The Last First
"Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices." - Alfred A. Montapert, author of The Supreme Philosophy of Man:The Laws of Life Today is the anniversary of the US Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that effectively made abortion on demand legal in the United States....
Unforgivable
A popular show (on PBS no less) is Downton Abbey. And that's a bit surprising to me since we Americans seem to always be gripped, al least in our rhetoric, with this notion of egalitarianism. But this popular show is very much about the clear stratification of "classes" and...
Talk About Counter-Intuitive
Ever played the opposite game? When you play the opposite game you answer questions with the opposite of what it the real answer. So when you say "no" to the question "Are you happy?" you really mean "yes" you are happy. You get the idea. One of life's most confusing...
To Hear and be Healed
As I sat in the doctor's office waiting for him to tell me the results of some recent medical tests, I have to confess to you that I was a little scared. Let's face it, as a typical man, I don't "do" doctors well! I had put this off...
Going Where You Don’t Want to Go
"But I don't want to!" My 7 year old simply didn't want to go to school that day. She didn't want to, and that fact alone should have released her from her obligation to attend first grade class that day. "I don't want to!" Imagine her surprise when her...
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
I can't help but hear whistling when I think of the title of today's reflection. All you Monty Python fans understand! We live in an age of affluent problems. Recently, a teenager from a very wealthy home was involved in a fatal car accident, and the accident was this young...
Pay Attention
Funny, I didn't know I owed Attention any money! Interesting phrase "pay attention." It seems to suggest that attention must always be something I have to place value upon if I am going to be aware of important things. The truth is I usually only "pay attention" to things I...
Shrewd or Wise?
You've heard me say this before if you've been reading a while: Being shrewd isn't necessarily the same as being wise. And the reason is an evil man can be shrewd and calculating, but only a good man can be truly wise. Now that doesn't mean that shrewdness is always...
REPENT!
Today is the Sunday After the Feast of Epiphany (Theophany) and we read in our Gospel Lesson that St. John the Baptist has been arrested. Our Lord's response to that new was to tell the people to repent. What does metantia (the Koiene Greek word that English translates as "repent")...
But WHY?
It seems the book by Simon Sinek "Start With Why - How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone" has struck a chord with many. And the question is "why does asking why help so very much?" The answer is found in knowing the fundamental nature and purpose of any activity. You can...