Contemporary culture tends to see the spiritual and the practical as opposed. Specifically, anything spiritual that has practical benefits is bound to be viewed with cynicism, "seen through". Oh, the REAL reason why [spiritual practice] exists is because of [current or past practical benefit]. This is true when the practical benefit is an ( Read more... )

I'm feeling slightly down this evening. My mother had offered me our old family advent calendar and advent wreath. I assumed she had them already out. On our last day I asked where they were so I could pack them. She didn't actually know where they were. She looked, but could only find the advent calendar ( Read more... )

I read a comment somewhere where people were talking about a family tradition for Christmas gifts wherein each child receives three gifts from the parents (and only three gifts, for most who do this). Each gift represents the respective traditional triad of gifts of the Magi: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. People have different explanations for how ( Read more... )

So the Year of Faith started about two weeks ago and I'm only just now getting around to actually trying to think of maybe something to y'know... do.

I just signed up for the Read the Catechism in a Year email digest.

I found this cool Catholic bible in a year page which does the entire bible but doesn't do it from Genesis to Revelation, but ( Read more... )

Pippa sometimes finds things when I'm not specifically looking at her, so it's impossible to know exactly where she's got them from. Today she found two things. First, she found a postage stamp piece of broken glass which I snatched from her just as she was beginning to bite it. Fortunately, the edges of this particular piece were not very sharp ( Read more... )

We went to the Candlemas Mass tonight. I almost didn't go because I couldn't find Pippa's shoes (she likes to carry them around, they're some of her favorite toys) and the light went out in the living room and we didn't have another bulb, so it was hard to look in the dark (especially while wearing a sleeping baby). But I made it out the door and I ( Read more... )

I think I've hit on what bugs me so much when people say "Don't judge". I've definitely said it at least facetiously myself (eg "I sing 'Red Red Wine' in the shower, DON'T JUDGE ME"), but it still bothered me ( Read more... )

1. In case you're just tuning into this channel, I'm in a contest and you should vote for me. Takes ten seconds and requires no registration or anything.

The gap between me and the person in first place has been as little as 2 votes; currently it's 7 votes. So this is really very close and every vote matters!

2. I tried to make arancini today but ( Read more... )

My New Year's Resolution is TO GET BACK ON THIS TRAIN, SUCKAS.

(Skipping the first as it's today and already over and I didn't really do anything. Also I stripped out some optional memorials because January has too many people.)
2. Basil the Great; Gregory Nazianzen, Memorial - Is this the year for Vasilopita? Probably not. Any recipe which ( Read more... )

Regarding the baby I posted about before whose stroller was clipped by a tractor trailer. This is Sly's mom's blog, which contains all the latest updates on his condition ( Read more... )