C.S. Lewis, 1942:
"It is usually a sort of melodramatic or mythical hatred directed against imaginary scapegoats. He has never met these people in real life - they are lay figures modelled on what he gets from newspapers."
I thought of that lately when I saw parishioners sniping at each other in the comments of a Facebook post. And if I'm honest, I have to step back and pray a lot to not jump in myself.
This week's post is about that exhaustion - and where healing actually starts. Not with the nation. Not with the parties. With the family, then the parish, then the community. Subsidiarity. Concentric circles. Love working outward.
Pope Leo XIV, in his first homily as pope: "This is the hour for love."
Read the full piece: The Exhausted Middle
Thomas Turns 21
We celebrated Thomas's birthday as a family over the long weekend - he turned 21 yesterday but stayed down at school for the actual day. It's nice having him come back every weekend right now to play music at Mass.
If you would, keep Thomas in your prayers this week. He heads to another audition at Disney World this coming Monday.
Running Restart
Six weeks out from runDisney Wine & Dine weekend. I've finally restarted my running routine in earnest.
This morning I tried something different: instead of watching my pace, I kept myself at the low end of the Peak intensity effort range the entire run. Result? More than two minutes faster per mile than my recent attempts.
I'm looking forward to the long trip with Thomas in October - enjoying some drinks together now that he's 21 - and excited that Matthew is free and flying down to join us for two days of the trip as well. All three of us - our two oldest and I - together at Disney.
Labor Day Golf
Played a round Monday morning with three of my four boys: Andrew, Thomas, and Joseph. Andrew has gotten amazingly good at golf - He's been putting in the work, and it's fun to watch.
This Weekend's Readings
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Sirach 27-28, Psalm 103, Romans 14, Matthew 18.
The theme: forgiveness. Specifically, the weight of resentment and what it costs us to carry it. Sirach as the voice of a father warning his children. The unforgiving servant who forgets how much he's been forgiven.
I'm still working on exactly where the homily lands, but the readings are rich - especially with the 25th anniversary of September 11 at the end of this week. We remembered how to distinguish enemies from neighbors that week. We've forgotten since.
Ordinary Time
A new weekly comic - parish life, deacon life, the sacred hiding in the mundane.
This week's comic ties to the blog above. The parish as the last non-sorted space. People who disagree deeply - about politics, about everything - still coming forward together. Still receiving the same Lord.
Recipe of the Week
Paleo Burger Bowls from Paleo Running Momma - we had these last night (without the fries). Simple, satisfying, and yummy!
What I'm Reading
Still working through Why the Magic Matters: Discovering Disney as a Laboratory for Learning. It's reframing how I think about intentional design - in theme parks, yes, but also in formation, in liturgy, in the spaces we build for people to encounter something.
From Domus
September's rhythm continues. Tomorrow is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Friday is Our Lady of Sorrows. Next week brings the Ember Days - Wednesday, Friday, Saturday - those ancient days of prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving for the harvest.
If you're looking to pray with the rhythm of the Church, & Altar puts it all in your pocket. Start your free trial →
Two Lamps
Issue 19 comes out Friday.
Saint Peter Claver and Saint John Chrysostom. The Jesuit residence in Cartagena de Indias, an evening in 1625. A slave ship approaches the harbor.
Short fiction braiding the lives of two saints across centuries. Read it at TwoLamps.org →
Lux Perpetua
The Lost Crown, Chapter 23, drops tomorrow.
A serial novel in two tracks - mystery, memory, and the weight of what we inherit. Read it at LuxPerpetua.net →
Final Word
"The parish is one of the last non-sorted spaces in American life. You don't choose your fellow parishioners the way you choose your social media feed. You don't get to block the family in the pew ahead of you."
Until next week -
Dcn. Michael