV when they coexisted). Radio drama helps one to use the imagination, and is more "active" in the sense of imagining the scene, while "passive" in the sense of listening. I was introduced to old radio shows as a child, and I continue to find them entertaining, if I get the chance to listen to them (right now time is limited).
- posted by John @ 4:29 PM

 
Not much to report, but I'm starting to read the "Treatise on Prayer" of the Dialogues of St. Catherine of Siena. I read it years ago, but I didn't realize it was an abridged copy (if you have the TAN Books version, you have an abridged copy--read the title page). There's some things that were left out that are quite heavy, serious, and not for the faint of heart. St. Catherine was given some serious insight that concerns recent events (it has to do with scandals in the priesthood). If you want to read the complete Dialogues, there is an old Benziger version out there, and the Paulists also put out a complete version, or of course you can get the original Italian if you understand it.
- posted by John @ 2:38 PM

 
I just noticed that the Eucharistic Apostles of The Divine Mercy have updated their website. You can listen to some of their short radio spots on different aspects of the Divine Mercy devotion. The resources are there... you just have to take advantage of them (while there is still time for mercy....) Not to get apocalyptic or anything.

Also, in other news (and here I am talking to people who are priests or in religious life), the Institute on Religious Life is looking to publish a book of vocation stories. Have a vocation story to tell? Or, if you are discerning a vocation, the IRL also has some helpful pages.
- posted by John @ 7:13 PM

 
Gosh! I didn't realize MercyMe is doing so well. It's good to see a Christian band getting so much airplay. As the article says, a sign of the spiritual hunger out there.
- posted by John @ 7:24 PM

 
Back in school at the Dominican House of Studies. Not much to report yet... I've been reading about Fr. Thomas F. Price, co-founder of Maryknoll. Now there was a holy man. He had tremendous devotion to St. Bernadette of Lourdes... the bio I link to mentions it briefly, but there's much more to it. Perhaps I'll have to quote from the book in future entries.
- posted by John @ 2:43 PM

 
I was listening to Relevant Radio recently. The Morning Air show has some good guests on, and the talk is lively. If you're spending a weekday morning at home, I recommend listening online (if there isn't a local radio station to listen to). Catholic radio is back.... and God willing it's not going away.
- posted by John @ 8:47 AM

 
It's hot in Chicago... heat index 100. I'm getting ready to transition from chaplain intern to seminarian again... May Our Lady be with me.

I recommend downloading the Virtual Rosary and using the prayercast feature. When I pray using this program, I get an intention from the prayercast list for every Hail Mary, and you can even put in intentions online.

Yeh, it's hot here.
- posted by John @ 9:28 PM

 
The love of Christ compells us... well, it should anyhow.

For those who check my blog, please remember the deceased in your prayers. It's very good to pray for the dead. Remember your deceased family members often--praying for their release from Purgatory, and have Masses said for them.
- posted by John @ 11:27 PM

 
Based on a suggestion made on my guestbook (yes, at the bottom of this page is a guestbook), I'm going to tell a story from my past...

In the summer of 1999, I traveled with a group that put on a presentation about Our Lady and the Divine Mercy message. We were in California. One day, we were passing near a mission--San Fernando--so we decided to go to Mass there the next day. That morning, we went to Mass, and the priest explained, as if he expected us to already know, that today was the feast of Bl. Junipero Serra (July 1), and a first class relic the Blessed was on the altar. It was the only day I have visited a California mission so far... and it was a good day to visit. The Mission of San Fernando was founded after Blessed Junipero died, but it is part of his legacy... There was a slideshow presentation on his life at that Mission, and the voice of Junipero was portrayed by Bing Crosby.

Bl. Junipero Serra, pray for us. Pray for continued work in the mission land that is the United States.

An e-mail address to reach me at is: brjohn@maill.com.
- posted by John @ 9:26 PM

 
There are many Catholics who have never heard of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Are you among them? Look at the link for a thorough explanation.

I've seen various arguments about the new Passion movie of Mel Gibson, and I think some people need to read a document that came out shortly after Vatican II called Nostra Aetate. Section 4 deals with Catholic/Jewish relations, and it literally changed them, in a very big way. Michael Medved, a Jewish film critic, has given a different view of the Passion controversy.
- posted by John @ 5:48 PM

 
Happy Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary! Our Shrine in Stockbridge, MA, had some flickering lights but they didn't lose power. Today, we have 3 men renewing vows, and two of them should be making perpetual vows tomorrow!!!!
- posted by John @ 9:49 AM

 
Today is the 90th anniversary of Sister Marie Bernard (Bernadette of Lourdes) being declared "Venerable." I just happened to be reading a book last night that mentioned that. Yes, August 13, 1913, was a good day for devotion to Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes. St. Bernadette, pray for us. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
- posted by John @ 8:23 PM

 
That Compass site has some good stuff. Here's a page with a passage from Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's autobiography. Yep, good stuff.
- posted by John @ 8:25 PM

 
At the time of writing this, my Congregation's website ranked 5th on Alexa in the category of Men's Religious Orders. I guess this is good, no? The site is getting some traffic, although probably more for Divine Mercy info than for Congregation info.
- posted by John @ 10:24 PM

 
Mel Gibson's Passion movie now has its own website: www.passion-movie.com.

Here's something from an old vocation ad for my Congregation about what we do...

"We are firmly convinced that the pen is mightier than the sword. (Not that we started out with the sword and changed weapons for greater effectiveness.) The truth of the matter is that the promotion of good Catholic reading constitutes a very necessary and vital apostolate in itself. Through sound Catholic reading people can deepen their religious knowledge and convictions, enrich their moral and spiritual lives, and arrive at a new appreciation of what it means to be a Christian and witness for Christ in our modern age.

"Times without number our recent Popes have underlined the importance of the Catholic Press. As everyone knows, God's work of salvation can be greatly furthered through Catholic publications. Members of our Congregation engage in writing, editing, printing, and publishing various Catholic papers and periodicals."

Now, is there a new type of Catholic Press with the Catholic Blog? I would tend to think so, because here people without any financial backing can publish their thoughts, and I am particularly impressed when some (particularly those under 30) publish thoughts which relate to the power of God working in their lives. Go Splurf! There are lots of depressing blogs by depressed people. Realize that you can help people with an inspiring blog. Here's something new... the apostolate of the Catholic Blog.
- posted by John @ 3:42 PM

 
Hey, I would be lacking in my vocation as a Marian if I failed to mention the Mother of Mercy Messengers. They work with the Eucharistic Apostles of Divine Mercy, and they go around the U.S. with a traveling presentation about St. Faustina, the Divine Mercy message, Our Lady, and the Eucharist. It's usually given in parishes or schools. It's quite good. I've worked with Dave and Joan and I've seen their new presentation. Perhaps you've seen it, or perhaps you would like information. Contact Dave and Joan at the address on their website.
- posted by John @ 11:36 AM

 
I found a site with old articles from The Catholic World. One article, written almost 100 years ago, has a paragraph that caught my eye:

"It is now that the Catholic Church encounters an old foe in a new guise. Grim, hostile, scornful, Rationalism stands at the threshold of the twentieth century with menacing brow and threatening finger, warning the Church: 'Thus far shall you go, and no further. You have lived through a score of centuries; you have survived the storm and the battle. The tempest has been loosed and you have not perished. Nations have risen up against you and you have lived to chant their requiem. But now at last you are face to face with a test that you cannot survive. We shall no longer attack you; we are going to explain you.'" (Rev. McSorley, Catholic World, June, 1905)

Rev. McSorley writing in 1905 gave quite the answer to this, explaining that the Church is a living organism: The Mystical Body of Christ.

Is there the same threat now? I guess in a way. The Mystical Body is definitely suffering, and certainly has those who explain it away, but there's hope...
- posted by John @ 11:11 AM

 
Lots of blogs out there, but there are blogs and then there are blogs. Quenta Nârwenion is one of those blogs. I don't think I could write a blog that well if I had to. Some people have a real gift for this sort of thing.
- posted by John @ 10:06 PM

 
So, what mystics have you read about lately? May I suggest reading about St. Gemma Galgani?

Is the blog the common Catholic press of Gen Y? The blog is certainly an easy way to get something "published," and to share knowledge of "real" websites with actual solid information (not to mention books, music, movies and such). We are certainly communicating faster than ever before on a larger scale than ever before. And, fortunately or unfortunately, there's always more to learn. Still, you are better off spending time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, because there Jesus teaches directly exactly the things he wants you to learn about (although printing out something inspirational from the Internet is allowed).
- posted by John @ 8:41 PM

 
Vatican Radio is doing radio drama in English??!? Yes indeed. Right now, you can go to the Inspiration page and check out "The Trial of St. Teresa," which is about St. Teresa of Avila.

They've done radio drama in Italian for years, but this I have not heard of before. It's not bad, either. Also, if you click on the "Listen Live" button at night, you never know what genre of music you will hear, but the most likely type is classical. I just tried it and... it's classical, but that's not always the case.
- posted by John @ 11:14 PM

 
"How a renegade teenager randomly picked up a book about Mary and experienced an instant, radical conversion to Christ."

This is from the page describing a new book called Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart. It refers to a member of my religious community who was just ordained a priest this year. If you want to know more, why not buy the book?

- posted by John @ 8:57 PM

 
Who am I that I should be blogging? I notice that in blogs people often talk about their personal lives, and I haven't done much of that. Maybe it's because I really don't see my personal activities as things worth broadcasting to the world. I go to Mass, I pray, I go to a hospital on weekdays and serve as a chaplain intern... Yah, yah, yah. I think I am aiming for a more "God-centered" blog. Every entry should, in theory, somehow glorify God. Not of course that God doesn't get all the glory in the end, but I'm supposed to be part of the glorifying.

Secularism wants to rob us of the very thought of God. He's just not necessary for the secularist, but He is necessary for the continued existence of the universe. Yep, it all hangs by the will of God. Don't let your hearts be troubled, have faith.
- posted by John @ 9:09 PM

 
Sometimes you need something funny to listen to... Ever hear of Victor Borge? If not, it is crucial that you hear something of this classic funny man/classical piano player. Fortunately, there is a sound clip page on the net. I recommend "Happy Birthday," but others are good too.
- posted by John @ 5:52 PM

 
Just going to point out an entry from Splurf. Here, Kayla gives some comments on God's communication with us. These are the sort of entries I want to see more of. However, it's difficult to write such entries all the time, but hopefully one of the Splurf bloggers will have something inspiring to say on any given day--at least that's what I'm praying for. Mary Immaculate, pray for us. This is the time to get contemplative and write something for God!
- posted by John @ 9:30 AM