I'm reading a biography of the Cure' D'Ars, a French Saint. Here is a story the Saint would tell about one of the farmers in his village.
"A few years ago there died a man of this parish, who, entering the church in the morning to pray before setting out for the fields, left his hoe at the door and became wholly lost in God. A neighbor who worked not far from him, and thus used to see him in the fields, wondered at his absence. On his way home he bethought himself of looking into the church, thinking that the man might be there. As a matter of fact, he did find him in the church. 'What are you doing here all this time?', he asked. And the other made reply: 'I look at the good God, and he looks at me.'
"Whenever he told this anecdote-and he did so frequently and never without tears-the Cure' used to add: "He looked at the good God, and the good God looked at him. Everything is in that, my children."
I like how these French people always say "the good God". It's touching that they call attention to God's goodness whenever they speak of Him. The Cure' is an exceedingly sweet Saint. He was skinny from eating only old rotten potatoes, and he had large hopeful eyes. He was such a delicate creature that he confessed to being uncomfortable hugging his mother. Looking at a drawing of him on the cover of the book, it's hard to imagine that such a sweet looking man spent years telling his congregation that they were heading for hell. When he was a child the older kids would make fun of him for praying so much. He had a Frenchman's knack for getting them to shut-up, or for making them look bad. Saints are so much more alive than us normal folk!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Thursday, November 1, 2007
As A Child!
"They brought young children to him."
Show God your weakness.
"His disciples rebuked those that brought them."
Your strength can only get in the way.
"When Jesus saw it he was much displeased. He said 'Suffer the little children to come to me'".
God will welcome your weakness and whither your strength.
"And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them."
Show God your weakness.
"His disciples rebuked those that brought them."
Your strength can only get in the way.
"When Jesus saw it he was much displeased. He said 'Suffer the little children to come to me'".
God will welcome your weakness and whither your strength.
"And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them."
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Trick or Treat From Your Neighborhood Crank!
When I was a kid Halloween was my second favorite holiday after Thanksgiving. Now that I eat as much candy as I want to whenever I want to, Halloween just isn't that great. It might be more fun for me if I got invited to Halloween parties, but I doubt it. Nothing ruins a buzz like some dork thinking he's funny for wearing an eye-patch and talking like a pirate. And forget ironic and obscure costumes; the point of dressing up is not to be funny. The point is to pretend for a little bit that you actually are a cowboy or a vampire or whatever. Let's face it, we're just too old to pretend.
Also, I hated it when the person answering the door would ask, "What are you dressed as?", when it was quite obvious what I was supposed to be. It's like "Lady, just give me the candy and let me get to the next house." I was a crank even back then.
Happy Halloween!
Also, I hated it when the person answering the door would ask, "What are you dressed as?", when it was quite obvious what I was supposed to be. It's like "Lady, just give me the candy and let me get to the next house." I was a crank even back then.
Happy Halloween!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
No More Unmitigated Nonsense.
I'm lucky enough to see Ben at least once a week, so I won't be jonesing too bad for the wisdom and virtue that are clearly manifest in his writing. For those of you who rely on Unmitigated for your weekly dose of level-headedness, I have a plan to get B-Love blogging again. Everytime you get the urge to click on Ben's blog, call him at his house instead. If you don't have his number I'll give it to you if you e-mail me. He'll be back to blogging in no time.
Why, Ben, Why?!!!
Why, Ben, Why?!!!
Friday, October 26, 2007
A Gay Wizard?!
Three Reasons Why Wizards Can't Be Gay or Straight
(1) Wizards don't fall in love.
Wizards aren't interested in being in love. It's true that insofar as love is a spiritual force that creates and governs the universe, Wizards are interested in it. But no Wizard worth his salt would be so vulnerable as to fall under the control of the force he is trying to master. As Gandalf said (paraphrase): "Wizards cannot destroy something in order to understand it". Isn't "destroying to understand" a definition of romantic love?
(2) Wizards are, technically speaking, not human.
Wizards are somewhere between angels and men. In a way, they are a parody of the Incarnation because they are a sort of fusing together of the human and Divine in an unstable mixture. They may act like they can love like other men, but it's just a show for purposes of concealment or to gain control over another person.
(3) Niether gay men nor straight women like long beards.
Even supposing a wizard did fall in love, he wouldn't be able to find a partner unless he shaved. If he shaved, he would lose all his power.
Therefore, if Dumbledore is gay he is not a Wizard. If he is straight he is not a Wizard either. It's as if J.K. Rowling didn't know anything about magic!
(1) Wizards don't fall in love.
Wizards aren't interested in being in love. It's true that insofar as love is a spiritual force that creates and governs the universe, Wizards are interested in it. But no Wizard worth his salt would be so vulnerable as to fall under the control of the force he is trying to master. As Gandalf said (paraphrase): "Wizards cannot destroy something in order to understand it". Isn't "destroying to understand" a definition of romantic love?
(2) Wizards are, technically speaking, not human.
Wizards are somewhere between angels and men. In a way, they are a parody of the Incarnation because they are a sort of fusing together of the human and Divine in an unstable mixture. They may act like they can love like other men, but it's just a show for purposes of concealment or to gain control over another person.
(3) Niether gay men nor straight women like long beards.
Even supposing a wizard did fall in love, he wouldn't be able to find a partner unless he shaved. If he shaved, he would lose all his power.
Therefore, if Dumbledore is gay he is not a Wizard. If he is straight he is not a Wizard either. It's as if J.K. Rowling didn't know anything about magic!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
I'm Still Blogging!
Dirt and water, when mixed, make mud.
Dry mud is just dirt with a past.
Dirt blows away in a strong enough gust.
It takes water to make a soul last.
To keep from drowning, you'd best get a boat.
To have a boat you've got to have wood.
To have wood some trees have got to be grown.
To have trees you'll need dirt under foot.
Once you've scouted for trees that are sound,
Your body will be dried up by dust.
When washing you'll need to make sure you don't drown.
I hear tell that a foot-bath's enough.
Once you're all clean you can finish your boat.
With a boat you'll be ready to sail.
The wind knows the best moment to take you away.
It won't blow 'til you're sure that you've failed.
Dry mud is just dirt with a past.
Dirt blows away in a strong enough gust.
It takes water to make a soul last.
To keep from drowning, you'd best get a boat.
To have a boat you've got to have wood.
To have wood some trees have got to be grown.
To have trees you'll need dirt under foot.
Once you've scouted for trees that are sound,
Your body will be dried up by dust.
When washing you'll need to make sure you don't drown.
I hear tell that a foot-bath's enough.
Once you're all clean you can finish your boat.
With a boat you'll be ready to sail.
The wind knows the best moment to take you away.
It won't blow 'til you're sure that you've failed.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Dorothy Parker!
The Burned Child
Love has had his way with me.
Thus my heart is torn and maimed.
Since he took his play with me.
Cruel well the bow-boy aimed,
Shot and saw the feathered shaft
Dripping bright and bitter red.
He that shrugged his wings and laughed-
Better had he left me dead.
Sweet, why do you plead me, then,
Who have bled me so sore of that?
Could I bear it once again?...
Drop a hat, dear, drop a hat!
-Dorothy Parker
Love has had his way with me.
Thus my heart is torn and maimed.
Since he took his play with me.
Cruel well the bow-boy aimed,
Shot and saw the feathered shaft
Dripping bright and bitter red.
He that shrugged his wings and laughed-
Better had he left me dead.
Sweet, why do you plead me, then,
Who have bled me so sore of that?
Could I bear it once again?...
Drop a hat, dear, drop a hat!
-Dorothy Parker
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Something I Want To Understand Better!
What are we supposed to pay attention to in church?
In church I'll stare at icons for a little bit, then I'll reflect on the words of the liturgy, then I'll look at the little kids goofing off, then I'll think about what the rest of the day will be like, then I'll close my eyes and start to pray, then I'll open them and look at my watch, and so on and so on. I feel like I'm missing the point and getting few tangible results besides warm feelings. Is there a stable point in me that I can latch onto so as not to get swept away by all the activity? I suppose I could just watch myself not concentrating and this would be a form of concentration, but then I reproach myself for not paying attention to the sights, smells, sounds of the liturgy. I have heard it suggested that, since we have little control over the quality of our concentration when we pray, we should instead attend to the quality of our intentions. While we, as we are, can't will to love God, we can intend to love God. So, while in church we should try to ferret out the real reason why we're there. There are good reasons, and bad reasons, but the good reasons are always deeper. A desire to escape hell is deeper than a desire to pretend we are saints. A desire to see, smell and taste divinity is deeper than the desire to simply watch a pretty service. A desire to know the Truth is deeper than any questions we may have during the service. I need to do some experimenting to see if this is useful thinking.
In church I'll stare at icons for a little bit, then I'll reflect on the words of the liturgy, then I'll look at the little kids goofing off, then I'll think about what the rest of the day will be like, then I'll close my eyes and start to pray, then I'll open them and look at my watch, and so on and so on. I feel like I'm missing the point and getting few tangible results besides warm feelings. Is there a stable point in me that I can latch onto so as not to get swept away by all the activity? I suppose I could just watch myself not concentrating and this would be a form of concentration, but then I reproach myself for not paying attention to the sights, smells, sounds of the liturgy. I have heard it suggested that, since we have little control over the quality of our concentration when we pray, we should instead attend to the quality of our intentions. While we, as we are, can't will to love God, we can intend to love God. So, while in church we should try to ferret out the real reason why we're there. There are good reasons, and bad reasons, but the good reasons are always deeper. A desire to escape hell is deeper than a desire to pretend we are saints. A desire to see, smell and taste divinity is deeper than the desire to simply watch a pretty service. A desire to know the Truth is deeper than any questions we may have during the service. I need to do some experimenting to see if this is useful thinking.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Things I Want To Do/Have Happen to Me!
(1) Wander around the country on foot, visiting Orthodox churches and monasteries.
(2) Strike terror into the hearts of enemies by galloping toward them on a horse while brandishing a sword, spear, mace, or other old-timey weapon. Then, with blood on my weapon, I would like to rear up on the horse and yell as the surviving enemies flee. If there's a princess around, it would be great, but not integral to the awesomeness of the moment, if she threw me her kerchief, or whatever it's called.
(3) Quit smoking for good.
(4) Through a strange series of events be charged with the care of an orphan.
(5) Be telling a story at a bar in front of a large group of young women who, for the most part, don't like me, and, through the magic of my words, render the prettiest woman so overcome with love that she jumps up and kisses me on the lips while I'm in mid-sentence. I would accept the kiss, without kissing back, and then pull her gently away and guide her back to her seat. Then, looking over the stunned, blushing group, I would smile and say, "And I haven't even gotten to the best part." The girls would be fanning themselves now and not quite sure how they feel about me. Then my date, who is prettier than all of them, would show up, give me a kiss on the cheek and lead me to our table where I would drink a lot of beer.
(2) Strike terror into the hearts of enemies by galloping toward them on a horse while brandishing a sword, spear, mace, or other old-timey weapon. Then, with blood on my weapon, I would like to rear up on the horse and yell as the surviving enemies flee. If there's a princess around, it would be great, but not integral to the awesomeness of the moment, if she threw me her kerchief, or whatever it's called.
(3) Quit smoking for good.
(4) Through a strange series of events be charged with the care of an orphan.
(5) Be telling a story at a bar in front of a large group of young women who, for the most part, don't like me, and, through the magic of my words, render the prettiest woman so overcome with love that she jumps up and kisses me on the lips while I'm in mid-sentence. I would accept the kiss, without kissing back, and then pull her gently away and guide her back to her seat. Then, looking over the stunned, blushing group, I would smile and say, "And I haven't even gotten to the best part." The girls would be fanning themselves now and not quite sure how they feel about me. Then my date, who is prettier than all of them, would show up, give me a kiss on the cheek and lead me to our table where I would drink a lot of beer.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
I Am So Into You!
Do you like Cary Grant and The Atlanta Rhythm Section? Well, sir, it's your lucky day!
Fun With Poetry!
I love a girl who's just like you.
She has the same hair and eyes;
The same dimples and smile,
The same name too.
In fact, she's exactly your size.
The only thing different,
As far as I can see,
Is that she loves me too,
And is imaginary.
She has the same hair and eyes;
The same dimples and smile,
The same name too.
In fact, she's exactly your size.
The only thing different,
As far as I can see,
Is that she loves me too,
And is imaginary.
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