Safe Haven

It takes awhile to understand that Jesus isn't just fire insurance. All that we know at the beginning is that we're helplessly tied up in the sins that trouble us. We have these amazing desires, especially if we have faith. We see clearly what God is offering, and we want it. The trouble is our sins, or more accurately, how we react to our sins. I think many of us take our awareness of our sin as an opportunity to tell Jesus that he made a mistake. This could go on a lifetime. But with the mystic vision, we begin to see our sin as the remnant of our unredeemed self. Temptation is closely related; it's a call to prayer. The sin in my members, as it were, is a siren call to dark places. We don't like to go there, but fear and selfishness call us there, like a compulsion or a sickness. When the Scriptures call us "double-minded," they mean that we both love and hate the siren call. We are like two people: the one who loves God, and the one who loves the carou...

Look at that first reading . I daresay I have never had an easier time placing myself in the scene. If my love does not grow now, it might be said rightly I have never believed. I watched a livestream of the Mass, and when the time for the usual reception of Holy Communion came, I had only tears. They have hardly stopped. I am wracked with waves of love and grief. It remains beyond my understanding why anyone would willingly choose to be away from the altar. Never have I felt more at home than in God's house, where it pleases Him to remain as "God with us" in the Eucharist. My only pain is the day when He leaves us at night into Good Friday. It's like he is bodily there, in every church, on His throne. He does not reign with terror, but presides in quiet. We are home and safe; we are family. Indeed, this is the true faith distilled: "And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Many people are afraid of God, which is to say they are gu...

I should warn you that I'm going to say "crazy" things. As the young people say, "It is what it is." It is good to tell people to follow the commandments. If it weren't good to follow the commandments, God would not give them to us. Still, we can easily imagine or we have seen laws become ends in themselves. Our Lord's opponents had made the Law an end in itself. A person who doesn't try to follow the commandments may not be malicious, but he is certainly blind. Sin blinds us, and we know this. Yet we are blinded in two ways: First, we cannot see God in His goodness; and second, we can only see ourselves. And yet, in the end, there's little profit in keeping the Law as an end. "All these I have kept since I was a boy," said the rich young man. There is no ladder to God. This is why it says, "It does not depend on him who strives, or him who runs, but upon God's mercy." I don't like to spend too much time talking ab...

This terrible coronavirus has clarified something important about the adoration of God: Mass still goes on. The one sacrifice God commands is that of Calvary, and it goes on. Strictly speaking, we don't need to be in attendance. Our obligation in normal times is truly a gift of thanks, that we can join the sacrifice of our lives to that Sacrifice. Made in a bloody manner once, and in an unbloody manner in the Mass thereafter until the end of time. It is crucial that we understand that when the priest refers to "my sacrifice and yours," there are two distinct sacrifices, and they are not the same. Quite honestly, when things go bad in Catholic thinking, it's right here. We lose the sense that the relationship is one of verticality firstly and primarily. I think we get envious of our Protestant brethren in some ways, and rightly so. They are generally better at loving each other than we are. I went to one parish 3 years, and I think only my small circle of friends kne...

First, I decided to read it. As everyone probably knows, I'm not inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. I thought that reading the words would lessen the possible impact of my active dislike of the man, and any mistakes in delivery. OK, let's talk about "foreign virus". I had a feeling that this would stick in the craw of everyone who already believed he's a xenophobic bigot. (I certainly do think he's a xenophobic bigot.) That said, I decided to look up "foreign" in the dictionary . Do you see the definitions there? Especially the third usage seems apt. The president is simply saying that the virus did not originate in the United States. I personally have no problem with the wording here. Second, the travel ban. I think he's taking extra heat, because of the earlier--and much more infamous, in my view--travel ban that applied to Muslim countries, and Venezuela. A reasonable critique is to say that since the United States already has ...

5. The incurable urge to wander around the California desert going, "It's so rad, being out in nature, you know? I'm so stoked." 4. The incurable urge to dance to Justin Timberlake's, "Can't Stop The Feelin.'" [Although, whatever that is, it's absolutely a pandemic.--ed.] 3. The powerful urge to steal treasured artifacts of the Spanish monarchy. Although, you may want to keep an eye out for Carmen Sandiego and company. 2. The insatiable urge to drink Mexican beer on a beach. [I wanna catch that one!--ed.] 1. The apparently incurable affliction to sing "Crown Him With Many Crowns" 3 times, before anyone is allowed to leave church. This virulent disease most strongly impacts Baptists, and other fellow travelers.

It is not for me to decide which parts of the Green New Deal won’t work, or would be disastrous to implement—or the reverse, mind you—but one extremely savvy thing about how it was named communicates something important about the importance of climate change. The New Deal was a concerted effort across all sectors of society to soften the blow of the Great Depression. Aside from ideologues, academics, and cranks,—but I repeat myself—most Americans appreciated the effort. You’ll note of course that FDR remains regarded as one of America’s greatest presidents. Here’s what AOC is trying to say, at its most basic: This crisis is so grave that it’ll take a coordinated effort from everyone in every sector of society to get us through it. If nothing else, she communicated her intent and judgment about the gravity of the situation in just 3 words. That's why she'll be a player on this stage for a long time.

I saw this just now, in reference to COVID-19: "Prayer doesn't work. Washing your hands does." I know secularists are fond of this dichotomy, but in the words of a popular meme, "Why not both?" Consider this argument: God exists; God is omnipotent; We are not omnipotent, that is, we are highly vulnerable to misfortunes beyond our control, including death itself; Therefore, it would be foolish not to seek the aid of God, who is omnipotent. -- I cannot answer for you why God seems to act and answer on some occasions, and not others. I don't know why sometimes we have to face death with no relief or reprieve. I do know that you can suffer with hope, or suffer without it. And because grace builds upon nature, but does not destroy it...please do wash your hands.

I've got a positive take on her. It's hard not to appreciate what she did: she knocked off a veteran Democrat, Joe Crowley, in the primary and won her seat in the general election from a reliably Democratic district in New York. She's the youngest member of Congress. She didn't have a reliable place to live when she was elected. She's worked as a server in a bar. (We used to call those "waitresses.") You can get to know her a bit by watching the Netflix documentary, "Knocking Down the House." It follows four progressive women as they challenge Democrats in primaries. Alexandria was the only one who won. I guess I'm supposed to fear her, if Fox News is any guide. But neither Fox, nor the whole GOP, represents me. And I'll decide what and whom to fear, thank you. I have always appreciated an honest, earnest radical. Politics is about heart, more than anything. So we'd disagree. What else is new? Some of these young progressive types h...

I woke up at 6 AM, which is silly, because there's no reason for me to get up at 6 AM. There's no ability to get up then, either. When I know I'll be waiting, I try to pray. Nothing overly involved, just usually talking to the Blessed Mother and Our Lord. I got totally lost in it this morning. A friend was on my mind, and I kept thinking of his whole journey. As I sorted through the images in my mind, I realized: this is what prayer is for. God is already in the moments of our lives. All of them. If we just try to get closer to God, we fail. If we invite God to enlarge our hearts to see Him in our moments, then we'll actually achieve what we seek. Pain won't decrease; far from it. It's never worked like that. But what do I actually believe about God? If God is good, then he's with me when I experience bad things. I don't have to find God somewhere; I just need to realize that I'm the dense one. I'm the one who wants to run and hide. Why? Wh...

Real Clear Politics is a great site, especially during election season. Data, commentary, major speeches, and all the rest make it highly useful and enjoyable for political junkies. That's still an accurate descriptor of me. And I don't know who finds the opinion and analysis pieces, but I notice those that lean Right have noticeably declined in quality, with respect to avoiding ad hominems. The headlines are ad hominems, as are the pieces themselves. There seem to be alternate realities, and there doesn't appear to be any willingness to seek any neutral ground of fact to re-establish some basis for constructive conversation. The Right in general is given over to conspiracies and a bunker mentality. Most people I know and see who are "conservative" (whatever that means) ignore the mainstream media altogether, in favor of ideological sources. Here's the thing, though: You can't persuade someone without a common language, and common facts. The political ...

You know, I reamed Dr. Charlie Camosy once, because he remained a Democrat, in the face of their abortion immorality. I wasn't fair to him, and I deserved the silence I got. It turns out that we would meet here in the middle on this. Dr. Camosy wrote a book about abortion dialogue, and hopefully turning the temperature down a bit. I should have listened to him. On the other hand, he's since left the Democratic Party because of these radical positions in the party on abortion. Someone pro-life will have to run and win as a Democrat, to face down Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and whomever else. Maybe become president. And then, maybe, such a visible person could give others the courage to be pro-life Democrats again. Maybe one day soon. And that's the other thing: it is an outrage that there is no room among major players in that party for the pro-life position. I can't in conscience vote for their presidential candidates, because there's no ambivalence at all: a Dem...

I went to McDonald's in the afternoon. I wanted to enjoy something greasy and appalling before I went to Mass. As it happened, I had to go to Reconciliation first. I booked it away from the McDonald's at 3:36 PM, and I arrived in line at 3:50 PM. I only had to wait a couple of minutes, and I had intended to stay for Mass, but in that moment I had no desire to wait around for the celebration. I knew that I should make it back before dark, because rolling in a wheelchair isn't terribly safe in the daylight, and less so at night. When I looked at my clock at home, it was 4:30. I knew we had a couple of hours before the results came in from the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary. I knew that former Vice President Biden would win, but I don't think anyone knew it would be as big a win as it turned out to be. I'm thrilled for Joe, and I'm thrilled for the Democratic Party--as far as it goes--because I do think that he's their best chance to win. I ...

I guess I have always been that guy. You know, that guy who boldly proclaims everything as if it is as obvious as 2+2 = 4. I had an acquaintance tell me once that he didn't like a book I liked, because of its "conversionist" take on politics. I loved it; I love earnest, passionate people who are forced to change their minds. Of course I do; I just described myself. I guess other people appreciate nuance in the conclusion of a matter. I don't like that; we can nuance a thing after we've made a decision about what's true. I can appreciate shades of gray after we know where each other stands. This takes me far afield from where I wanted to go. In a certain way, I don't like being so certain about Jesus. So many people are hurting, and in their pain, they are crying out, "Where was God when all this happened?" If he is so good, why has he allowed something so bad? We've all been there before. It seems like only the people who have asked a har...

It is profoundly immoral for the government of the United States to deport anyone whose only crime is crossing the United States border illegally. Ostensibly in defense of families harmed by people who crossed the border illegally to commit violent crimes, the Trump administration has initiated crackdowns against illegals residing in the United States. It is my firm belief that orthodox Catholics of a conservative political persuasion here in the United States have accepted this grave violation of human dignity, because the prospect of a Democrat, and their hostility to human life in the womb, blinds these voters to the moral problem presented by Trump's immigration policies. There may be an elected progressive somewhere who would aid an illegal immigrant who had also committed violent crime, and I do not support the use of sanctuary cities for that purpose. Yet for the misdemeanor of crossing the US border looking for a better life, I would stand with an immigrant and defy the...

It is claimed that banning abortion will only drive abortion underground, where it is less safe. (You can find Sen. Ted Kennedy's "wire hangar" speech against Bork for an example.) As an aside, even if this grisly practice were properly regulated--which to the present day, it's not--it's not safe for the baby. Moreover, the claim that abortion is at least physically safe for the mother is false. Given the fact that abortion supporters and opponents agree that "back alley" abortions are undesirable, it's nevertheless the case that the "choice" side imputes a moral culpability for the harms caused by the illicit procedure on to those who wish to ban abortion as such. This doesn't follow, for one thing. For another, anti-abortion legislators and voters would only be culpable for the harm in such a situation with an unstated premise that abortion itself is morally neutral or good. If abortion were morally neutral or good, the only hardshi...

Let me start with Mark Shea, and say it like this: I get it. I don't want to be in the GOP tribe, either. I don't like the political culture of deflection. I don't like the notion of pretending that President Trump is a good man, who's misunderstood, or slandered, or whatever people say. I don't like the fact that most serious issues not related to sex are being discussed inside the Democratic Party. I could go on and on about the GOP, and GOP voters, and that even most thoughts within that coalition strike me as irritable mental gestures in the direction of a philosophy, to borrow a phrase. Yet I have some truth to share: A human fetus is a person, an innocent person, and killing an innocent person is wrong. Not because Jesus said so, although he does. Any person who loves reason can come to see this truth. We may even convince ourselves that "reproductive choice" is less wrong, because the set of Republican policies related to social support makes th...

You can scan the news any time; the most obvious conclusion, though not necessarily helpful, is, "Everything is terrible." Sin, tragedy, alienation, death, and destruction are just a typical Friday. I was praying a Chaplet of Divine Mercy last night for a guy with cancer I heard about. The Chaplet is an amazing prayer. And as I started to think about what we were saying, it bowls me over still. Father, we plead the all-sufficient merit of Your Son. If that won't help us, nothing will. If you're suffering, I can't tell you how to feel that, or to get through it. I do know that I am not afraid of dying. I was kind of taunting the devil after a fashion in prayer the other day, in that it came to me in this way: What's the worst you can do to me, kill me? Do you understand, my friends? Our souls are eternal. These bodies will die, but we will not. It sneaks up on some people, because of the pride of life. The evil one loves death in this world, because it hu...

When you're close to Jesus, he knocks on the door of your heart. Many people do prayers of various kinds, and we ought to be thankful that holy Church gives us so many prayers to learn. They guide us and help us when we are spiritually young. Later, the words take on new life, as things we know by the light of faith, not simply as practices we have. Jesus knocks, because the deepest desire of the faithful heart is Him. And at this stage, we are no less likely in my view to fall back into sin or fear as any new person, but we recognize we may do it for an entirely different reason: the danger of an intimacy growing ever more deeply. How scary it is to be known or potentially known by another human being! And if that is true, how much more the divine Son of God! How does Jesus overcome this in us? With a love that is relentless, unyielding, undying, like the burning sun in the desert in the middle of the day. We are the inconstant ones; we are the ones who fail and change. He has...

Admittedly, I have much less patience for people these past few months. That sounds weird and wrong to say. I mean that I am closing ranks; I have no time to join in a chorus of criticism directed toward myself. I used to love meeting new people; I don't anymore. I will probably say a lot more offensive things in the weeks and months ahead, because I think I had an idol of being popular, an idol of being well-liked. I wasn't one to mince words to begin with, and now, I find that sometimes, diplomacy leaves leaves you holding the ashes of fruitless efforts to please others. I think the Sacrament of Holy Orders is a wonderful gift, one of the greatest ever given to humankind. I also think it doesn't necessarily prevent any man from being a fool. Please do move the priests, powers that be. The broken cistern is more obvious the longer it stays in the same place. I think I'll be one of those public intellectuals who dies, and someone will say, "he wasn't one ...