Kids and their heroes

Just a thought that came to mind lately: who are the heroes our kids hold up on a pedestal? And why? What characteristics of theirs do they want to emulate? What choices in life would that lead them to? There was a time when I wondered why my kids bring home amoral (no moral teaching) books from Catholic primary school. Yes, they're about reading, but what's wrong with aesop's fables or Hans Christian Andersen? Aren't there any children's books about the saints and people in the Bible? Can't they learn to read with those as well as learn some good morals and maybe even practical wisdom?

But then again, why should it be the school's sole responsibility?

Nothing like getting your hands dirty

Just marveling at how much you learn from actual experience. Helping write texts for the Liturgy (introduction, penitential rite, prayers for the faithful), taking a New Testament course which includes exegesis and Greek (!).. Forget "if you build, he will come"... Say rather, if you try it, you might just learn something. Of course, I already knew this from being a network/systems administrator part-time (and formerly, full-time). Why I didn't put this into practice faith-wise, I can only chalk up to ignorance. And too much surfing on the web...

Less stress for married couples

.. according to a small study involving 500 masters students in Chicago University. That doesn't sound like such a huge sample size, but I can relate. However, the label "marriage" by itself doesn't guarantee it, especially if it means different things to different people. Is it religious, carrying with it all the implications of it being transcendent? Is it Christian, with all the implications of a covenant that relies on God, and being patterned after the relationship between Jesus Christ and his bride, the Church? Is it with the commitment and complete self-giving for life, through thick and thin, beyond the ups and downs of "being in love"? After all, even the word "love" gets thrown around lightly -- and ambiguously -- these days.

Fr. Val Peter: Love, Warmth and Discipline

This is a great podcast from Catholic Answers Live, on a more common sense approach to parenting that goes the extra mile to equip our kids with the skills and know-how they really need, and that includes loving them enough to teach them discipline.

On the Feast of the Assumption

Just how well does the Blessed Virgin know our Lord? How well does a mother know her own son? What conversations did they have, or what insights were given our Blessed Mother in all those years, even those from the moment of his death and resurrection? And yet only a few words of hers are recorded in Scripture! But the most important, perhaps. 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy words!' 'They have run out of wine.' 'Do whatsoever he tells you!'

And of course, the beautiful Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55):

‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
– according to the promise he made to our ancestors –
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

And so we can marvel and honor our Blessed Mother as did God in these words:
'Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.' (Lk 1:45) 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!' (Lk 11:28)

And in like wise do we hope to hear and to remain faithful!

Ukrainian Orthodox and Byzantine Catholics

... are together building a new church! Sounds like a great venture.

Bob Brown: Greens more Christian than Cardinal Pell

I guess Mr. Brown can say that based on what he thinks Christ teaches. On the other hand, if he really knew Christ, he might have to say additionally that the Greens are more Christian than Jesus Christ.