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The Curt Jester

"It is the test of a good religion whether you can joke about it." GKC

The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 154 – 5 October 2016

by Jeffrey Miller October 5, 2016
written by Jeffrey Miller

pope-francis2-300x187This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 8 September 2016 to 5 October 2016.

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post at Jimmy Akin’s The Weekly Francis. Jimmy Akin came up with this idea when he started “The Weekly Benedict” and I have taken over curation of it.

Angelus

  • 18 September 2016
  • 25 September 2016
  • 2 October 2016

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

  • 12 September 2016 – We are all Corinthians
  • 13 September 2016 – For a culture of encounter
  • 14 September 2016 – Holy Mass in suffrage of Father Jacques Hamel
  • 15 September 2016 – Under her mantle
  • 16 September 2016 – The logic of the day after tomorrow
  • 17 September 2016 – Three ways to go forth
  • 19 September 2016 – The light is not meant for the fridge
  • 20 September 2016 – The disgrace of war
  • 22 September 2016 – Osteoporosis of the soul

General Audiences

  • 21 September 2016
  • 28 September 2016

Homilies

  • 25 September 2016 – Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy: Jubilee for Catechists
  • 1 October 2016 – Apostolic Journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan: Holy Mass at M. Meskhi Stadium (Tbilisi, 1 October 2016)
  • 2 October 2016 – Apostolic Journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan: Holy Mass at the church of the Immaculate in the Salesian Centre (Baku, 2 October 2016)

Speeches

  • 8 September 2016 – To participants in the International Benedictine Abbots’ Conference
  • 15 September 2016 – To the Italian Biblical Association
  • 16 September 2016 – To the newly appointed Bishops participating in the formative courses organized by the Congregations for Bishops and for the Oriental Churches
  • 24 September 2016 – To survivors and relatives of the victims of the attack in Nice
  • 29 September 2016 – To Workers of Catholic Organizations serving in Iraq, Syria and neighbouring territories
  • 30 September 2016 – Apostolic Journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan: Meeting with the Assyrian-Chaldean Community at the Catholic Chaldean Church of St. Simon Bar Sabbae
  • 30 September 2016 – Apostolic Journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan: Meeting with His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos and Patriarch of All Georgia
  • 30 September 2016 – Apostolic Journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan: Meeting with Authorities and the Diplomatic Corps in the Courtyard of the Presidential Palace
  • 1 October 2016 – Apostolic Journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan: Visit the Svietyskhoveli Patriarchal Cathedral in Mtskheta
  • 1 October 2016 – Apostolic Journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan: Meeting with the Church’s charity workers and those they assist outside the Camillian aid centre
  • 1 October 2016 – Apostolic Journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan: Meeting with Priests, Religious, Seminarians and Pastoral Workers gathered in the church of the Assumption
  • 2 October 2016 – Apostolic Journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan: Interreligious meeting with the Sheikh and with the Representatives of the different Religious Communities of the country at “Heydar Aliyev” Mosque (Baku, 2 October 2016)
  • 2 October 2016 – Apostolic Journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan: Meeting with the Authorities at ‘Heydar Aliyev’ Centre (Baku, 2 October 2016)
  • 5 October 2016 – Celebration of Vespers with the participation of His Grace Dr Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of the Anglican Communion, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the meeting between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey
  • 5 October 2016 – To the Board of Directors of “Fondazione Vodafone”

Papal Tweets

  • “God never tires of offering His forgiveness each time we ask for it.” @Pontifex 23 September 2016
  • “Let us walk together taking care of each other and of Creation, our common home.” @Pontifex 24 September 2016
  • “The world needs concrete signs of solidarity, especially before the temptation of indifference.” @Pontifex 25 September 2016
  • “In the brother we help we recognize the face of God which no one sees anymore.” @Pontifex 26 September 2016
  • “Let us promote a sustainable tourism, which stimulates development and encounter with local peoples and avoids every sort of discrimination.” @Pontifex 27 September 2016
  • “How beautiful would it be to leave the world a better place than the way we found it.” @Pontifex 28 September 2016
  • “The Lord has entrusted the Archangels with the task of defending humanity.” @Pontifex 29 September 2016
  • “Today I leave for Georgia and Azerbaijan. Please accompany me with your prayers so we can sow peace, unity and reconciliation together.” @Pontifex 30 September 2016
  • “Lord Jesus, cast forth the shadow of your cross over peoples at war: may they learn the way of reconciliation, dialogue and forgiveness.” @Pontifex 30 September 2016
  • “God is not known through grand ideas and extensive study, but rather through the littleness of a humble and trusting heart.” @Pontifex 1 October 2016
  • “The poor and weak are the flesh of Christ, who call upon Christians of every confession.” @Pontifex 1 October 2016
  • “God changes the world by transforming our hearts. When God finds an open and trusting heart, he can work wonders there.” @Pontifex 2 October 2016
  • “Dialogue with others, prayers for all: these are our means to give rise to love where there is hatred, forgiveness where there is offence.” @Pontifex 2 October 2016
  • “May the Lord, who creates harmony out of diversity, forever protect this beloved land of the Caucasus.” @Pontifex 2 October 2016
  • “I entrust to Mary the anxieties and sufferings of those peoples who are innocent victims of conflicts in many parts of the world.” @Pontifex 3 October 2016
  • “Saint Francis, teach us to be instruments of peace which has its source in God. #LaudatoSi” @Pontifex 4 October 2016
  • “Ecumenical and interreligious dialogue is not a luxury, but something which our world, wounded by conflict and division, increasingly needs.” @Pontifex 5 October 2016

Papal Instagram

  • Franciscus
October 5, 2016 2 comments
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Book Review

Book Review: Discovery

by Jeffrey Miller October 4, 2016
written by Jeffrey Miller

Karina Fabian latest novel is a SF first contact called Discovery.

First off there was just so much I enjoyed. I just love the concept of an order of Religious sisters dedicated to rescuing people involved in accidents in space (Our Lady of the Rescue).

An apparently dead alien starship is detected in the Kuiper Belt on an asteroid and a team has been sent out to investigate. The “Rescue Sisters” were sought out to join the mission and to provide training and oversee safety.

An interesting premise, but what I think I loved most was the characters in the story. There is lots of tension involving competing groups and individuals with there own ideas on what first contact might bring. A clash of worldviews. Their is some depth to the characters in the story. Various levels of brokenness among the crew and the sisters.

The faith of the sisters play a large part in the novel and the resolution of it. Villians in the plot are not two-dimensional characters just to provide tension and to move the plot. They have a realism to their motives and for the Rescue Sisters there is more than just physical rescuing.

Sister Rita, a central character, is having to face a situation she in part ran from as someone from her past is part of the crew. There were many ways this plot point could have gone cliche, but didn’t. The character of Sister Ann was quite memorable. She had a way of speaking in non-linear way of expressing the spiritual dimension of things. Perceptive and wise, but also having her own problems to resolve.

Add to this the discovery of something on the alien ship that throws the crew into conflict.

As a SF novel I thought the story was quite good on it’s own merit. How character-driven this novel was enhanced the story. I have read several of Karina Fabian’s books and the majority were comic novels making the most of a fun concept. Discovery is a more serious SF novel, but her wit does poke through from time to time. I would certainly like to read more of the Rescue Sisters.

While the Catholicism of the book is central to the main characters, it is integral with the story and is in no way “hit-you-over-the-head-message-fiction.”

Here is a recent interview she did with Ellen Gable Hrkach that I found interesting.

October 4, 2016 1 comment
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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 153 – 22 September 2016

by Jeffrey Miller September 22, 2016
written by Jeffrey Miller

pope-francis2-300x187This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from
3 September 2016 to 22 September 2016.

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post at Jimmy Akin’s The Weekly Francis. Jimmy Akin came up with this idea when he started “The Weekly Benedict” and I have taken over curation of it.

Angelus

  • 4 September 2016
  • 11 September 2016

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

  • 8 September 2016 – Handcrafted peace
  • 9 September 2016 – A matter of style

General Audiences

  • 7 September 2016
  • 10 September 2016 – Jubilee Audience
  • 14 September 2016

Speeches

  • 3 September 2016 – Inauguration of the statue of Our Lady of Aparecida in the Vatican Gardens
  • 8 September 2016 – To participants in the Symposium sponsored by the Organization of American States and by the Institute for Interreligious Dialogue, Buenos Aires
  • 9 September 2016 – To participants in the Seminar of Studies for Bishops in the Mission Territories
  • 17 September 2016 – To Members of the European Confederation and of the World Union of Jesuit Alumni and Alumnae
  • 20 September 2016 – Visit to Assisi for the World Day of Prayer for Peace “Thirst for Peace. Faiths and Cultures in Dialogue”

Papal Tweets

  • “To offer today’s world the witness of mercy is a task from which none of us can feel exempted.” @Pontifex 8 September 2016
  • “The Lord presents himself each day and knocks at the door of our heart.” @Pontifex 9 September 2016
  • “Mercy can truly contribute to the building up of a more humane world.” @Pontifex 10 September 2016
  • “The Word of God can revive a hardened heart.” @Pontifex 11 September 2016
  • “Greetings to all the athletes participating in the Paralympics: Sport is an opportunity for growth and friendship.” @Pontifex 12 September 2016
  • “Let us ask for a faith that allows us to have trust in God no matter what the circumstances of life.” @Pontifex 13 September 2016
  • “The Church’s forgiveness must be every bit as broad as that offered by Jesus on the Cross and by Mary at his feet.” @Pontifex 14 September 2016
  • “The Church is called to walk with Jesus on the roads of the world, in order to meet the humanity of today.” @Pontifex 15 September 2016
  • “Only those who humble themselves before the Lord can experience the greatness of his mercy.” @Pontifex 15 September 2016
  • “The concrete sign that we have truly encountered Jesus is the joy that we show in communicating it to others.” @Pontifex 17 September 2016
  • “As Christians, we are called to be missionaries of the Gospel.” @Pontifex 18 September 2016
  • “Serving is the way that mission is carried out, the only way to be a disciple of Jesus.” @Pontifex 19 September 2016
  • “Every encounter with the other is a seed which can grow into a flourishing tree, where many will find rest and nourishment.” @Pontifex 20 September 2016
  • “Dialogue is born when I am capable of recognizing others as a gift of God and accept they have something to tell me.” @Pontifex 21 September 2016
  • “The more we let ourselves be enveloped by the love of God, the more our lives are renewed.” @Pontifex 22 September 2016

Papal Instagram

  • Franciscus
September 22, 2016 0 comment
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Humor

The Church is a Hospital for Sinners

by Jeffrey Miller September 19, 2016
written by Jeffrey Miller

pfnb

But I think the Pope is taking the metaphor too seriously.

September 19, 2016 5 comments
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Software

macOS Sierra Thoughts

by Jeffrey Miller September 19, 2016September 19, 2016
written by Jeffrey Miller

So installed macOS Sierra on both of my Macs this weekend. This was the gold master developer release, it will be released to the public on 20 September 2016.

First off being to unlock my Macs with my Apple Watch is super cool. So far it has worked every time without flaw and would recognize my watch as soon as the lock screen was opened. I have tried apps to do this in the past, but they just did not work most of the time.

Another feature I like it the new Universal clipboard. So when I copy something on the Mac or iOS device the same thing is available on other devices for a limited period of time. I use the Copied app on macOS and iOS and this new feature won’t replace it, but it is rather convenient. By the way Copied on iOS has just gotten even better.

The notes app on macOS/iOS is more and more actually useful You can set the font size on the macOS version. One of those “finally” features. I keep most of my notes in plain text files on Dropbox, but Notes is good for storing images, PDF, and rich text notes across devices.

This time around I “nuked and paved”, that is formatted my boot drive and installed a fresh version of Sierra from a USB drive. I probably didn’t need to do that, but hard to get rid of my MS Windows mindset – where it really is necessary. Still nothing like the smell of a fresh OS in the morning.

Since my computer setup is highly modified with shortcut keys, ZSH shell, and lots of fiddly things – I keep a note containing all my settings, apps I use, and how to return everything back to the way I want it. I keep this list updated as I add new programs and this made the process of setting up two Macs fairly straight forward. Fortunately more programs now allow you to export settings or save their settings on iCloud.

Still I also maintain a list of things to do before doing a new install as to what settings I need to export or programs I need to deauthorize first. Of course the most important thing to do is to do a full backup – which I did. I have a bootable backup created using Carbon Copy Cloner along with a disk image using the same program. Plus I maintain a Time Machine backup along with cloud service backup. Still since I keep so much in Dropbox and Onedrive – that is another layer of backup.

Siri now being on macOS was a feature I didn’t expect to use much. Maybe it will turn out that way. Still I have found it very reliable in opening apps and since I use Apple Music it is highly useful to tell it what to play. There are additional Siri commands for working with the file system. You can also correct Siri using the keyboard. I would like being able to use a command line Siri where I could just type in the command in situations where I know dictation is unlikely to be accurate. Still the dictation has been very good using just the iMac built in microphone. I guess I will be learning to remember the Siri keyboard shortcut – holding down ⌘-space.

As for app compatibility, but for one exception – every program I use runs fine under the new OS. The exception is Seil and Karibiner which I use to reassign the caps lock to be ⌃⇧⌘⌥ and to be able to create a hyper key for very unique shortcuts. Since these apps might not be updated in a while, I simply assigned my caps lock key to Ctrl and then found new keys to use to access most used shortcuts.

No doubt I will run into bugs with macOS Sierra, but so far so good.

September 19, 2016September 19, 2016 2 comments
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Punditry

Selfie Prophets

by Jeffrey Miller September 12, 2016
written by Jeffrey Miller

Tim Kaine claims Catholic Church could change on gay marriage.

Washington D.C., Sep 11, 2016 / 04:50 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine, a Catholic who is currently the junior Virginia senator, said on Saturday that he thinks the Church will eventually drop its opposition to same-sex marriage.

“I think it’s going to change because my church also teaches me about a creator who, in the first chapter of Genesis, surveyed the entire world, including mankind, and said, ‘It is very good’,” Kaine said Sept. 10, according to the Associated Press.

His comments came during his keynote address at the national dinner for Human Rights Campaign, an influential LGBT advocacy group, in Washington, D.C.

Tim Kaine is no doubt another great Selfie Prophet. Being able to predict that the Church will change to his beliefs. That after close to 2,000 years finally we have a theologian with the depth of Kaine to set us straight (pun always intended).

Just like the religious sisters who proclaim themselves part of a prophetic movement. More like a pathetic movement. They are prophets not calling for people to repent, but for the Church to do so. Prophets applauded rather than persecuted. The Old Testament prophet had to call out the people for being lax and following the spirit of the age. These modern “prophets” say “Hey get with the spirit of the age” and that those who actually follow and believe Church teaching must repent.

The hubris of the age is “The Church is wrong and I am right.” My will be done. In my own experience I found the exact opposite to be true.

Really I can’t understand the idea of wanting to belong to a Church that could change here teaching. One that does is a human institution with no authority to teach. Development of doctrine is one thing, theological U-Turns quite another.

An imbecile habit has risen in modern controversy of saying that such and such a creed can be held in one age but cannot be held in another. Some dogma was credible in the 12th century, but is not credible in the 20th. You might as well say that a certain philosophy can be believed on Mondays, but cannot be believed on Tuesdays (G.K. Chesterton – Orthodoxy)

If same-sex marriage was actually marriage then you would have to say the Holy Spirit was rather incompetent. That somehow nowhere in scripture is there one example of same-sex marriage being normative. That God from the beginning intended homosexual acts to be normative, and yet never mention this fact or guides his people to this fact. That we had to wait for abortion loving Democrats to finally learn the truth.

Recently we had a Catholic Vice President officiate a so-called same-sex marriage, and now a Catholic VP candidate telling us how the Church will change regarding this.

September 12, 2016 4 comments
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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 152 – 7 September 2016

by Jeffrey Miller September 7, 2016
written by Jeffrey Miller

pope-francis2-300x187This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 17 August 2016 to 7 September 2016.

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post at Jimmy Akin’s The Weekly Francis. Jimmy Akin came up with this idea when he started “The Weekly Benedict” and I have taken over curation of it.

Angelus

  • 28 August 2016

General Audiences

  • 31 August 2016

Homilies

  • 4 September 2016 – Holy Mass and Canonization of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Messages

  • 1 September 2016 – Message of the Holy Father for the celebration of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Motu Proprio

  • 17 August 2016 – Statutes of the Dicastery for promoting Integral Human Development

Speeches

  • 3 September 2016 – Catechesis for all workers of mercy and volunteers

Papal Tweets

  • “God gave us the earth “to till and to keep” in a balanced and respectful way.” @Pontifex 1 September 2016
  • “Charity means to draw close to the periphery of existence of the men and women we encounter every day.” @Pontifex 2 September 2016
  • “Let us imitate Mother Teresa who made works of mercy the guide of her life and the path towards holiness.” @Pontifex 3 September 2016
  • “Let us carry Mother Teresa’s smile in our hearts and give it to those whom we meet along our journey.” @Pontifex 4 September 2016
  • “The one who builds on God builds on rock, because he is always faithful, even if we sometimes lack faith.” @Pontifex 5 September 2016
  • “What a great gift the Lord has given us in teaching us to forgive and in this way to touch the Father’s mercy!” @Pontifex 6 September 2016
  • “God is always moved to compassion whenever we repent.” @Pontifex 7 September 2016

Papal Instagram

  • Franciscus
September 7, 2016 0 comment
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Book Review

Book Review: Faith Under Fire

by Jeffrey Miller September 6, 2016
written by Jeffrey Miller

When I received Faith Under Fire: Dramatic Stories of Christian Courage by Matthew Archbold I thought I already had a good idea regarding what it would cover. Figured it would focus extensively on the situation in the Middle East and elsewhere with the focused murder and persecution of Christians in those lands. While that is one aspect, this book is much broader than that important focus.

I found stories both familiar and ones I had not heard of. They follow the gamut from some form of persecution to martyrdom. Mostly they are stories of Christians living their faith in season and out of season. Stories of Christians who stepped in to problems situations to make them better. To fully give of themselves to others. The age of people chronicled in these stories also ranged from the young to the elderly.

Many of the stories are bittersweet and involve tragedy, yet the tragedy is not the final answer. Christianity has always been the way of the cross and Jesus told us the consequences of following him. While currently in the United States their is increasing persecution regarding religious liberty, it is still a soft persecution – even if disruptive to some people’s lives. It is how we live our faith in these circumstances and more severe ones that tell if we have really given our lives to Him.

Despite the bittersweet or tragedy, I found these witnesses to the faith encouraging. These stories are inspiring and remind us to turn to the Holy Spirit. That we are all called to be witnesses despite the circumstances. If we can live our faith fully with little or no pushback, then praise God. If we do receive pushback then praise God also in the spirit of Job’s words.

I also really enjoyed how the stories were told and framed together. This is not just some patchwork of news stories, but a result of research and interviews where possible.

September 6, 2016 0 comment
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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 151 – 31 August 2016

by Jeffrey Miller August 31, 2016
written by Jeffrey Miller

pope-francis2-300x187This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 2 August 2016 to 31 August 2016.

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post at Jimmy Akin’s The Weekly Francis. Jimmy Akin came up with this idea when he started “The Weekly Benedict” and I have taken over curation of it.

Angelus

  • 14 August 2016
  • 15 August 2016
  • 21 August 2016

General Audiences

  • 17 August 2016
  • 24 August 2016

Letters

  • 15 August 2016 – Chirograph of His Holiness Pope Francis by which he names H.E. Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia as the Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Institute “John Paul II” for Studies on Marriage and Family and President of the Pontifical Academy for Life

Messages

  • 2 August 2016 – Message of condolence of the Holy Father for the death of Card. Franciszek Macharski
  • 27 August 2016 – Video message of the Holy Father on the occasion of the celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in the Americas [Bogotá, 27-30 August 2016]

Motu Proprio

  • 15 August 2016 – Apostolic Letter issued ‘Motu Proprio’ instituting the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life
  • 17 August 2016 – Apostolic Letter issued ‘Motu Proprio’ instituting the Dicastery for promoting Integral Human Development

Speeches

  • 31 August 2016 – Greeting to participants in the World Congress of Cardiology “ESC Congress 2016”

Papal Tweets

  • “Never abbandon prayer, even when it seems pointless to pray.” @Pontifex 18 August 2016
  • “Where there is love, there is also understanding and forgiveness.” @Pontifex 19 August 2016
  • “Mercy does not just mean being a “good person” nor is it mere sentimentality. It is the measure of our authenticity as disciples of Jesus.” @Pontifex 21 August 2016
  • “New forms of slavery such as human and organ trafficking, forced labour, and prostitution are true crimes against humanity.” @Pontifex 23 August 2016
  • “Consoling those who suffer we are able to help build a better world.” @Pontifex 26 August 2016
  • “May a powerful gust of holiness sweep through all the Americas during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy!” @Pontifex 27 August 2016
  • “An easy prayer to say every day: “Lord, I am a sinner: come with your mercy”.” @Pontifex 28 August 2016
  • “May God’s mercy towards us move us to be merciful towards our neighbors.” @Pontifex 29 August 2016
  • “Serving with love and tenderness those who are in need helps us to grow in humanity.” @Pontifex 31 August 2016

Papal Instagram

  • Franciscus
August 31, 2016 1 comment
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Punditry

Progress and Regress

by Jeffrey Miller August 25, 2016
written by Jeffrey Miller

From St. Augustine’s City of God.

So we must not grumble, my brothers, for as the Apostle says: Some of them murmured and were destroyed by serpents. Is there any affliction now endured by mankind that was not endured by our fathers before us? What sufferings of ours even bear comparison with what we know of their sufferings? And yet you hear people complaining about this present day and age because things were so much better in former times. I wonder what would happen if they could be taken back to the days of their ancestors–would we not still hear them complaining? You may think past ages were good, but it is only because you are not living in them.

It amazes me that you who have now been freed from the curse, who have believed in the son of God, who have been instructed in the holy Scriptures–that you can think the days of Adam were good. And your ancestors bore the curse of Adam, of that Adam to whom the words were addressed: With sweat on your brow you shall eat your bread; you shall till the earth from which you were taken, and it will yield you thorns and thistles. This is what he deserved and what he had to suffer; this is the punishment meted out to him by the just judgment of God. How then can you think that past ages were better than your own? From the time of that first Adam to the time of his descendants today, man’s lot has been labor and sweat, thorns and thistles. Have we forgotten the flood and the calamitous times of famine and war whose history has been recorded precisely in order to keep us from complaining to God on account of our own times? Just think what those past ages were like! Is there one of us who does not shudder to hear or read of them? Far from justifying complaints about our own time, they teach us how much we have to be thankful for.

There is much just critique of the cult of progress where history is seen as a line sloping up. Progress measured by an ever changing metric.

“Progress should mean that we are always changing the world to fit the vision, instead we are always changing the vision.” G.K. Chesterton (Orthodoxy)

At the same time there is a view taking the opposite direction of regression and decline. A nostalgic take for a world that never existed.

Both view things that we are in a point of history that intersects either a line going upward or downward. As a pessimistic/optimist I am at times drawn to both viewpoints. Still I think Dicken’s famous introduction regarding it being the best of times and the worst of times is the correct view that straddles all points of the timeline. The present is always a mixture of various rise and falls.

“I am a Christian, and indeed a Roman Catholic, so that I do not expect ‘history’ to be anything but a ‘long defeat’ – though it contains some samples or glimpses of final victory.” J.R.R. Tolkien

With a clear-headedness we can see all that we have to be thankful for even in the most tumultuous of times. There has never been a time when someone could not be a saint. If anything society’s brokenness can shine a light on our own brokenness.

“At times of course it is hard to understand this profound reality, because evil is noisier than goodness; an atrocious murder, widespread violence, grave forms of injustice hit the headlines; whereas acts of love and service, the daily effort sustained with fidelity and patience are often left in the dark, they pass unnoticed” (Te Deum and First Vespers: Homily of Benedict XVI, 31 December 2012)

So easy to put a lot of effort in what’s wrong with the world and others, and little effort with the same in ourselves. I would rather rant than pray. Long for holiness while not wanting to put much effort into that desire. Knowing I suck, while seriously trying to not block the grace to reduce my suckitude.

The saints are oases around which life sprouts up and and something of the lost paradise returns. (Pope Benedict XVI Jesus of Nazareth P. 248)

August 25, 2016 0 comment
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About Me

Jeff Miller is a former atheist who after spending forty years in the wilderness finds himself with both astonishment and joy a member of the Catholic Church. This award-winning blog presents my hopefully humorous and sometimes serious take on things religious, political, and whatever else crosses my mind.

Conversion story

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  • Coming Home Network

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Blogging since July 2002

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  • The Curt Jester is a blog of wise-ass musings on the media, politics, and things "Papist." The Revealer

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About Me

Jeff Miller is a former atheist who after spending forty years in the wilderness finds himself with both astonishment and joy a member of the Catholic Church. This award winning blog presents my hopefully humorous and sometimes serious take on things religious, political, and whatever else crosses my mind.
My conversion story
  • The Curt Jester: Disturbingly Funny --Mark Shea
  • EX-cellent blog --Jimmy Akin
  • One wag has even posted a list of the Top Ten signs that someone is in the grip of "motu-mania," -- John Allen Jr.
  • Brilliance abounds --Victor Lams
  • The Curt Jester is a blog of wise-ass musings on the media, politics, and things "Papist." The Revealer

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