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Today we headed to the mountains.  Not a huge excursion, not one requiring great exertion, oxygen or even hiking boots – simply a little adventure to get our feet wet, breathe some mountain air, and make new friends. Um, yeah. My dad suggested that we avoid the mobs and get to the Park via Townsend…

But, busy, stewarding creation and all: Tomorrow, mountains, perhaps, if we can going early enough.

Could be two days, could be three. Who knows! In the meantime, celebrate the feastday of St. Mary Magdalene on Tuesday. Celebrate for who she was (as much as we know…)  not who we’d like her to be. That said, the legendary material is pretty interesting, too. (Oh, and don’t order from me, either –…

(Corrections welcome. Last time I took Spanish, I was 12. I can say “Juega aqui!.” Florida residents can explain why.) As expected, Pope Benedict announced that the next WYD will be in Madrid in 2011. John Allen has a bit more. But first, back to this one! As I mentioned, most of the Pope’s homilies…

…it’s going to be a bumpy ride… (Context.) (No deep meaning. I just love that photo.)

Still busy, and I trust that those of you keeping up with WYD are…doing just that. But aside from the links I listed below, here are some recent updates: First, the Vatican translators are doing very well this time – all of the Pope’s texts are up so far – in every language. Makes you…

Please check out the discussion of Exiles over at Inside Catholic. There’s some good stuff over there on all sides. In particular, I want to point you to the comments of Bishop Daniel Flores, Auxiliary in the Detroit Archdiocese, here and here.  All those involved in the conversation are smart – far smarter than I…

As I keep telling you, things are really busy around here. Actually, the actual activity is not at its height, but my brain power is certainly being pulled in directions other than this one. Concentrating is quite a challenge, and when I’m in a state, I take refuge, as some do in food or drink,…

The first installment of the Inside Catholic Book Club – discussing Ron Hansen’s Exiles  – is up. Matthew Lickona, BIshop Daniel Flores and I start it off. We’ll be in the comboxes too, when folks start talking – except for Bishop Flores, who is in Australia at the moment. Go check it out and join…

The NYTimes ran a story about the “Serenity Prayer” and how it may not have been written by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, as has been believed. An article about the mystery of the prayer, by Fred R. Shapiro, associate library director and lecturer at Yale Law School, will be published next week in the Yale Alumni…

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